If you are looking for a serene and spectacular home away from home on the Big Island, the Aloha Friday House is your spot!
We stayed for a whole month... and were sad when we had to go. The house was just perfect-- from the fully-equipped kitchen and laundry room to the comfy bedrooms, gorgeous open floor plan master bath, cozy living room with TV (including a fun selection of DVDs), and three (three!) lanais to choose from for your lounging enjoyment.
We started most mornings sharing coffee with the sunrise and the great pacific ocean, listening to the sounds of happy, chirping birdies all around, and watching gold dust geckos scamper about. One afternoon, we were even graced by the presence of a beautiful, rare 'io (the Hawaiian Hawk, Buteo solitarius) sitting in a nearby tree! We enjoyed fresh guava and papaya right off the trees in front of the lanai, but made sure to leave some for the geckos ;-) They also love to gobble up any stray moths that get inside and are super fun to watch, so we very much enjoyed their company.
The house is really gorgeous and a great place to hang out, but it's also convenient to some scenic spots we might never have seen if we had stayed up in Kona-- like South Point where people cliff-jump into the ocean and the Punalu'u black sand beach where green turtles bask and the snorkeling is chilly but absolutely awesome (if the wind is right). After burning all that energy at the beach, we always felt we had earned a stop in Na'alehu town for a lilikoi malasada at the famous Punalu'u Bakery, or some spicy ahi poke at the South Side Shaka restaurant. The farmers' market on Wednesdays was great for some local produce and homemade bread too. All around, the Aloha Friday House is a great place to get away from it all while still being so near so much to do!