FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. About A Piece of Paradise Vacation Rentals

1.1. What types of Big Island Vacation Rentals do you offer?
Most of our Big Island vacation rentals are located in East Hawaii, also known as the Windward or Hilo side of the Big Island. We also have one vacation rental home in Waikoloa Village on the West, or Kona side of the island on the Kohala (Gold) Coast. All the properties we represent have passed our high standards for quality and location. A Piece of Paradise only accepts properties that are oceanfront, have great ocean views, private lagoons, and/or are in an extraordinary tropical locations.

1.2. What do the vacation rentals come with?
All of the properties we represent come fully furnished with complete kitchens including microwave, blender, coffee-maker and toaster. All linens are included and most owners provide beach towels, beach chairs, coolers and umbrellas for their guests. Housekeeping provides soap, tissue, trash liners and dish soap to start you off when you arrive.There may be snorkel gear and condiments left by previous guests, but we do not inventory or supply these items. Additional items are the guest's responsibility.

1.3. Do the vacation rentals have telephone and computer connections?
All properties have telephones and calls are free in the local calling area, which covers the entire island. Please use a calling card or cell phone for long distance calls, or call collect. Most but not all properties have answering machines. Most properties have high-speed Internet; see the description page for a particular property to confirm. If not, you can use the telephone line for dialup computer access to your Internet Service Provider. Most national ISPs have local access numbers on the major Hawaiian islands, but if yours doesn't, you will have to set up your computer's dialer with the necessary calling card number sequence to get a working long-distance connection. Please note that there are many areas of East Hawaii, especially the Puna district, that have very spotty cell phone coverage. Verizon/AT&T is the only carrier that works fairly well in Kapoho.

1.4. What do you do with my personal information?
We respect your privacy and hate spam, so we will never share your email address with anyone.

2. About Reservations & Booking

2.1. How do I make a reservation?
After deciding which vacation rental homes appeal most to you and checking the property's availability calendar (if applicable - look for the Check Availability link under the main photo), use our Reservation Info Request form to get the process rolling. We will respond to your request with rates and other information. We are also available by telephone at 808.965-6232, 7 days a week from 8am to 4:30pm HST

2.2. What is your reservation booking payment policy?
A $200-$500 deposit is required to confirm a reservation. The balance is due 60 days prior to arrival.

2.3. What credit cards do you except?
We gladly accept Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express, Diner's Club and JCB

2.4. Can I pay by check or money order?
If using check or money order, first notify us via email that you are sending the deposit (VERY IMPORTANT or the reservation may be given to someone else). After you notify us via phone or email, we will hold the reservation for 5 days to give your check time to arrive. After 5 days we reserve the right to book the reservation to someone else.

2.5. What if I need to cancel my reservation?
If you cancel your reservation more than 60 days in advance, your deposit will be refunded less a $75 cancellation processing fee. If you cancel within 60 days of arrival, we will refund your balance only if the unit can be re-booked. We encourage you to purchase trip insurance as unforeseen events beyond your or our control can affect travel plans prior to or after your arrival.

We have a web page with insuremytrip.com. Insuremytrip.com is a travel insurance site offering 63 different travel insurance plans from 14 different companies that allows you to research, compare, select and purchase the right trip insurance package for your needs.

2.6. Can I make a reservation on the telephone?
You can reach us by phone at 808.965-6232. Our telephone reservation hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Hawaii time. If you call, please keep our time zone in mind. We are 3 hours earlier than Pacific Daylight Time (summer) and 2 hours earlier than Pacific Standard Time (winter).

2.7. Are there any other fees or charges involved when booking a reservation?
The nightly rates listed are based on double occupancy and do not include Hawaii accommodations tax of 11.14%. Each property has a variable cleaning fee that depends upon the number of guests and the size and complexity of the vacation rental. We also require a refundalbe security deposit at the time your balance is paid.

