The highlight of our trip

Missi (Columbia, sc)
Review submitted: March 14, 2013   Date of arrival: March 5, 2013

Staying at this house in makawao was the highlight of our two week vacation to Maui! The house was roomy, the beds were so comfortable and the huge back deck and grill were great for the nights we ate in and relaxed. Makawao is an adorable little row and we were close to ziplining and the road to
Hana. We will definitely be returning! Lisa was a pleasure to rent from - thank you so much for all your help!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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A Very Merry Maui Christmas

Hoaloha (Oregon)
Review submitted: February 1, 2013   Date of arrival: December 25, 2012

This was our second time staying in upcountry Maui and coming back to this home was a sweet homecoming. It is the ideal retreat to escape to after a day of exploring the island. It is a great location that easily connects you to the roads to Hana, Paia, Haiku, Haleakala or toward the beaches of West Maui. The property is in Makawao, a lovely little town filled with surprises to discover. The home is cozy and serene, surrounded by forests. At night you can gaze at the star filled sky and if you get an island breeze blowing through, the whistling of the trees will be your lullaby. Lisa and family are great hosts and there is nothing that has not been thought of to make sure guests have a great stay. It is a true personal retreat and after spending 2 weeks there we felt fully reenergized. I would recommend this home to those that truly want to experience Maui and disconnect from wherever you may be coming from. Everything that the island has to offer is a short drive away, and when you've had enough of exploring the island for the day, you can get away to your forest retreat and get well rested for the next day's adventures. We will surely be back in the near future to once again escape at this wonderful forest retreat. Mahalo Lisa and Family!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Maui Olinda Forest Retreat

CC (Honolulu)
Review submitted: January 28, 2013   Date of arrival: January 21, 2013

Highly recommend this rental unit for anyone traveling to Maui whether for business or vacation. Location takes a few minutes to get too, but is well worth the drive. Your own little secluded paradise. House was very clean and homey and had everything you could need while away from home. Listing description and photos are accurate and property was well taken care of. Owner goes above and beyond to make your stay as comfortable as possible and was very easy to work with. Excellent customer service and will definitely return for any future trips as well as recommend to family and friends.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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The "Up" Side of Maui

Woody L. (Alexandria, VA)
Review submitted: January 15, 2013   Date of arrival: January 10, 2013

If you're looking for a unique and wonderful Hawaiian experience, look no further than this "upcountry" home. Situated a short distance above the town of Makawao, you'll know you're in for something special as you make your way up the local road lined with towering eucalyptus trees, leaving the tourist-filled areas of Maui behind. The house is wonderfully comfortable, with a large living room, a master bedroom that features a corner fireplace (which we enjoyed on a cool January evening), and a broad deck with a great hot tub (enjoyed as well). At night, the property is a perfect vantage point for an exceptional view to the heavens. You'll see more stars than you've likely ever seen before in your life. The owner keeps the house spotlessly clean, and welcomes you with a generous basket of Hawaiian treats...a very nice touch. She was also readily available to answer any questions that arose. We've used vrbo.com for years, and this was clearly one of the favorite properties. We highly recommend it.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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A Memorable Stay at the Maui Olinda Forest Retreat

Chuck & Family (Tempe, Arizona USA)
Review submitted: November 4, 2012   Date of arrival: October 21, 2012

I give this cottage my highest recommendation!! My reasons are:

• a beautiful, rural, Olinda Forest environment.
• quality of the home, furnishings, layout, and spaciousness.
• away from the busy areas of Maui and just remote enough to provide restful solitude.
• central access to all reaches of Maui.
• an easy 15 minute drive to Makawao - a charming community.
• we dined at a Mexican and an American restaurant in Makawao - excellent food & service.
• owner provided helpful insights that contributed immensely to a successful vacation.

When I return to Maui, this residence is my first choice!!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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The forest is incredible!

trish (maui)
Review submitted: November 1, 2012   Date of arrival: October 2, 2012

The kids and I (boy age 12, girl age 15) had a blast. The house was very comfortable and worked great for the three of us. Having a washer and dryer was a big plus. The beds were extremely comfortable, and having an office was really helpful. We stayed for 17 days and the price was reasonable. We loved the road up to the house. It is an interesting mix of hawaiian style homes and the foliage and trees were really unusual. Something you don't see anywhere else! We came to this short term rental until we found our full time home on Maui. The school bus picked the kids up at the driveway and I found this location convenient to various places like Makawao Town, Pukulani, Paia, Kula, and Haiku. We were able to get to Kahului with a reasonable drive - and had great views of the island on the way! The owner was very accommodating to our special requests, and went out of her way to take care of our needs. (since we were long term people in a short term place). Single Mom and two kids - we felt very safe and secure. Definately would recommend this home as a place to stay during your visit. This is the REAL Maui! Don't miss it.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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Makawao

kate (florida)
Review submitted: August 14, 2012   Date of arrival: August 2, 2012

cool, beautiful, clean, friendly we loved playing Crockett and the hot tub!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Cozy, Comfy, Clean and Tranquil Home-Away-From-Home

