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Hilo, Hawaii, and The Spirit of Aloha
Hilo, Hawaii
"When you visit the Hilo
area, you will glimpse the Hawaii of old. From the quaint downtown to
the outlying areas you will find the true spirit of aloha. No artificial
spirit this, for here commercialism does not enter the equation. Here
there are no strangers but rather one big ohana (family). Should you
experience trouble, someone will come forward to help. The local people
willingly take time to answer questions and "talk story." Listen carefully
and you will learn historical facts too personal to appear in history
books. When driving you will seldom have to wait to enter traffic, as
someone will certainly stop and wave you into line. Here there is no
reason to hurry. If you notice someone driving fast or moving frantically,
it will likely be a visitor to the island who has not yet absorbed the
peace and beauty surrounding him, someone who has not yet achieved the
"hang loose" philosophy that still pervades Hilo. From the vendors in
the farmers' markets who add extra fruit or flowers to your purchase
to those who will be your neighbors during your visit, you will begin
to learn, through their caring and sharing, the true meaning of aloha."
- by Samantha Payne
 Some
comments on Hilo Area from guests...
"We've returned home completely
relaxed and with renewed spirit. We had a lovely time at the
Mango house exploring the Big Island of Hawaii. One question
remains, "Where was all the rain rumored to plague Hilo?"
For years people have told us it rains daily in Hilo. We had
no rain during our stay. Blue skies, and warm days with refreshing
and cool ocean breezes. I prefer the moderate Hilo temperature
to the hot and sticky summers in Kona. Hilo and Keaau are
exceptionally beautiful areas. We'd like to return when John
retires. Thank you for sharing." -John & Susan
F., Boulder, CO, Mango House
Guest.
"What can we say except we love
Hilo, the house, the outdoor hiking, biking, and swimming,
and we'll be back before the year is up. The local people
were every bit as nice as you said they would be. My daughter
(a vegetarian since starting college) loved the farmer's market
in Hilo. My wife could not get enough of the botanical gardens,
and I was content just staying inside the house watching the
waves roll into the bay. Please apply our deposit toward our
next stay. I will call you with dates. Many Mahalos!"
-Alan, Pat, and Anne K., San Diego, CA, Surfrider
Guests.
"This was the best trip we've had
to Hawaii, and I know the Hawaii
Beaches house was key to our experience. We concluded long
ago that East Hawaii had a lot more to offer than the tourist
areas in Kona. Our biggest problem was finding a house on a beach
where we could snorkel. In the past, we had to drive 20-30 minutes
to a swimming beach. This house is unbelievable inside, and the
location is cannot be matched. We love Richardson's [Beach], and
had been driving to it for years when visiting Hilo. When we entered
the house, we were surprised anyone would rent out such a nice
place. It's just beautiful. We took excellent care of it, and
hope everything was up to par at checkout. Please expect us back
next year." -Jerry S., San Francisco, CA, Hawaii
Beaches Guest.
"We loved your beautiful
home - would be happy to use it again. We had great weather and
enjoyed walking the "lane" behind Uwae Street. The master bedroom
suite is so wonderful- loved the shower...and the closet too!
Wayne lived on the lanai up there. I even carried dinner up there
one night- thanks for the candle! We ate in two nights, ate at
the Seafood House the other two- freshest fish we ever had! We
really appreciated the fresh, clean, throw rugs in the bathroom
and the fluffy big towels. PS: Great kitchen- loved the cooking
utensils and lovely dishes. Thanks again!" -Margie and Wayne
D., Roseville, MN, Hawaii
Beaches Guests.
"We found Seawatch
by accident; if only all accidents could turn out like this. Even
though we worked long hours most days of our two weeks here, it
was such a pleasure to come "home" every day. We have enjoyed
our stay at Seawatch more
than any vacation we've had. Sam, you and Dan are wonderful hosts
and very special people. We will stay in touch and will be back
in the not too distant future. Next time it will be a true vacation.
Thank you for allowing us to experience Seawatch.
Mahalo." Don and Betty W. Dana Point, CA, Sea
Watch Guests.
"Our family very much enjoyed Hilo.
We [explored] the entire island in 7 days. We think Hilo side
is more beautiful than Kona side, maybe we like the green. We
liked your beach house. In the beginning we had some difficulty
sleeping because of the sound of the waves. Each one of our family
has pages of unforgettable memories. One week is just enough for
the big island. I will introduce Palms
to friends and church members. Again, we really enjoyed staying
at the beach house." -William S., Pasadena, CA, Palms
.
"We came to celebrate
Christmas with our two sons who are studying at the University
of Hawaii, Hilo. We loved Sea
Watch and can't wait to come back. We saw turtles every day.
Roy fished right out in front and caught a rock cod, 2 puffer
fish, and 2 eels (oh no!) The last evening the whales came! There
were several times they came close to shore and one jumped all
the way out of the water (breaching) twice! What a wonderful vacation
for all of us. Mahalo and Aloha." Bonnie B. and Roy T. Cambria,
CA, Sea Watch Guest.
"Our family thoroughly enjoyed our
stays at your houses. They are lovely, very well provisioned,
and situated in spectacular settings. I continue to conjure up
the images of the black lava yards and cliffs and blue ocean in
my mind's eye and to conjure up the sounds of the crashing surf
and blowing palm leaves and leaflets in my mind's ear...We managed
to squeeze in lots of activities with the top four favorites as:
viewing the four, frolicking humpback whales from the deck of
Palms; snorkeling in the Kapoho
tidal pools; viewing the red, glowing lava flows of Pu'u O'o at
night in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park; and hiking through
the rain forests with hugh tree ferns and then across the lava-encrusted
Kilauea-iki crater. One outstanding personal experience for me
was to go to see the new black sand beach beyond Kalapana. From
my visit to the Big Island in 1966, I have a photo of the absolutely
beautiful black sand beach at Kalapana (and I even have some souvenir
sand!). Now it is under 75 feet of lava. Quite incredible to see
how dramatically Mother Nature can do her geological thing in
such a short time. We will definitely come back and stay for a
longer time. We loved Hilo and its much
less developed ambience as you had described." -Roberta
S., Carlisle, MA, Mangos and
Palms .
"What a wonderful house! I loved sitting
on the lanai and viewing the white water coastline. Such a relaxing
experience...a safe distance from the stress of ordinary life!
At night we used the sun porch quite a bit. I found the house
to be very spacious, comfortable, and clean. Please pass our thanks
along to Arlene and John. They were exceptionally nice and friendly.
Next time we'll bring another couple to share the place." -Mary
D., San Jose, CA, Mangos Guest
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