We spent 4 days at the Volcano Teapot in August 2008.

While we took a long route to get here, flying into Kona, we were absolutely delighted when we arrived. I expect flying into Hilo would have been a better idea!

The cottage is located on a very private (and large) garden property within a few minutes drive of the restaurants and stores in Volcano Village - but on a back road, well away from traffic and any noise other than that of the forest.

We were on honeymoon and had spent the previous couple of weeks in resorts on Maui and Kaui. So after near overdose of busy hotels, it was wonderful to have the cottage all to ourselves.

The owners have taken great care to fit the cottage out to a very high standard with every facility one could need for a romantic, quiet or relaxing getaway - a full kitchen, laundry, heating, private outdoor hot tub, fresh linen, TV/DVD (+movie collection), very comfortable furnishings and a beautifully tended forest garden with plenty of both sunny and shady spots to relax in. With the careful attention to detail taken, we felt immediately at home and secure from the moment we arrived.

We found it a wonderful experience to have stayed here and cannot fault any aspect of our stay; the owners visited each day in our absence to replenish our breakfast supplies etc and also made themselves available to assist with their local knowledge and had the cottage well stocked with literature for excursions.. We took two trips from the cottage to visit the Volcano park and also view the lava entering the ocean at Kanapala; both very worthwhile. The local restaurants were also worth eating at.

We thoroughly recommend it.

For this trip to the Big Island we decided to do something different.

All of our trips include Volcano, but this time it was first place we headed. The Teapot was exactly what we needed. After 2 days there we no longer knew what day it was. This was the perfect way to begin our vacation.

We have been to the Big Island about 10 or 12 times, and this was the first time we've stayed at the Teapot, but it definately won't be our last.

We loved the Teapot Cottage. It is set in the most beautiful grounds. It has a fantastic hot tub and wonderful flora and fauna in the huge grounds. Everything that you could think of needing is provided. There are books (including vital travel books to help you plan), puzzles, games including a croquet set, a great selection of DVDs and a laptop with Wi-Fi connection. The kitchen is well stocked with an array of foods and not surprisingly teas. The bathroom has many toiletries provided so you don’t have to worry if you have forgotten or run out of something. There are even exotic “smellies” provided for a soak in the wonderful tub. The cottage itself is warm and inviting, you feel at home immediately.

The location is great. Volcano Village may be small but it has a lovely charm and lots of things going on if you seek them out. Although there are a small selection of restaurants in the Village (I counted five but could be more tucked away) we ate in three of them and they were all very good. To be honest this was ideal for us, I do not like too much choice and as they were all good quality it adds to the very relaxing feel of the place. Volcano National Park is a stones throw (a mile) so it meant we could have a good day hiking and still get back early enough to enjoy the hot tub and a DVD before going out for dinner. You can also reach the rest of the southern Big Island very easily as there is so much less traffic than around Kona.

Finally Bill and Antoinette were amazing hosts. They posted a stack of information about the National Park and other things to do about a month before we were due to arrive. This made our days in the Teapot the best planned days of our three weeks in the Hawaiian Islands. Bill was fantastic at advising us on getting to our flight on time as there had been some flash flooding in other parts of the Island, he was more than helpful and as a result we were on time and still very relaxed. I could go on and on about how great this place is, it certainly cannot be improved upon.

We stayed two nights at the Teapot and found a home away from home It was very clean and decorated with taste and charm. Every amenity was provided. Having a place to do vacation wash was such a luxury. The breakfasts were very tasty and plentiful...almost too much. The extra effort of our host bringing fresh delicious pastries to our doorstep on Sunday morning was beyond compare. The stark contrast of walking the lava fields and then staying at a lush green property was a total wow factor. I could go on and on about our wonderful experience, lets just say it was a very special highlight of our trip to Ohau,Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.