Oceanfront - Dolphin Retreat - KAYAKS INCLUDED

Away from crowd. Good island experience. Loved the property manager!!!She works very hard .

We really enjoyed our stay. The views were just amazing. I will agree with another reviewer and say if you don't like bugs or spiders, you may want to look elsewhere. I really loved watching the geckos. The owner was very responsive. Kitchen and bathrooms a little worn but kitchen was pretty stocked with pot and pans. Cooked most nights. Might be good for houskeeping to go through spices. Some were very old. Eating on the large lanai for all meals was so peaceful and calming.

After a brief nearby snorkeling session, we arrived back to the Dolphin Retreat to someone burglarizing the house. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the individual made away with only minor items after being interrupted in the process. There's not a long list of things more startling than opening a door while inside of a house to find someone there (actually still a tad bit haunted by this honestly). The responding Hawaii five-0 said that there had in fact been a car forcibly broken into the night before right next door with valuables taken, and that in general, there's been an uptick in crime in the area. They also indicated that based on the perpetrator's behavior, it likely wasn't the first time to the Dolphin Retreat. Given this experience and the officers' info, we decided to depart, forgoing the majority of our remaining time at the Dolphin Retreat (and cut our losses of items stolen and groceries). It actually took a couple of days before we were able to get a response from management. I must say I was consistently surprised by the handling by the owner (e.g., kept referring to the burglary experience as an "inconvenience"). He initially said this had never happened before at the Dophin Retreat, but later acknowledged one prior burglary there (but sounded like it was a while ago so perhaps forgot initially). The owner indicated that they would reimburse us for half of the nights of our stay. Fortunately, I kept the conversation in VRBO bc VRBO was then able to follow-up with the owner to help have him eventually follow through on his reimbursement promise (though less than what was promised). Regarding the house, I don't know that I have much to add to what others have said- a great place otherwise with truly amazing views from inside the house and on the patios/deck. The snorkeling in the area is great. The diversity of coral, fish, and other wildlife was thoroughly enjoyed. We didn't see dolphins or whales but suspect we may have if we stayed longer. *It's warranted to take safety precautions much more aligned with those necessary in NYC than what might be anticipated in remote paradise (e.g., have everything locked at all times, leave no valuables in the car, etc. even though you are deep into rural Hawai'i). When we return to Hawai'i, we won't be staying in this area given the info provided by the officers.

We enjoyed our stay, mostly relaxing by the ocean. The set-up was great, with a separate apartment on the lower level with a master suite for us old folks, and the upstairs 2 bedrooms for the younger adults. Parts of the house are showing some age, but this is an oceanfront property and the sea air takes a toll after a few years. The property was clean and we had plenty of towels and such. The kitchen was spacious and well-equipped. Access to kayaks & SUPS is thru a property 2 doors down. We paddled across the bay several times & saw lots of fish & dolphins. If you like to sleep in , it's not necessarily a totally quiet environment since the sprinklers come on pretty early and folks in adjacent homes can make some noise. A couple quirky ducks and a goose kept us company, so we were glad for the hoses to clean off the patio. The house is open-air and you WILL get some critters inside, so keep food protected and clean up crumbs right away. The open air was SO nice, since it was hot, but we always had that wonderful ocean breeze in the living area. We BBQ'd fish, ate a lot of poke from local markets, read books and relaxed on the ocean deck, played cards on the lanai. There's a good grocery store in the village of Captain Cook, and the restaurants & markets of Kailua are 30-40 minutes away. Restaurants are all super busy right now, so we ate most of our meals at the house. I would definitely stay here again!

Our family of 6 adults had a wonderful time at this property! It is open to the outdoors with amazing ocean views. We had dinner almost every night on the lovely lanai (which could easily compete with the setting of any waterfront restaurant on the island). We cooked fresh fish from the local market and carried out Poke several times from Reel Aloha Poke in town. The kitchen was fully stocked with everything we needed. We took tours of local coffee farms and beautiful gardens - all within a 15 minute drive of this home. Incredible snorkeling is just off the rocks behind the house and off the beach at a nearby park. We took full advantage of the kayaks and SUPs provided and spent several afternoons paddling around the quiet cove. It is an easy paddle to the Captain Cook monument. We will definitely be back. ** Full disclosure - If you are squeamish about the spiders, bugs or geckos that live in this area, and occasionally make it into the house since it is open, this may not be the place for you. But if you do want to stay in a cool wide-open home in a quiet, naturally beautiful setting - book this home and you will not be disappointed.

