House

Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale

Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale

Photo gallery for Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale

Hale Kephart from the driveway in early spring
Entry way
Entry way off driveway
Front lanai
Kitchen area with ocean view from the windows

Overview of Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale

10 out of 10 Exceptional
5 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 16214 sq m

Popular amenities

  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer
  • Outdoor spaceOutdoor spaceOutdoor space
  • Ocean viewOcean viewOcean view

Explore the area

Kamuela, HI
  • Popular LocationHapuna Beach State Park16 min drive
  • Popular LocationMauna Kea Beach17 min drive
  • Popular LocationMauna Lani Resort Golf Course25 min drive
  • AirportKailua-Kona, HI (KOA-Kona Intl.)47 min drive

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 16)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Futon and 1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Futon and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5

1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Futon

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 3

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale

This five-bedroom/three-bath home sits on five acres of land in the Kohala Estates. We specifically designed the house as a family vacation gathering spot, and we built it ourselves in 1989. Its high ceilings and 760 square feet of windows make it particularly light and airy. Tradewinds and 13 ceiling fans will help to keep you cool. The kitchen and the master bedroom have 180-degree ocean views. You can also see the Kohala Mountains, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, Maua Loa, and nearly the entire Kona-Kohala Coast. With luck and timing, you can spot Hawaiian spinner dolphins, humpback whales, or the occasional green flash. We can't guarantee blue skies and no mosquitoes; but your odds are better here than anywhere else in the central Pacific. The house sits in the rain shadow of the Kohala Mountains, and annual rainfall totals are typically in the single digits! We have tried to make our house a comfortable 'home away from home' for our guests. It is attractive and comfortable without being so fancy that guests are afraid to relax. The library boasts plenty of books and movies.

Extras: You'll find enough kitchenware and linens to choke a flea market! Kids will enjoy several cubic feet of Legos, building blocks, and other toys. Puzzles and board games abound. Binoculars, beach towels, coolers, beach chairs, boogie boards and hammocks are left out for your use. You won't need to bring much besides your clothes and your camera.

Many of our guests consider this 'their' second home; and accordingly, our most popular times can be booked over a year in advance. Fall and late spring usually have the best availability.

You will also enjoy a BluRay player in every bedroom, a satellite TV with Hi-Def in the living room, a phone for making local calls, and WiFi Internet access.

Location, Location, Location: Most of our guests appreciate where the house is located. It is in a semi-rural neighborhood, which has no street lights and a myriad of stars at night. Weather is usually warm and dry. Within easy driving distance to the Big Island's premiere beaches and golf courses, it is also conveniently located between Kailua-Kona and Hilo. Good restaurants are an easy drive away. Neighboring houses are quite a distance away, and the neighborhood is quiet and safe.

Sunsets are beautiful, and some times you will even catch a green flash.

Home away from home: The house is very comfortable. Many of our guests say that they feel right at home as soon as they walk in the door. The living room walls are lined with books, videos, and art work.. Each room has a flat-screen television and a Blu-Ray/DVD player. You may bring your own Blu-rays or DVDs or watch some of the 600 available in the house. The living room has satellite TV. The floor plan allows for privacy as well as communal activities.

Most of our guests especially appreciate the wrap-around lanai, which includes 840 square feet facing the ocean. The lanai has five table-and-chair sets, four lounge chairs, and a gas barbecue, which makes it perfect for communal meals or individual relaxing and reading.

The driveway is large enough for four vehicles to park comfortably.

The house is surrounded with irrigated foliage and flowers, which are especially colorful and beautiful in the spring and summer months.

If you are looking for a getaway or a place to get-together, you will find that Hale Kephart fills the bill.

Hosted Property

Property manager

Kerrill or Don
Premier Host
Premier Host

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Outdoor space
Ocean view
Barbecue grill

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Toys, games, and kid-vids are available.

Events

Events allowed
Please clear parties/events with owners.

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
1. Cancellation Policy--Owners will retain booking deposit (first payment) unless able to rebook the property.
2. Guests will not make excessive noise, especially after 9:00 pm, out of respect for neighbors living close by.
3. Guests (unless they can't comply for medical reasons) will not wear shoes in the house.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Note from host: Please clear parties/events with owners.
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number GE-209-208-6258-01, TA-209-208-6285-01

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Kamuela

This holiday home is located in Kohala Estates, a neighbourhood in Kamuela, and is in a rural area and by the sea. While the natural beauty of Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach State Park can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can explore Mauna Lani Resort Golf Course. Travelling with kids? Consider Pua Mau Place Botanic & Sculpture Garden and Manta Ray Point. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and kayaking nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with mountain biking and mountain climbing.

What's nearby

  • Waikui-Puako Beaches - 7 min drive
  • Hapuna Beach State Park - 16 min drive
  • Mauna Kea Beach - 17 min drive
  • Mauna Kea Resort Golf Course - 18 min drive
  • Mauna Lani Resort Golf Course - 25 min drive

Getting around

  • Kamuela, HI (MUE-Waimea-Kohala) - 31 min drive

Restaurants

  • Mauna Kea Cafe & Market - 16 min drive
  • Copper Bar - 17 min drive
  • Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar - 16 min drive
  • The Seafood Bar u0026 Grill - 9 min drive
  • Naupaka Beach Grill - 17 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Kepharts' Ocean-view Hale located?

