Hedonisia Hawaii Sustainable Community Rainforest Retreat
Hedonisia Ecotourist & Guest
Frequently Asked Questions
(Click Here for the Hedonisia Fair-Trade Volunteers FAQ)
Arrival & Booking Related Questions:
- How long in advance should we reserve a space?
- What is the general location of Hedonisia Hawaii?
- What is your airport pickup policy?
- What are your check-in hours?
- If I arrived past check-in times would there be someone to greet me?
- What is your policy on changing arrival dates?
Hedonisia Hawaii Questions:
- Is the internet connection for my laptop included in the price?
- What are your Policies and Guidelines for GROUP Bookings?
- Is there a Refrigerator in the kitchen?
- What are your policies on CHILDREN at Hedonisia?
- Will we have access to a nearby market or store?
- How Secure are my Personal Possessions at Hedonisia?
- Are the facilities (restroom, showers) open 24 hours?
- Do the Eco-Policies and Practices of Hedonisia reduce my comfort in any way?
- What is the MAXIMUM stay allowed as a Guest at Hedonisia?
- What's the distance to the closest beach in your area?
- Do you have a Curfew time?
- What is your PET policy?
- What is Hedonisia's drinking water source?
- What is the policy on Smoking at Hedonisia?
- I'm a little confused about your business name, Hedonisia.
General Puna Region, East Hawaii or Big Island Questions:
- Since i don't have any kind of transportation...is it easy to hitchhike around in the Puna district where you are?
- Do any cell phone providers work in your area?
- What is the temperature like? Hottest?
- Is there a "monsoon" (rainy) season?
- How are the bugs and snakes?
- What about the nearby beaches.
- What is the driving distance from the hostel to Kona?
- Are there any particular tropical diseases or health issues we should be aware about in Big Island?
Arrival & Booking Related Questions:
1)How long in advance should we reserve a space? Hedonisia is a small friendly hostel. We like it that way, and judging by our feedback so do our guests and volunteers. We only have ten rental spaces on the property. So, Hedonisia can get booked rather quickly.
2) What is the general location of Hedonisia Hawaii? We are located in East Hawaii about 4 miles from the town of Pahoa and 3 hours drive from Kona. We are only 16 miles away from the Kalapana active volcano lava flow.
3) What is your airport pickup policy? Unless a passenger is willing to pay a waiting and parking fee we will not leave for the airport unless we receive your call upon arrival. Flights get delayed even after they take off. So have a book and allow for one hour waiting time at the airport!
4) What are your check in hours? If you're arriving by car please try to arrive by or after 2PM. We do prefer check-ins during daylight hours. The property is very beautiful so it is nice to be able to see it! As well, for some out-of-the-way lodgings such as Ocean View, it is nice to see it during the day so that it is easier to walk to at night.
5) If I arrived past check in times would there be someone to greet me? If you already have a reservation we will have someone ready to greet you. If you are arriving past 10PM be sure to let us know so that we have someone to greet you and show you the bathroom facilities and your accommodations. Once rested we will give you a full tour of the hostel facilities during day light hours.
6) What is your policy on changing arrival dates? Yes it is okay for you to change your date of arrival or departure. For the first date change there is a charge of $10. For all other arrival date changes there is a $20 charge.
General Hedonisia Hawaii Community Questions
1) I was wondering if the internet connection for my laptop is included in the price or is that extra? For wireless connection we have a flat fee of $10.00 for the duration of your stay. If upon your stay ending you wish to return occasionally to Hedonisia to use our wireless internet for $5 per visit unless otherwise authorized by management. We have a high speed DSL connection that is fully functional 95% of the time!
2) What are your Policies and Guidelines for Group Bookings? We do allow bookings of three or more persons. However, the Internet charge and pickup fee is slightly higher. For 3 or more persons the Flat Rate Internet fee is $20 and the pickup fee is $30 from Hilo Airport.
3) Is there a refrigerator in the Barn kitchen? Yes. However, space is limited. For those who wish to store their food in a private cold place, we offer coolers located near to the refrigerator.