Jeff & MaryGee (United States)
Review submitted: July 9, 2012   Date of arrival: June 3, 2012

For pictures of the gorgeous property and details of the house please visit:
http://www.modernhawaiiweddings.com/2012/07/09/details-of-our-relaxing-maui-mini-vacation/

My husband and I enjoyed our second honeymoon at this retreat. Our friends stayed at this Olinda retreat a few months ago and gave it raving reviews. Because we are from busy Oahu and have both visited Maui before, we were looking for a quiet, non-crowded, non-touristy place to stay. We planned on spending most of our trip at our rental and were so pleased that we chose to stay at this retreat. This house was cozy, clean, and comfortable- truly a "home away from home." We loved the smell of eucalyptus, the lack of noisy traffic noise, and waking up to the peaceful sound of birds chirping and trees swaying.

The house was well equipped with all basic necessities and extremely clean. We appreciated all the "extras," including the wide selection of DVDs and the outdoor grilling/dining area. On most days, we bought food from the nearby markets, cooked at home, and ate on the back lanai. Our favorite amenity was the hot tub, which we used to star gaze and relax at night.

Although we would have preferred a curtain on all of the bedroom windows, the property is very secluded; the yard is surrounded by tall trees, which blocked the view of the neighbors. Despite another small unit adjacent to the rental, our privacy was not affected because we did not see the other tenant at all during our stay. The two bedrooms were on separate ends of the house, with the living room in between, which would afford extra privacy for a family or group.

We definitely want stay here again on our next visit and bring our friends and family. Mahalo Lisa and your ohana for providing such a wonderful place! We appreciate your care and attention to detail in maintaining the home.

Recommended for: romantic getaway

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Ideal family retreat

Meg (Bountiful, Ut)
Review submitted: June 9, 2012   Date of arrival: May 16, 2012

This was the most perfect place for our little family of four. It was beautiful inside and out, immaculately cleaned, completely ready for us to relax and play. The girls loved having their own room, I loved the huge, well stocks kitchen and our youngest loved the crib that was provided. We all loved the hot tub and hanging out on the large lanai in the morning. The large trees and gentle breeze was so ideal we never wanted to leave.
Everything was so inviting and the owners made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed, even fresh mangos in the fridge!
We love hiking in the Makawao forest reserve so this place was perfect for our family. We enjoyed morning trail runs and evening hikes with beach time in the middle. I really cannot say enough about this place. The lay out is spacious and open. Our kids loved having room to play and a TV to watch after a long day in the ocean. I loved coming home to something so nice, comfortable and inviting each day.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Maui oasis

Josh G. ()
Review submitted: April 2, 2012   Date of arrival: March 29, 2012

The house was perfect for my family. We loved the sound of wind and swaying eucalyptus forest which surround thw property. Lis a and Bryan have kept up the property beautifully. We thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub, wraparound deck, roomy kitchen and open green space. The nicely maintained lawn was perfect for the kids to play catch. The pictures do not do this place justice. It was perfect location for our planned east maui and Haleakala adventures sandwiching calm south maui beach time and whale watching in between. Twin falls, beach and Haleakala trail riding were all less than 30 min from this cool mountain retreat away from the condo-row traffic and congestion. Lisa's friend Melissa led us on horseback trail ride to some spectacular views and picked great temperament horses for our kids. Be aware that the last 5 miles leading up to house are winding roads, but our 2 motion-sickness prone family members had no problem with it.

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Vandermeersch Family Stay - March 2012

Mark V (Mississauga Ontario)
Review submitted: March 12, 2012   Date of arrival: March 2, 2012

Everything was perfect! Lisa had everything ready for us, the house was so clean and Lisa was always available. Highly recommended.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, pet-friendly, romantic getaway

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Shangri'la in Maui

John (Aylmer, Ontario CANADA)
Review submitted: March 12, 2012   Date of arrival: March 1, 2012

If you hate to stay in hotels as much as I do then you've come to the right place. This house quickly becomes home, becomes your haven away from the hectic days you have no doubt scheduled for yourself while on Maui. The minute you walk into the spacious living area you feel a sense of relief much like coming home from a hard day. This is important to me and if it is to you as well then, by all means, rent this house for the length of your stay in Maui.

I have to compliment you, Lisa, on your attention to detail. The house was spotless, the amenities better than described and the welcome basket a very lovely touch. Everything in the house worked and we lacked for nothing.

