Old Tobacco Road

Directions

Prior to your arrival to Hawaii and here in South Kona (preferably several days prior) please call or email us with your estimated time of arrival at the Aloha Guest House Bed and Breakfast. Please keep in mind that we are approximately a one-hour drive from the airport. Our earliest check-in is 3:00 p.m. We're not hard to find but you will be in unfamiliar territory, so it is best to have our directions printed and accessible. Trying to read the directions off of a phone while driving up Old Tobacco Road is not a good idea. Old Tobacco Road is a bumpy, one-lane, farm road best suited for a small SUV or Jeep, although almost any car can navigate it if driven slowly.

We recommend renting a four-wheel drive vehicle if you are concerned about the road conditions and/or you have doubts about your driving abilities. Although many of our guests use regular 2WD vehicles when staying with us, a 4WD vehicle will allow you to explore many of the beautiful and somewhat secluded parts of the Big Island in comfort and safety.

Directions from Kona International Airport to Old Tobacco Road
Not all GPS software can find us, but Google Maps can; if you have a smartphone or tablet, use "Aloha Guest House", not our physical address, and you will get a general idea of where we are located. It is approximately a one-hour drive from the airport to our guesthouse. When you leave the airport you will come to a traffic light at Highway 19. TURN RIGHT (south) onto Hwy 19 following the signs to Kailua-Kona and Volcano. In Kailua-Kona, Hwy 19 becomes Hwy 11. Continue on Hwy 11. Notice that the mile marker numbers on the left side of the road are descending. Eventually, you will be approaching the 104-mile marker, and just before you will pass a "Reduce Speed 35 MPH" sign. The road curves to the left and you will see an "Elevation 1000ft/305m" sign to your right. SLOW DOWN, and put your left turn signal on as you will be making a left turn onto our road in a few seconds. You may notice the "Aloha Guest House" sign to your right hanging from a tree, but it is a little hard to see. Your LEFT TURN is here! It is just a few meters before the 104-mile marker (located on the left side of the highway). There is no sign saying "Old Tobacco Road", so you will be turning left onto an unmarked road that is just before a white house with a small stone wall facing the highway. Our road looks more like a driveway than a city street, but rest assured if you have followed these instructions you are in the right place. If you have passed the 104-mile marker you have gone too far!

Directions from Hilo and Volcano to Old Tobacco Road
Not all GPS software can find us, but Google Maps can; if you have a smartphone or tablet, use "Aloha Guest House", not our physical address, and you will get a general idea of where we are located. Follow Hwy 11 towards Kailua-Kona. We are about 2 hrs. from Hilo and 1 ½ hrs. from Volcanoes National Park. Look for mile markers on the right side of the highway. Our road is located at the 104-mile marker. After passing the 103-mile marker pay attention to your odometer. Just prior to our turn is a “Y” intersection where Highway 160 goes to the left and Highway 11 continues forward; stay on 11! You will then immediately encounter a large “S” curve in the highway which turns to the left and then to the right. In the middle of the “S” curve, you should be going only about 15 mph. with your right turn indicator flashing as the turn to our road comes upon you very quickly. Look for the 104-mile marker on your right just as you start going straight. You will be turning right approximately 20 meters past the 104-mile marker. Presently, Old Tobacco Road has no street sign. Our road looks more like a driveway than a city street, but rest assured if you have followed these instructions you are in the right place Follow the directions below to the "Aloha Guest House Bed and Breakfast" in South Kona Hawaii.

