Overall, our stay was nice here. I will highlight the challenges we faced while here as well as the things we enjoyed.
Our biggest challenge was getting fresh water. Coming from the Great Lakes area, we are used to easy access to fresh, safe drinking water. In Hawaii this seems to be a bit of an issue. The original listing does not talk about having to go buy water for drinking and cooking purposes. We received that information in a long message giving check in details and other information. We didn't think this would be such a big deal (just go to a local grocery store and pick up some water, right?) so we kept our reservation. However, when we did our grocery shopping prior to arriving at our Airbnb, we were shocked to see $10 prices on jugs of water at the local Safeway. To buy enough water for our family of 5 for drinking and cooking was quickly going to get expensive. We did warn our children that drinking the water from the tap was not recommended and to stick to the bottled water. Our son forgot and drank half a glass of water before he realized his mistake. We reassured him that he would still be safe, but hours later he awoke vomiting profusely and was sick all night. We spent an entire night googling water contamination in Hawaii and the safety of water catchment systems. After being thoroughly terrified, we had to bring him to the ER. Turns out, he had the stomach flu! So obviously the water wasn't necessarily unsafe, but it was just awful to be panicked about it in the middle of the night and we would have much preferred to not have to question it. We did take some time the next morning to check out the catchment system and there is a rip in the cover of the tank (makes us wonder if lizards might get in) and the roof was pretty filthy which directly drains into the tank. We admittedly know nothing about catchment systems other than what we read, but it did make us much more vigilant to ensure that no one was using the water for drinking. It might have been a nice touch to give us directions to where a local water fill up station might have been or maybe even provided a jug of fresh water.
The temperature of the house was a bit difficult to regulate as well. The air conditioner upstairs is installed high up on the wall and unreachable and I could not find a remote. It made the two upstairs beds very hot to sleep in for the kids. The air conditioner downstairs would not stay running. Luckily, the two in the downstairs bedrooms worked well.
The setting was nice and my husband and I went for walks up and down the road. We enjoyed drinking our morning beverages in the outdoor covered area. The kitchen was well set up with what we needed and even included some basic staples for cooking which was helpful. We appreciated the laundry detergent and shampoos that were also available.
The frogs at night were beautiful to listen to, but may be loud for some. I was surprised by how loud the chickens and birds get in the morning (by about 5:00 or so?). I didn't expect there to be so many chickens in the area and so much rooster crowing going on! Sometimes the local dogs would start barking as well, but overall we didn't mind.
We appreciated the ample space for everyone, the board games, the availability of boogie boards/snorkeling gear, and the apps/channels on the TV. There was certainly lots to appreciate about this place, just a few things that could use some addressing.