 "We had a terrific time using the Pualani home as our base to explore the area. Snorkeling and lava watching were fabulous activities. We aspire to return. " - Ken Goldman, Phoenix, AZ, 12/19/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Pat, Thank you very much. We loved the house and really enjoyed our stay. The house was the perfect place to get away from it all. We really appreciated the little things around the house that aren’t typically in vacation rentals that made our stay easier and more comfortable; like: dish soap, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, big island guide books, music, cooler, etc. Thank you again and we hope we get the opportunity to visit you again. Thank you for letting us use your amazing house, it was the best trip we have ever had together." - Scott, British Columbia, 11/05/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"The house was awesome. We had a wonderful time but much too short of course. It was the perfect location for us. It had been about 5 years since we we had been to the big island and it was exactly what we were looking for. Thanks again for all the great suggestions and maps that was very helpful. " - Chris Nolan, Phoenix, AZ, 09/15/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"We had a wonderful time. The house was great and we really enjoyed walking to the local ponds, swimming and snorkeling. We were sorry to go! " - Sonya Hoobler, Redwood City, CA, 09/14/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Thank you for everything and for returning my deposit so promptly. We had a wonderful time. I can't stop thinking about how relaxing it was to wake up in that comfortable bed, surrounded by views of tropical trees and the sounds of doves cooing - magical! It was hard to leave it, except that there were so many things to see and do. BTW, I loved the quilt on the bed upstairs. Do you remember where you got it? I really appreciated how understanding you were when my first check didn't arrive right away. You were very patient, giving the check at least two extra weeks to arrive. Even though I don't know you personally, I felt like I wasn't just another client for you, but someone that you cared about. Mahalo for making our whole experience so special! " - Shari, Orlando, FL, 08/07/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
 "Aloha Pat! Your abode exceeded our expectations. We thank you deeply and hope to return. Mahalo " - Dorothy & Paul, Woodland Hills, CA, 08/06/12(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Aloha Pat! Received the security deposit check, thank you so much. We had a great time at the Pualani House and loved discovering the Hilo side of the island after 5 previous days on the lovely Kohala Coast. We had great weather for our whole trip although the sound of the rain on the Pualani rooftop at night was so soothing along with the crashing waves I almost hoped for more rain! On our last day, as we drove back to the Kona airport, there wasn't a cloud in the sky in Hilo. As we left we passed the floats getting ready for the Merry Monarch Parade and wished we stayed one more day to see it-- absolutely perfect weather. The frogs were a non-issue, not bad at all. We loved the whole "tree-house" feel of the place, and the beautiful wood floors and all the windows. Very rustic and tropical which is what we wanted. And the Wifi worked great! The beds were extremely comfortable and we loved the bikes, and the hot tub was perfect--not too chlorinated, very refreshing. The snorkeling at the Kapoho tide pools was incredible. The volcano was unbelievable. We have been to volcanoes in Costa Rica but they were nothing like Kilauea! Even though the lava has stopped flowing into the ocean the lava flow at Kalapana and the new Kaimu beach there was awesome. The Kalapana Village Cafe was delicious. We also enjoyed Kaleo's (our waitress was wonderful, originally from Berkeley, and great food), the coffee house in Pahoa, Itsu's in Hilo, Ken's House of Pancakes (great food!) and the steakhouse place in Kea'ua, can't remember the name. Also loved Richardson's Bay Beach (great waves!) and the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo. Everyone we met was so friendly and helpful. We cannot wait to go back to the Big island. We had a wonderful, incredible time! Thank you so much for opening your beautiful home to us! Mahalo, Elizabeth, Lance & Julianna Friis " - Elizabeth Friis, Pleasant Hill, CA, 05/08/11(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"The home was beautiful: loved the mahogany floors, bamboo furniture, kitchen layout, views of the ocean from 3 sides, sounds of the ocean and peepers at night and doves in the morning. Temperature is always 78. At first I was concerned about 130" of rain a year, but it always rains at night and burns off at daybreak. There is a hot-tub, towels, dishes, sheets, kitchen equipment, extra blankets, basically everything you need. The house is so big; we didn't even use the bottom floor. Also, there were 4 bikes available to use. The homeowners are wonderful people. We had a question about how to operate the hot-tub and they answered us right away. The nearby kapoho pools are geothermically heated and we swam with giant sea turtles and beautiful tropical fish. The whole island is a dream. My husbands arthritis didn't bother him at all in Hawaii. I didn't want to leave. I want to retire to the big island. Thanks so much, Barb " - Barbara Hogel, Burlington, VT, 04/28/11(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hi Pat Just to let you know that we received the security deposit in the mail - thanks. Also we wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our stay in Pualani. We loved the house and it was perfect for our family - a lovely spot for relaxing, yet great things to do nearby (biking to Champagne Pond for instance). We all enjoyed our trip to