4) What are your Policies on CHILDREN at Hedonisia? We are Hedonisia and though we are friendly to children our main visitor demographic is single adults and couples! Our Family rate for children is only $5 per child extra per day. There is a volcanic crater on the property which can be a hazard, so we ask that parents be responsible for their childrens behavior.
Please note that some of our most child friendly accommodations, such as the Ohi'a Camper, Ohana Kahuna, the Love Bus and the Jungle Cottage feature decorative artworks that are sensual in nature. The artworks are from the collections of the World Art Erotica Virtual Museum which is part of the Hedonisia LLC family of websites. Parents who might feel uncomfortable exposing their children to erotic art might choose one of our other accommodations.
Single parents who can share the same bedspace as their child can book any of our Couples friendly lodgings at the couples' rate.
5) Will we have access to a nearby market or store? The town of Pahoa is four miles away and is well stocked with markets and restaurants. The Island Naturals Supermarket is an especially good source of healthy food with an excellent hot bar.
6) How Secure are my Personal Possessions at Hedonisia? At present we have no private lockers. Guests may store valuables with the Manager in the Main House. We do encourage guests to be responsible for their personal property and valuables.
- Because we are small we have very few incidents of theft. The biggest problem is Guests or Volunteers leaving their possesions lying around in communal spaces such as the Barn. When someone is cleaning if they find a personal item then they will place it in the Lost & Found Zone which is also the Donation Zone! So please keep personal items in your living quarters. There is additional storage space in The Barn rafters to store personal belongings. Keeping The Barn area free of personal items allows space for additional activities; yoga, movies, dancing, and music.
- As with most communal fridges there are sometimes issues of privacy and "borrowing" another person's food. For total Food Security we can provide a cooler upon request for cold food storage. A 1 Liter bottle from the freezer will keep food and drink in a cooler for about 2 days. A 1 Liter bottle from the freezer will keep food and drink in a cooler for about 2 days.
7) Are the facilities (restroom, showers) open 24 hours? Restroom and showers are open 24 hours ... However please do not cook after 10:30PM on weekdays and 11:30PM on weekends. The barn is a communal space, where some guests reside.
8)Do the Eco-Policies and Practices of Hedonisia reduce my comfort in any way? We use ecofriendly cleaning products for most of our cleaning and maintenance. However, for visitors who expect concrete walls, room service, cable TV and the other "benefits" of normal hotels you might be pleasantly surprised! We want you to have a pleasurable and quirky ecotourist experience at Hedonisia Hawaii. We pride ourselves on the fact that there are hardly any matching sheets and pillowcases on the property! If you have bed sheets that don't match bring them over!
9) What is the maximum stay allowed at Hedonisia? All Guests who wish to pay a monthly rate must first telephone us at 808-269-2825 or 808-430-2545. Because we are a small retreat of only 10 spaces we need to know a little about any person(s) who wish to stay here for a longer time to ensure that we are a good fit. As well, any Guest who wishes to stay for the monthly price is obligated to have one cleaning day a week of the shared facilities.
Budget Tip: It is often cheaper to pay the monthly rate if you plan to stay for more than 10 days at Hedonisia! However, you will still have to do one cleaning day per week if you choose the monthly rate.
After renting as a Vacation Guest for one month it is possible to be a long term rental Guest for six months or longer. Long Term Guests have the benefit of a signing a Rental Agreement which allows their rental to be taxed at the lower General Excise tax rate of 4% instead of the Tourist Tax rate of 13.42%. All Long Term Applicants must complete the following:
- - 1 month minimum as normal Guest
- - Interview required
- - 1 Cleaning Day per long term Guest per week (Can be subsituted for Weeding Day!)
- - Signed Rental Agreement
10) What's the distance to the closest beach in your area? The distance to the closest beach (Kehena Beach) is 10 miles away. We are also located 4 miles away from natural steam vents, and warm ponds, approximately 6 miles away from tide pools great for snorkeling and swimming with turtles.
11) What are your Late Check-in or Quiet times? We do not have a curfew, guests and volunteers are free to come and go as they please. However we do have a Quiet Time that begins at 10:30PM on weekdays and 11PM on weekends. This does not mean guests have to go to bed by those times, it just means that the hostel should be quieter in the evenings and mornings out of respect for the sleeping and relaxation preferences of neighbors and guests.
