Aloha and welcome to At the Craters Edge. I am Melanie Boudar your hostess and have spent the last 30 years traveling the globe as a diamond and gemstone buyer, and an award winning fine jewelry designer. My travels for gems have taken me all over the world where I often chose small inns and homestays over hotel lodging. It was with these intimate exchanges that I learned the “hidden gems” about an area I stayed in. An off the beaten trail restaurant serving great local food, a fun “non tourist” place to shop, an unusual museum or stunning natural vista. Sometimes it was just the hospitality extended to me that made a trip so memorable, sampling a homemade jam, an invite to a bonfire, or an innkeeper’s dog to scratch, while I had my morning coffee. Somehow travel helps us experience a simple pleasure we often are too rushed in daily life to enjoy.

Drawing from the wealth of those experiences, I extend my hospitality and knowledge of the Big Island to make your stay truly memorable.

I have retired from the jewelry business after 30 years but have several creative passions in life including chocolate and building custom homes.

I recently opened Sweet Paradise Chocolatier (www.sweetparadisechocolate.com), an artisan chocolate company and am a founding member of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association, (www.finechocolateindustry.org). I teach chocolate classes for the University of Hawaii,

including tastings & pairings with wine, and chocolate making. 

I have lived in the East Coast, New Mexico and Hawaii, and enjoy gardening, hiking, horses, international travel, gourmet cooking and wine. I am learning to play the piano and invite anyone who knows how to play to enjoy the piano in the main house.

I design and build custom timber homes with Peter Fluker from British Columbia. Our company, Mahana Homes www.vervedesignbuild.com draws on the architecture influences of Japan, Bali and Polynesia.

Each home is special creative endeavor meant to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces. I have recently developed a “kit” guesthouse concept with these homes that can be shipped anywhere in the world.

My passion for design, architecture, the arts and gardening are reflected in this home’s inherent simplicity, integration of the indoor and outdoor spaces, and attention to detail. I reside here part time

with my Australian golden retriever, Aja. We invite you to relax, unwind and connect with your partner, in this intimate forest retreat I have created on the slopes of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.