Natural Lava Heated Pool - Punana Kiowai in Hilo

From the Guest Book

Peg M. (Walnut Creek, CA)
Review submitted: October 23, 2011   Date of arrival: October 10, 2011

What a wonderful experience. This feels like true Hawaii. Changing weather with nightime showers and perfect sunny afternoons - the diversity is heaven. Breakfasts on the lovely balcony overlooking the pond, a dip or two in the refreshing pond and then afternoons in the tidal pools across the street. Convenience, you bet! The tide pools are awesome, even saw fish not on the fish "charts."

We feel "at home" here. So very, very comfortable. Thank you for sharing this special place.

P.S. The night sky without the moon, stars fill the sky. Fantastic!

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

First Time Hawaii Vacation

donna (california)
Review submitted: August 13, 2011   Date of arrival: July 29, 2011

We had a wonderful time at Punana Kiowai! It was comfortable and roomy. Felt like home..all the attention to detail was a surprize! Having a washer and dryer was a plus. Also to have the water shoes and snorkel equipment right there was perfect. we snorkeled just a few blocks away which we decided was much nicer then Champagne Pond. We stopped counting all the beautiful birds and flowers everwhere! We would recommend this property to all our family and friends...don't miss it! On Sunday we went to the "Sure foundation church" in Pohoa (nearby) a wonderful group of people welcomed us.
harrison family from california

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, tourists without a car

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Didn't Want To Leave

Cal (Southern California)
Review submitted: July 25, 2011   Date of arrival: June 16, 2011

This house was terrific!!! The house is exactly as in the pictures. The pond, on the other hand, looks better. Alot of the greenery has been cut away. The house has everything you need to cook, eat, and store away leftovers. The house isn't very big, but the three of us found it very cozy and comfortable. Dish Network TV made it feel just like home. This rental is all about the pond. The water is crystal clear, about 80 degrees, and full of small fish, crayfish, and a frog. The water level varies from about 3 feet to 5 feet(at its deepest point), depending on low/high tide. This is a naturally made pond, so there are lots of sharp/rough rock edges. Its okay because sand shoes of various adult sizes are there to use. I didn't notice any kids sizes. Tons of snorkel gear and noodles are available. A stairway takes you down to the warm water. My 9 year old son and I would be in the pond at 6:30 in the morning. Outdoor lights made is possible for us to be in the pond well into the night. The pond is below street level so passer-bys cannot see the water. The trees/bushes at the fence should offer more privacy in a couple of years after they've grown a little more. Bring flashlights because the whole area has no street lights and is pitch black at night. LED headlights made night walks much more enjoyable. Bring a laser pointer. The fish and the geckos will try to eat the red dot. It rained everyday, but ONLY for a few minutes. Its always t-shirt and shorts weather, but the nights could get alittle chilly. Also, the nights got noisey with all the different bird and frog sounds.. The tide pools are a 3 minute walk away. You will be blown away by its beauty!!! A naturally heated PUBLIC pond is about 3 miles south. It has no signs, but is right next to the school. The house gets no Verizon cellphone signal, but the house provides a cordless phone/answering machine. We used a calling card to make calls to home. You'll get a signal as you drive towards Pahoa. I strongly suggest bringing a GPS, because you WILL get lost, even WITH the GPS. Kehena Beach is a clothing-optional black sand beach about 15 miles south. It, too, is beautiful. You WILL see naked people there. We stayed a week and it wasn't long enough. The house/pond was just so inviting, it kept us home more than we anticipated. I would recommend this house to anyone. I can't begin to describe how magnificent it is. I strongly recommend staying at least a week. You'll regret anything less!!!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4