What a lovely place Merlinda has! Don't let the Volcano dissuade you from visiting the Big Island. Other than the glow at night, you would never guess there is a volcano erupting nearby. There is SO much more to the Big Island than Volcanoes National Park. Merlinda is centrally located to everything we wanted to do. There is plenty to do in Hilo (helicopter tour, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Carlsmith Beach Park, OK farm, Wednesday Farmers Market). We went north one day and went horseback riding in the Waipio Valley and then continued on to Pololu Valley (the hike to the black sand beach at the bottom is fantastic)! Then one day we went south and visited the black sand beach, the green sand beach and south point. Merlinda let us harvest fruits and vegetables from her garden, which my children loved being able to do! She would also leave us fresh fruits to find when we arrived back after our day, which was such a thoughtful surprise! She also makes her own tea - I brought home several packages! I could go on and on - I loved everything about our stay and this Island. I look forward to staying here again if/when I make it back to the Big Island.