A rare place - a welcoming community of spiritual people. This is a supportive place to deepen…read morespiritual practices and experience karma yoga (service) projects. The cost is very low to allow young people, especially, to stay for long periods. I've known Michael and Ann for many years, and I have always been deeply touched by the kindness and inclusivity they have for others. I saw a comment by someone else who wasn't happy about their experience. It doesn't match my experience and that of hundreds of others. But when you open your community and heart as wide as they do, all sorts of people come -- not all of them as open-hearted as others. This is a place to go deep into the Raja Yoga teachings of Yogananda, but all spiritual traditions are honored here. It's a place where people learn that service is joy. And it's a place where serious personal work takes place. It's a rare gift in this world to meet people like Michael and Ann. If you are travelling on the Big Island, try and stop by. This place is a hidden jewel. It's transformed the lives of many people in amazing ways. I especially recommend it for young people; but it's a gift for spiritual seekers of any age.

This was my 2nd visit to Polestar in 2 years. Both times…read moreI've found everyone there to be very warm & welcoming. The location is beautiful. They have created a paradise out of the jungle with manicured lawns and gardens, beehives, chickens with a big beautiful main house and various outbuildings. Due to it's rural location the night skies are ablaze with millions of stars. Polestar maintains a beautiful spiritual practice which is the heart of the community and centers their values and mission. Even so, everyone is welcome, even if they aren't a devotee. You can choose to participate as much or as little as you like in spiritual practices. Highly recommend as a place to rest, connect, recharge and get to meet some great folks.

Gorgeous place, loved swimming in the waterfall. The cabanas are adorable and it was a great place…read moreto glamp but still use the shared kitchen house. It was not particularly private, but thankfully the staff were all fantastic, helpful, and kind. It felt like staying with friends.

Five Stars for expectations met, not a five star resort…read more A charming house in the rainforest that is truly off the grid. There is a fully equipped kitchen inside the house so bring your provisions and enjoy home cooked meals. There is a farmers market in nearby Hilo for stocking up. The "included breakfast" is actually a voucher for a nearby bakery that makes delicious pastries and coffee. A perfect stop before heading up to Akaka Falls. You will experience everything the rainforest is known for, sudden downpours, humidity, bugs, and amazing night sounds. Fortunately, the mosquitoes didn't bother us because we had a half a dozen geckos patrolling our room. The aromas of flowers and foliage waft into your room on the ever present tropical breeze that comes up from the ocean. No man made A/C here, just nature. The semi-outdoor bathroom makes this a Hawaiian Fitzcarraldo adventure destination. Don't worry there is a second shared indoor bathroom for the city folk. I've stayed in plenty of European hostels when I was younger and this sort of reminds me of a grown up version. I've never booked an airbnb property before so I'm assuming most guests are stupid. There seems to be a sign on every wall reminding you of various house rules. I'm hotel people so I found that odd. I'm glad we found this place and had the chance to spend a couple of nights closer to nature.

Our four-day stay at the Hilo Honu Inn was special - not just in the context of our week-long visit…read moreto The Big Island last week - but when compared to all vacations our family has ever taken. We booked the Samurai Room - with its Japanese themed furnishings and an unobstructed view of Hilo Bay from the sitting room. Our girls loved having their own room and separate beds, and my wife and I enjoyed restful sleep in the king-size bed, coquí frog chirps notwithstanding! We had our private parking spot, and all major attractions were a few minutes to half an hour away. Breakfast was a bowl of fresh fruit - lichee, mango, papaya, kiwi, grapefruit, melon - along with juices, lemon-infused water, tea, and fresh-brewed coffee, followed by something more filling, like banana-macadamia pancakes, quiche, French toast, or scrambled eggs and bacon. But the best part of breakfast was the conversation - with our hosts Gay and Koa - who we had all to ourselves for three of our four mornings. We talked for 2+ hours every day about Hawaiian flora and fauna, music, arts, history, language, and culture. Gay danced the hula for us and Koa played his favorite Hawaiian songs for us. They showed us their workshop - where they teach how to make feather leis, woodwork, ceremonial masks adorned with coyote teeth, traditional weapons made with tiger shark teeth, and countless other Hawaiian artifacts. I can go on and on, but that still won't do justice to what our stay meant to our family, so I'll share photos of what our girls wrote in their guestbook. Thank you Gay, Koa, and Hilo Honu Inn for a lifetimes worth of special memories. We will be back to stay with you next time we visit Hawai'i.