the Big Island and I am sure will be back one day. Mahalo, Glenda and Ron " - Glenda & Ron Avery, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, 09/17/10(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hi Pat Thanks. I received the refund a few days ago. I absolutely loved your place in Kapoho. It was definitely the hilight of the trip for me. It was extremely humid (sometimes we could see our footprints on the floor). I had never experienced anything like that before. I loved it. The days were sultry in a lovely way. I even enjoyed the crazyness of the coqui frogs at night. (though I think they might drive a person mad eventually...but probably in a good way) My favorite part of the day was waking up to the wrap around window view of the palm trees and the ocean and watching the light change. We also discovered snorkeling there! How amazing and easy. During the rest of our trip we snorkeled at several other places but we both preferred the tide pools. (they are even better than Captain Cook) We walked there everyday...it was a lovely walk (we didn't use the bikes at all as it turned out) And of course the market north of Pahoa was amazing! an abundance of inexpensive tropical flowers and fruit and clothing etc. Sadly our stay was too short. We didn't even have time to use the hot tub. Thank you so much for sharing your fabulous home with us. Donna and Stan ps I have attached a photo of our tropical bouquet on your deck. " - Donna Blair, Victoria, BC, Canada, 11/16/09(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
 "Hi Pat: Thank you for a wonderful stay on the Big Island. We had a great time. Your home was the perfect location for our stay although we were on the go most of the time. Thanks for sending our refund so promptly. It has been a pleasure coordinating our stay with you. You can be sure if we travel to the Big Island again, or know of anyone planning on visiting, we will recommend your home. Sharon " - Sharon Dimura, Albany, New York, 07/27/09(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Pat, Thank you so much! We thoroughly enjoyed your home & that part of the island, wish we'd stayed there longer! Felt more like invited guests than renters with the bikes & that lovely quiet neighborhood. Not as happy in Capt Cooke, partly with the rental & partly with so much driving to do almost anything! Wish we'd rented from you again on this side! Thanks again for your great communication & generosity, it's greatly appreciated! Kathryn " - Kathryn Hill, Soquel, CA, 06/30/09(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Definately a unique home to rent if you're looking to get away from the typical Hawaiian tourists. Convienant to Volcanoes National Park & Hilo...not a bad drive to southern beaches." - Anonymous, 02/21/09(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Pualani is a wonderful get away from the cold of Pennsylvania. Loved the view of the ocean. Weather was delightful. Convenient location to snorkeling. Bikes were fun. We had great weather. Enjoyed Pahoa & Hilo. Thai food & good pizza in Pahoa tops. Pescatore in Hilo top-rate Italian food - recommend highly. Take a night trip to view lava - amazing. Mahalo & Aloha! Loretta Supplee" - Loretta Supplee, Pennsylvania, 01/12/09(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Thanks for sharing Pualani with us Pat & Andy. We had a great experience! I'd always dreamed of this kind of place where the breeze blew right off the ocean and into the house. And the location is ideal for touring this part of the island. The lava flow was awesome, Champage Pond a magical experience and Hilo a delight. Ning's Thai is one of the best I've ever been to (and that's a lot). We counted 5 geckos and loved their company. and the rain on the roof made sleeping peaceful. We hope to return soon! Greg & Jeri Sowell" - Greg & Jeri Sowell, San Francisco, CA, 12/31/08(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
 "Hi Pat & Andy, Thank you for letting us use your wonderful house! The kids loved collecting fallen coconuts in the garden, and the spa was great to get warm after a long hike on the volcano in the sometimes heavy rain. The short distance to the recent lava flow at Kalapana allowed us to there twice -- both at day time and time time - Marvelous! We hope to get back here some day! Loved the geckos! Sincerely, Lotte, Peter, Margreth, Dante, Tobias" - Lotte & Peter Andersen, Denmark, 12/29/08(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Thank you Pat. I can’t explain how much we enjoyed ourselves and your home. The people there are wonderful, it was so nice to see real Hawaii. We had such a good time my sons want to go back next year. Guess I’ll have to start saving. Thanks again, Kathy " - Kathy Gombots, Chilliwack, BC, Canada, 08/14/08(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Pualani was a perfect home base for our adventures with sea turtles, volcanoes, bromeliads and so much more. Champagne Pond was also a great treat. Thank you for sharing your home with us and I'm sure our vacation will be remembered for a long time to come. Mahalo from the Paulot family!" - Fabien Paulot, Pasadena, CA, 07/24/08(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Thanks Pat, we did enjoy our stay!! In fact, we loved it! Kona side was fun for the start but then we were glad to escape the vog. We zoomed all around on your bikes, loved Champagne Pond as our last evening stop each night, and really loved a couple of spots north of Hilo (one where there’s the rope swing into the river and another where we boogie boarded all day). We got lucky with the weather I guess, never had rain once! We feel like we did it all and had a great place to come “home” to at night. My husband wishes we could have some geckos in our house too! Thanks again so much, it was a great vacation! Valerie " - Valerie Foster, Louisville, CO, 07/06/08(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Aloha, Pat! How are you? I've just got back from Hawaii last night.It was great to stay in Pualani! Thank you so much for sharing! We enjoy it very much!! Our stay was just great! I love the Big Island! I'd love to visit again and stay in Pualani again too! I'll recommend my friends to stay in Pualani if they want to go to the Big Island! Mahalo! and take care. Best, Natsuki Hayashi " - Natsuki Hayashi, Tokyo, Japan, 11/30/07(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
