Mark Twain stay.Your stay at this Mark Twain vacation home places you within 6 miles (10 km) of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Whittington Beach Park. Paradise Meadows is within 6 miles (10 km) and Waipouli is within 9 miles (15 km).
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - 14 min drive - 12.5 km
Paradise Meadows - 14 min drive - 12.9 km
Punalu'u Beach - 24 min drive - 22.4 km
Honoma - 43 min drive - 34.8 km
Getting around
Kona Intl. Airport (KOA) - 104 min drive
Restaurants
Aloha Mix Food Truck - 6 min drive
Hana Hou Restaurant - 7 min drive
Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee Booth at Ka'u Farmers Market - 6 min drive
Shaka Restaurant - 6 min drive
Punaluu Bake Shop - 7 min drive
About this property
Entire place
You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.
Going Green at the Kuleana Ranch.
Off grid luxury. Powered by state of the art photovoltics solar hot water. Surrounded by thousands of acres of DNLR land. Super quiet and private. Complete with granite counters, open beam celings, tiled shower, mountain and ocean views. Partially covered 400 sq. ft. concrete patio . with tiki torches, BBQ, and laundry room with washer and solar dryer. Just 2 miles from the famous Punaluu bakery. black sands and green sands beaches. And just 40 minutes from Volcanos National Park. 3 restaurants close.
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Wheelchair accessibility
Smoke-free property
Services and conveniences
Housekeeping (on request)
Iron/ironing board
Location highlights
In a rural location
In the mountains
Near a hospital
Things to do
Fishing nearby
Golfing nearby
Hiking/biking trails nearby
Mountain biking nearby
Scuba diving nearby
Snorkeling nearby
Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
Swimming nearby
Safety features
Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
Deadbolt lock
General
Garden
Housekeeping (on request)
Property does not allow children
Unit size: 360 square feet
Policies
Check-in
Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 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
No pets allowed
Children and extra beds
This property does not 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 indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, 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
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock in each accommodation.
Property Registration Number TA-159-639-3472-01, GE-159-639-3472-02
Property is also known as
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island House Naalehu
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island House
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island Naalehu
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island House Naalehu
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island House
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island Naalehu
Southside Retreat Southern Side Big Island
Southside Retreat On the Southern Side of the Big Island Naalehu
Going Green at the Kuleana Ranch. Reviews
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 21 out of 24 reviews
10 - Excellent
21
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 24 reviews
8 - Good
2
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 24 reviews
6 - Okay
0
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 24 reviews
4 - Poor
0
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 24 reviews
2 - Terrible
1
9.8/10
Cleanliness
9.0/10
Amenities
9.0/10
Property conditions & facilities
10/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
10/10 Excellent
Bark to Basics C.
May 14, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness
Quiet and Relaxing
The cottage was very quiet and relaxing. The breeze was beautiful and comfortable at night. Be aware there is no TV or wifi, so be prepared to relax and enjoy the weather and read a good book. It was clean and the property was huge. It is close to black sand beach and not too far from the volcano. We would stay again!
Bark to Basics C.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
10/10 Excellent
JAMES S.
Mar 23, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness
A wonderful vacation
Secluded, peaceful, and a total Aloha experience. Loved waking to birds singing. The privacy of this property, including the pool, was heavenly. We stayed nearly 2 weeks and wish we could have stayed even longer.
JAMES S.
Stayed 12 nights in Mar 2025
10/10 Excellent
Chad R.
Feb 19, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness
Very relaxing
Thanks again for opening you’re place to us. This was our fifth winter vacation to Hawaii and this was by far the most private, comfortable, and relaxing vacation to date! Thank you for everything you had to offer, we very much appreciated it.
Chad R.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2025
2/10 Terrible
Brian M.
Jan 25, 2025
Disliked: Cleanliness
Inaccurate Description
The place is very small and extremely cut off from everything. There is NO Wifi, (which in the listing it says you will receive wifi login from host), very poor cell phone reception, and there is no television or anywhere to sit comfortably except on the bed. There were bugs in the unit and when we chose to leave after one night to say elsewhere because my friends girlfriend is pregnant and we needed to stay in touch but could not the host refused any type of refund. There are many other places with better and updated amenities for the price. I would not recommend this place.
Brian M.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025
10/10 Excellent
Subramaniam G.
Dec 25, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness
An Absolute Bliss
When we booked at Kuleana Ranch, little did we realize that in addition to the compact cottage, we would get the huge property around the cottage for ourselves. Our mistake in staying for only two nights; we strongly recommend that future visitors should stay in this place for a minimum of three nights. There is also a large swimming pool all to yourself. Beautiful surroundings makes it imperative that you have your morning coffee in the verandah looking at the lush greenery and listening to birds. Vickie and Wesley were just a message away for any requirements. All amenities and supplies were adequate and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This cottage runs completely on Solar Power making it such an environment friendly place. We do have just one recommendation if at all possible - Place theee or four solar lamps marking the pathway to the cottage. This so because our flight got delayed by five hours and we arrived past 10 pm and it was pitch dark. However, it was a nice adventure to the beginning of our Hawaii Trip. A most enjoyable experience. Thank you Vickie & Wesley. - From Ganesh & Vidhya
Subramaniam G.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024
10/10 Excellent
Luvia S.
Feb 21, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness
Peace
It was a joy and relief to be in this lovely, quiet space in a natural setting. Near enough to the ocean and town if desired.
Polar opposite of staying in a standard hotel. I completely enjoyed the freedom to take in this unique environment. Every detail was obviously thought out and I especially appreciated the woodworking detail.
Mahalo for you thoughtful hospitality.
Tim
Tim W.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
10/10 Excellent
Brendan D.