Greatly enjoyed our stay with Gay and Koa with interesting conversations about old Hawaii as well…read moreas current events. They also shared with us their 'hobbies' of wood carving, weaving and other Hawaiian arts (they're quite talented both of them). The inn is a very well preserved old plantation style house, very peaceful but close to town with delicious breakfasts.. Highly recommend this place!!!

My partner and I love Bed and Breakfasts, and the Hilo Bay Hale Bed & Breakfast did not let us…read moredown. They had everything we needed for a comfortable stay (including air conditioning), and it was all done with great style (Matthew, the owner, has a fabulous decorative sense). The house keeper, Carolina, was sweet and a great conversationalist. She and Matthew talked to us about our plans, making sure we hit the highlights of Hilo. The house is located a few blocks away from downtown and very convenient to everything we wanted to see and do. There is plenty of street parking, and we felt safe in the location. To top it all off, the food was fabulous. They were very accommodating to dietary restrictions, and made sure there was lots of fresh, local produce for their guests. My partner and I hope we are lucky enough to return for another stay at the Hilo Bay Hale Bed & Breakfast.

We stayed at the Hilo Bay Hale B&B over the Holiday and it was our third stay here. We really love…read morethe place for its location right in Hilo town. It is only a few blocks away from the famous Farmers Market and lots of dining places around. It is also one of the few places in Hilo that is pet friendly and allows pets to stay. We always bring our two dogs with us when we visit so we don't have to board them while we are gone. Their amazing breakfast is really a fine example of what a real B&B should serve. For this stay they had fresh fruits, eggs, potatoes, breads, yogurt, juices and coffee. Everything was prepared by Carolina who was our host. She was so accommodating and attentive. She made an extra effort to allow us an early check in. We will be back again when we come to visit Hilo. Also, please note that they have a Kamaaina discount so be sure to note the request in the comments section when you book the reservation.

Lotus Garden Hilo The Lotus Garden is a proper garden with…read morenative Hawaiian landscaping and natural plants growing everywhere, filling the space with life. It is a compound of different types of living quarters. My favorite place is a studio on th main street. It is a sexy room with a separate sitting area to sip coffee in the mornings. You can hear the energy of morning musings. The outdoor shower has a great water feature that lulls you into sleep like a lullaby. Peace and tranquility reign here. If you are looking for the big box, first-world amenities, don't stay here. There are birds chirping, Coqui frogs and even a few mosquitoes. If you want air condition and perfectly coiffed lawns, go stay somewhere else. But, If you want to "feel" like you are in Hawaii- stay here. Bring your walking shoes because you literally walk to everything you need. KTA is literally across the street. Close to the farmers' market and shopping at all the unique shops in Hilo. Meg and Jasper are a delight. No matter what I have asked of them, they do their best to accommodate. French pressed coffee in the morning, and a Kendrick's and tonic in the evening. If you are lucky, Jasper may play you a song and Meg will tell you of her adventures. Don't just stay one time- this place is always evolving just like a lotus flower, a symbol of rebirth.

Rustic accommodations in a tropical paradise. This location is in the heart of Hilo, with close…read moreproximity to local fine dining, groceries, and the local farmer's market. This hidden gem provides cottages in a lush garden with a koi pond, serene statues and the sounds of nature in the evening. Access to local venues with live music and shaved ice around the corner. Easy free parking across the street. Cottages featuring nature's air conditioning, small kitchen, private living room, porch, and private bathroom. Stroll through the lush garden area and check out the koi pond.