This family-friendly Kamuela holiday home is located by the sea, within 1 mi (2 km) of Pua Mau Place Botanic & Sculpture Garden and Pua Mau Place Arboretum. Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company Visitor's Center is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) away.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 104 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 10 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 114 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 114 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Alex K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect getaway place for a large group
This was our 4th stay at Hale Kephart as this is such a unique property. It has expansive ocean views and we saw whales every day while staying early March 2024. House has 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths, so very little time spent on waiting for open bathroom. Kitchen was fully stocked with utensils, pots and pans, dishes and fair amount of cooking oils and spices. Don and Kerrill have been wonderful hosts each and every time and can be a great resource for information about "The Spots". Already looking forward to next year's stay.
Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Katrina M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great view
We spent every morning watching whales on the lanai. The house is very spacious. The weather is amazing on that side of the island. There were 9 of us that stayed here. It was very roomy. We loved our daily wildlife visits. We will definitely return and reuse this house!
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jeffry Stephen B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Kephart's Hale
Great house, view, accomodations, friendly landlord
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family gathering
This was the perfect place for our extended family to gather. Watching whales from the lanai and sunsets with green flashes was wonderful. Having toys for the young kids was great. Very well equipped.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

chris w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful Location
With a view of the ocean in a peaceful area is the perfect spot for a family reunion!
Stayed 10 nights in Dec 2023

About the host

Hosted by Kerrill or Don

Host profile image
Don grew up in California, earned his B.S. and M.S. from Stanford University, and his PhD in biology from the University of Chicago. Kerrill moved to California from Michigan. She earned a B.A. from Eastern Michigan University and an M.A. in English literature from California State University in Long Beach. We both finished our teaching careers at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where we were able to teach the subjects we loved to students who made us laugh and think every day we spent with them.

We built Hale Kephart in 1989 during nine weeks of our summer vacation with the help of family and friends. We enjoyed staying in the house during spring, winter, and summer breaks for 14 years. Then we retired and built our current residence on the same five acres as the vacation rental and thus began another chapter in our lives.

Hawaii is our home now, and we cannot imagine wanting to live anywhere else. We love the climate, the dark and quiet nights, the fresh air, the ever-changing views of ocean, mountains, and sky. We have embraced the aloha spirit and the whole concept of ohana.

We also love the people. We have made friends from many walks of life; each one of them has enriched in our lives in some meaningful way. Some of them have been guests at our vacation rental who kept coming back until our relationship metamorphosed into a deep friendship. Others we met while writing articles for the local newspaper or playing tennis at Mauna Kea's Seaside Tennis Club. Most we met through other friends.

Our lives have developed a rhythm to them that is both interesting and comfortable. Every year we take at least one trip to the mainland to touch bases with friends and family. Almost every other year we take a longer trip. We have enjoyed sojourns in Alaska, Australia, New England, Washington D.C, New Zealand, Micronesia, and the Pacific Northwest. We have seen spectacular places and had breathtaking experiences, but we are always glad to come home.

Why they chose this property

Our son taught high-school mathematics for a year in Kona. We came out during spring break to see him and to see the Big Island--the only major Hawaiian island we had not visited. We fell in love with the spaciousness and the diversity of the island and kept finding ourselves drawn to Hapuna Beach, which is six miles south of us.

A few years later we came back and stayed at Puako. We began looking for property. Kerrill kept coming back to a windswept, almost barren piece of land on a hillside in the Kohala Estates. Don finally said, "If you can find anything green on that lot, I'll consider buying it with you." We are not sure that we ever did find anything green--only sere buffle grass and dead kiawe trees. But we kept coming back because the view was better than anywhere else we had looked. And, finally, the land spoke to Don, too, and we put in an offer.

Our offer was refused because someone else offered more money--in cash. It turned out he didn't really have the cash, so he agreed to sell us five of the nine acres if we would float him a second mortgage so that he could come up with the money on the day escrow closed. We both knew the owner would come to realize that his asking price was below market and we might not be able to afford what it was really worth. So we loaned him the money, and right after escrow closed for him, he sold us the bottom five acres.

We've never regretted it. We enjoyed the vacation rental for 14 years and then built our retirement home behind it on the same lot.

When we are not traveling or maintaining the property, we enjoy reading and writing--we have a library of close to 12,000 books. Don does woodworking, builds model wooden ships, makes and shoots off rockets, hunts feral goats and pigs, makes knives, and enjoys photography. Kerrill enjoys tennis and gardening.

What makes this property unique

The unique benefits are self-explanatory to anyone who has visited our property. It enjoys an ideal location and an especially beautiful view. It is in a quiet neighborhood, one that so far has been so safe that most of our neighbors don't bother to lock their homes and cars. Besides, where else can you watch whales breaching against the backdrop of a full-sky sunset from your own front porch?

When we return to the mainland--as much as we enjoy seeing family and friends and taking in some of what it has to offer (theater, museums, specialty stores, national parks, restaurants, swap meets, etc.)--we soon become a little homesick. We especially appreciate the lower population density here. A traffic jam here would be considered a mild slowdown in most parts of Southern California.

When we are away we find ourselves missing the raucous calls of the gray francolins in the mornings, the trade winds blowing (sometimes gusting) through our palm trees and making their clattering fronds sound like falling rain, the panoramic and ever-changing vista that our eyes drink in as we look in any direction. We miss the fragrance of plumerias and gardenias, the bright and gaudy colors of the hibiscus and plumbagos and poincianas. We miss the fresh and soft air. We even miss the physical labor that it takes to keep up two houses and five acres of land.

We like to think that we have been here long enough now to consider ourselves kama'aina even though we weren't born here.

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