Mar 2, 2023
Liked: Cleanliness
Quiet, Peaceful, and Clean
The rental was quiet, peaceful, private, and very clean. It's in close proximity to the village of Naalehu and within easy driving distance of the trailhead for the Green Sand Beach.
Brendan D.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
Jan 19, 2023
Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful peaceful getaway near South Point and close enough for a trip to Volcano National Park.
Cozy cottage with everything we needed to get away from it all. Vickie was a fantastic host and her coffee was delicious!
Verified traveller
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2023
10/10 Excellent
Matt S., Burnet, TX
Nov 20, 2022
Liked: Cleanliness
Quiet seclusion in Ka'u!
This property was the perfect respite after visits to south point and green sands beach. Very secluded and quiet, well appointed and thought out. A definite recommend! The owners quickly sorted out a very unique situation with another set of guests. Thank you Vickie and Wes!
Matt S.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
10/10 Excellent
Fairen S.
Oct 12, 2022
Liked: Cleanliness
Get away sanctuary
Such a perfect first stay on the big island at this remote get away. Truly a magical and special place as a sanctuary to escape to! The pool was the icing on the cake for us!! Thank you for hosting such a wonderful place.
Fairen S.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
10/10 Excellent
Donna D.
Sep 29, 2022
Liked: Cleanliness
Tranquil, quiet
Perfect for myself! The grounds were spacious and so peaceful…. The pool was a delight .. just a 2 minute drive to the little town of Naalehu 🌺
Wow, just wow. What a slice of heaven. We couldn't have asked for a better stay. The only problem was we didn't have more time to spend here. The property is spacious and private. Ocean and sunrise views? Yup! The cottage itself is very well designed, well maintained, and super clean. All of the amenities to make us feel at home were at our fingertips. Highly recommended to stay at this location!
Sean F.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
10/10 Excellent
Stephen G.
Jan 16, 2022
Liked: Cleanliness
Private Paradise
Immensely enjoyed the private paradise under the stars. It was so quiet and peaceful. Enjoyed taking a dip in the above ground pool and sitting under the stars on the lanai with the company of tiki torches.
Stephen G.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022
10/10 Excellent
Lindalei K.
Dec 1, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness
Peaceful
Very clean and comfortable, also very peaceful.
Lindalei K.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
10/10 Excellent
Joseph M., Calgary, Canada
Oct 10, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness
I'll be back
Wonderful little place. It's my home away from home
Joseph M.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2021
10/10 Excellent
Joseph M., Calgary, Canada
Oct 5, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful, queit, solitude....
This place is magic. I spend my mornings on the back porch drinking coffee and laughing at the local busyness of ferrets who live somewhere nearby.
If you prefer true, uncluttered, pristine solitude, this is your place. The cabana is open and airy (I prefer to keep the multitude of windows and sliding doors fully open). The grounds are open and full of wildlife, which includes a huge, above ground, salt water swimming pool. It is remarkably warm all the time, and I take as much advantage as I can.
The owners are amazing. They are open, available, and genuinely good people. They were never more than a few minutes away should I need anything.
Keep in mind this is not a tourist destination. I lived here for a little over a month. There is no beach or night life access here. It is a retreat. Should you be looking for retreat, contemplation and quiet, I suggest you sign up quickly.
Joseph M.
Stayed 29 nights in Sep 2021
10/10 Excellent
Christian B.
Sep 4, 2021
Liked: Cleanliness
Escape from Resorts/ Off the Grid/ Brilliant Night Sky
This property was off the grid and was a refreshing break from the tourist scene. The night sky was amazing as was the proximity to black & green sand beaches. We really appreciated the quiet. *Try to get there in daylight to check in as the road is dark at night. Once you’re checked in you’ll be comfortable driving the road at night if you need to.
Christian B.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021
10/10 Excellent
Larissa H.
Oct 29, 2019
Liked: Cleanliness
Serene & Peaceful
It was an enchanting little cottage in the middle of nature. It was peaceful and relaxing. Wished we had stayed two nights!
Larissa H.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
10/10 Excellent
Brian S.
May 12, 2019
Enough off the beaten track, but with all the amenities
Location - in the under populated sw corner of Hawaii Island, a quick drive into the nearest village
Situation - in a field well away from others
Property - a fairly new small house, well equipped and provisioned. No air conditioning but very good through breeze and a little altitude make it very comfortable for annuls with some acclimatization
Views - surrounding hills and fields dominate. Not the burbs.
Bonus- most excellent coffee
Notable - not super easy to find as both gps and Google send you to the wrong end of the street. Once at the property a bit of driving through a field is required. Recommend arriving in daylight
Brian S.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
8/10 Good
Emily P.
Jun 19, 2018
Clean, cute and remote
This is a darling little home away from everything. It was a little difficult to find, because google couldn't map the exact location, however, we did find it eventually. There were just a couple of issues: The place was clean except for small animal poops on the bedspread and nightstand. It wasn't a deal-breaker, and there's sure to be little critters running around in remote areas such as this. Luckily there were spare blankets, so we simply replaced ours. Another tiny issue was that the hot water wasn't exactly 'hot'. I realize it is solar heated, so I can understand why, but it was very chilly and rainy while we were there, and a hot shower would have been really nice. At best, it was luke warm, so just a heads up. Also, it isn't completely private. There are two other homes on the property, one of which was occupied. The window in the shower was completely uncovered, so we had to put up a little make-shift privacy with some paper we found, because I showered in the evening and didn't want to be over-exposed to the neighbors. We were charged for using the hand towels to clean off the patio furniture, so maybe bring something you can clean things off with, because you won't be allowed to use them for this purpose. One last tiny thing: I did find a cockroach in my makeup bag, so keep things zipped up! Overall, we enjoyed our stay, it really is a beautiful little place with beautiful ceilings and all the amenities you need.