This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
10/10 Excellent
Shaju D., Chicago
4 Aug 2016
A True Tropical H(e)aven!
When my husband announced that he had booked us a weeklong stay in a tropical retreat, surrounded by fruit orchards and lush vegetation far from the hustle and bustle of a typical vacation town, I was quite intrigued mixed with a big dose of skepticism.
This home, he tooted, is what they call "off the grid" living, which in layman's terms refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without the reliance on one or more public utilities.
In the case of Hale Mohalu, the House of Rest and Relaxation, this meant that they were not dependent on outside sources for power or water.
As a family, who have enjoyed travels and explored living as locals wherever we went, this was an additional challenge/opportunity we decided to take up! We hoped that staying "off the grid" would help us appreciate our environment and resources even better, while also weaning us off our digital appendages that we were constantly addicted to!
We were an entourage of five, including a couple, two kids, and a senior citizen, and the unanimous cry we let out upon first entering into this verdant property was a loud "WOW"! That "wow" factor lingered on with us until the very end and we are not sure if we would be lucky enough to come upon another vacation rental in our life that would top this one ever.
Everything,from the design and decor of the house (mango wood floors and custom furnishings from Bali), the landscaped outdoor areas (with extensive palm, bamboo, and orchid collection), the ripe and robust orchards with seasonal produce (we had the pleasure of feasting on tons of lychees, bananas, papayas, coconuts, passion fruit, cashew fruit etc.), the company of some of the most exotic tropical birds (from the Brazilian Red Crested Cardinal to the Japanese Mejiro), the proximity of Big Island's most important attractions (including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Snorkeling Tidal Pools, hike to lava flows), the hospitality of caretaker Mike ( who seems to have the sixth sense as to when to show up and when to give the guests their privacy) was beyond compare!
If your travels ever bring you to Big Island, there's no other place you should contemplate on staying other than at Hale Mohalu, a true tropical h(e)aven!
