What should I bring? - "Less is More!"

You can also look at our Eco Travel Store to get more ideas!

If you want to use our free wireless Internet, bring your laptop! Our wireless service is fast and works great inside all the rentals and throughout the whole property.

*There is also an Internet cafe in Ocean View AND Naalehu that offers computers & Internet for a fee, open limited hours during the week.

If you want to participate in our "No cleaning fee" option, bring your own sleeping bags, pillows, bed sheet, & towels. Otherwise, we will provide these things as part of the normal cleaning fee.

Each rental has a solar powered lantern for night use (and not to be taken off the premises). There are also other solar lights around the property but if you'd like more light, bring a flashlight (we like the wind up or solar types)!

Our kitchen has very modest utensils (pots, pans, plates, silverware, grilling utensils, can opener) for communal use. (There is a gas cooktop for boiling and cooking in the kitchen.) If you plan to cook all your meals or are not willing to wash utensils IMMEDIATELY after use, please bring your own.

Charcoal! If you want to try out our cool lava rock grill.

Cooler! If you stocked up on a lot of items that need to stay cold. We have a small communal refrigerator that only holds limited items. For those really on a budget, it is cheaper to buy food in Kona or Hilo BUT there is a reasonably sized grocery store a few blocks away from Lova Lava Land. We like to buy larger quantities of non-perishable goods in Kona or Hilo then buy our daily items that need refrigeration at the local Ocean View grocery store. Several places in Ocean View sell ice for your coolers.

Clothes! See our location page for more information about the weather here. But in general, we survive with our bathing suits and/or shorts/tank tops during the day and then 1 set of warmer clothes like pants, a sweater, & socks for the cooler nights. If you are staying during the winter months (Nov-March), the nights do cool off significantly, making it nice and cozy with a set of warm clothes! If you are sensitive to cold or heat, pack accordingly - you know who you are! :) But we generally think the weather is nothing more than perfect here!

Sunscreen, hat, & sunglasses! This is Hawaii and it's easy to get sun burnt so make sure to protect yourself.

Shoes: the Hawaiian standard $2 flip-flop will get you around here but you'll be MUCH more comfortable with a pair of tennis shoes (disposable/old ones are better since the lava rocks will cut into your nice expensive pair - be warned!). If you plan on hiking, you must bring a pair of tennis shoes or hiking boots. PLEASE remove your shoes before entering any rental!

Time: We use the sun to tell what time it is here at Lova Lava Land and we actively promote doing away with your watch while in Hawaii BUT for those of you with specific time commitments, bring your own time device (or learn to use the sun). Most cell phones get coverage here (particularly Cingular, Verizon, & T-mobile) so you can use that for time.

Electricity? You will see that we have all our electrical needs met by our beautiful Rufus VW bus, who houses our solar panel electrical network. Rufus is glad to share some of that sun power with you to charge minimal electrical devices like cell phones & laptops (outlets located in the kitchen & bathroom and soon-to-be in the yurt). PLEASE BE AWARE that conservation is key here - if it has been cloudy for several days in a row or too much additional power demand has been placed on our system, it will shut off. This means the water, refrigerator, and lights will not work until the sun comes out again. Although this has not yet been a problem, it could be if the power is not conserved properly. So spread out your power usage and charge items during the daylight hours rather than at night. Consider it a fun learning experience about conservation!

Bug Stuff: Although there are fewer mosquitoes here than in the rainy sections of the Big Island, they can be around - particularly early in the morning and around sunset. If you are sensitive about this, bring clothes to cover you during these periods or bug spray or whatever natural cure you subscribe to (we like eating garlic). Sometimes you never see a mosquito here but if there's been some rain, they can be around. IF you close your rental properly before going to bed at night, you should not have a problem with mosquitoes inside your rental. The netted windows on both the yurt and buses allow air & breezes while not allowing bugs.

Other critters WILL come around if you leave food or crumbs out to entice them. No different than camping anywhere else....but we do like to keep food properly packaged and stored so as not to bring in unnecessary critters!

Other Stuff: While Ocean View does have shopping to accommodate daily needs, it doesn't have a large super-store like Wal-mart or K-mart that sells everything under the sun. If you need something specific, we'd suggest buying it in Kailua-Kona or Hilo when you arrive. Both towns have a Wal-Mart and several major grocery stores and Kailua-Kona also has a K-mart. That said, we encourage you to buy locally and with the small businesses if at all possible.

Anything we forgot? If you still have questions about something to bring or not to bring, contact us and we'd be glad to help! Remember that over packing has officially been called a personality defect by Lova Lava Land! :) Less is more and we want to help you pack smartly! Easier said than done but it's never too late to learn!