Private, newly built/renovated bungalow on 3 acres in a lush, ancient mango grove and amazing jungle setting. Screened lanai with private yard and relaxing view. Privacy fenced and shaded outdoor concrete patio with table and chairs. Private papaya grove for picking and eating. Though the rental is far from the slow, red cinder road that takes you there, town and stores are accessible via new highway with memorable views through the 2018 Kilauea lava flow. ALOHA! Welcome to Old Hawai’i! Welcome to Puna! Old Hawai’i on the youngest island of them all. Old Hawai’i with the freshest land (still warm!) and black sand beaches on the planet. Old Hawai’i under an ancient mango grove. Around here, the land is green (or black!), the water is blue, and the Aloha is strong. Aged, shaded jungles grow wild and thick out of some kind of story book. Guava. Coconut. Ginger. Noni. Lilikoi vines as thick as your arm. A forest of wild avocado growing from a sea of ferns below. To put it simply: it’s all quite magical. This is where we have built our farm and where hopefully you will be staying. THE BUNGALOW Shaded by 100 foot mangos, down a road of crushed red cinder, you will pass a variety of palms, papaya trees and breadfruit on your way to our 3 acre parcel. Just passed the bananas, across from the Moringa tree is where you’ll find your digs for the night. Notice the Bird’s Nest Ferns growing in the mango just outside your lanai (porch). Personally, I’m fascinated with that Cercropia tree actually growing inside the saddle of the mango, dangling its roots all the way to the jungle floor. It’s a tree inside a tree! But you’ll see. And then you’ll see something else. Something new. Maybe the Passion Flowers are in bloom. Maybe a heavy rain has brought out the moss again. Or maybe you’re already asleep under the ceiling fan, lulled by the gentle wall of sound emanating always from the ‘āina (land) around you. Either way -whatever you’re looking for- it’s a good spot. A quiet spot. A private spot. With over 100 feet between the bungalow and our family home, not to mention a fair share of trees and whatnot- AND the fact that the buildings were consciously built facing opposing directions- you can rest assured that you will have ample privacy, both visually and audibly. I have never measured it out exactly, but your bungalow also has its own “yard” that I would venture to be around a quarter acre (.101 hectare) or so. It is cleared, as is most of the acreage, and dips off into a forest of Strawberry Guava trees, mango and plenty others. There is a pond with a private Papaya grow beside it, for your own enjoyment and picking. On August 1, 2018, the last nail went in. This bungalow is an extremely new build, fresh as the fruit at Maku’u Farmers’ Market. At 550 square feet (about 51 square meters ), we designed these accommodations with the single traveller or couple in mind. -Comfortable -Peaceful -Clean -Platform bed (queen) -Ceiling fan -WIFI -Bar top with stools -3 burner stove -Kettle -Pots -Pans -Dishes -Flatware -Refrigerator -Freezer -Coffee -Tea -Hot shower -Toilet -Vanity -Screened porch with seating and dining bar -Locking, sliding glass doors -Screened windows with locking glass -Electric light -Lots of natural light -Private patio And did I mention we are entirely off-grid? That’s right! So all utilities are with energy conservation and sustainability in mind. Even our water is collected from the rain (and then filtered through a 5 micron, 30 micron, and UV filter of course!) With that said, we have also provided a 3 gallon Berkey filter for that extra measure of filtration. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything differently. Take a long shower. Use the lights. Charge your laptop. We want for our guests what we wanted for ourselves when we moved out here: A clean and efficient, relaxing escape. Our intent was to live comfortably within nature. We believe this bungalow achieves that. In fact, we know it does. THE GROUNDS AND SURROUNDING Just as ours is, most parcels along the road are 3 acres. Some grow wild, and yet others boast sprawling green lawns with painted cottages. One way or another, I consider all the properties around here to be organic farms -not just because they look like you’d think an organic farm should look- but because most folks living on them are impressively conscientious as to what goes into the ground and where their food comes from. It makes for a quiet jungle road of like-hearted botanists (mostly amateur, like myself) and inspiring foliage. Rock walls that were here long before us push through the roots of a Hala tree, orchids grow unattended in the canopy above, and coconuts roll in the street. Many properties are hidden but for their driveway by strategically grown clumps of bamboo, Heliconias, or maybe just the jungle itself. Walking down the road does not therefor feel like walking down a neighborhood street at all but more like strolling down a fantastical jungle path where you are the only person in the world. The difference being that there are people in the area should you need them. Best of both worlds really. The illusion of solitude with the safety of numbers. And the solitude isn’t totally an illusion either. It’s called the BIG Island for a reason and Puna is still very wild in many beautiful ways. If you like wandering without the worry, there’s plenty to get lost within. Even at night, the sky is some of the biggest you’ll ever see. There’s zero light pollution. Full moons are unreal. And if the moon isn’t out at all, well then the cosmos will be illuminated like you wouldn’t believe. The stars feel like they’re just above the trees. Though we have a variety of fruit growing on the property, we ask that guests only pick from the private papaya grove just next to the pond. Also, there is conveniently an organic fruit stand just down the street that might have what you’re looking for. Maybe a 10 minute stroll? And since we’re talking fruit: WASH AND INSPECT ALL FRUIT BEFORE EATING. Just trust me. 99% of the time it’s all good. But that 1% will get ya. Guests that plan