My son & I had the great privilege of staying with Dennis & Paul for nearly two weeks recently. Before posting a review I wanted to have time to be introspective about our experience as it would be a crime to neglect to share what we know to be true with others. Now with that being said, I won't touch on everything but being a former AP journalist I am known to be thorough in my writing & will try to do justice to Mangolay, a Garden of Eden.

LOCATION: You'll need a rental car & it's about 30 minutes from Hilo airport. It's easy to find & these gentlemen man the phone until your arrival. Still you should initially go during daytime. Feel free to pick up hitchhikers as is the local custom. We picked up dozens and they were fun, polite, young hippie types who know the land well, are eager to share their knowledge and are probably staying nearby anyway. Once you check in you are close to a major estuary where we saw a giant leatherback tortoise, rocky beaches, lagoons, Champagne Pond & tons of small farms to buy exotic produce. Go visit "Smiley" for some killer papaya!
HOSPITALITY: Paul & Dennis go out of their way to make you feel home at their private resort. The 3- acre grounds are tropical lushness (ginger, hanging lobster claws, anthuriums). These gents are treasure troves of Hawaiian history, sightseeing, food, culture & so on & will educate you well! They invited us to a splendid al fresca curry dinner & we laughed all evening at their animated stories. Should you need anything they will try to accommodate as I needed a topical solution which Paul found quickly! One evening they gave us white pineapple which they grow on their property and it was damn near a spiritual experience. I've craved it ever since!
CLEANLINESS: 10 stars. Clean, organized & well appointed. Fresh fruit. Nice linens & heavy towels. The only thing better than dining al fresca is showering outside with a certain lovely burgundy orchid.
THE RED CARPET TREATMENT ... came when Paul said we were going on an adventure. With a gleam in his eye Paul drove us through jungles full of ruins on the worst road ever! Next we hiked through steamy, emerald jungles, over ridges of loose volcanic rock, through another forest of sharp-leaved hua, an evil form of hibiscus. But we were rewarded to finally "discover" an enchanting lagoon full of rainbows, water & serenity. Mind you, during two weeks we swam with manta rays, dolphins and even a few barracuda but the afternoon Paul escorted us to our secret lagoon was and is my best memory of the entire trip! You won't find it on Google maps. I tried!
FRIENDSHIP: We miss Paul & Dennis. They were erudite, upbeat, gracious & funny beyond compare! But travelers should know that there are canines on the property who were wonderful....I miss Miss Felicia & Petra!