Mauna Loa is flowing!! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see active lava flows! All from a safe distance. It is an unforgettable experience. We are in a quiet neighborhood and a deeply relaxing environment where you can sip your morning cup on a deck that is suspended in a treetop surrounded by orchids and songbirds. Hi-speed WiFi you can video call friends from up a tree! Indoor/outdoor living with views of the pond from the other deck. Beehives on the property and in this neighborhood. This destination is for the curious traveler who wants to see what Hawaii looked like 50 years ago. This hide-a-way romantic location will inspire, rejuvenate, and calm the weariest of souls. This handcrafted home, built by the owner, has unique and distinctive touches that will capture the discerning eye. Wood harvested from the property grace this cottage with artistic trims and the lanai’s ceiling is adorned with grass mats that are woven by hand. Wide lanais and sliding oaken doors face the east to greet the glorious sunrise that starts each day. Sun and rain makes rainbows a frequent companion during your stay at the Sweet Spot. An open and airy design brings the outdoors indoor and tropical breezes flow through the house and caress and delight. The dining and kitchen is surrounded on three sides by screening which brings the trees and plants up close giving a sense of a living embrace. Yes, our trees, bushes and flowers hug you and you can hug them back. People who visited christened the Sweet Spot as many repeatedly said, “This is a sweet spot” and the place was so named. The owner has been tending, stewarding, nurturing, and planting the property (one and half acres) since 1991 and now you can see growing and sometimes eat from (depending upon the season you visit) banana, macadamia nut, breadfruit, guava, grapefruit, limes, mango, cherry, fig, navel orange, avocado, kaffir lime, sugar cane, coconut (always in season) cacao, coffee, soursop, and a variety of greens that are part of the permaculture design. Large lawns and enchanting grottos await your exploration, as there is a lot to see. Anthuriums, orchids, heliconia, and other exotic flowers a scattered about the grounds along with specialty grasses that you sink into like a memory foam mattress where you lay back and watch some of the most magnificent star-studded skies to be seen anywhere. The Milky Way is blazing the stars so bright and for many people the first time they will ever see it. It is breathtaking. You can see the ocean from the street and in a few minutes walk are stunning coastlines views where you can watch the sun climb out of the ocean in the morning and the moon slip out of waves at night. Sit on a cliff and watch the waves breaking against massive rock faces and the hours will slip away but the memories will remain long after. Kehena Beach is close enough to walk to and is the only clothing optional beach on all of the island of Hawaii. This bay is a frequented spot by dolphins and whales, the latter arriving in the winter months. You will have access to the entire grounds and the cottage and treetop deck is totally at your disposal. For the adventurous soul who wants the comforts of our modern world (ie electricity, internet, hot water, sheets and pillow, refrigerator, and appliances) The Sweet Spot is a location that host all manner of life here on the island. Yes there are bugs and mosquitoes, and lizards and geckos and frogs, oh my! Plan to be close to nature and come ready to protect yourself from the tropical sun. The weather pattern is mostly rain squalls that blow through so it could be raining and in five minutes the sun comes out. Repeat. (Does make for lots of rainbows) The beach is wild in the real sense of the word with no life guards and the ocean must be respected at all times. The rains at night can make the frogs sing in harmony and the birds will be trying to outdo them in the morning. It is hard not to fall into the rhythm of nature and the island while here. You will need a car to get around as the Big Island is truly big with over 4000 sq. miles. Rent your car early if you are flying into Hilo as they can sell out. If you land in Kona, (almost a three hour drive away from here) there is a much larger fleet of rental cars available. This is a solar driven house with a bank of batteries that keeps things running. Please be mindful and remember that leaving a light on with nobody using it is like leaving the oven on with no food inside it. Sometimes on multiple raining days in a row the generator may need to be turned on to charge the batteries. The water is caught from the sky and is filtered for use. We do provide additional counter top filtration. The owner has lived here since 1991 and planted 98% of everything on the property save for the giant heritage trees. Want to see what Hawaii was like 50 years ago? Then this is it. Out of the way and off the beaten path our side of the island is slow, slow but you can go, go with many places to see and visit for day trips. This neighborhood sports some of the finest coastal drives on the island with trees overhanging a windy narrow road creating tunnels of green with shards of sunlight breaking through the leaves. Stop at many places and soak up the waves as they crash against rocky shores and spray you with a salty mist. So many places that are photo-worthy. On Saturday morning there is a local farmer's market down the road about four miles. Great place to grab local foods to eat there or bring back to cook. On Sundays, there is a big drumming circle at the beach that carries over to the Seaview Lawn (also a walk away) into the later afternoon and early evening. Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the Maku'u Market which has scores of food booths with a variety spanning the globe. Live music is part of the event and it is easy to spend a Sunday morning there soaking up the local culture and chowing down on all culinary delights. Green papaya salad is one of my favorites and there is usually a line for that. A great place to do your shopping for the week as there are locally grown veggies, meats, and fish available. Get those gifts for your loved ones back home here too as everything is from handmade soap to hand-turned bowls. You will really need a car to visit Big Island though there is a bus service that comes by the neighborhood three times a day and will connect you to the system that goes around the island. The nearest town, Pahoa, is 15/20 minutes by car. If you land in Kona (cheaper flights from the mainland) it will take you about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get here. The grounds of the Sweet Spot deserve to be explored as they are wild and wonderful with a touch of attention to keep the invasive species in check. We never use poison to keep the plants in control and you may see weed cloth which is laid out to suppress their growth. I swim in the pond as it is just fresh rain water and the plants that grow in it. Lilypads, hyacinth, water plants, algae, fish, frogs and tadpoles are all part of the pond. The bottom can be slippery. This is a jungle like setting and there is no getting around the fact that mice and rats live in the trees and are part of Hawaii. We have a resident cat to control this and we place traps but these critters are nocturnal and if you are lucky you may see one. The mongoose you may see during the daytime running across the road were brought to Hawaii to eat the rats in the sugar cane fields. Unfortunately the mongoose are diurnal (daytime) and the rats are nocturnal (nighttime). The mongoose devastated the Hawaiian bird population and the rats are an ever present aspect of the islands.