The warm, humid climate and frequent showers of Hawaii's Puna district make this locale ideal for growing orchids. The Akatsuka Orchid Gardens are at the edge of the rainforest in the island town of Volcano, which sits at the edge of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hotels in this largely residential area are low key, small and most operate as hidden bed and breakfasts with a high degree of privacy. Most are within a mile of the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens.
Finding this low-rise tropical inn at the edge of the Olaa Forest Park Reserve is half the fun. Located roughly half a mile from the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, the Volcano Inn is actually in the rainforest. The eco-friendly resort offers rooms with oversized windows to take full advantage of the natural setting. Corner window rooms offer floor to ceiling glass, giving you the feeling that you are in a tree house. Extra large family rooms offer full kitchens. All rooms offer cork floors, private bath and wireless Internet access. Common areas include a hot tub hidden within the rainforest and a second floor glassed-in observation area with coffee and tea service, a microwave and mini-fridge. Sliding glass doors lead to a furnished open deck. Volcano Inn is off Old Volcano Road. Since the inn is so remote, guests are advised to arrive before dark. Signs are difficult to read and in the fading light, one tree looks pretty much like another. Volcano Inn provides specific directions upon booking.
Salmon pink siding topped by an even bolder rose-colored roof greets guests to the Volcano Forest Inn. Set within the rainforest on five quiet acres, this property offers the privacy of a small hotel and the pampering of a quaint bed and breakfast. Four rooms, all individually furnished in an island motif and with private bath and outdoor deck, are available. One room, the Rainforest Room, features an entire wall of glass looking out on ohia trees and colorful tropical flowers. Cable TV and wireless Internet are included in the rates as is continental breakfast featuring fresh baked goods, tropical fruits and locally grown Kona coffee. The Akatsuka Orchid Gardens are less than a mile away.
Combining the Zen like tranquility of the Orient with the bold flowers and endless shades of green in a Hawaiian rainforest accurately describes the atmosphere of the Lotus Garden Cottages. Three cottages are offered -- the Aloha Moon, the Hula Moon and the Lotus Suite. Aloha Moon is decorated in an old fashioned Hawaiian style. Sets of doors, covering almost an entire wall, open up to a private deck overlooking the rainforest. Hula Moon uses brighter bolder furnishings that are more contemporary. The cottage has an upright piano in the living room. The Lotus Suite is done in an authentic Korean motif, with lowered beds, subtle colors and a wrap around patio with multiple entrances. All suites offer gas fireplaces, private baths and wireless Internet. Breakfast is delivered to your cottage, as are fresh baked cookies and milk in the evenings.
Owners Alan Miller and Bonnie Goodell had a dream of creating an eco-friendly village in the midst of the Hawaiian rainforest. Volcano Guest House is the result of that dream. The property offers four bold, bright Hawaiian clapboard style cottages and two large homes -- Olapa and Akala -- for guest rentals. The latter two homes may be rented as a whole or by the individual rooms, all sharing kitchen and bath. All rentals are on a curved private road that winds through groves of ohia trees. Front porches all look out on that road toward the waterfalls and ponds in the central viewing garden. Breakfast supplies are available all day in the breakfast lanai, located right next to the oversized hot tub. Cottages are filled with antiques, eclectic furnishings, Hawaiian artwork and each cottage has a fully equipped kitchen. Volcano Guest House is on the edge of the Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve on the southern edge of the town of Volcano.