Pros: Great view, hot tub, pool…read more Cons: Not what it used to be. I've stayed here at least three times since the early 2000s. Gone are the days of live-in hosts who greet you, prepare great breakfasts on the communal deck where you mingle with the other guests, and provide a sense of welcome. I get that all that can change with new ownership and especially in the wake of Covid, but the place is in need of maintenance. The huge view window in the Bamboo room we rented was filthy. Breakfast was marginal. Very sterile rent/check-in process. We are not picky travelers and prefer to be self-sufficient with meals so we brought a lovely fresh fish to grill and they no longer provide an outdoor BBQ! A disappointing stay in comparison to our past experience here.

Pros: Nice View Cons: Everything else. Terrible breakfast,…read moredirty room, missing smoke detector, no staff on hand. Ignore the old reviews and pictures. They describe a very different place and experience. We were bitterly disappointed. It's called a bed and breakfast. This is technically true. There is a bed, and you get breakfast. If you want to be welcomed by a smiling inn keeper and served a piping hot, freshly cooked breakfast, stay somewhere else. First, there is no welcoming staff (or staff at all other than housekeeping). The property is currently managed by a company that runs multiple places on Big Island. We arrived at noon and got a message to just go to the room (it was unlocked) and grab the key. On the plus side, we did ask to check-in early at noon, and that was accommodated. We had the Bamboo room which is more private than the others. Second, the room was dirty. The coffee maker had not been cleaned. There was a bunch of coffee in the paper filter, with several dime-sized blobs of mold. The pot still had some liquid coffee in it (see picture). There was some green something or other on the nightstand. After a few hours, my wife noticed that her socks had turned black, so we walked around in sandals the rest of the time. The shower is moldy (see picture). Third, calling the breakfast uninspired is high praise. When we arrived, inside the small refrigerator in the room we found a plate of cut fruit, two muffins, some milk, two Yoplait yogurts, and a bowl with two hard boiled eggs. That was to be our breakfast for the next day. We ate the fruit, one muffin and the yogurt. The next day, the pattern repeated: a new plate of fruit appeared in the fridge, but no extra muffins (gotta finish them if you want more!), and the yogurt was replenished. That pattern repeated the third day, so that's the extent of the breakfast. (They also have some standard oatmeal packets and granola bars on the desk that looked picked over). Is the fruit plate a collection of local Hawaiian fruits like papaya or pineapple? Nope - bog-standard bananas, apples, cantaloupe, and strawberries. And since it's cut the previous day, the banana and apple start to turn brown by the morning, even though it's in the fridge with plastic wrap on it (see pictures). Oh, did I mention that our room was missing the smoke detector? It had been pulled out, so there is just a hole in the ceiling with wires hanging out (see pictures). The view is great, I will say that. Bottom line, look elsewhere. You've been warned...