If you love snorkeling and kayaking, I highly recommend this location. It was beyond beautiful and I feel restored and rejuvenated. The house has an authentic Hawaiian vibe. You will be mesmerized by the view. This is where you go if you need to get away and get reacquainted with nature. Our family group of 7 was very comfortable and enjoyed ourselves for 7 nights.

This place was absolutely amazing!!! The view never gets old! The sunsets were frame worthy every night! We ate dinner on the Lanai every night - you just can't get a better view anywhere else on the island! The "pier" right next to the property was the perfect place to jump in to snorkel. We did that ever single day. There are SO many different kinds of fish in this bay! We used the kayaks and took them out to the captain cook monument and that snorkeling was also beautiful and amazing! It never felt warm during the day because the whole house opens up completely so the breeze is wonderful. It is good to know that there will be spiders, geckos and bugs in the house, since the house doesn't close up, and you're in the rainforest! It is a bit sticky and a little hard to sleep without A/C, but the views were worth it for us. You MUST bring dinner home from the local Super J's Lau Lau!! It's incredible, authentic, delicious food, and they are SO wonderful and welcoming! This place was super private, and the spa and outdoor shower were a definite plus! Don't hesitate to book this place!

This was our first visit to The Big Island and I searched for a house that would meet everything we were looking for - this house was it!! We were traveling with my husband, three kids (20-22) and my 88 year-old father-in-law. The kids were able to have the space downstairs and we had upstairs. I can't say enough about Amma, the house manager. She was fabulous. The house was clean with fresh flowers placed in every room. I cooked while we were there and the house was stocked with pots, pans, spices and other things needed. We did not get a chance to use the kayaks and grill but they were available. We did get a chance to use the hot tub and that was very nice after a day of driving and hiking. The views from the back of the house are amazing!! The house ducks added a great touch and the kids loved taking care of them. Thank you!!

We LOVED our stay at the Dolphin Retreat! This may be the best property/location on the entire island. The place was extremely clean with fresh flowers placed throughout. The property manager Amma was then very helpful to meet us at check in and stay in contact via texting if we had any questions. A few things about this rental: 1) The House: it's a beautiful house located RIGHT on the water. It’s a different experience than staying at a resort but as far as vacation rentals go, this place was amazing! It is located down a long winding road in a lush and beautiful area. As Amma told us when we arrived, you are in the jungle! It's a tropical area so there will be bugs, spiders, and geckos. She instructed us to keep the kitchen very clean with all food put away because ants and insects do come in searching for food. The house is open air and you are never fully enclosed (you can shut all the sliding doors/windows, but air is still flowing). This keeps the ocean breeze moving through the house to keep it cool as there is no AC. We had no issue with this, but it is a different experience as everything is open to the outside air. We were there the first week of May and it was cool enough for us to not miss AC. Kitchen was well stocked with cookware and spices. We had an infant with us and there was a highchair and pack-and-play available. Yard is well kept and we used the back deck to do Pilates by the ocean which was a dream. 2) The Kayaks: We were concerned that there wouldn’t be enough kayaks as they are shared between three properties, but there is a large fleet of kayaks and we never had an issue going out when we wanted. The shared boathouse also has tons of life jackets, flippers, snorkels and masks, kids beach, and inflatables. The ocean entry can be challenging on rougher days. Make sure you learn when it is and is not safe to go out. 3) The Area: the Kealakekua Bay is AMAZING, and we saw dolphins and kayaked with them almost every morning. You do have to keep your distance, but they often come over to you! We would then kayak over to the Captain Cook monument and snorkel. Our other favorites in the area was Manini Beach – short 10min walk down the road. Two Step is a beach/snorkel spot that is a short 10min drive away and it was our favorite snorkeling! For local food, some are still closed or have limited hours because of COVID but we very much enjoyed the Honoaunau Poke Shop and Shaka Tacos. A wonderful trip! Thank you Dolphin Retreat!

