Hamakua Guesthouse

Amazing location. Staff is friendly interesting and total clean freaks. More staff than guests and the most amazing home/property! 3rd time staying here. I could live there and always feel like a millionaire! I would taught it more but I am afraid too many people would ruin it and curtail my reservation opportunities.

Magical experience at the Riverside house! Swimming in the river and waterfall was so amazing. The Hamakua Coastline is beautiful! I wish we could stay longer and explore everything in the area. The cabin comes equiped with a full kitchen, bathroom and shower. The sound of running water is so soothing.

The entire experience was so wonderful. Everything at the property is well organized and with the help of strategically placed signs, guests are able to navigate the property easily. The cabanas are very nice - sleeping in the hammock actually ended up being some of the best sleep and best dreams I have ever had. My husband is 6’2” and he loved it too. We are getting hammocks at home asap. Even when it rains at night, you stay dry inside and cozy with the blankets provided. The amenities available at the main house like food storage, a fridge, coffee and French press and grill - are amazing. There are stores, markets and even a wal mart near by with prices that are reasonable and very similar to Indiana. There is a bakery, Mr Eds, down a beautiful rain forest road- that sells amazing breakfast foods, baked goods and other goodies. The entire little town of Honomu is perfect and we loved Hilo in every way. It is possible to get your laundry washed while staying here, go for walks, play with the kitties who live there and interact with other residents staying for one night or more. The open shower/bathroom turned out to be an awesome experience. There is a lot of parking available and it’s an easy drive any where you go. You definitely need a car. The entire place is beautiful, colorful birds and dragonflies are everywhere! Of course with any place , it is important to be realistic. Like I mentioned earlier, there could be multiple people staying there on the property while you’re there so there could be some noise at different times of the night or day, but for the most part it’s not major. You might have to wait for a restroom- but there are two restrooms . This is the rainier side of the island so you might get more rain than what you might’ve expected And inside the cabana if it’s very windy, the curtains will move some. Because it’s the wet side of the island there’s a chance that you’ll have some mosquito interaction. Just make sure you bring your (natural) repellent. This location is earth friendly with multiple people there so that means you’re not going to take a 30 minute hot shower and you’re not going to just have unlimited power usage, etc. The entire Island has an increased capacity for mold, so ya, you might see mold. There might even be a roach from time to time on the island. Overall, love it. We plan on staying here frequently!

Super relaxing off-grid accommodation. The house was well-equipped, and very quiet and relaxing even with other guests staying in another room. We had a great time, and plan to stay here again someday. The booking process was easy, and the communication we received was very intentional and timely.

We loved staying at the Hamakua Guesthouse. It was definitely off the beaten track - excellent directions as we arrived well after dark without a hitch. We loved the night sounds of the coquilles, the ocean, the fresh air, the moon and stars, the huge mango tree with delicious hanging fruit, the avocado tree with its fruit. Our room was clean, comfortable with the breeze blowing through; the beds were comfortable. The living room, porch and kitchen downstairs were comfortable too. Other guests we ran into were friendly. The owner and manager were helpful with suggestions. Breakfast next morning at Mr. Ed's was great. (I could go on.) We highly recommend this place! It's the perfect place for those who love being in a "natural environment." Wish we could have stayed longer!

Worked here for a work exchange. Was an exceptional experience! Got to explore the island and work on site. The house is off grid and it’s powered by a generator and solar powers! Once in a lifetime experience. Would totally recommend to anyone!

Hamakua Guesthouse absolutely broke my heart on this trip. It was my second time to the Big Island and my second time staying at the guest house. I previously came here in March of 2020, weeks before the COVID lockdown started, and memories and photos of my short stay at the Hamakua Guesthouse were a true bright spot for me to reflect on during lockdown. I absolutely loved my visit in 2020 which is why I went out of my way to book a few days here again. The coqui frogs and the rain, the birds, being able to shower and witness a sunrise, sleeping in a hammock--being someone who lives and works in the heart of the East Coast this was balm for my soul. I loved how minimalistic it was, how it has recycling, composting and is powered by solar and uses rain water. I love when I can minimize my impact on the natural resources of a place I am visiting. I had 2 nights book for this second trip, and I had no real plans except to enjoy some reading time in the hammock, and hopefully use my gear from Snorkel Bob's one more time before I had to return it and explore neighboring Hilo again. I arrived after sunset and parked my car--the parking situation had changed since my last visit. There were now these short, grey, rectangular planters on spindly metal legs being used as a sort of parking marker. When I walked into my cabana, using my phone as flashlight I pulled the string of the lightbulb in the middle of the the cabana--and nothing happened. I fiddled with it and ended up calling the property manager. He sent an intern down to help me, with them being solar powered, he said, they could be a little picky with how you turn them on. I unpacked my car and grabbed the dinner I had picked up on my way, with the intention of eating it at the outdoor picnic tables that are behind the main house. I walked, flashlight and veggie wrap in one hand a can of flavored water and a can of beer in the other. There were a series of a few shallow steps to get to where the tables were. I'm scared of heights, so I'm usually really cautious on all steps. The steps however, weren't lit, and in my turning to look at the table and the people sitting at them I missed the bottom step and fell to the ground. My wrap flew into the bush in front of me, my drinks also went to the ground, both knees, my left hand and my right shoulder ended up being torn up--the knees especially. There were a few people sitting at the picnic table already--I heard them say 'is she alright?' but they never got up or did anything beyond that. I gathered myself, and my wrap and the two drink cans and went to clean myself up. I retreated back to my camping cabana down the hill and learned that night exactly how important knee comfort is when getting in and out of a hammock. Luckily I had bandages and Neosporin with me and I was able to keep from bleeding all over the hammock. I ate my abused veggie wrap and sipped on the beer--I couldn't open the other can because it was so damaged in the fall

Beautiful place with a view of the ocean. The room was spacious and had lots of amenities. There's a shared kitchen and a voucher for breakfast as well. The private waterfall was gorgeous and great for swimming. We wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else in Hawaii after our experience. Highly recommended!

Exceptionally clean with friendly owners visiting the premises. There was gear to borrow (snorkel equipment, Igloo coolers, generous sized beach towels.) Every room or cabana had its own refrigerator space, and sealed food storage containers. Our fee included breakfast at a nearby cafe that was very charming. The price was right, and the location was perfect. I love the fact that they are "off the grid" and rely on solar power and rainwater.* *I took off a star not for myself and daughter, but because there is a mild drought and people with longer hair or who absolutely need to thoroughly rinse shampoo and dry hair with a blow dryer might be uncomfortable. Itʻs more for those considering this to not be surprised. It is not because we had less than a five star good time ourselves.