Dolphin Bay House

Loved it! The photos don't do it justice. I told my husband I would love to transport the master bath home with me. Bed in master bedroom ... oh so comfy. The birds around the house can get a bit noisy at night. We sang back to them and they changed their tune. So for light sleepers bring a set of ear plugs for the birds! How hilarious is that. The grounds are very well maintained and landscaped. There's a beautiful outside shower. My daughter and new husband took the separate apartment downstairs to give them privacy. Every bedroom had a lanai plus off the kitchen and the family room. Then there was a beautiful place inside to eat when the weather is a bit wet. There's kayaking down the street within 150 feet for a 2 person kayak it was $60 for the whole day. It's one of the most beautiful bays on the Big Island. Snorkeling was also great at two-steps 4 miles away by City of Refuge. It was a great vacation. I liked it because the neighborhood was quiet and you get away from the tourists in Kona. There were peek-a-boo views of the ocean out of the windows from two different directions. You can hear the surf at night. All in all a beautiful property. (Reviewed on 3/23/2018)

Very nice clean, well maintained house with all the comforts of home plus close to a very nice snorkeling spot. (Reviewed on 2/8/2018)

Great space! It is set out of the way so factor in extra driving, but seclusion is nice! Hosts were very easy to deal with. Great value too! (Reviewed on 11/14/2017)

We had a wonderful stay here in March 2017, staying for four nights. Stock up food from the Safeway or Walmart in your way from the airport and enjoy a stay secluded from it all. The house is extremely well furnished, with gorgeous bathrooms and a well-equipped kitchen. Both top floor bedrooms are comfortable and spacious, with a third downstairs. Washer and dryer were super useful and there's a wealth of loaner goggles, fins and beach shoes for venturing out Snorkeling. Manini Beach and Kealakekua Bay are gorgeous, but for the best snorkeling on Big island, head down to Two Step, a short drive away. Turtles, coral and more fish than you can imagine await off a black lava beach. Do bring some ear plugs though, as the dawn chorus of tropical birds will likely disturb those committed to a 10am lie-in. (Reviewed on 4/25/2017)

To get it out of the way right away...why only 4 Stars? The neighborhood could be quieter, particularly at night. We did reach out to the caretaker and to their absolute credit they contacted the neighbors with the barking dogs and things got MUCH quieter after the first night. Sounds like the owners are going to work with their neighbors to improve this situation. That out of the way...we would absolutely stay here again. If we come back to the Big Island, we'll certainly check here first to see if they have availability. The home is beautiful. It's a block from an amazing bay looking out at the sunset. It's secluded without being overly remote. The house is well appointed and in great shape. Really, it has everything we could have wanted and fit us just fine. Be aware that the 3rd bedroom is fully separated from the "main" living area. We were under the impression it was fully incorporated in the floorplan. This wasn't an issue for us, and actually suited our group well, but if having one bedroom that is detached from the main living space is a deal breaker for you, be aware of it up front. Krista, the caretaker, was fast, responsive, and helpful. Martha, the owner, was pleasant, kind, and seemed genuinely interested in our feedback from our stay. Things to note, the grocery store up the hill in Captain Cook is so-so. If you want better selection of produce, meat, and fish then we recommend shopping at KTA in Keauhou. We had a great scuba experience with Big Island Divers; a two tank dive split between daytime and evening including Manta Rays. Thank you to the Big Island for accommodating all our needs while we were here, we had a wonderful trip and hope to be back. (Reviewed on 2/2/2017)

One block to wonderful bay, great snorkeling, dolphins, breaching whales. Lovely home, everything in great working order. Good beds/linens/stove, etc. No complaints. (Reviewed on 2/2/2017)

An amazing home! The house was well appointed and stocked with everything we needed. We cooked all our breakfasts and all but one dinner at "home" and had everything we needed. There is a guest journal on the bar in the kitchen and the kids had a great time reviewing all the stories from other guests. The upkeep is very good and the master bath didn't disappoint! The 3rd bedroom is downstairs with it's own entrance, so for younger kids this might not been the best -- sort of a "mother in law" setup. The grill and outdoor space is excellent as well. The covered patios were a perfect place to wake up with a cup of coffee and watch the birds. The neighborhood is tight on space -- single lane roads, etc not a problem but it would make a caravan of vehicles difficult to park. We would certainly stay here again. (Reviewed on 1/31/2017)

House was very clean. Great layout with kitchen, dinning and relaxing. Bathrooms all very, very nice. I would have liked to know in advance that one bedroom was outside and down stairs. Outside area very nice. Close to ocean as stated. Great outdoor shower, and patio. Lots of water equipment which was very nice. Kitchen very accommodating with utensils and cooking equipment. House very much true to expectations. (Reviewed on 12/8/2016)

Our family had an absolutely wonderful stay in Napoopoo and the Dolphin Bay House was a perfect home base. The house was extremely well equipped including all the beach gear and snorkel equipment my young boys could hope for. The location is literally steps from some of the best snorkeling we experienced on the big island and the secret about Manini beach is clearly out - it's always a great sign when people are coming from elsewhere to check out your local beach! The house itself was incredibly clean and well maintained and the yard is amazing - fruit trees, tropical plants and lots of room for kids to run around without disturbing anyone. We didn't use the downstairs suite as our boys were too young, but it would be perfect for families with older children or a second couple traveling with them. My parents rented the cottage next door on the same property which was a great set up - family dinners on the downstairs breezeway and a great view of the sunset from the upstairs lanai. Napoopoo is about 15 minutes down the hill from the shops, restaurants and groceries in Captain Cook and was exactly what we were looking for. (Reviewed on 3/9/2016)

We stayed at the Dolphin House for one week in late March 2015 and we loved it. The house is beautiful and it is in a very good partially secluded location. It fit our family perfectly; we were my husband and me, our daughter and son-in-law, their three children (aged 13, 8, & 21 mos.), and our son. Everybody loved the house--the beds were very comfortable and the bathrooms quite nice. The spacious kitchen has everything you need for involved cooking and the appliances all worked well. The open and airy living/dining area and small office/library area were comfortable and well equipped and the small lanai is very nice. The ground-level private eating area with barbecue, full laundry, equipment room, and landscaped yards are useful bonus features. The house is very close to Manini Beach Park (two-minute walk), which is a great place for relaxing and snorkeling--there is an opening in the lava rocks that allows for easy access to the bay--the grandkids loved it. Kristin was wonderful to us and she was always available for assistance and advice. Also, very helpful was the Hawaiian docent at Manini Beach Park--she provided detailed information about Hawaiian culture and local history. We loved the Dolphin House and we highly recommend it. (Reviewed 5/20/2015)