on using the kitchen for most of their meals should purchase supplies in Pāhoa Town or even in Hilo on their way from the airport. Ocean lookout opportunities and jungle paths are plentiful in the immediate area, and if the new lava flow is what you’re curious about, that happens to be less than 2 miles away as well. POSSIBLE CONCERNS GENERAL SECURITY/THEFT: I heard a lot of people voice concerns about visiting Puna far before Fissure 8 was erupting. Funny thing is, not one of those people ever lived in Puna. Some had never even been. In my experience, the people of Puna are some of the kindest, most interesting, gentle people I’ve ever come across. Maybe it used to be worse? I don’t know, I wasn’t here. Maybe it used to be better?! Haha. Is there petty theft here and there? Yup. Have we ever experienced it? Nope. Have some of our friends? Yup. Do I worry? Nope. The people and experiences of Puna come in all flavors as does the entire human species and spectacle; in that regard it is no different than anywhere else in the world. Look, all I can say is that we feel so safe and love it so much that we decided to build a life and raise our tiny kids out here. I hope that you will feel that same sense of aloha as well. In conclusion: Is it safe? Yes. Absolutely. Just don’t tell anyone. LAVA: Though the flow only lasted a few months down this way -years ago- viewing of molten activity is still happening up at Volcanoes National Park, within the crater. HURRICANES: Hurricane season is from June to November. It’s true that the weather can become extremely heavy if a storm system is in the area, but that’s not really the norm for that entire stretch of time. Even if it was, I’m not worried about the bungalow. It is as solid and watertight as can be. So long as you are here, there should be no issue with heavy weather and your accommodations. In such an event, a generator may have to be run to compensate for the solar panels, but since we are already off grid, we do not worry much about loss of power or water in an emergency. Honestly though, hurricane season is usually far more sunny days than stormy. After all, it’s mostly during summer in Hawai’i! FIRE ANTS: It is true that there are Fire Ants on the Big Island. It is also true that it’s a big problem. But because I spray, they are not a problem here at our farm. It is the one spray that I use on the land and not very often at that, averaging out to be around 3 times a year. It is not very toxic and dissipates quickly, but I want to be open about it for those that refuse or have reactions to any and all insecticides, no matter which form. To be clear though, you’re not usually going to feel or find a fire ant unless you go digging in the ground, hacking back jungle, or climbing in the trees. Basically, don’t go looking for them. What’s it feel like? Everyone reacts differently. Really they do. To me it feels like Stinging Nettles and then goes away within the hour. Which is lucky since I spend half my life rolling around with them. In conclusion: It’s not a big deal when it comes to enjoying yourself out here. COQUI FROGS: Honestly, I think they sound beautiful. Like birdsong at night. Sure it can be loud, especially when you’re used to no sound at all or the city or traffic instead- but to me and many others, it lulls us to sleep. And they’re only loud like that when it’s been raining -which I know is impossible to predict- but my point is rather that they’re not loud EVERY night, which is good news for light sleepers. If you think jungle sounds might disturb your slumber, I would suggest bringing ear plugs or whatever else might aide you, because I promise, there’s no turning them off. Again, everyone is different, but personally I love ‘em. BOAR: Yes. There are many boar in the area. Mama boar. Papa boar. And even itty bitty baby boar. Luckily, we have not gotten them on the farm. This is because a lot of our border is raised from the land around it, making it difficult for the animals to climb up or it’s simply just not worth their trouble. But they are in the area, I can promise you that. If you see one, just don’t approach it. Snap a photo. Keep your distance. You’re fine. Only if you go stealing baby boars from mama boars are you gonna find yourself having an altercation, and honestly, if that happens…that’s on you. The biggest danger that boars present is their nasty habit of causing car accidents. Pigs dart out in the road whenever you least expect it. Day? Night? Doesn’t matter. The good news is that you can significantly reduce your chances of hitting boar -or anything else for that matter- by driving with consideration to the world around you- which I’m sure you already do! IN CONCLUSION Hope to see ya soon! And if not, may all your travels be wondrous both in ways imagined and beyond. It is a beautiful world with much to see. Aloha. Our Tax Information: HAWAII TAX ID INFORMATION: TA-061-701-5808-01 GE-061-701-5808-01 Guests have access to the privater yard in front of the bungalow, private shaded patio, private papaya grove and pond. Also, cinder driveway from road to rental. We prefer to communicate via the Airbnb app alone. Should anything arise, we will be available in person as needed. Explore Puna on old Hawai’i, the youngest island of them all with the freshest—still warm—land and black sand beaches on the planet. The bungalow and family home have trees and space between them and they face opposing directions for utmost privacy. We highly recommend you rent a car. In terms of getting around to and from our property, a standard compact will suffice. Besides the fairly short distance on our cinder road, (which is usually pretty smooth), all other driving to the property is paved. The majority of the15 minute drive to Pahoa is on the new highway, which takes you through the Kilauea lava flow of 2018. It is a beautiful, memorable experience- with the stark contrast of black rock against distant ocean views. Other route to town takes you through stunning jungle landscapes, shaded by ancient mango trees and tropical growth. Plenty to see and nowhere to be.