This is the house you want to stay in on the Big Island: a beautiful home-away-from-home, except in a much nicer place than where you actually live. We stayed in this beautiful duplex townhouse for five weeks and loved every minute; by the end it felt like home and we will definitely be returning next year. Owner Andi and her local property manager Annalee are friendly and responsive and it is hard to imagine a better vacation experience for the money. Details:

APPEARANCE AND LOCATION. A spacious, attractive, and beautifully appointed 3BR townhouse that could easily sleep 8 as advertised (we had fewer). It sits on a hillside with a gorgeous ocean view, in a gated community with a large pool, jacuzzi, and well-equipped fitness center about a 3 minute walk away. It's also a 10 minute walk/3 minute drive from a good shopping mall that includes a supermarket, a CVS drugstore (called Long's locally), several good restaurants, a 7-screen cineplex, and *two* walk-in medical clinics. It’s also an easy 15-minute walk/5-minute drive from Kahalu'u Beach Park, one of the nicest family beaches on the island, with great snorkeling. It's only a 15-minute drive to downtown Kailua. In short, beautiful surroundings and an overall great setting, convenient both to tourism and daily life.

BEDROOMS. Very large master suite plus two comfortably-sized bedrooms. All BRs have full baths, so plenty of privacy if you are staying as a family or multiple couples. The master suite is a knockout, with a huge ensuite bathroom with an oversized soak tub and large glass stall shower, plus a huge walk-in closet. In short, plenty of sleeping/bathing/closet space for all. Each BR has its own TV.

KITCHEN. Attractive and well-equipped, with granite countertops and drawers and shelves full of utensils, glassware, cookware, coffee maker, etc., etc. You could easily do all your cooking here. It’s especially nice to prepare a meal and then eat out on the lanai as you watch the heavenly ocean sunset.

LIVING/DINING SPACE. Comfortable living room with aforementioned lanai, a TV, couch and comfy chairs, and a high cathedral ceiling with a nice open feel. The wall decor is all sorts of interesting artwork that add to the unique feel.

TEMPERATURE. Every room has ceiling fans, and since the house is ocean-facing there is a constant refreshing sea breeze. You can pay extra to have the air conditioning turned on, but we never needed it. (Note: our stay was in February and early March; summers can be warmer.) Sleeping with the windows open to the sound of the ocean and the wind in the palm trees was a real treat.

WIFI. Good strong wifi. We brought along our Roku box and were able to stream Netflix without any problem.

In short, this place is first-rate and delivers a five-star vacation experience at a bargain price. (The average price per night is significantly less than a half-decent hotel.) We can't wait to come back. You absolutely cannot go wrong here.