We loved the house we rented. My family of four and my brother's family of four were so pleased to have a beautiful place to stay where we could spread out and enjoy each other's company. It would have cost more to stay in hotel rooms and we wouldn't have had near the space we had here. Our house was wonderfully decorated and well supplied with more than we expected...snorkel and other beach equipment, well supplied kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. We drove to the volcano one day and in doing so, found that our drive was shorter than expected, and it made for a wonderful day trip. We left early (about 7:15 a.m.). It took us 2 hours and 15 minutes. The highest speed limit on the island is 55. We traveled between 45 and 55 mph the whole way, but the drive was so pretty that the time seemed to fly by. After driving the crater and walking the 4 mile hike (with a baby in tow), we also went to the Thurston Lava Tube then drive about 45 minutes to see where the lava flows into the ocean. It was a spectacular view, especially at night. My boys enjoyed swimming with the dolphins and we had a wonderful dinner at KPC on the water. We all agreed the Royal Kona Resorts' luau was even better than the show at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The food was great, and the show was very entertaining. My boys were pleased with the short walk to the beach and I also enjoyed the pool right outside our sliding glass door. The customer service was above average. My brother spoke with to the manager about purchasing a unit, and found we may have paid more than average for the place...that would be my insider information. My mother, sister and I took a self-guided Kona coffee tour that we all really enjoyed and the boys took a great deep sea fishing trip. We took a morning and drove to Akaka Falls, which was nice, but we enjoyed getting the shaved ice there even more...make sure you get ice cream on the bottom. All in all, we prefer the big island to Oahu. We'd come back in a heartbeat. We have a few other places to visit first, but expect to come back with even more of the family next time. We will hit the southern end of the island then and maybe come back when the surfing is beter.
