Mike’s cabin in the rain forest of Volcano, HI is a remarkable gem. I had the fortune to spend three nights here in late March 2021 as we all start to wrap up this covid pandemic. Mike greeted me upon arrival and showed me around and gave a thorough and helpful explanation as to the ins and outs of the cabin. He even provided cereals, oatmeal, milk, fresh pineapple juice, jam, coffee - which made breakfasts convenient (especially when I wanted to wake before dawn to see sunrise in the National Park). The location of the cabin is sublime - at the end of a quiet road in a quiet village. Mike has done a tremendous job of planting native plants around the property. As a native-plant enthusiast, myself, I really appreciated that. The property abuts a beautiful rainforest of tree ferns and lovely 'Ohi'a lehua trees which attracted many bird species including the gorgeous red Apapanes and (non-native) Japanese Bush Warblers. Some how, coqui frogs are not an issue here!
The cabin is very very clean and inviting and cozy. Since it gets chilly at night in Volcano, I enjoyed getting cozy on the sofa with a glass of wine or a local IPA. There is a full kitchen to cook. I ended up bringing dinners back to the cabin to eat each night as I didn’t have reservations for restaurants - and it seems every single restaurant in town requires reservations and they were all completely booked up. It worked out fine for me as I had a better dining experience bringing food back to the cabin to have a nice dinner with views of the forest.
I don’t know when I’ve slept so well. The bed is very large and very comfy. I enjoyed sleeping under the pitter patter of rain on the metal roof - quite a great soothing sound.
Since the cabin is only 5 mins from the National Park entrance, I could go for an early morning pre-dawn hike, come back to cabin for a nap, and then head back out in afternoon for a hike/photography. I wish I had a few extra days to explore the area some more.
Thanks, Mike, for having a lovely forest cabin in such a beautiful setting. If my travels bring me back to HVNP, I’ll definitely be staying at Ao Lele!