Rain Forest Apartment!

See all properties

Apartment

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 460.4 sq m

Popular amenities

Parking available
Kitchen
Barbecue grill
Outdoor space
Free WiFi

Explore the area

Kea'au, HI

Kilauea Caverns of Fire
‪14 min drive‬
University of Hawaii at Hilo
‪19 min drive‬
Port of Hilo
‪20 min drive‬
Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.)
‪22 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Living Room 1

1 Single Futon

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

Garden

Dining area

About this property

Aloha
Our beautiful one-acre lush tropical paradise is located south of Hilo and near Kea'au and Pahoa Villages in the rainforest..
The one-bedroom downstairs apartment looks out lush tropical garden, orchids, anthuriums and lush tropical plants.
Queen bed in bedroom. and Double futon in living room
A piece of paradise to call home while you are on the Big Island. Go to sleep with frogs chirping and stars so bright you could almost touch them. Wake up to birds singing and complimentary Hawaiian coffee . Pamper yourself, shower in our collected rainwater.
Automatic quotes for 1 bedroom are for 1-2 guests/ additional guest $10 pr night per guest
We live on property behind the rental.
Please read house rules in apt. It is customary to remove shoes upon entering the apt.
SORRY NO ANIMALS!! NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN! NO SMOKING!
We are in a residential/rural neighborhood 20 minutes from the Hilo Airport.
*Honu Hale 3 offers easy access to east side sites.
*15 min.(10 miles) Hilo town and Hilo beaches
*4 miles to ocean cliffs, and less than a mile from the main highway.
*25-30 minutes from Volcano National Park & Winery
*10 minutes from Keaau town
*12 minutes from Pahoa Village
* 25 min Botanical Gardens
*Free Zoo in a Rain Forest
*amazing Star Gazing at Mauna Kea

See the world's most active volcano, Kilauea. Swim with the sea turtles Botanical gardens, rain forest, waterfalls and desert are all part of our unique landscape. Visit our two interesting local farmer’s markets on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, where you can get fresh and organic veggies, local artisan hand crafted gifts, yummy ethnic foods and experience the local flavor.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Jim & Kepi Hains

We also have a budget friendly 1 Bedroom apt that may be available.
2 bed Apt/ a queen bed in each bedroom. .Double futon in living room Vrbo#73302
Our Lava /1bd apt. has 1 queen bed in bedroom. Vrbo#954412
We also have a studio apt. available.. Vrbo#99067

Property manager

Kepi Hains

Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen

Free WiFi

Outdoor space

Parking available

Barbecue grill

Have a question?

Beta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Ask a question

Similar properties

Washer
Free WiFi
Outdoor space
Parking available

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Adults only

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

Property Registration Number TA-053-388-2880-01, GE-053-388-2880-01

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Keaau

Located in Keaau, this apartment is in a rural area and by the sea. Lyman Museum and Naha Stone are local landmarks, and travellers looking to shop may want to visit Prince Kuhio Plaza and Hilo Shopping Center. Hobby Garden Hawaii and Hiʻiaka's Healing Hawaiian Herb Garden are also worth visiting. Kayaking and scuba diving offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking/biking trails and cave exploring nearby.

Kea'au, HI

What's nearby

Kilauea Caverns of Fire - 14 min drive - 12.9 km
University of Hawaii at Hilo - 19 min drive - 17.8 km
Port of Hilo - 20 min drive - 20.1 km
Rainbow Falls - 23 min drive - 22.3 km
Carlsmith Beach Park - 28 min drive - 23.2 km

Getting around

Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.) - 22 min drive

Restaurants

‪Kaleo's Bar and Grill - ‬6 min drive
‪McDonald's - ‬8 min drive
‪Kurtistown Cafe - ‬12 min drive
‪The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - ‬8 min drive
‪Hilo Coffee Mill - ‬16 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Rain Forest Apartment! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Rain Forest Apartment!?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Rain Forest Apartment!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Rain Forest Apartment! located?

Situated by the sea, this apartment building is within 9 miles (15 km) of Hobby Garden Hawaii, Hiʻiaka's Healing Hawaiian Herb Garden and Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center. Pahoa Museum and Kilauea Caverns of Fire are also within 9 miles (15 km).

