I stayed at Marlin's (the host goes by Marlin) place for 11 days in August. It's definitely one of the most unique places I've stayed at. I really enjoyed the lusht vegetation and natural sounds; lots of coqui frogs at night and birds throughout the day. There are also some really beautiful plants and trees on the property. I grew fond of the ducks and chicken that would trot about the property. I can't say I enjoyed the compost toilet, partially because there is a huge hole in the mesh so you're getting eaten by mosquitoes while doing your business, but taking an outdoor shower felt amazing, especially after a run or the gym (in Pahoa). I never used the tub but there is a beautiful deck nestled in a tree in the back that is amazing for reading and just slowing down. If you stay here you should spend some time up there. Some of the challenges I encountered were; I came during mango season. So mangoes were falling all day and night on the tin roof and the sound was LOUD. In fairness Marlin put up a huge tarp to catch some of the mangoes which helped a lot but it's still something to keep in mind for future visitors at this time of year. Bring A LOT of bug spray and after bite. I was getting bit pretty much all day sometimes even in the house. The house is not completely sealed so a few mosquitoes get through. I think the kitchen could also be better. A lot of the pots/pans were not entirely clean when I got there, there were no food storage containers which means that if you cook a meal and have left-overs you have to leave them in the pot and there were no baking trays while I was there. Marlin is very good about feedback though so I'm sure these won't be issues for long and he did bring two food containers which were just too small for any food. Lastly, I would highly recommend renting a car. You can get by without a car but the place is ~20 mins from Pahoa and ~55 mins from Hilo so it helps to have that convenience.
Overall I enjoyed my stay and took some lessons away with me about how to live in harmony with our environment. Thank you for hosting me Marlin.