We based ourselves in Megan & Vincent's lovely home for the Kona part of our Big Island trip. Overall it was a good choice. Listing minor critiques first because I find those most useful when scanning AirBnB reviews. It was our first time to the Big Island and we didn't know the geography well and didn't plan out a detailed itinerary until we had already booked lodging. While the neighborhood is cute (with a shopping center nearby for groceries, pharmacy, restaurants) it was almost an hour long car ride to the better-known beaches such as Hapuna and Mauna Kea. Kikaua Point Beach was about 30 min away. The restaurants in Kailua-Kona about 15 min away. Often those travel times were a little longer depending on traffic. Not a big deal to some but harder if traveling with a toddler as we were. There is a beach you can walk to from the home. It is grand and beautiful but rocky and not really a place for us to spend much time. Secondly, the home does get quite warm in the afternoons (even in January when we were there). This is fully disclosed in the listing but when we would return in the afternoons/evenings from exploring, it would take some time before the ceiling fans brought the temperature down to a more comfortable level. (Tip: Opening the door to the patio and then putting the extra fan by the open door to assist with cross currents was very helpful.) It did cool down overnight and was very pleasant in the mornings when we woke up. Thirdly, do make sure to tread lightly. There is another unit downstairs, and we did not even realize we were walking too loudly in our unit upstairs until the downstairs occupant (very politely and sweetly) made us aware. Just FYI so you can be a good neighbor. Lastly, (and this is also fully disclosed in the listing), there is a separate Hawaii short term rental tax that is separate from the AirBnB fees. Be aware when booking that the final number invoiced from AirBnB is not going to be your final cost.
I don't want to suggest that we did not like our stay! The home itself is beautiful and impeccably clean. (A few bugs here and there -- mostly ants in the bathroom-- but I would think that is to be expected in a tropical environment.) Very spacious and comfortable. Well stocked with everything you might need including plenty of amenities for the beach. We were welcomed with a lovely fruit array and local goodies. I communicated with Megan via email and ran into Vincent in person. They were both very friendly and hospitable. Thank you again for the stay!