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Betty D.

22 March 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best place ever!

The loving care and talent that Jim and Kepi have put into there property is amazing! I consider them friends for life!

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lisa G.

20 March 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Vintage artsy Hawaii

Love the artsy and home town feel. Garden is beautiful. Spacious accommodations. Only thing would have been better was bedding provided for the full sized futon; lack of sheet set and pillows for that bed. Every thing else was great!

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Bethany L.

18 March 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Gardens

We enjoyed the garden area as it is beautiful. The little apartment is rustic but we were comfortable. It didn't feel as private as we like. There was a lot of foot traffic and conversation just outside our windows. But, overall it was an affordable place to stay with friendly hosts.

Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Janet A.

18 February 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

My Hilo Experience

This was a great property. I stayed in one of the one bedroom apartments with an extra bed in the living room. It was comfortable. The yard was beautiful. The owners were extremely helpful and easy to work with over the phone and by text. The gardens were amazing. This property was very easily accessible to the Hilo side of the island. We were about an hour from volcanoes national park and we were about an hour in the other direction from many great venues. Would I stay here again? Yes I would.

Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

KMountain Farm girl

15 February 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Exceeded my expectations

I booked three separate reservations to get a taste of the island for our first trip there and honestly I would have loved to stay here the whole time.Wonderful hosts, beautiful gardens and the apartment was amazing. We will be back for our next stay and highly recommend

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Aaron F.

18 January 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Turtle Bungalow

A beautiful property with lush plants and trees, the Turtle Apt is a fantastic deal for the Big Island. It’s located near good restaurants, shopping, groceries, and gas, and is a relatively short drive from Hilo. The hosts are super friendly and accommodating. Just remember to bring some good plugs. The jungle comes alive at night with frogs, dogs, and roosters.

Stayed 28 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Robin L.

13 December 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice garden property

Unit had lovely outdoor space adjacent to garden. Unit itself was very clean but dark and dated. Hair dryer does not work adequately and could not get hot water for shower one morning. Location good for Hilo and Volcano National Park.

Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Janet M.

2 December 2024

Rainforest Hilo apartment

Nice place to stay. The rainforest noise at night is noisy but I loved it put me right to sleep. But ear plugs are available for my travel partners. We were in Hilo to tour the University. We were about 30 minutes away but an easy drive.

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rhonda W.

25 November 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful property!

My daughter and I were blown away by the magical nature of our stay. The property is gorgeous and the artwork in the units is spectacular. The chirping of the frogs and the garden’s mini-lights made sitting on the patio in the evening the highlight of our day! Most of all, meeting Kepi and Jim was unforgettable. They are so open, kind and caring and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable.

Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sarah P.

13 November 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wish we had booked this longer

Lovely place. Wish we had stayed here and just drove to national park instead of staying up there.

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cynthia P.

19 October 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our favorite stay in Hawaii!!

Very clean, comfortable with beautiful artwork and gardens, and everything we needed for the stay. Our hosts Kepi and Jim were so friendly and helpful,recommending great places to eat and visit.places

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martina S.

5 October 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Hawaiian paradies with rainforest garden

Our second stay with Kepi and Jim was like the first one - wonderful! The one bedroom apartment was clean and cosy with a terrace right in the garden. We loved our coffee in the garden every morning with all the birds around and the sound of the frogs at night. Wr highly recommend this place - that is Hawaii!

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sandra N.

9 September 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Slice of Heaven

We stayed on Kepi and Jim’s property for 3 1/2 weeks in August 2024. The apartment had everything we needed! We used the grill quite often which was very nice to have access to. Hurricane Hone passed close by during our stay and Jim and Kepi made sure we had flashlight and we were safe - luckily, it wasn’t too bad and never lost power! The one bedroom apartment was nicely set up/decorated and included lovely artwork by Kepi! ❤️ We thought we would suffer without air conditioning since we are from the southeast mainland, but we were fine without it and slept well. We saw some reviews about sleep disruptive coqui frogs - they can be loud but we enjoyed them immensely! They didn’t disrupt our sleep, but there is a “soothing sounds” machine in the room for those that may be bothered by the coqui frogs singing away. We wanted a quiet getaway, but close to all the east side of the island has to offer and this place was perfect! We hope to be back soon!!

