Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center

Wow what a treat, I'm not into Kirpal at all and I'm definitely not in the slightest a vegetarian... hahaha forgive me. However this place is absolutely fabulous if you want to unplug from society and its busyness, settle and enjoy its tropical setting. The hosts are fantastic, smiling and ready to help make your stay comfortable. The beds are great, spacious rooms. Vegetarian, I'd have to say after eating a full and complete vegetarian diet, with practically all organic food, the craving of meat and eggs subsided, I really enjoyed, papaya and a mixture of seeds, freshly brewed coffee or tea for breakfast, I enjoyed homemade vegetable salads and the comforts of homeliness. Can I suggest a few things to make your stay worthwhile, Kailua - Kona is a big place and it has two airports, one at Kailua - Kona and the other at Hilo an hour or two from KMEC, we went by bus which is free, however our host picked us up from the bus stop, a local supermarket shopping centre. It would pay to get the flight to Hilo, and remember there are no early busses, so make sure you have plenty of time to get to and from airport. Also, can I suggest, once you are there plan to stay there, after all the reason for travelling to this beautiful place is to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and Meditate on God's goodness. The fruit trees provided me a day of eating the ripe fruit from under the shade of a tree and colouring in... a childhood dream come true.

Members of Malama O Puna, a local non-profit just spent a retreat weekend at Kirpal. A wonderful experience, Great staff and beautiful property. I would definitely recommend.

Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I was happy to be there at the same time as the founder, and he was gracious and kind, offering to lead meditation in the morning. Of the beaten bath and down to earth, this is a great place to stay if you like a

This place is amazing and off-grid. If you want to experience the real Hawaii vacation this is the place! It is remote and rustic but the cabins are spacious and the beds are amazing - much better than my bed at home. There is no air conditioning but the cabins are screened with a ceiling fan and we stayed very comfortable at night. There are shared bathrooms and a community kitchen. The bathrooms open to the forest but no worries - it was a great experience! I would highly recommend eating breakfast at the center - I think most of the food is grown on-site and is vegetarian but was delicious - going to start cooking more like that at home. It is a great place to disconnect from all the gadgets that we have (the internet connection is spotty in this region of Hawaii). The sounds of nature are all around and it was a beautiful experience. The Center is located about 30 minutes southwest of Pahoa, which is also definitely worth a visit. The Isaac Hale Park is located within walking distance and although I would not recommend swimming in the ocean here - there is a pond that is accessible for swimming. There is also a forest reserve not too far down the road for hiking. If you are looking for a peaceful and restful vacation - this is the place!

This is the real Hawaii! The property is located in a relatively remote area about 30 minutes south of Pahoa. Beautiful setting in the middle of a forest not too far from the beach. Isaac Hale Park is within walking distance and although the beach isn’t very safe for swimming there is a pond there that you can swim in. The accommodations are primitive and like camping but Mango Cabin was very spacious and the beds were VERY comfy. It is off-grid but there is electricity to the cabins. The cabins are screened and ours had a ceiling fan that kept us cool at night. There are community bathrooms and a kitchen but we never had any issues and I get up multiple times in the night.i would highly recommend, at a minimum, to eat breakfast at the community kitchen before heading out for the day. Very healthy with most ingredients grown on-site. We had a great time and staff (and other vacationers) are very friendly and helpful. Great place to disconnect and discover what “Island Time” really is. Highly recommend!

We were arriving at 8:45 which according to their rules was not an issue and they would not even let us check in so we had to sleep in our car with two young children!