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Rain Forest Apartment!

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Outdoor dining
Fridge, microwave, stovetop, coffee/tea maker
Sun loungers, beach towels
Smart TV
1 bedroom, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire apartment

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 4650 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor Space

Explore the area

Map
Kea'au, HI
  • University of Hawaii at Hilo
    ‪19 min drive‬
  • Port of Hilo
    ‪23 min drive‬
  • Carlsmith Beach Park
    ‪29 min drive‬
  • Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.)
    ‪22 min drive‬

Room options

About the neighborhood

Keaau

This apartment is located within a 15-minute drive of Hiʻiaka's Healing Hawaiian Herb Garden and Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center. The apartment includes a kitchen, a patio, and a refrigerator.
View more Apartments in KeaauOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Kilauea Caverns of Fire - 15 min drive - 9.2 miles
  • University of Hawaii at Hilo - 19 min drive - 12.0 miles
  • Port of Hilo - 23 min drive - 15.1 miles
  • Rainbow Falls - 25 min drive - 14.8 miles
  • Carlsmith Beach Park - 29 min drive - 16.7 miles

Getting around

  • Hilo Intl. Airport (ITO) - 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

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire apartment to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Rain Forest Apartment!

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


The apartment features a kitchen and a patio, and there's space to spread out with a separate bedroom. Guests can enjoy a Smart TV and stay connected with free WiFi. Other standard amenities include a coffee maker, an ironing board, and a dining table.

Property manager

Kepi Hains

Languages

English

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Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels

Internet

  • Available in the apartment: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Car required
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Electric kettle
  • Microwave
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • Bedroom
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Laundromat nearby

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • In a village
  • Near a hospital
  • Near a zoo
  • Near the sea

Things to do

  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Snorkeling nearby
  • Spelunking nearby
  • Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Whale watching nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Garden
  • Property does not allow children
  • Unit size: 650 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Contactless check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • This property doesn't allow pets

Children and extra beds

  • This property doesn't allow children

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
Onsite 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 there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadbolt lock
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
  • Check-in: 3:00 PM
  • Check-out: 11:00 AM
Property Registration Number TA-053-388-2880-01, GE-053-388-2880-01

We should mention

Details about charges, deposits, or other important information:

  • This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business.
  • Charges for extra guests may apply and vary depending on the property's policy.
  • A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges, as well as a government-issued photo ID, may be required at check-in.
  • Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in and can't be guaranteed. Certain requests may come with additional charges.
  • Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited.
  • Onsite safety features include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a deadbolt lock.

Property is also known as

Rain Forest Apartment! Keaau
Rain Forest Apartment! Apartment
Rain Forest Apartment! Apartment Keaau

Frequently asked questions

What can I see within easy reach of this apartment?

This apartment is located in Keaau, close to Kilauea Caverns of Fire, Hobby Garden Hawaii, and Ha'ena Beach. You'll also find Hiʻiaka's Healing Hawaiian Herb Garden and Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center nearby.

Is parking available on site at this apartment?

No, there isn't parking available at the apartment.

Is this apartment adjacent to a casino?

No, this apartment is not connected to a casino.

Will I find an indoor pool at this apartment?

No, there is no indoor pool at this apartment.

Is Rain Forest Apartment! a good place to stay for couples?

Amenities that appeal to couples at this historic apartment include a kitchen and a smart TV along with a garden.

Does Rain Forest Apartment! have a hot tub?

No, this apartment doesn't have a spa tub.

Does this apartment offer breakfast?

No, this apartment doesn't offer breakfast.

Will this apartment allow pets to stay free of charge?

No, pets aren't allowed at this apartment.

How far is the airport from this apartment?

The closest major airport to this apartment is Hilo Intl. Airport (ITO), which is 13 mi away (22 minutes by car).

Can I book a room with a balcony at Rain Forest Apartment!?

Yes, every apartment at Rain Forest Apartment! comes with a deck.

Rain Forest Apartment! Reviews

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 116 out of 129 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 129 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 129 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 129 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 129 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Pamela J.

Liked: Cleanliness

jungle experence

loved the gardens and low road noise. lots of night time nature noises that i found very soothing
Stayed 28 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Melissa N.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful property

I couldn't have asked for anything nicer.
Stayed 14 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Betty D.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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

Liked: Cleanliness

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., USA

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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., Germany

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Laurie W., Airdrie, Alberta

Liked: Cleanliness

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

Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kerrie W.

Liked: Cleanliness

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., Baltimore city, Md.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great location

Great location with soothing sounds of Hawaiian wildlife.
Stayed 8 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Liberty H.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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, Rocklin

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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.

Liked: Cleanliness

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