Once you're on Old Tobacco Road
The Aloha Guest House Bed and Breakfast is EXACTLY .96 MILE up from the highway. Once on Old Tobacco Road, you will see that it is only one lane, so if you encounter someone driving from the opposite direction, the rule is whoever has the easier way to pull to the side lets the other car proceed. Generally, the car traveling downhill has the right of way. Most of the locals living on our road are very nice and will pull over for you. Old Tobacco Road is sometimes paved, sometimes bumpy, and sometimes steep. It is not dangerous so please don’t be concerned, just drive slowly and everything will be fine. If you are arriving during the day you get a chance to see turkeys, pheasants, and chickens. There are also coffee, avocado, guava, and macadamia nut trees. You may even get lucky and see a wild pig. The general rule as you make the drive to the Aloha Guest House is to turn or veer RIGHT whenever you see an obvious option (turning/veering right to go into someone's driveway or going off Old Tobacco Road following car tracks in the grass are not obvious options!). If you drive slowly and are not in a hurry, Old Tobacco Road is easily navigable, so don't be intimidated. Okay, so now you are actually driving on Old Tobacco Road. You may be thinking you are lost or made a wrong turn, but if you are thinking that, welcome to our road! After a minute or two of driving, you will see on your left a double concrete track going up the hill with a "Private Road 4X4 Only" sign. Do NOT turn left into this private road; just continue driving forward. As you continue, the road will suddenly become very smooth with new asphalt and bordered by a chain link fence; don't get too excited, it doesn't last long :). If you look to your left you should see an abandoned motorcycle up on the hill (It's been there for years and is somebody's idea of artwork). Less than a minute further look closely for a hard-to-see hump followed by a hard-to-see dip. You probably need to almost come to a stop and then drive over it very slowly. Next, as you continue, you will approach a small house on your right with an old coffee mill and a "Danger, No Trespassing sign". (The sign refers to the coffee mill and not continuing up the road). At this point, you are about 1/3 of the way. I don't need to tell you that Tobacco Road is extra bumpy here (this is bad as it gets) because the owner of that house likes it that way. The road now curves sharply left (hairpin turn) and you will encounter the first of two dips. Just drive slowly through them and everything will be okay. Keep going.…. You will pass a two-story brown house on your left, and now the road goes to the right (keep following the paved portion of the road) and then you will go through the second dip. In just a few seconds you will encounter the only true fork or "Y" in the road (if you are arriving at night you might notice three red reflectors attached to an electric/telephone pole in front of you). Turn right and continue following the road. If you go to the left by mistake it will take you to the KCOF radio station which does not usually offer accommodations :). Now you will be traveling on a relatively flat section of the road lined with several shallow potholes. On your right is a fenced area with macadamia trees (and sometimes lots of feral pigs!), and then a bit further you should see on your left a mailbox for "Steve's Keokea Farm". There is a bee farm to your right where they are raising queen bees. Just keep going; don't give up now :). About 35 meters past Steve's mailbox the road will turn left and again you will start to climb uphill. Don't get worried you are getting closer. It looks a little scary here because the climb is a little steeper, but it isn't as difficult as it appears.....I promise. Just keep going! You are now driving through our neighbor's coffee farm (yes, those are Kona coffee trees on your left). Upcoming you will approach an area in the road that sometimes has standing water. If you do see water on the road it is always shallow and you can drive through it without any concerns. Your next landmark is a few seconds ahead where directly in front of you will be a rock wall in front of a small house. In front, and just to your left, is our neighbor's driveway so don't go there, instead look to your right, and, believe it or not, Old Tobacco Road becomes nicely paved and smooth (thanks to us and our next-door neighbor). Proceed to the right and enjoy the smooth ride. In a few seconds, you will see on your left the driveway for "RoJo Coffee Farm". This driveway is parallel to our driveway, so don't make the mistake of turning left here (our neighbors are nice, but they won't cook breakfast for you :). You need to continue going straight for another 10 meters until you reach our "Aloha Guest House" sign directly in front of you. Old Tobacco Road ends when you reach our sign, and at this point, you will be driving on our driveway as you go 90 degrees left and steeply uphill. Looking uphill and to the right, you should see the guesthouse. Drive up the hill and keep going straight until you reach our parking lot which will be on your LEFT at the end of our driveway. Do NOT turn right on the driveway that goes in front of our house. When you get to the top, look to the left for any available space to park. Our cat, Katya, might come to say welcome to you. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU MADE IT! If you informed us of your approximate arrival time, we should be home and I will be out in a moment. If for some reason we aren't home, please look for a note on our downstairs door giving you instructions. If necessary, we can be reached by calling 808-328-8955. Your room will be ready and your name will be on the door so please come inside through the downstairs screened door (next to the washing machine) and get comfortable.

Transportation

What kind of car should we get?

If you are fun loving, adventurous and interested in activities like exploring secluded beaches, visiting the observatories on Mauna Kea or trekking the backcountry near Volcano, you really should consider renting a 4 -wheel drive vehicle during your stay. By doing so, you can save a lot of hiking and get to explore some really amazing places that are away from the beaten path. If your plans are to visit remote state beach parks or ranches with unpaved driveways, we recommend an SUV or another high clearance vehicle. Doing so will get you to most places and allow you to deal with speed bumps and semi-paved areas in comfort. Jeeps and SUVs are also a great choice to navigate up Old Tobacco Road to our guest house.

As for staying with us, we are located at the end of a one-mile, one lane, semi-paved farm road. Old Tobacco Road winds up from the highway and is bumpy in several spots. Our road is not dangerous to drive; it just requires a little patience as the typical speed is approximately 8-10 MPH. This kind of road is not unusual for rural South Kona and we even get UPS and FED-EX deliveries to our front door. Over the years we have seen a mix of guest vehicles ranging from large SUV's to convertible sports cars, and all have successfully traveled up and down our road. We do, however, suggest that our guests rent a higher clearance vehicle; 4-wheel drive is not necessary to navigate Old Tobacco Road. Choosing the right car ultimately depends on the personality of each individual driver; some guests think our road is fun and adventurous, some think it is a non-issue, while others are a little wide-eyed when they first arrive but quickly become accustomed to the drive.