First, this property was as described in the listing. The accommodations were wonderful, and the location in the lush green hillside near the beach was fantastic. You do have open windows, and the frogs sing you to sleep at night and the birds wake you up with the sun, which we actually really enjoyed. One thing to note is that the sound is as described so if you are looking for complete silence, this isn't the place for you. The interior rooms are also not fully sound isolated from each other, which you should be aware of. We adjusted quickly and were happy to make the tradeoff to enjoy the Hawaiian oceanside. We did take advantage of the close Manini beach, which is a huge advantage of this property. It is close and beautiful. We used the snorkeling gear a few times, which is a bit of a mixed bag of quality and styles. There are some standard snorkels, and some full-face. We had some trouble fitting them to our faces, but were glad we had access to them to try out because our family had never snorkeled before. Whether you bring your own gear or use the stuff provided I highly recommend trying it out! We absolutely would stay here again. We had such a great time!

Beautiful place in a beautiful location. Great host and everything we needed for a week at the beach. Great local recommendations. Quiet, nature-filled town. Would visit again.

Truly a gem of a home. Open air, surrounded by trees, birds, the breeze. Gorgeous interior, wood, comfortable furniture, plenty of space for our family - grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and 2 little ones. Kitchen stocked with all the amenities and we cooked quite a bit. Snorkeling gear of all sizes at the house. We had everything we wanted here and it was really wonderful. The area is incredible too - close to so many stunning beaches, small quiet community. We hope to come back again sometime soon and make a habit of it!

The home was perfect for us - so well equipped with snorkeling gear and baby supplies. Easy walking to great beaches and fruit stands. Just a few minutes by car from restaurants and grocery store. Loved the fruit trees in the yard!

This was our second stay at the house. That's how much we loved it and the area. The house is very well appointed and close to great snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, etc. Great location!

Very comfortable place, a sort walk from the local beach or a five minute drive to fantastic snorkeling at Two Step. Quiet neighborhood. We’ll be back!

Very impressed with this property! The house was spacious enough for our group of six people but had places to spend quiet time alone as well! The fruit trees were a great bonus, nothing like cooking with limes picked minutes before! The house was spotless and very welcoming. There was everything we could want for snorkeling and the house was VERY well equipped with the essentials and it just made for the perfect vacation spot. Snorkeling at Two steps was the best I have ever seen! We didn’t get to kayak because the water was rough while we were there. Thank you for opening your home to us and making us have a great vacation!

Just what we were looking for to bring our family together for the holidays. Many options for hiking, water activities, and excellent dining. We loved our stay.

House was excellent for a group of people. Very quiet neighborhood with a short walk to ocean. Great snorkeling in the bay. House was very comfortable to hang out. Kitchen had everything we needed to cook for 6. Owner was excellent in communications.

I stayed for 8 nights at this property with my husband and daughter & we really enjoyed our stay. The location is perfect if you're looking for a 'locals' experience. The house is large, open concept, and feels like old Hawaii (screened windows, no glass). If you are looking for luxury finishes and nightlife nearby then this might not be the place for you. If you are looking for a sweet little neighborhood with awesome snorkeling nearby and to spend evenings dining on the lanai, listening to the frogs and birds, then this place is for you. We would definitely love to come back again!

Except for the frogs. Location was a bit of a drive to Kona but was told that from the beginning. It was not as easy to get to the beach to go snorkeling.

Although we could have fit five more people here, the two of us loved having plenty of room to wander around. Hidden by trees and visited by Java finches and other beautiful birds, the house was so comfortable that we hardly ever left for more than a few hours at a time. Beautifully furnished and appointed, everything we needed was already present, there were plenty of extra supplies, and all was in great working order. Okay, the sound of the coqui frogs is hard to ignore, but only after sunset, and mostly in the front of the house—a somewhat gentle reminder that you aren’t in Kansas anymore. Manini Beach Park on Kealakekua Bay was a 5-minute walk away with snorkeling as good as famous Two-Step, which is a short drive away if you must. Kay’s fruit stand, 2 minutes away, kept us provided with plenty of fresh fruit. We were grateful to stay here. Leah and Greg San Francisco

Our party of 6 absolutely LOVED this place. Away from the resorts and touristy hotels, this house nestled in a jungle setting just up from the beach was everything we wanted in a vacation spot. Walk to the beach in 5 minutes! Manini is a super sweet beach park with great snorkeling, lots of shade if you need it and not at all crowded. We walked 6 minutes to rent double kayaks for an adventure across the bay to snorkel at Captain Cook Monument - super fun outing. A short drive down the road is THE BEST snorkeling we’ve experienced at Two Step. The town of Captain Cook had everything we needed. Farmers market on Wednesday’s is excellent! The local grocery store had everything we could ask for and when we didn’t want to cook, Shaka Tacoz and Black Rock pizza were great! The house had anything and everything we needed, and it felt very much like a home for our 12 day trip. Plenty of space for the 6 of us! I even used the yard for a few workout sessions - sprinklers came on and cooled me off unexpectedly, haha! Plenty of towels, extra sheets, lots of dishes and utensils, paper towels, toilet paper, soaps, etc etc. The house is stocked very thoughtfully. For our family of nature-obsessed teens and college kids, the birds, geckos, and frogs surrounding this property were like hitting the nature jackpot for them. My son took care of feeding “his” birds throughout our trip to make sure they kept coming around every day for photo ops, ha! We didn’t mind one bit that there was no AC - the fans do a good job of keeping things cooled off but we also enjoyed the feeling of being immersed in the warm tropical nature of Hawaii. The only criticism or suggestion I would offer is to have a king size bed in the master rather than a queen. But that’s really not a big deal at all, we were comfortable regardless! We hope to stay here again on our next trip to the Big Island. It is our favorite Hawaiian island!

