My family and I felt so at home in the Dolphin Cottage. The cottage comfortably fit the 4 of us plus a baby in the pack and play. It is a very rural location, but we loved the contrast to where we live on crowded Oahu. The cottage had everything we could have wanted, including a washer and dryer and microwave just outside. Andre had the cottage open and ready for us, even though we arrived a little early. He also was nice enough to check in just to make sure everything was satisfactory. I would rent from Andre and Susan again. About 3 miles down the road is a little store, place to eat and bar. It is nothing fancy, but we felt welcomed there and they had almost everything we needed. We went back a few different times. It is a 25 minute drive to Pahoa for a selection of restaurants and stores for necessities. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and so many scenic drives in the area are amazing for viewing lava and learning about volcanoes. The black sand beach is right across the street, but climbing down the rocks to get there is a little challenging and takes a few minutes. I recommend taking the scenic route when driving in from Hilo, route 130 to 132, then southwest on 137. This made us really appreciate the beauty of the area we would be staying in. Ahalanui hot pond was really nice for a warm swim.