Waipio Valley

Imagine waking up to that view every morning.  We did for seven great mornings on our last trip to Hawaii Big Island.  Possibly the greatest view in all of the islands, we stayed at the Waipio Ridge Vacation Rental - Heaven II, an old Airstream RV trailer that has been retired and has gone to heaven. 

On previous trips we had stayed in the Heaven I located on the ridge above the one we were on and I must say the view is just as majestic.  The difference is we had always wanted to go camping while we were on the Big Island and this is a close substitute.
	The Airstream is nestled under a couple of roof covers to keep the rain off of the trailer and tiled deck as well as to serve as a water collector for the catchment system.  The running water is fine for bathing and washing dishes, but you should use bottled water for drinking and cooking.
At the end of the driveway leading down to the rental is a large paved area that makes it easy to turn around so you don't have to back up the driveway.  That would be next to impossible.
	Every morning we were greeted by helicopters bringing tourists to see the valley and although they are not allowed to enter the valley because of their noise, we were so close to the ocean they were still very loud.  Fortunately, they didn't start till mid-morning so we were about to leave for the day's outing anyway.       They were getting an unusual amount of rain in Hawaii while we were there.  Not as much as some of the other islands where they were actually having flash flooding, but enough to get the waterfalls going at full strength.
The valley is actually quite large being one of the largest on the island.  In ancient times it was inhabited by as many as 40,000 people and was a center for the taro crops.  In fact, during one famine the valley fed the entire island.  Now there are less than a 100 people that live in the valley after the 1946 tsunami pretty well completely devastated the valley.
	The interior of the Airstream was a bit cramped for two people, so we tended to stay out of there together.  What was nice was the small tub as opposed to the shower only up in Heaven I.  My wife availed herself of the outdoor shower, but I was not as brave.
Also we could have slept on the deck under the mosquito netting, but decided it was getting a bit chilly at night for that and passed.  You gotta think that in the summer, it would be a hoot! To get more information or to book a stay you should contact : I have removed the contact information until the state of the rental is determined.  Sadly after the original writing of this essay the owner, Roger Lasko, fell onto the roadway below the property and was killed.  More info is available in the comments.  To any friends or family of Roger that should visit this page, please accept our condolences.

Posted by Richard Binckley at 3/6/2006 6:44 PM | View Comments | Add Comment |