I don’t know if it was listening to the sound of the tropical wind blowing through the trees, or the scent of flowers all around, or the sight of the sun setting over Kealakekua Bay, but staying here was the most relaxing part of our recent Hawaiian adventure. Tucked off the main road, and down a pretty steep driveway, it's a nice quiet location. The host's directions were easy to follow and we had no trouble finding our way. The cottage itself is separate from the owner's house and was cozy and well appointed. It proved to be the perfect staging area for our exploration of the Big Island.

We went snorkeling at the City of Refuge (a fascinating historical park), which is just down the road, and spent a day at nearby Ho‘Okena Beach, just sitting in the shade of some big trees and watching the surf roll in. Our host was a great resource for interesting things to see and do and local places to eat. Jim is also a wealth of information about Hawaiian culture and the people and art of the island. You end up doing a fair amount of driving on the Big Island, and Jim was helpful in guiding us to some beautiful back roads as we went poking around the western side of the island.

The fact is there was way more to do in this corner of paradise than we had time to accomplish. We already have a list for our next visit, and we’ll definitely book this cottage for the return trip.