I highly, highly recommend this unit for anything from a family to romantic getaway. Don't think about it - call Lisa now !!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway

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Pleasant and peaceful stay at Maui Olinda

Michael (Wawota, Saskatchewan)
Review submitted: February 17, 2012   Date of arrival: February 10, 2012

As has been noted by earlier reviewers, cool evenings and mornings are a reality for this property, as is a winding access road, and significant distance to west coast tourist amenities, and lack of internet service, and the surprise of the attached studio rental. Depending on what a person wants, these can be detractions, or they can be attractions. We found the house to be very clean, well maintained, and up to date, matching the description and our expectations much better than other rentals during our stay in Maui. It was on the pricier end of the seven accommodations we rented, but also offered far more than other rentals offered. The smell and grandeur of the eucalytus forest was inspiring to myself, raised on the Canadian prairies. I can recommend this rental to anyone who enjoys peace and quiet just off the well beaten tourist road.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Our stay at Maui Olinda

Susan (winnipeg)
Review submitted: February 5, 2012   Date of arrival: January 30, 2012

We had a very nice stay at the house. It was very clean. The town of Makawao was a quaint little town albeit rather pricey. Very cool at the house in the morning and evening, probably about 55 degrees. Make sure you bring a warm jacket! The Hot tub was a welcome addition in the cool weather, as was the portable furnace in the house. Nice privacy on the treed lot. Very windy road up to the property, it actually gave us motion sickness each time we drove it. About 30 minutes drive to coastal cities. Overall a nice retreat if you like privacy and don't mind the many curves on the road to get there or the cold mornings and evenings.

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We loved our stay here!

kelly (kapolei)
Review submitted: January 28, 2012   Date of arrival: January 23, 2012

My husband and I just spent our honeymoon here for 4 nights.

I'm a local resident from Oahu, and so I'm really turned off by any town that is known for being touristy like Lahina, or anything thats crowded with people. Makawao was the perfect place for anyone not wanting to be caught up with the crowd.

The place was fantastic! We loved how private and quiet this cottage was. Waking up in the morning to hear nothing but peace and tranquility of the bird chirping was so relaxing. We put to good use the hot tub and the fire place, and the gas grill outside the patio. We were thrilled to have found the grocery store thats found not to far from the cottage, any time we needed to buy something, its just a couple minute drive down the road. When we didn't want to cook for ourselves, we just went to the old Makawao town to eat. It was a great place for its price. My husband and I found other pamphlets for hotel rooms for the same price but none of them were as nice as this place nor did they have a private hot tube. We are definitely recommending this place to anyone wanting to get away.

The only thing we would have liked is more curtains or blinds

Recommended for: adventure seekers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Upcountry living/ homestyle Maui

ALLISAW (Wasilla, Alaska)
Review submitted: January 23, 2012   Date of arrival: January 2, 2012

I , my wife, and three daughters enjoyed returning "home" each evening after our daily active island adventures. This was our first trip to Maui and found the Makawao area a great starting point . The house was clean , roomy, and comfortable. We definitely enjoyed the nice outdoor deck with the hot tub and gas grill. The vegitation, aroma, and sounds were relaxing. The winding road up the hill became normal after we got used to Maui. We chose this listing for its central upcountry location, good price compared to two hotel rooms, and the peace/quiet/security of the semi-remote residential area. We drove the entire island and hope to do it again sometime. The fourty-five minute drive to the west end beaches was made several times without problem. Lisa was very kind and eager to make our stay a good one. No internet in the house, but had at&t cellular. Was unaware of studio rental on east side of house, but after meeting her, felt more secure and privacy was still fine.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Great Escape from Maui's Hustle and Bustle

Robert and Lisa and Haley and Brice (Texas)
Review submitted: September 5, 2011   Date of arrival: August 6, 2011

Ok, so the 'hustle and bustle' comment is a little tongue-in-cheek', but this house is certainly a great place to enjoy some peace and quiet. It's located about 15 minutes up the mountain from Makawao, not too far from the top and in a very different climate zone from the beach or rainforest zone. Lots of tall trees and beautiful weather. We enjoyed the hot tub during the cool nights - so much so, our swimsuits didn't want to leave! Nice, secluded deck with a grill. We grilled out and took it easy at night. We stayed at 3 different spots during our trip - this was our last spot and it was very relaxing.
The house is a good size. There is room to spread out. Bedrooms separated by the living area, so that was nice. Twin beds in the kids room, so they didn't have to fight over bed space. Large kitchen, too - a welcome change from our condo rental. The one thing it could use is internet access, since we often try to keep up with email in the evening.
It's about 10 minutes from the Piiholo zip line (between the house and Makawao) and was our base for our trip to Haleakala. Good choice for an upcountry getaway. When driving into town, try both Piiholo Rd and Olinda Rd (connects with Piiholo Rd up the mountain from the house).

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 3 / 4