Stayed here with family about 15 years ago and again Summer 2022. House is clean, area quiet. Easy walking distance to cove for swimming, and watching sunsets. Short drive up to Captain Cook which has a fine market, and numerous good small restaurants. Local farmers market was great. House is well appointed. We had one terribly hot evening, made manageable by numerous standing fans through the house. In sum, excellent rental.

This place is spacious, well located, and has a wonderful depth that only an owner-lived-in home can possess. Manini beach is 5 minutes away by foot. Other excellent and secluded beaches are a short drive south. A full kitchen, a washer/dryer, beach equipment, and a couch for everyone accommodate a whole family.

Very clean and well equipped house. A very nice selection of beach toys (chairs, boards, etc). We enjoyed our stay with 5 adults. Walking distance to a small beach park. Visited in July and it was warm. Several ceiling fans keep the house ventilated. Lush tropical setting. No view but closeness to beach park made up for that.

The house is very spacious, perfect for a family reunion. Well appointed with evrything required for cooking. Great garden with lots of bird life. Close to good snorkeling close by. Ceiling fans in every room provide good cooling on hot days.

The house is very spacious, perfect for a family reunion. Well appointed with evrything required for cooking. Great garden with lots of bird life. Close to good snorkeling close by. Ceiling fans in every room provide good cooling on hot days.

A perfect house for our family vacation. We loved the neighborhood and the fact that we were only a quick walk to the beach for a swim, snorkel, or sunset viewing. We enjoyed many hours on the beautiful lanai and in the spacious and open living room/dining room. We cooked most of our meals in the well-appointed kitchen. When we had an issue with the ceiling fan, it was fixed promptly. This house feels like a real home and not like a cookie-cutter vacation rental. Highly recommend!

Wonderful large home in a beautiful location!!

A perfect house for our family vacation. We loved the neighborhood and the fact that we were only a quick walk to the beach for a swim, snorkel, or sunset viewing. We enjoyed many hours on the beautiful lanai and in the spacious and open living room/dining room. We cooked most of our meals in the well-appointed kitchen. When we had an issue with the ceiling fan, it was fixed promptly. This house feels like a real home and not like a cookie-cutter vacation rental. Highly recommend!

My family of 7, including my grown daughters and their kids ranging from 8 to 18, spent a week at this lovely home in Kealakekua Bay. We walked to the nearest snorkeling spots, and only had to drive a short distance to beaches for swimming and playing in the surf. We woke each morning to the sound of the birds and went to sleep at night listening to the frogs. The house is beautiful, clean, comfortable and nestled in tall trees filled with wildlife. We were already dreaming about returning, even before our stay ended.

My family of 7, including my grown daughters and their kids ranging from 8 to 18, spent a week at this lovely home in Kealakekua Bay. We walked to the nearest snorkeling spots, and only had to drive a short distance to beaches for swimming and playing in the surf. We woke each morning to the sound of the birds and went to sleep at night listening to the frogs. The house is beautiful, clean, comfortable and nestled in tall trees filled with wildlife. We were already dreaming about returning, even before our stay ended.

Wonderful large home in a beautiful location!!

Thanks for a great stay. This was a great house--solidly built and comfortable for our 6 adults. Captain Cook is a wonderful location, with a park and good snorkelling within walking distance and pleasant beaches a short drive away. The house itself is well cared for and well stocked! I was extremely pleased with this find.

Thanks for a great stay. This was a great house--solidly built and comfortable for our 6 adults. Captain Cook is a wonderful location, with a park and good snorkelling within walking distance and pleasant beaches a short drive away. The house itself is well cared for and well stocked! I was extremely pleased with this find.

Laurie and I were so pleased to be able to stay at this little gem. Perfectly located for our preferred activities of morning snorkel/afternoon lay around beach/ snorkel more, relax at a quiet home, listen to life everywhere as you drift to sleep, repeat. Home had everything you need and while great for 2, could comfortably accomodate a much larger group. Hope to be able to visit again soon!

We loved this house just a block from good snorkeling and just down the road from fantastic snorkeling at Two Steps. The house is roomy and comfortable, the property manager very helpful, and the owner easy to work with. Thanks for a great Christmas, Mel!

Laurie and I were so pleased to be able to stay at this little gem. Perfectly located for our preferred activities of morning snorkel/afternoon lay around beach/ snorkel more, relax at a quiet home, listen to life everywhere as you drift to sleep, repeat. Home had everything you need and while great for 2, could comfortably accomodate a much larger group. Hope to be able to visit again soon!

We had a great time at this comfortable, peaceful home. The three bedrooms were clean and comfortable, the kitchen was well-equipped and we loved the porch. We would definitely stay here again.

We had a great time at this comfortable, peaceful home. The three bedrooms were clean and comfortable, the kitchen was well-equipped and we loved the porch. We would definitely stay here again.

Incredible family Thanksgiving experience in this beautiful property. The VRBO had a complete fully functional kitchen and all food preparation gadgets and resources one could want. Clean, comfortable, well equiped. Decorated with a traditional Hawaiian theme in a secluded setting steps from the ocean. It doesn't get much better. We hope to return.