Clean and quiet little stay. I only wish with it being off grid that there was an actual good size grille and a few basics (salt, pepper, coffee). Being off grid, we brought groceries to cook there however cooking was a little bit a nightmare. Other than that. Great stay!
We arrived just before sunset.Ron's directions were spot on. Keep your eyes open for the red gravel driveway. The place was spotless and very spacious. The kitchen had all the necessary appliances. Farm sink, mini frig and 2 burner hot plate. The bathroom was beautifully done with a chiseled stone sink with rain shower and beautiful tile and river rock. Definitely rock. base. Plenty of water
This was my city friend's first ride on a dirt road, understanding of off the grid and that, yes that included blow dryers after dark. But more than that, seeing the evidence of the power of nature up close was truly awesome. I would stay again.
First, this property is cool if you know what you are getting into.
This is way off the off the grid living. You are staying on a lava field in a shipping container. That is the cool part. It is remote, and just wow for sunset and sunrise.
The host, Ron, was nice and communicated well.
The location on VRBO makes it appear on Chain of Craters road just near the famed sea arch in Volcanoes National park - a big reason we picked it. However just a bit east of there the road has been closed there for decades from a lava flow, and the property is on the other side so it actually takes about an hour to get to Volcanoes Park. Best way to pin actual location is to look up Red Lava B&B on Google maps: a different shipping container in the same field.
It is isolated. Last few miles dirt road. You won't have access near by so best to stop in Pahoa to load up on a few things.
Now pics may appear to be all alone ( believe some are older), but there are several neighbors...a few built right in front of your view towards the ocean. These folks are all off-griders living in very rustic conditions. The host makes several notations and instructions about where you can park, where you can walk and when you can head out in the morn (not before 830am) specifically because of "grumpy neighbor".
There are two separate units here attached and one has only 1 bed room w bunks & no air. Other larger unit w/ king or queen bed. Listing pics seem to mix it all.
Overall, unique exp for a night.
loved the walk to the rocks. amazing sunset and rainbows.
loved the walk to the rocks. amazing sunset and rainbows.
This property was just what we were looking for on our trip. The directions to find the place were clear and it was way easier than we were anticipating from the other reviews. Views are great and the stargazing was fantastic since there’s no light pollution. If you’re looking for a getaway off the beaten path, this is the place for you. We loved our stay here!
The house and landscape were gorgeous. It was a unique feeling stepping on rock that’s only a few years old. Explored the lava plane and it was jaw dropping. However, as we returned, we were shouted at by the “grumpy neighbor”. Maybe we were in the wrong, but we tried staying out of the neighbor’s property. Regardless, would highly recommend, it was the only thing that rubbed us the wrong way
Off grid but not that far (20 minutes) from grocery and restaurants. The walk on the lava field is worth it!
This property was just what we were looking for on our trip. The directions to find the place were clear and it was way easier than we were anticipating from the other reviews. Views are great and the stargazing was fantastic since there’s no light pollution. If you’re looking for a getaway off the beaten path, this is the place for you. We loved our stay here!
The house and landscape were gorgeous. It was a unique feeling stepping on rock that’s only a few years old. Explored the lava plane and it was jaw dropping. However, as we returned, we were shouted at by the “grumpy neighbor”. Maybe we were in the wrong, but we tried staying out of the neighbor’s property. Regardless, would highly recommend, it was the only thing that rubbed us the wrong way
Off grid but not that far (20 minutes) from grocery and restaurants. The walk on the lava field is worth it!
Overall the property was as described. It was clean and was off grid however there were some things that did not work well for us.
When we arrived at the property there was no wifi. Not usually a big issue however in the unit there is no cell service and we had to leave to get messages through to Ron. At times we could not get them to go through due to the location of this property. It was recommended to keep the unit locked up for safety however when doing so there was no airflow leaving the unit very hot. The inability to keep the unit locked while sleeping and no cell service provided safety concerns for us therefore we did not stay after the first night.
If we were not concerned about being able to make or receive calls in case of emergency or keeping the unit locked while we slept it would have worked well for us.
Accommodations are clean and comfortable. Accommodations meet meeds in a very quiet, private environment. Would stay again.
Overall the property was as described. It was clean and was off grid however there were some things that did not work well for us.
When we arrived at the property there was no wifi. Not usually a big issue however in the unit there is no cell service and we had to leave to get messages through to Ron. At times we could not get them to go through due to the location of this property. It was recommended to keep the unit locked up for safety however when doing so there was no airflow leaving the unit very hot. The inability to keep the unit locked while sleeping and no cell service provided safety concerns for us therefore we did not stay after the first night.
If we were not concerned about being able to make or receive calls in case of emergency or keeping the unit locked while we slept it would have worked well for us.
Accommodations are clean and comfortable. Accommodations meet meeds in a very quiet, private environment. Would stay again.
A perfect escape from any touristy places…it is an unique experience to walk on the lava AND to sleep in a container! A perfect spot for star-gazing! The place is pleasantly clean and comfortable.
The lava field and ocean views are an unparalleled experience! The location is very remote, and far away from the resorts and crowds. The property manager was very responsive and communicative. Overall a great stay if you are looking for a unique experience!