Stayed 28 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Benjamin William

6 August 2024

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Laurie W.

4 August 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely cottage in a tropical garden

We thoroughly enjoyed staying in Kepi and Jim’s cottage. The best thing about it was living in the middle of a tropical garden. We spent hours on the patio or wandering through the garden. It’s a great location in that it’s away from the busyness of Hilo, but close enough to easily get to shops, restaurants, and beaches. It’s an easy drive to the volcano and the wonderfully hippie town of Pahoa. Jim and Kepi are warm and welcoming hosts. We’re privileged to have gotten to know them a little. The only drawbacks are that there’s an apartment directly overhead, and even quiet guests create quite a ruckus. I finally resorted to ear plugs at night. Secondly, I would recommend that they replace the mattress, which is showing its age by sagging in the middle. However, these few things didn’t put a damper on our love of this place. We’d move in permanently if we could! Thanks again for your hospitality, Kepi and Jim!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

annett lynn

10 July 2024

Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kerrie W.

9 June 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful haven in a rainforest garden

We loved our stay in the downstairs apartment with our own outside terrace overlooking the garden. It was spacious with a comfortable sofa bed in the living room for extra people. It was great to have our own kitchen and to have a big jar of coffee provided to kickstart each day. It’s not far from the Volcano Park with easy access to Hilo. Thoroughly recommend staying here.

Stayed 8 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tyrae D.

29 May 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

Great location with soothing sounds of Hawaiian wildlife.

Stayed 8 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Liberty H.

22 May 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

Awesome place to stay! Very well equipped with everything my friend and I needed. Very enjoyable!

Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Stephen G.

19 May 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Affordable lovely 3 day stay

We had an excellent 3 day stay near Hilo. We visited volcanos NP, Richardson's beach, the Macadamia nut farm, and a really neat little zoo close by. Great affordable place to explore the island from.

Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Craig

15 May 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication

The hosts were wonderful! We had our space and privacy but we also had access to the hosts when we needed them. They provided wonderful dining and activity recommendations for us. We celebrated our 15th anniversary here and had a wonderful time.

Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Beth M.

27 April 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Live like a local

We absolutely loved our 8-night stay at Kepi and Jim’s place. In fact we’re already back here for another 3 nights! Kepi has thought of everything you might need from beach towels and chairs to a hard sided cooler with freezer packs. The lush garden view from the lanai is even more beautiful than the pictures can show. We highly recommend Kepi’s place as a lovely home away from home to stay, relax, cook your own meals and sightsee this side of the island. You know you’re in Hawaii when you stay here.

Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth M.

23 April 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Turtle house

This was our second stay at Kepi and Jim’s place, and it was as wonderful as the first. Kepi’s creative artwork can be seen throughout, from turtles painted on the floor to wood cutouts on the ceiling along with numerous paintings. The artwork made our stay even more special. We love this place from the artsy vibe to the lush tropical garden. And most of all it was such a pleasure to meet Kepi and Jim! Warm and friendly with lots of great tips for sightseeing in the area.

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Paula M.

22 April 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful

Relaxed

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Pat K.

7 April 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rainy side of Hawaii

Very large one bedroom apartment. Full refrigerator and good 2 burner gas hot plate. Queen bed with ok mattress. Couch is a futon and those are never comfortable to sit on, much less sleep on. This is a ground floor apartment with apartments around it and above it but the noise from neighbors is tolerable. The grounds are beautiful and the hosts could not be friendlier or more helpful. Fantastic place for the money!

Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2024

About the host

Hosted by Kepi Hains

We are Jim & Kepi the hosts of Honu Hale 3. We have lived on the Big Island for 14 years and love to share the beauty and unique qualities of the island with guests.
Aloha is part of our business and talking story is our favorite pass time.
Hope to meet you soon.

Why they chose this property

Beautiful rainforest

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests

Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback

Rain Forest Apartment!

Photo gallery for Rain Forest Apartment!

Reviews

Popular amenities

Explore the area

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

Living Room 1

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

About this property