Our family of 3 stayed at Nohea Cottage for 3 nights and absolutely *loved* it. This was by far our favorite place to stay on the Big Island-- so beautiful, so cozy, so lush.

The cottage is surrounded by tropical rainforest, green and full of life. The singing of tropical birds was our soundtrack from sunrise to sunset. The cottage is so private and magical, yet Volcano Village is only a few minute drive away.

The attention to detail in this cottage is notable. The woodwork is absolutely beautiful. The hot tub room is gorgeous, and perfect for a soak after a day of hiking in the national park. The king-sized bed has a heated mattress pad and is so amazingly comfortable. The gas fireplace provides plenty of warmth. The small kitchen is modern and well-equipped, and Kathryn has the pantry stocked with all kinds of essentials, including cereals, tea, coffee, cocoa, etc. There is cable and on demand, an ipod full of music and many CDs, DVDs, etc. There is a heated foot massager. Kathryn left us binoculars for birding and head lamps for caving. We felt so spoiled at Nohea, everything we could have wanted was provided for us.

Some people complain about mustiness and bugs in the Volcano area, but we saw no evidence of either at Nohea. The cottage is immaculately clean.

Kathryn was very helpful in showing us all of the amenities of the cottage and telling us about hikes in the area, restaurants, etc. She was a generous host who respected our privacy.

Our favorite place to eat in the area was Cafe Ono, but we also enjoyed Thai Thai and Kiawe Kitchen. Don't plan on buying groceries in Volcano Village, there are a couple of convenience stores and prices are high. (Restaurant prices are *very* high) We brought most of our food from Kona.

Of course Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park is not to be missed. It is an amazing place to visit. Check in at the Visitor's Center and they can direct you to which areas of the park are open and accessible at the time. We loved the Kilauea Iki hike, the petroglyphs near the end of the Chain of Craters Rd., and watching Kilauea Caldera glow at night from the lava lake in its crater.

You may think that Volcano Places sounds lovely but is out of your budget. Trust me, it isn't. This was our favorite place on the island and worth every penny. Stay at Nohea Cottage, you won't regret it.

We stayed here as an extended family in mid-December, and absolutely loved it! We appreciated all the special "small touches" that were provided. It was certainly our home away from home. Between the 4 adults, we have travelled extensively, and can only rave about this place. We would not hesitate to recommend these cottages to anyone!

We stayed at Kate's cottage for 2 nights while we were visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The cottage and the surrounding area is like a cottage out of a fairy tale. The cottage is located in dense tropical forest like lush surroundings and is located at a short drive from the Volcano NP. Kathryn has taken great pains to furnish the cottage and has paid great attention to minute details like providing multiple kinds of cereals, tea, coffee even crayons, stuffed toys for the kids. There is a nice covered patio that is furnished as a dining area which opens to the forest on one side. The bed has a bed-warmer that really helps since the area receives a hell lot of rain throughout the year. Overall it was a great experience and it is highly recommended !!

I was so fortunate to stay at this place this past fall. I stayed in the studio, and it was perfect for my two night stay. The owner greeted me upon arrival, went over the nearby sites and restaurants, etc and made me feel very much at home. In addition, the owner communicated with me extensively ahead of time and made sure that I had all the needed directions (it is a little hard to find in the dark). The location is great, just minutes from the National Park, and was wondeful to hear the rain on the roof one night. I would recommend this place to any of my friends and family.