Dolphin Bay House

From the moment I stepped foot onto the Dolphin Bay estate I felt like I had entered another world. The landscaping was out of a tropical wonderland (many yards of rentals are the least attended to aspect of the property.) The house was furnished and decorated in the exquisit decor of a well-loved home (nothing had the feel of a rental property, from the gormet kitchen to the well-appointed office area, art work and interior and exterior archetectural details.) I went snorkeling every morning with the clean, up-to-date gear provided at the estate. The bay is teeming with colorful tropical fish, sea turtles, eels, even dolphins at times.

The spaciousness of the three individual living spaces provided me and my extended family with privacy. The kitchen, dining area and family room gave us a place to gather and plan our adventures around the island. We made memories that will last a lifetime.

I highly recommend Dolphin Bay House and Cottage to any family wanting to visit the Big Island and stay in a property that truely feels like home.

Mahalo Lois for your great review! So glad your enjoyed the yard, decor and neighborhood. It brings us joy to know that you appreciated our "well-loved" home (it is). Thanks also for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back. Aloha nui loa, Martha

The house is cozy and comfortable, has plenty of room and is well located near the park. Definitely get a feeling of community here.
Everything that we needed was available. We liked the outdoor shower a lot.

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.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Dolpin Bay House this past August. What a gorgeous, well loved and maintained house. Looking out the main living area you are surrounded by lush greenery and are a half-block from the beach. We first came to Kealakekua Bay last summer and returned this year when we had a chance - and were so pleased to stay at Dolphin Bay House. There is nothing better than to take the two minutes to stroll to the beach to do some world class snorkeling, swim or take in the sunset on Manini Beach's grass lawn. We would come back anytime. Dolphin Bay House is very comfortable and its kitchen has everything you need. We are both cooks and we appreciated the wide variety of pans, cooking utensils, etc. at our disposal. Krista, Dolphin Bay House's caretaker was very helpful and accessible. We were three, just using the upstairs but Dolphin Bay House seems like a great place to visit with extended family. You could use the downstairs bedroom and rent out the studio. We often stay at vacation rentals while traveling and Dolphin Bay House ranks amongst the best. I highly recommend it.

Whether walking to the nearby beach park for some snorkeling and local culture or venturing off to explore the island, the Dolphin Bay house made for an ideal home base. The quality craftsmanship and floor plan allowed the four of us (two adult couples) to feel at home with ample room for dining and relaxing. An outdoor shower allowed us to leave our beach gear downstairs ready for the next sea adventure. At the end of our stay packing our things reminded us how at home we felt during our time in the house and we longed for a return trip. The Dolphin Bay house was a wonderful vacation destination.

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.

We (2 couples) stayed at Dolphin Bay house for 9 nights. The house itself is perfect, and even better than we expected from the photos. The rooms upstairs are spacious, and get great ocean breeze at night. We wouldn't have used AC even if it was available. We didn't use the downstairs room but it looks like it would be a great place for parents/teenager etc. to have some privacy. The house had everything we needed. You can get glimpses of the bay from the deck and living area, and it's less than a 2 minute walk. Most of the time there's less than 10 people at the nice shady and grassed beach park, which has a caretaker there during the day who is very helpful with tips on the local area and ocean conditions etc. There's really no sand left at the beach, but it has a little cove for a calm place to cool off in the ocean and a channel through the rocks for easy access to the bay for snorkeling. You can rent a kayak right by the house too. The road down from Captain Cook to the house is pretty narrow and windy, so be prepared for that, but it's worth it to be close to the bay. Other than the beach there's not anything else within walking distance, but if you're ok with that it's all part of the appeal of having your own paradise. Would stay here again 100 times before staying in Kona itself, much more peaceful, scenic and just felt like Hawaii.

OWNER RESPONSE
Mahalo for your review! You've perfectly explained what a great place Napoopoo is for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle of Kailua Town. Dolphin Bay House gets those tropical breezes to keep it cool, along with ceiling fans in all the rooms and ample outdoor space to enjoy the property and its gardens. Great to hear you'd come again and we'll be happy to have you join us for another stay!

The house was very comfortable, bedrooms were roomy and lots of room for a large family. The close proximity to a great park and beach was really ideal. The backyard and covered seating area is wonderful to cool down on hot days.
If you want a unique experience that is not 'resort like' this is one we would highly recommend. Swimming with dolphins is a once in a lifetime experience.

What a fantastic house for a great family holiday in rural Hawaii! Our family of three couples felt very privileged to stay in this outstanding house: great style, modern superbly equipped, very clean and impeccably maintained. We enjoyed the diverse indoor and outdoor living spaces for all times of the day and all kinds of weather. We all truly enjoyed the house, its very creative garden setting and wildlife in lovely Kealakekua Bay and the surroundings. Thank you, Martha, for sharing this treasure with us.

Owner Response:
Aloha and thank you so much for your kind review! We are so happy you had a great experience and truly enjoyed the house with your family. Sharing our Hawaii home with others brings us joy, especially when the home and grounds are so appreciated. We hope we can welcome you back in the future. Mahalo!

We have stayed at Dolphin Bay House for 2 weeks every year for the past 5 years. It is an absolutely beautiful place. The whole area is what the world should be like. On the road out of the area are a couple of roadside stands where you can buy local fruits, flowers and lei's. These stands are serve yourself and pay on the honor system. The pictures on the web site are not exactly accurate. The house is much more beautiful and roomy than the pictures portray.