Beautiful home in a stunning location. I almost don’t want to write a review lest too many people discover this gem! If you’re lucky enough to stay here, please take great care: the house deserves respect, from the vaulted wooden ceiling down to its cork floors, it was clearly built with love as a family home, and we felt honoured to have its use.
There’s so many positive things to say about this place, I don’t know where to start! The ocean view where whales & Maui can be spotted? The incredible pool where we swam laps daily? The super comfortable sofas? The fresh fruit we enjoyed from the private orchard? The master bed that feels like sleeping on a cloud? The air conditioning?! Air con was a priority for us, and it is hard to find in rentals… harder still to find a system that isn’t limited to a predetermined, too-hot temperature; this house supplies it in 3 of the 5 bedrooms and the main kitchen/living room. We used it daily for my husband’s office, set up in the master bedroom, and it was so effective I had to wear a sweater to go in there! We needed it in the main room only a few times, otherwise the ceiling fans and near-constant cooling winds in this spot made it unnecessary. Those winds, and the weather in general, are one of the things which make this location unbeatable: nestled in my favourite little corner of the island, with views of graceful windmills and lush farmland. It is remote, but the adorable nearby towns of Hawi and Kapaau offer restaurants & shops, and great snorkelling spots are 5 minutes down the road. One of Hawaii’s oldest sacred temples (Moʻokini Heiau) can be accessed via a gorgeous coastal walk right nearby.
The house is extraordinarily well stocked with everything you might need, from beach chairs to band aids, and if there’s anything missing the hosts can likely provide it. The kitchen, too, is a dream: proper burr coffee grinder, a full espresso machine (I made iced macadamia nut milk lattes daily) plus filter coffee machine, gas stovetop, complete cooking and baking equipment, even a pizza stone! We celebrated several birthdays over our visit and were able to make delicious home baked cakes for each one, as well as daily fresh salsa with the Ninja blender. Children would be in heaven here, with the full game/puzzle closet, adorable playhouse, and beautifully landscaped acres to roam.
Hosts Tom and Samara truly wanted us to have our dream stay and they were endlessly accommodating to make that happen: they brought us extra yoga mats (on top of the closet full of yoga gear including blocks & straps!), free weights & kettlebells, even external computer monitors for remote work! Little maintenance issues were dealt with swiftly and without intrusion. The book they’ve compiled for the home is incredible, a tailor-made guide to the island with recommendations we used throughout our stay. We are grateful for all they did, both in the careful preparation of their home and during our visit, and we cannot wait to return.