Hale Hapu'u

For visitors eager to witness a volcanic eruption, this is an ideal place to stay. From spotting the lava flow on the USGS live stream to driving from the villa into the volcano park, then walking 15 minutes to the prime viewing spot at Keanakako'l Crater Overlook—the entire journey took just 35 minutes! Regarding the villa's decor style, some describe it as Japanese, but I find it closer to Southeast Asian influences like Thailand, with certain elements blending East Asian touches. Regardless, it's a beautifully designed home with ample space. The kitchen is fully equipped with all necessary appliances and can comfortably accommodate 6 to 8 guests.

The only slight drawback is the water supply system, which has a relatively low overall flow rate, and the hot water supply on the second floor is also insufficient.

This place was phenomenal!! When we walked into the house, every person in my family's (ages 11-57) first word was "Wow!!". The accommodations were beyond comfortable. The amount of space was amazing, there was plenty of room for my family of 6. Every possible need was accounted for...when we needed something random for cooking or drinks, we could find it! It was so peaceful there, and the decorations were beautiful.

Nothing...It was perfect!

The property was absolutely lovely, with a kind of a mountain-lodge-meets-Japanese-tea-House vibe. Furniture was comfortable (and one could easily sleep 2 additional people on the oversized chaise lounges in the living room), details throughout very well appointed, kitchen and bathrooms well stocked, and the back patio (where we took all our meals) felt like a tropical paradise. The showers in the bathrooms were wonderful. The circular driveway and on-site parking was great given that we were two couples with two cars and thus didn't ever have a situation where we blocked each other in. Having a dishwasher and a modern washer/dryer was a real plus. Other than the things listed below, this was one of the nicest rental units I've ever stayed in!

A couple of things to be aware of when renting this property. 1) The upstairs bedroom, which is in a loft, is completely open to the common living area (there are only thin paper screens for visual privacy). This means that there is no sound privacy whatsoever in this bedroom from the rest of the house. 2) There are no window treatments on the windows (which are east-facing) in either bedroom, so if you are someone who needs a darkened room to sleep, be aware that sleeping in is not possible in this unit. 3) The tap water in the unit comes from a rain catchment system and is not drinkable. Unfortunately, the e-mail from booking.com that told us this very important detail didn't come until well into the second day of our stay, and by that time we had all drank enough of the tap water that we ended up with digestive issues. Apparently, tap water systems like this are common in the Volcano area, but we didn't know that upon arrival, so it would have been helpful to put that information up front (for example, in the e-mail with the instructions on how to access the unit as well as on a sign somewhere in the unit)!

Zuerst: die Buchung wurde von VACASA storniert, weil das Haus angeblich beschädigt und nicht bewohnbar war. Die Korrespondenz mit der Vermieterin war mühsam, weil man uns einerseits kostenlose Stornierung (wenig hilfreich, kurz vor Eintreffen!),Terminverschiebung (ebenfalls wenig hilfreich kurz vor dem Einfliegen!) oder als Ersatz ein anderes Haus angeboten hat, ich aber andererseits mit Emails geradezu bombardiert wurde, dass wir im Hale Hale Hapu'u erwartet würden. Meine Antworten wurden großteils nicht zur Kenntnis genommen. Anschrift und Code für den Ersatz Hale Pau'ole erhielten wir erst ganz kurzfristig. Hale Pau'ole hat uns außerordentlich gefallen. Obwohl von außen eher unscheinbar bietet es im Inneren jeden erdenklichen Komfort. Großzügig geschnitten, überkomplett ausgestattet und hochwertig eingerichtet. Dazu ein schöner Garten. Beide Häuser sind ziemlich abgelegen, mitten im Dschungel, nicht leicht zu finden, vor allem nachts und fern jeder Infrastruktur. Aber das hat uns nicht gestört, weil wir es von vorneherein erwartet hatten.

Die Buchung wurde von VACASA storniert, weil das Haus angeblich beschädigt und nicht bewohnbar war. Die Korrespondenz mit der Vermieterin war mühsam, weil man uns einerseits kostenlose Stornierung,Terminverschiebung oder als Ersatz ein anderes Haus angeboten hat, ich aber andererseits mit Emails geradezu bombardiert wurde, dass wir im Hale Hale Hapu'u erwartet würden. Meine Antworten wurden großteils nicht zur Kenntnis genommen. Anschrift und Code für den Ersatz Hale Pau'ole erhielten wir erst ganz kurzfristig. Beide Häuser liegen nahe am Volcano-NP und wirklich in der Natur. Nachts stockdunkel, tagsüber mehr als einsam. Wir fanden es toll, aber es ist sicher nichts für ängstliche Menschen.