In July of 2014 we spent 8 nights on the Big Island, Hawaii. Six of the nights were spent at the Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel, and the other 2 nights were spent in a treehouse in a fern forest near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Staying in a treehouse had been something I had researched in different places throughout the country at different times, but the plans never came to fruition. When I was doing my planning for our Summer 2014 Hawaii trip, I came across Treehouse Skye.

Because Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was a must see for us, and is hours away from the resort areas of the Kohala Coast, we felt that it was best to stay somewhere closer to the park on the days and nights we wanted to visit (and it is REALLY amazing at night when you can actually see the red hot lava in the dark!). Most people who are visiting the park as a day trip from other parts of the island will have left by nighttime, and you will have the lava views with fewer crowds. I am thrilled with the choice that we made.

This review is heavily photo based because my words (and even the photos) can’t come close to doing justice to this place. It was lovingly constructed by a man named Skye who has been living in Volcano for 30 years. He reclaimed all of the materials & took several years to build his treehouses (he has built 3). He is a true artist, and this treehouse was a gorgeous work of art.

 

The treehouse is a few miles from the little village of Volcano and the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It is in a “neighborhood” off of a side street in a very secluded area. The property is 4 acres of beautiful fern forest. You park your car and walk along a path through heavy foliage until the treehouse appears, 20 feet above the ground.

There is a living area with a wood burning fireplace, a futon, and an old TV that only has a DVD player (no cable or other channels). There are DVDs there to watch, and we appropriately watched Swiss Family Robinson one night (and inappropriately watched Tuner & Hooch). The ladder that my daughter is climbing leads to a little cozy nook area in the bedroom upstairs that has a mattress for the kids.

There are live trees throughout the house, and also various plants that make the entire place feel like you are in a gorgeous jungle setting. And while it feels exotic, it is also very comfortable and well-appointed at the same time.

There is a very nice kitchen, which made for easy meal prep & saved us some money that we would have spent eating out. We stopped at a farmers market to pick up some local fruit (one of my favorite things in Hawaii) & at a grocery store in Hilo to pick up some food to cook for dinners and pack for lunches to bring to the park. All cooking implements are provided, and they are of high quality. Even the dishes are tastefully chosen, which I thought was impressive. There are little touches everywhere that bring it all together, like the handles and a pot rack (and the toilet paper holder!) made from branches.

 

There is a deck area built above the ferns, at the level of the house. It is a wooden path suspended 20 feet above ground, that extends out from the house and has 2 different seating areas. Perfect place to enjoy morning coffee and feel like you are in complete seclusion!

There are tons of windows, making the whole house feel as if you are outside, even while you are in the comfort of the treehouse. The “walls” in the bathroom (toilet and shower areas) are completely glass. You just have to trust that you are out in the middle of a 4 acre fern forest (or you don’t care what people may witness you doing).

And even after all of those super cool details, probably the best of all is the bedroom area upstairs. There is a king bed that looks like it is suspended among the trees. You have to climb up some steps to get into the bed, it is so tall. Underneath the king bed is a sleeping area for the kids. There is the space that leads by ladder to the living area below (the kids LOVED climbing up and down that ladder to get to the hidden space). And there is another mattress right under the big bed. There is also a couch up there too.

 

 

Our 2 nights spent staying  in the Hawaii Volcanoes Treehouse on the Big Island were among the best we have spent anywhere. The fact that I had to pay cash (about $225 per night) and could not use points hardly mattered because this experience was so special and was worth it to us. Although this would be an extremely romantic setting for a honeymoon or adults-only trip, it is also perfect for families who are looking for something unique and memorable. My kids absolutely loved it & so did we. It was much more than a place to lay our heads for a couple of nights, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who happens to be visiting the Volcano area on the Big Island of Hawaii.