Aloha everyone! I stayed for a full month in "Namaka" and had a fantastic experience.
The location is absolutely perfect for anyone looking for a beautiful setting and peace of mind. Looking out over the lava fields from my lanai was surreal... definitely the ideal spot to experience Big Island's raw and primal energy. The night sky is a sight to see at this location... stargazing while laying on the provided hammock was an experience I'll never forget.
I enjoyed going to Kehena Black Sand Beach and Isaac Hale Park (hot springs!). The nearby town of Pāhoa has quite a few restaurant options - I tried nearly all of them and absolutely loved Black Rock Cafe (extensive menu selection and it's CHEAP as heck! The burgers are awesome and they have separate breakfast/dinner menus) and Kaleo's (bit more fancy/expensive but great food)... alongside the new Thai restaurant at the brand new Puna Kai shopping plaza.
The communal kitchen on the property was a highlight.It has almost every single amenity you can think of and I absolutely loved the space for the layout (massive gorgeous table! books! boardgames!) and conversations with other guests. I made so many friends here and I am going to miss the heck out of that kitchen!
Matt, the owner, is AWESOME! He truly cares about the guests staying on the property and I appreciated his check-ins and company. Matt definitely wants YOU to have a good time and it shows. He takes great care of the property, is extremely knowledgable about the area, and can be found working on some sort of project focused on enhancing the property.
The property is completely off-grid, which I found fascinating because you would NEVER be able to tell. The rain catchment system and solar panels and everything else that keeps this property going is top-of-the-line and allows for every single modern convenience. There's great internet connection, Smart TVs with all the goods (Netflix included), and even Google smart devices in every room that will play music and podcasts.
Highly recommend... experience of a lifetime!
Thank you for everything, Matt!