Honu Kai Hale in Kailua-Kona

As close to the ocean as it gets

Princessvon (San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA)
Review submitted: May 19, 2012   Date of arrival: April 7, 2012

My husband and I stayed at Honu Kai Hale for 3 weeks and had a fantastic time. From the moment we opened the front door of the house we were in love with the place. You could not be closer to the ocean unless you had an over-water hut. The house is super bright with a lovely tiled backyard (there is a small grass area also) that includes a pool and ample space to eat and relax. We spent most of our time outside and had all our meals there.

Your backyard is the ocean and the surf (one of the best surf spots in that area, as the pool guy confirmed) - you can watch surfers very closely and see nothing but beauty while chilling in a chaise lounge. Next door is a very good snorkel beach where we saw many turtles; also good for paddle boarding. It's the right mix of having peace and quiet but being close to things happening in the area.

The house has anything you can think off(ok, a blender would have been good), but they have excellent knives, pots, cutting boards, bowls, table wear...we love to cook and this place made it very very fun and easy. Definitely top notch. The kitchen appliances are all top end, although the dish washer did not dry very well.

The bed was very comfortable (good mattress) and roomy. The whole house is decorated in Hawaiian style with tons of memorabilia, pictures and other fun items that make it very cosy. Perfect for the location. There is a guest room (more of a kids room) with two separate beds that can be pushed together.

There are plenty of towels for the bathroom, beach and kitchen.

We brought our yoga mats and practiced in the back facing the ocean every morning, which was heaven. A snorkel gear rental shop is close by ($20 for the week!), as well as a KTA supermarket and little mall with a coffee shop, movie theatre etc (3 min in the car; 15 on foot).

There is a car port, which is very convenient. Washer and dryer and a super gas BBQ with gas provided (thank you!). For kids, we saw boogie boards etc. for the pool available. The pool is great and super to cool down and do some water aerobics; not for labs.

For us, this place was heaven. Hearing the waves crash at night, waking up to sunshine every day, being able to cook and having responsive owners; just amazing.

It's a short drive to Kailua-Kona and there is so much to explore from this location, including the City of Refuge, Greenwell Coffee Tour or Yoga at Big Island Yoga. Hapuna and Mauna Kea beaches are only 45 minutes up the road. This is it!

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Wonderful house by a great beach and unbelievable patio and views. Magnificent.

smilly (Philadelphia)
Review submitted: April 3, 2011   Date of arrival: March 1, 2011

We stayed at the house because the studio was full as there was only two of us. Man was it worth it. Brand new kitchen, interesting and great decor. There is a grill of the patio with lights, many beach toys, great parking and an outdoor shower. The pool is great in concept, but you can't see much of the world while your in it so we called it privacy pool.

The view of the sunset off the lanai are one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You do get to share it with the surfers though, who are there all day every day and yup, they can probably see in. But they have bigger waves to worry about than you. Being this close to the ocean you don't realize how loud it can be. What a wonderful problem to have though.

From the house you are a 5 minute walk to one of the best snorkeling beaches around. It gets crowded though. There are also a lot of surfers too. Probably the most ideal beach to be near in Kona. Not one for sand or lazing, but getting in the water.

My only complaint was the grounds keeper just shows up and does his thing without warning. Makes for awkward moments.

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

THE BEST GET A AWAY EVER!!

Sherry (Walnut Creek, CA)
Review submitted: March 14, 2011   Date of arrival: February 6, 2011

This is the second time we stayed here and it is FANTASTIC! It is perfect for our family of 4. I highly recommend staying at a house instead of a hotel. Its great for kids, they can run around and make all the noise they want and you don't have to worry about waking or bothering anyone else. It is so convientient to have a kitchen and a laundry area

The house is right on the ocean and the view are spectacular. We would sit on the patio and enjoy our breakfast and watch the surfers.

The "best" snorkeling spot on the whole island is right next door.

Its a wonderful package and have recommeded this place to a lot of my friends.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2