Just returned a couple of nights ago, so here's a very recent brain dump. Good communication with Amma, the house manager, before our stay and the morning of our arrival (via phone call). Jessa at the property two doors down was a great asset. We walked down to check out the kayaks and gear available in the shed (life vests, cornhole, boogie boards, paddles, umbrella, soccer ball, chairs, etc). She showed us around that property and it looks great for a multi-family shared location. But, Dolphin Retreat is all to yourselves, and the ducks of course. We named them Rufus (the big brown male duck), Riley (the mostly white other male duck), Moira (the white and black one), and Betty (the white/brown/green one). By the way, they love the seeds in the cooler by the downstairs slider and will harass you for more! Make sure you also fill up their water bowl. Don't be afraid of the Argiope Appensa (Hawaiian Garden Spiders). They are everywhere outside and up in the rafters inside. Those things will eat up the mosquitoes (mostly). There are all sorts of spices and cooking items in the cabinets. The bar had lots of leave behinds (rum, etc). In fact, we left some light/dark ourselves, including some tasty Maui Brewing Co. beer in the fridge. Dump the top icemaker ice into the bottom one, because the bottom barely makes ice while the top one cranks it out. The hot tub was a nice touch. Hit Mode and turn it off Eco to manage the temperature up or down to a toasty level. The garage was unlocked and there's a propane grill (we didn't use it, but wished we did to grill some fresh fish), washer, dryer, extra trash bags, extension cords, and bug zappers, etc. We would certainly like to return, but it looks like it's all booked up through this time next year. Popular place. Historical place. Chat up the locals who hang out after work every evening down by the heiau. Loud music thumping out of their cars and cold beer (and some other stuff) to go around. Tell them the guy from Vegas who liked their Rolling Rock sent you!

My wife had just retired after 36 years in an incredibly stressful job. We agreed, whatever she wanted for her retirement trip. My job was to plan the transportation, first class seats. Her job was to plan where we would stay. First Class hardly does this place justice. We had a few snafus upon arrival, but each concern was immediately and professionally dealt with along with a call from the owner to make sure we were happy. We had friends and family join us for a few days - to a week from the Mainland, while at the same time having some quiet nights alone. We were blessed with spending 14 nights at this wonderful home. From snorkeling to sightseeing, to just hanging around the house, the time was great. My bride is sitting out on the front lawn as I type this. She is wishing she could stay another week. If you want the night life, head north to Kona. If you want the good life, stay here.

We spent 8 glorious days at the Dolphin Retreat in April. It is everything and more that we thought it would be!! The dolphins arrived each morning in the bay, the water is blue and clear, the sunsets are perfection! We kayaked to the Captain Cook Monument and snorkeled the waters there. Some of the best snorkeling ever. The house is beautiful, private, and a great place for relaxing and enjoying. We had dinners on the Lanai and watched the sunset. We also made the trip to Volcano National Park, should not be missed, snorkeled at Two Step, saw tons of beautiful fish, sea turtles, and swam with the dolphins in the bay. This is a beautiful property where you can create memories your family will never forget!!!

We are currently at the Dolphin Retreat and leave in two days. This house is perfect for families, 2 couples or anyone who loves the ocean. In our case, the grandparents are upstairs in one room, the aunt in another and then our family with two small children are downstairs. The pictures do not do justice. The beach to swim with dolphins is about 1 block away. The kayak launch is next door. We played catch in the backyard and ate lunch on the grass. We (including our 6 year old) snorkled with the dolphins. What an adventure! Down the road we swam with turtles and played on a rocky beach. The kitchen is perfectly stocked and we ate dinner each night with an amazing view. I cannot say enough great things about this home. I hope you have as much fun as we did.

The Dolphin Retreat was an amazing place to stay. The kitchen is so well outfitted it made cooking a pleasure. Having a cocktail, sitting on the lanai or waterfront deck and then watching the sunset was one of the highlights of our vacation. Of course being right on the water makes everything very special. We rented standup paddleboards from Kona Boys the second day of our visit and had so much fun with them that we kept them all week. We were out paddling on the bay most mornings. It was worth getting up early to see and swim with the dolphins, that really was magical. The Captain Cook Monument was a short paddle away and we were overwhelmed with the variety of tropical fish right at the shores edge. Everything was exactly as stated and we would recommend this rental highly!