Brenda and Matiu have been an absolute delight as hosts, and have really made us feel at home. A close friend and I stayed with Brenda in her lovely purple cabin for a month, and the only regret we have was that we couldn't stay longer! This stay is perfect for people looking for a place to disconnect from the Internet and live in the heart of the rain forest (I got so many hours of reading done here). While the sounds of coqui frogs and sporadic rain are inescapable here, we personally enjoyed being so immersed in the jungle and falling asleep to gentle rain showers every night. It's a little colder (but not by much, just remember to bring a light jacket for the night time when it dips below 70 and into the mid 60s) on this side of the island, but we personally preferred that to the hot, humid air on the Kona side. Although there aren't any fans/air conditioning, or heating, we found that our cabin was the perfect temperature as it doesn't get very hot during the night or the day, and usually the rain cooled everything down. For anyone fearful of the cold, Brenda was always checking in to offer fresh sheets and additional blankets in case we needed it, but we found our cabin to be nicely insulated during the night. The bathroom is incredibly nice with perfectly hot water, and only a few feet away in the main cabin. Brenda always had her string lights on during the night (which are also SO SO pretty) so we never had an issue with midnight bathroom runs. The location is also super accessible and situated perfectly in between the Volcano National Parks (~30 min drive), Pahoa (~40 min drive), and Hilo (~40 min drive). Our cabin was incredibly spacious and more than comfortably fit the 3 oversized suitcases we brought over (and we definitely over-packed, as any 20-something year olds would). Brenda was super helpful for offering tips and advice on all the places to visit and tour on the Big Island, and was also the most welcoming and gracious host, as she always invited us to have dinner with her and willingly offered up freshly dried towels, beach chairs, sunscreen, snorkeling gear, etc. for all of our daily excursions. As two young students, we also loved spending time with and listening to Brenda and Matiu share their stories with us, and know that our Big Island trip became so much better with them as our hosts. Definitely be sure to catch the sunrise at least once, as the light peeking over the trees has been one of my favorite things to wake up to here. And if you're a fan of board games (especially Settlers of Catan), be sure to brush up on your skills -- Brenda and Matiu definitely put up a fight! We have nothing but positive things to say about Brenda, so don't hesitate to book a stay with her!