2.8. Your rates are shown as ranges. How do you determine my rate?
We provide rate ranges on most of our properties so we can quote an appropriate rate for your specific request, taking into account the number of people in your party, number of nights, length of stay, time of year, and how your dates fit with existing reservations. Typically, we quote the lower end of the rate range for longer stays and sometimes last-minute requests. Please be assured that once you submit our Reservation Info Request, we reply promptly by email, or you can call us at 808-965-6232 for rates and information.

2.9. Can I bring my pet?
We are sorry, even though we love them no pets are allowed at our vacation rentals.

3. About getting here

3.1. What airport should I fly into?
We have two airports on the island, Hilo and Kona.

Hilo is about a 40 minute drive to Kapoho or a 2.5 hour drive to Waikoloa, and is the most interesting to fly into. We recommend sitting on the left hand side of the airplane (as you are boarding and walking towards the back of the plane). When you get to the Big Island you will usually see the observatories on top of 14,000 ft Mauna Kea (snow capped in winter), forests and farmland at the lower elevations and then waterfalls tumbling over the cliffs into the ocean. It is very beautiful.

Kona is about a 3 hour drive to Kapoho, and about a half hour from Waikoloa. If you are flying in from certain mainland locations you can fly non-stop to Kona. It is a boring airport to fly into, though, compared to Hilo. All lava rock and sage brush.

3.2. Where can I rent a car?
The Big Island is - wait for it - BIG, and you will need a car to get around. A Piece of Paradise has partnered with Avis to bring you great deals and upgrades on your rental car. We will reserve your rental car for you and you an pick it up at either Kona or Hilo airport. Just fill out our quick Rental Car Reservation Form and check that right off of your long list of vacation planning things to do!

3.3. What are your check-in and check-out times?
Check in starts at 3:00pm. Check out is by 11:00am, except at Shangri-La where check out is by 10:00am.

3.4. Can I check in early or check out late?
We try to accommodate early check-ins and late check-outs when possible, but can’t guarantee them in advance. If the house is still available on the morning you arrive or the night you depart then we can usually do it. However, if the house gets booked for the morning or afternoon in question, we will need to stick to our standard check in and out times. Please let us know in advance if you would like to alter check in or out times and we will do our best to honor your request.

This is my first trip to Hawaii. What should I bring?
Pack all the clothes you think you'll need. Then take half out. No kidding. Most of Hawaii is very, very casual and that is especially true in Hilo and Puna. T-shirts and shorts over a swimsuit and “slippahs” (flip-flops) are what you will wear 90% of the time. Bring one or two nice (but casual) shirts or sundresses if you want to go somewhere nice for dinner and one sweater/sweatshirt for the airplane or a trip up to Mauna Kea or Volcano. An umbrella would be a good idea, too — our side of the Big Island is so lush and green because it's prone to sudden bursts of rain! Besides the usual tourist items (sunglasses, camera, sunblock, hat) you may want to bring:

• Binoculars (especially December–April when the whales are here!)
• CDs (Most properties and rental cars have CD players.)
• That novel you've been meaning to read
• Mask, snorkel and fins if you have them; if not, they are easy to rent and you don't have the hassle of carrying them
• A simple day pack is a great way to carry stuff to the beach or take a quick hike to a waterfall
• We suggest cleaning out your wallet; leave out extra credit cards, library card, grocery card, etc. that you won't use (This might be a good time to photocopy all those cards and leave the copy in a safe place at home.)
• A good Big Island guidebook; we recommend Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty

And don't forget to bring your confirmation and welcome letter with directions to the property, as well as any lockbox codes or keys we send you! (It's usually the honeymooners who forget… guess they have other things on their minds.)

4. About Kapoho

4.1. Where is Kapoho located?
Kapoho Beach Lots, a unique area on the easternmost tip of the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. Kapoho sits on the edge of the majestic Puna rainforest in the "sunbelt of East Hawaii." The pacific microclimate provides some of the best weather on the island and experiences only one third of the rain that falls 30 miles north in Hilo.

