Absolute Paradise Garden Cottage was just amazing. We had a wonderful time during our stay. The property is beautiful and in a great location of the island. I was a bit leery about the outdoor shower, but turns out there was plenty of hot water and privacy so it really didn't matter where it was! At first the lack of air conditioning affected us (it was quite humid when we were there) but after a day or so we got used to it, and honestly after a quick shower the fans kept us cool.
Being from a big city (Los Angeles), I really wasn't ready for how isolated the cottage was--it took a couple of days to get used to it! Sure there were nature sounds (frogs galore!) but none of the city sounds that usually lull me to sleep (cars, sirens, helicopters, dogs, people, etc). Perhaps it's different when people are staying in the big house as well, but on our trip we were the only ones there so it was very quiet. Again, not a bad thing, just not something I'm used to! Also being from L.A., I'm quite used to having to drive everywhere--so the distances to some of the attractions didn't really bother me. The cottage is about 20 min away from the Hot Springs, 30 min from the Tide Pools (do NOT miss this--we swam with Honu all alone!), about 10 min from the entrance to the Lava Viewing (once you get in it's a 4 mile trek each way on foot or by bike). Getting to Pahoa was about 20-30 min--cute little town with some shops and some restaurants. Farther out, like Hilo took about an hour or so--but there's a lot of attractions out there so if you plan it right, your days won't feel like nothing but driving.
Leith and his property manager Tiki took care of everything--there was even a first aid kit available (lava rocks can get very slippery!). Both Leith and Tiki were available if needed, and were always quick to respond to any questions I had. Tiki also brings her knowledge of the island to help plan your days--we took a lot of her tips and we did not regret it!
All in all, we had an excellent trip and I would definitely stay here again!