Karen met us on the road, since the place is a bit hard to find. She showed us the beach, which is only a block from the bungalow and has a great little park and excellent snorkeling. The bungalow itself is like camping in Bali with a roof over your head - it is rustic but incredibly evocative and exotic. I love the outdoor kitchen (on the front porch), the many sitting spaces, the decor that incorporates 400 year old carved wooden panels from bali, a huge ficus tree that the bungalow is built around, and innumerable surfboards, the bed with the mosquito netting and the outdoor (covered) shower and toilet.
There are bugs, which is unavoidable in a place which is open to the outside, but they are not very bothersome once you get used to them. This is a place that you should stay for at least 3 nights or more, and you won't want to leave.
What's more, Karen and her husband have collected all kinds of snorkel equipment in all sizes for your use, as well as beach chairs, beach towels, a cooler, and even a boogie board.
The bungalow is on Kealakekua Bay, which is famous for its snorkeling and spinner dolphins, and for being the place where Captain Cook was killed. We arranged a kayaking trip with the Kona Boys (one of the 3 companies licensed to land at the Captain Cook monument) and having checked in with them the day before, we just meandered less than a half mile to the gathering place for our early morning trip. It is also only 3 miles down a NARROW road to the Place of Refuge, which is a National Park, and some more great snorkeling at Two Step. Great fish and Poke a few miles uphill at Sun Dried Specialties in Kealakekua. They also make an AWESOME fish sandwich to go. Just a bit uphill is a coop that has coffee and macadamia nut samples, and sometimes has fresh fruit and vegetables.
We would go back in a second!