4.2. What is the area like?
Kapoho's great weather, warm water, volcanically heated tide pools and tropical vegetation are quintessentially Hawaiian. The warm, calm waters of Champagne Pond and it's satellite lagoons provide perfect swimming spot and are a favorite hang-out for families of green sea turtles. The awesome Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, an essential day trip for Big Island visitors, is less than an hour's drive. Kapoho has black sand, blue water and the cleanest air on earth. But what sets us apart from most vacation spots in Hawaii is what we don't have: crowds of tourists and resort prices!

4.3. How is the weather?
The weather here doesn’t vary much from season to season - we joke about creating special “Kapoho Thermometers” with the red temperature indicator painted on at 80 degrees.

Rainfall is also light by East Hawaii standards. While Hilo, 35 miles north-west, can be very wet, Kapoho’s location on the very eastern tip of the island gets about 1/3 of Hilo’s annual rainfall, and is often referred to as the “sunbelt of east Hawaii”. We get just enough precipitation - usually falling in dramatic night time or early morning showers (often accompanied by rainbows!) - to keep everything green and blooming and bursting with life!

4.4. What towns are you near?
The nearest town is Pahoa, about 9 miles from Kapoho Beach properties. Pahoa has small markets, a number of restaurants (two of which are *very* good), fish market, farmers market, video store, gas station, live music club, a very nice natural foods market and a 7-11 store that is open 24 hours.

Pahoa is about 20 miles from Hilo, which is the largest city on the island and features supermarkets and shops, golf courses, state of the art movie theaters, many fine restaurants and a cultural atmosphere that is enjoyed by Hawaiians throughout the state as well as our guests from all over the world. Hilo is also home to the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival (the ‘olympics’ of hula), waterfalls, botanical gardens, University of Hawaii, and is the gateway to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the observatories atop Mauna Kea (the tallest mountain on earth when measured from it’s base).

4.5. What are the Kapoho Ponds / Tidepools / Lagoons?
The Kapoho ponds are labyrinths formed by lava flows and honeycombed by erosion from the waves. This created a very unique area which the land developers put to use, incorporating these natural formations into the house lots. As a result, many of houses in the neighborhoods on the easternmost tip of the island have ponds of various sizes, from small water features to astounding ones (Lagoon House 1 is probably the best in the area – its back “yard” is nothing short of a 500,000 gallon private snorkeling aquarium! Lagoon House 2 is similar, but on less of a grand scale). Many of the ponds are also fed by fresh, geothermically heated springs, and two of the most popular public ponds, Champagne Pond and Millionaires’ Pond, are famous for their year-round water temperatures of 90 and 98 degrees, respectively! The water in all the ponds is a mix of sea water and fresh water from underground rivers, is crystal clear and full of pretty tropical fishes. The bottoms of the ponds are lava rock.

4.6. Where is there to go nearby?
Champagne & Millionaires (warm) ponds, mentioned above; the Wai Opae tidepools and marine sanctuary in Kapoho Vacationland - with their coral forests and teeming ecosystems; Lava Tree state park; McKenzie State Park (right on the ocean and a great place to picnic and see whales!); Kehena black sand beach (where clothing is optional); Isaac Hale State Park (the favorite local spot for surfing body boarding); funky, fun Pahoa Town; and Kalapana, a town that was swallowed by the lava flows and now serves as a “back door” to the best volcano lava-viewing areas on the island, are all within a 15-minute drive of Kapoho.

5. About Waikoloa Village

5.1. Where is Waikoloa Village located?
Waikoloa Village is a resort community about 30 miles north of Kona on the Kohala Coast. At about 1000 ft above sea level, Waikoloa perches on the western slopes of Mauna Kea overlooking the Pacific Ocean and offers breathtaking views of neighboring Maui and West Hawaii's world famous sunsets.

5.2. How is the weather?
The weather in Waikoloa Village is usually very dry and warm.

5.3. Where is there to go nearby?
Waikoloa Village is a just a few minutes' drive from the five star Hilton Waikoloa Village Hotel, a world class resort featuring fine dining, shopping and the immensely popular Dolphin Quest program. Championship golf courses, white sand beaches and the vacation activity hub of Kailua-Kona are all within a short dive from Waikoloa Village.