We travel the world and always look for unique, relaxing, comfortable places to stay. I never -…read moreEVER - toss out 5 stars. This place would've earned six. Time of stay: 8-11 Mar 2014 Weather: Tropical low (think 1-2 in/hour rain for 22 of 24 hours for 3 days) Sierra (the homeowner) makes this house feel like home! Without such a grand house, I doubt that our solid-rain visit would have been as pleasant and successful as we'd hoped! By comparison, we visited the hotels on Hilo Bay and to a one, they were all rundown, shabby, and uninspiring. One master bedroom with a generous bathroom, one bedroom with a full hallway bath, and a double-bed futon in the family room, plus a full kitchen and screened, covered, walk around porch make this house fully functional for 6. Cable TV proves that 50+ Time-Warner channels provides nothing worth watching (grin), but it comes with WiFi. Bring a HDMI-HDMI cable to port your Netflix to the TV. There are games, books and magazines as well. The kitchen is stocked with all normal utensils and often condiments from prior visitors, but you'll want to do your own grocery shopping. Sierra will leave some items for you upon arrival - fruit, nuts, candies, etc. With the tea candles, it makes for a very lovely arrival after a long trip to Hilo. The view from the rear porch is nothing short of mesmerizing! You will be looking out over your own small waterfall and pond, safe for swimming, 20 feet below your deck. The trek to the pond is a bit challenging, but those without severe joint disease or a walking aid can make it. I recommend "beach shoes" for swimming. Wake up to brew some 100% Kona coffee, fry up some eggs and ham, and you'll be ready to take on a day of sight-seeing, knowing that your home-away-from-home is just 30 minutes away to wash and dry your clothes, have a nice meal (or drive 5-10 minutes to any of the good restaurants in town), and enjoy a great night's rest. Sierra also provided a rental vehicle - Honda CRV van. Plenty of room for 6 with luggage. The back-up camera is essential for backing into the 10%-grade (down) driveway, or you can park on a gravel lot at the top of the hill. You can't miss the coco frogs, as they make their presence known - very loudly - all night long. Combined with the falls - and our errant tropical storm - I was awakened just once. The majority of the time the sound was welcome "white noise." In fact, I cannot recall when I'd been so rested on a vacation! This was the nicest rental I can recall in 12+ years of travel in CONUS and abroad. (Note - Don't miss the air tours over the volcano, as you cannot see the lava from the ground, due to a recent change in lava flows. If helicopters aren't your thing, the locals have a Part 135 (airline level) service using 4 and 7-person Cessnas. As a GA pilot myself, I knew to look for these, and we much-preferred this tour to helicopter. It is also MUCH cheaper and you will see the same or more.)

We arrived late at night on our first night at Aloha Falls. It was so dark that we hardly could…read morepark our car and find our way into the house. Unfortunately, the owner had double booked the house by mistake... so we had to stay the first night in the ground-floor level of the house. So, when we walked into the house in pitch darkness to find unfinished basement-like place...We felt like we had made the biggest mistake of our lives. We were hoping it wouldn't end like a horror film with us murdered. When we woke up the next morning and went outside, we were blown away by the beautiful greenery, fruit trees, and waterfall. When we moved to the upstairs of the house, we found a beautiful spa-like home with everything you could want and more in a Hawaii getaway. Besides the slight hiccup on our first night there...the rest of the stay was wonderful. Next time we visit the Big Island, we will definitely make sure to stay at Aloha Falls again.

We really enjoyed the beautiful well kept down-to-earth stay. The property is both immaculate and…read morerelaxing. The morning breakfast is delightfully done and creates a nice community feeling. They are SO close to the surfing beach. A nice stroll with coffee to watch the locals was sweet.

I cant take the credit for finding this jewel. My wife did a lot of research and finally settled on…read morethe Orchid B and B. They have two rooms here. One is detached from the house and is rhe smallest. The larger room is located at the entry to the house. It appears that it is a converted living room with a 3/4 bathroom. No tub. The room is decorated nicely in island style and sconce lighting. Nice large flat screen tv on the wall with a swivel. A/c in the room if needed, cieling fans, and a couple nice couches. There is a refrgerator in the room that has a small freezer. There is a microwave on the lanai and a barbeque that can be used also. The breakfasts are outstanding and consist of papayas, mango, bananas, apples, dates and kiwi. In addition Steve makes waffles, and brings in bagels and sweet rolls on alternate days. Theres also, Coffee, yogurt and three types of dry cereal. The grounds are lush and well maintained. You have full access to the pool and hot tub. Theres also a koi pond. The lanai is about 35' x 35' big and really nice with many chairs to lounge on and chill... The only negatives i can think of is the water pressure in the shower is really low and the towels are pretty thin....these things are not deal breakers. Steve and Su are great hosts and we definitley reccomend the Orchid.