A perfect escape from any touristy places…it is an unique experience to walk on the lava AND to sleep in a container! A perfect spot for star-gazing! The place is pleasantly clean and comfortable.
The lava field and ocean views are an unparalleled experience! The location is very remote, and far away from the resorts and crowds. The property manager was very responsive and communicative. Overall a great stay if you are looking for a unique experience!
It was an awesome, unique experience and I admire everyone who choose to live in this area permanently. The lava all around gives you chills. It's so powerful! The place itself was clean and had everything we needed after a long day of exploring. Sleeping was comfortable even if it was 3 of us in the smaller container . We had no issues finding the place but I would recommend coming in in a day light the first day. If you are trying to walk on the lava towards the ocean, make sure you stay on the "trail". There are little palm trees planted marking the direction and also white sprayed errors on the lava. Otherwise you will be under supervision of one of the neighbors. I guess he is just protecting this special place. I'll definitely come here again.
The reference point for finding the property was terrible. There are two distinct vehicles that the owner could’ve referenced for finding the place, rather than the mile reference. Not everyone can make it out during the day due to work constraints. I also thought we were right by the ocean and would be able to hear the sounds. For the price, it was OK. It served its purpose; we needed a place to sleep and bathe.
This is our 2nd time staying at these properties. This time we took the time to walk to the cliffs. The owner has wrote up and sprayed arrows out exactly where to walk to get to them. Saw a beautiful rainbow while walking. Fun experience to stay in the shipping container on the lava!
The property itself is accurately described. Bunk beds are doubles so I would sleep two kids on the top level and two avg sized adults on the lower. The couch in the living room is not as comfortable as I expected but my son preferred his own room with a door. The kitchenette has limited supplies, so it’s better to bring food home than try to cook full course meals. But we didn’t go there to cook gourmet dinners. Think one pot meal…
We went there for the experience and location. There is no cellphone service in the area and therefore you need to feel comfortable being in the dark in the middle of nowhere, especially at night. There are neighbours but the closest contact we had was the waves they gave as we drive by each other. I recommend a keep for this road. We met a photographer who has a sign out front called Hot Foot Photography and found him to be lovely - we bought some of his work which I would not be able to find anywhere else.
Our host was responsive and informative and the info book he provided was helpful.
The lava in the daytime glimmers like gems and is stunning! You can walk through the same type of field at the national park. Listen to the locals and the host about going to the edge of the cliff to see the water. It’s a 200+foot drop and the waves crash all the way up making it slippery. Combined with the trade winds that are extremely strong and you have the perfect environment for falling to your death. Apparently 10 feet of the cliff fell into the ocean during the last storm…so be careful and do not go out there at night. Just be smart and watch your kids.
We found the night sky to be beautiful everywhere. But where else can you sit outside for hours and not be cold or be disturbed by cars? We saw many falling stars, the Milky Way and enjoyed the sound of the wind… no frogs!
Would I do it again? Maybe.
Am I glad I did it once? Absolutely!
Directions were easy but in the daylight to first find the property. Very clean and just enough space for my husband and I. It is off the grid so be sure to stop on the way for food or anything you’ll need. There was limited items in kitchen but enough to get us through the weekend!
Staying here was an amazing experience that you would not get staying in town. The stars at night are unbelievable! So peaceful and quiet. So thankful that we took time to slow down and relax and enjoy this marvelous place. The walk to the cliffs was longer than it seemed, but so worth it! Beds were super comfy. We had no issues with power. Ron was very responsive with any questions I had. The neighbor got a little grumpy with the other people who were staying in the other unit. They were walking down to the water at 6:15pm and he yelled and swore at them because it was too late and going to get dark. Honestly, he was really just looking out for them, but had a little too much to drink, so he was loud and I seen. We walked it the next morning and he was kind and just warned us it was a long way and we better have good shoes on. There was a very nice woman that I talked to that owns property right here, but only has an outhouse on it. She comes sometimes from the mainland and just sleeps in her van right here. She gave us lots of great tips and a history of the area. The grumpy neighbor came up at night and was very loud and yelling at her about something, but she made sure to walk down with him away from this property so he wouldn’t disturb us. Overall, this was an experience of a life time and I wish I had more time to stay here.
We loved this place. The owner was quick to respond to any questions. We didn’t have any problems with neighbors. Would recommend taking owners advice and finding it while it’s still light outside. Can’t wait to make it back. The silence and stars at night and light showers in the morning with double rainbows was lovely.
Ron has done a great job with designing this space. We stayed in the smaller half and had everything we needed for our stay. Ron was easy to get in touch with and responded right away to our questions.
The gravel road is great to do your runs or walk/hikes on. It goes all the way to the sea arch if you’re up for a half marathon. No cars allowed though. The night sky is incredible and you can see the Milky Way clearly without a telescope.
Hot Foot Photography is a must stop on the gravel road out to the container. Gary is a true “lava” buff and a fount of information on Kīlauea. His photographs are amazing. He welcomes visitors to share his vast knowledge of the volcano and also the area with. Meeting him and talking with him was one of the highlights of our stay in Hawaii.
