Kaeo and Karl's Eco Hale cabin was a wonderful little paradise in a lush Hawaiian rainforest/garden environment. We wish we could have stayed longer. We kept in touch with Kaeo and Karl to let them know our flight arrival was a bit late and they were OK with letting us come on ahead. We arrived after dark and had no problem finding the gate. If you follow Kaeo's directions exactly and keep an eye out for the numbers on the street pavement as indicated, you won't have any trouble. We felt welcome as soon as we arrived as Kaeo promptly and graciously introduced herself and handed us a piping hot tureen of delicious vegetable and soba noodle soup, which we devoured. Kaeo got us all set up with keys and additional information and left us to our own devices. We sadly didn't meet Karl as he had family in town. Upon entering the cabin, we were also pleased to find a selection of home-grown and local fruits on the counter that was more than we could eat...but we tried! Kaeo also brought us a loaf of home baked banana bread (delicious with coffee and fruit in the morning) and cookies for us (which saved us on one of our long hikes in the park).
The cabin information and photos that were provided in the listing were accurate, so we knew what to expect. The main room in the cabin is a fairly small space, which we expected, but was large enough for both my husband and I to move around, prepare meals, eat, read and sleep. Eco Hale is perfect for a single or couple. It was very clean, cozy and comfortable. The kitchenette area is well set up for making your own meals by outdoor gas single cook-top, or indoor microwave, a bar-sized sink, and a small fridge. There were plenty of kitchen tools, plates, pans, coffee grinder, french press, as well as condiments, coffee beans, teas and other amenities. The bathroom with shower is separate and spacious with plenty of on-demand hot water and room to change in. Eco Hale was centrally located between Hilo and Volcano National Park so it was easy for us to move between each location. We were amazed at the attention to detail in this little cabin from the artistic decorative touches, inspirational quotes, our own personalized welcome sign which made us feel special (thank you!), extra reading materials, local information and to-do recommendations, beach and snorkeling gear, ice chest, recycle bins, drinking water, extra pillows and blankets, a cd player with a box of cds that we enjoyed, internet hotspot, playing cards, a guest book, a hide-away tree platform, and so much more!
All this is to say, we highly recommend this little gem and these wonderful gracious hosts.