 "Hi Pat - We just got back this evening from the Big Island. I just wanted to thank you again for accommodating us in such short notice. Your Pualani Home was so wonderful. . .it was the real "Hawaii". I love the open wood beam ceiling and the veranda that surrounds the upper floor is a great feature. The view, the sound of the ocean, and all the comforts of home helped make our stay so pleasant. Your home is so perfectly situtated. . .Champagne Pond, Kapoho Tide Pools, surf spots like Isaac Hale and Pohoiki. . .I can go on and on. I just wish we had discovered Pualani sooner. . .I would've love to stay there the entire 11 days! You are lucky to have such a great find! I will be sure to pass on a good word to all our friends. We hope to return soon. Mahalo, Alice" - Alice Jeffreys, Chula Vista, CA, 10/07/07(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hello, Pat We just returned Sunday, after our stay at Pualani house, and then almost 2 weeks on Maui. We had a great time everywhere, and after staying in Kehei, REALLY appreciated the peace an quiet of your area of the Big Island. We wish we had decided to stay a bit longer there, but next time ................ Anyway, I got our vacation mail today, and opened the refund check. Mahalo, for everything !!!! Ed Murphy " - Ed Murphy, Eugene, OR, 08/08/07(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hi Pat, Thank you very much for letting us stay at your beautiful home in Kapoho. We enjoyed our stay very much and had lots of fun at the hot springs and the steam caves. It was so convenient to the things we wanted to see yet lots of privacy and away from the hustle and bustle of Hilo. I received the deposit refund yesterday. Thanks again for everything. Mahalo, Paul and Yasuyo Ledford " - Paul & Yasuyo Leford, , 11/29/06(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Aloha Pat, We really enjoyed our stay at Pualani. It was cozy and comfortable. All the gadgets and facilities were in good condition and the ocean view was excellent. We explored the entire east coast of the island. Especially liked the hot pool on 137, black beach with hike down the lava rocks, the tropical vegetation, tidal pools and swimming area near the house, etc. We saw lot of colored fish and other marine life. We also enjoyed cooking with the unusual tropical vegetables (have heard of frsh drum sticks for soup?) with spices. The pine apples, papaya and the small banana were also fantastic. I read two of your books, in addition to the books we brought with us. I also want to thank you for letting us hang at your Aloha house on Sunday. Diane really liked the 180 deg ocean view and the fantastic breeze outside. We saw sea turtles from the lava rock backyard. Thank you for sending us the deposit back. We were expecting a lot of rain to dampen our vacation. We were pleasantly surprised to see that it rained at night and occasional down pours during the day lasting only for short periods. It was a long trip back to Boston, but this vacation was worth all the travel. We hope to come back to Hawaii soon. Mahalo Murthy and Diane " - Murthy and Diane, Boston, MA, 11/07/06(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hi Pat, We had a great time at the Pualani Home. Thank you for having us, George " - George Gorczinski, , 08/17/06(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
 "Aloha Pat and Andy - Thank you for returning the $100.00 deposit. We really enjoyed your lovely dream house and surrounding area. Our time in Kapoho was a very special part of trip to the islands. We might return some time without the kids. If we do we will certainly get in touch. You really do have a beautiful home in Kapoho and we will share pictures with friends who might be looking for a nice out of the way place in paradise. Mahalo, Tom and Lucy Wells " - Tom and Lucy Wells, , 07/23/06(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Hi, Pat – I received the refund on our security deposit in the cute fish motif stationary. Mahalo. I have been meaning to email you to tell you we really enjoyed the place, just everything about it was super. We snorkeled in the pools and saw lots of turtles, which was so great. What a unique and cool area of the island. We also loved Pahoa and had a GREAT Thai meal in the funky restaurant furthest east of the two. We would recommend your place to anyone. It was nicely decorated and well equipped, too. Thanks for all!!! --Cathy " - Cathy, , 01/25/06(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
"Aloha Pat! Unfortunately we are home! We had the time of our lives!! Words can’t express how beautiful Kapoho (and the whole island really) was. We seriously did not want to leave. If we didn’t have 3 dogs and 3 cats at home waiting for us – we might have actually stayed. We went to the Kona area after we left your wonderful home…it was nice but we definitely prefer the Hilo side of the island. We brought several real estate publications home with us and are brimming with ideas of how exactly we can change our lives and move there. I bet that happens a lot. We definitely hope to be able to go back and stay at Pualani again!! And also would recommend it to anyone who asked. We will put a glowing “review” on one or more of our websites. Mahalo Nicki " - Nicki, , 09/23/05(HomeAwayConnect Guestbook Entry)
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