12) What is your pet policy? Hedonisia Hawaii is pet friendly. The charge for a pet is $5 per day, $25 per week or $75 per month for a dog and half the cost for a cat. All pet owners are completely responsible for the care of their animals as well as cleaning up any mess that they make. This is especially important with regards to any detrimental effects they may have on guests, volunteers, or on the property itself. There is a $100 DAMAGE DEPOSIT that is required for pets. This deposit is refundable if owner and pet leave without any incident.
13) What is Hedonisia's drinking water source? Hedonisia Hawaii is fortunate in that we are one of the few locations in the area where we have clean drinkable water available straight from the tap. Some Guests and Volunteers choose to use a Brita water pitcher for further filtering but our tap water is very clean. And tastes great too! We are trying to the best of our ability to encourage guests to drink our delicious filtered tap water rather than the normal "plastic water".
14) What is the policy on Smoking at Hedonisia? Hedonisia Hawaii is a Community of Independent Individuals. We try to balance the rights of smokers and non-smokers. There is a Smoking Temple in the common area. However, we ask that smokers be respectful of non-smokers and to refrain if asked. In addition, we strongly request that ALL smokers refrain from smoking in the common areas when we have children on the property.
Having said that, we also have noticed that there does seem to be a bit of a witch hunt against those who choose to worship the Goddess of Fire by sacrificing their lungs! Large vehicles are a much deadlier source of second-hand smoke & pollution yet we continually harrass smokers. Please, let us reduce the far deadlier smoke from our cars before harrassing smokers any more.
15) I'm a little confused about your name, Hedonisia. From the beginning we decided to be a different kind of ecotourist establishment in Hawaii. However, to be very clear, whilst people often meet and start romances at Hedonisia we are NOT a sex resort! Many people get confused because our name Hedonisia is very similar to Hedonism III which is an Adult Resort located in Jamaica.
Hedonisia Hawaii is located in lush tropical jungle rainforest. When you are in Paradise it is hard not to feel romantic! However, single female travelers come here because we offer a safe and friendly environment due to our Dating and Sexual Harrassment Policy at Hedonisia.
In the future we may become an Intentional Community with more of a sensual flair. But that is a plan for the future! In the meantime, we will continue to be a nice, safe, friendly romantic sustainable community farming reteat!
General Questions about Puna, Hawaii
1) Since i don't have any kind of transportation...is it easy to hitchhike around in the Puna district where you are? Hitchhiking in the Puna district is relatively easy. But a rental car does come in handy to fully explore and see the island.
2) Do any cell phone providers work in your area? At present Cingular, AT&T, and T-Mobile have great reception in the area of Hedonisia. Other companies cell phones do not work as well.
3) What is the temperature like? It's a tropical rainforest so it rains a lot. However, the days are warm and the nights are cooler. Ideal for sleeping!
4) Is there a "monsoon" (rainy) season? Yes, our rainy season is all year long. However, December - March is traditionally the rainy season.
5) How are the bugs and snakes? Lots of mosquitos in the summer months. Less in winter. Centipedes and cockroaches are the only other insect pests. There are no snakes in Hawaii.
6) What about the nearby beaches? We are only 14 miles away from the Kehena Black Sands Clothing optional beaches. Other beaches are located in Hilo. However, we also have Champagne Ponds, Kapoho Warm Ponds and Kapoho Tidepools which are perfect for snorkellers.
7) What is the driving distance from the hostel to Kona? We are located about 3 hours drive from Kona or roughly about 105 miles.
8) Are there any particular tropical diseases or health issues we should be aware about in Big Island? Hawaii has the safest rainforests in the world. There is nothing really poisonous. As well, we don't have the sorts of diseases that are prevalent in many tropical areas. In the desert the air is dry and dusty which brings it's own set of problems. However, we are living in a rainforest so there is dampness! This means that sometimes there is mold and some things smell damp and musty. If you have any acute sensitivities to mold then please take the necessary precautions or medications. On the other hand, our little area of East Hawaii has some of the cleanest equatorial air in the world.