We loved our stay! We love to experience “local life” in addition to seeing the sights, and this home was perfect. There was a wonderful welcome basket filled with island treats, as well as beautiful flower arrangements that I think were cut from the garden. The house is equipped with all you would need plus more. There was sunscreen, bug spray, bath soap, laundry soap, beach equipment (snorkeling, chairs, cooler, noodles,+) , kitchen supplies. The porch is lovely with a view of the garden. There is a park for sitting, slightly over a mile from the house that has a spectacular view. We were 50 minutes from Volcano National Park, 35 minutes from Hilo, 45 minutes from Mauna Kea. There are a couple of pretty places to snorkel in Hilo. We did not come to the Big Island for beach life. If that is you, Kona is probably a better choice. We did go on a snorkeling trip to Kona, and that was about 2 hours. There is only one negative thing I can say, and that is there are chickens near the house (I think the residents all over the island love their chickens). They didn’t wander to our yard, but they are next door and the rooster will crow sometimes in the night and of course in the morning. They sound like they are right next to the window—so wear the earplugs that Rene and Bill provide. We would definitely stay again!