It is easy to gush about staying at Buddha's Hawaiian Retreat. My husband and I stayed for almost a week for our 25th anniversary and we were so pleased with everything. Everything in the unit is perfectly thought out for convenience and beauty. The unit is decorated with calming colors and beautiful wood furniture, the bedroom is lovely and restful with all white linens, extra pillows, and a fresh orchid. Even the kitchen towels were folded like a flower :-) We especially appreciated the binder with local information on beaches, restaurants, shopping and maps. It was like our little tour guide.

We didn't end up using the outdoor cooking area, but it was well equipped and would have been fun; we just prefer eating out. We did stop at Safeway and stock the fridge with diet cokes and breakfast food. There is a toaster oven in the unit and the Hawaiian apple bread makes some seriously good toast! It was a small but sweet pleasure to pick a fresh lime, at Sumiko's urging, and squeeze it into my soda.

I'm not going to be able to say enough about the gardens and pool area. It is exquisite. Swimming in the warm pool with the sound of the waterfall from the spa, looking out at the ocean past the rock garden; it fulfilled my dreams of what Hawaii would be like. My husband spend a whole afternoon reading and dozing in the hammock. We just loved being there. The gardens Sumiko has created is wonderful to sit in and there is something beautiful everywhere you look!

I honestly have nothing bad to say. The unit and grounds were beyond our expectations; it was a perfect place to stay.

We thought that the Hilo side of the island was great to explore. There isn't a lot of fine dining, but we enjoyed some local food and spent our days snorkeling, visiting the black and green sand beaches and hiking through the rainforest/jungle along the coast.