Welcome to The Gingerbread House at The Sacred Garden Retreat!
We are so happy to have you stay with us and want to be sure you have a great time here. PLEASE let us know WHILE YOU ARE HERE if there is anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable, if there is any problem or if you have any questions. It breaks our hearts to find out afterwards, when it is too late to make your stay more enjoyable.
You can find our favorite restaurants and recommended things to do as well as a list of our other accommodations (for when you return or for referring to friends!) on this web site.
There are some things that will be helpful to know:
Check in is 3:00pm. Check out is 11:00 am
If you need a late check out, please let us know prior to the day you depart. When possible, we will be happy to accommodate you but due to same day check ins and our cleaner’s schedule, it isn’t always possible especially at the last minute. When you leave, please leave the keys on the hook by the door and the doors unlocked. There is a key to both the front and back door. Feel free to leave any food behind. Between the dog, the chickens and the housecleaner, other tenants and us, there is always a use for it. We also compost. If you have a red eye flight you may want to book an extra night to ensure you have a place to leave your belongings, rest, eat, shower prior to your flight.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY ON THE PROPERTY…there are children, chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs…not to mention other people!
Parking:
Please park on the lawn to the right of the front door of Gingerbread house being mindful to leave the driveway to the left of the Gingerbread House clear. This is a farm and there is a cottage at the back of the property that uses that driveway. Thank you for keeping the access clear. ALWAYS look up to be sure you haven’t parked under something that could fall on your call….breadfruit, palm fronds or branches from pine tree.
The gate code will be sent to you just prior to your stay. The gate opens automatically open inward, there is a cone to let you know how far back it comes. If it doesn’t automatically open, simply back up and drive a little closer to the left side of the driveway. It will then trigger the opener.
WIRELESS: There is Internet in the Gingerbread House, on the Orbi18 system. The password is “wireless.”
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS REAL NATURE. THE STREAM BED is a FLASH FLOOD ZONE, the rocks are slippery, and trees and rocks fall from the cliffs. PLEASE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR WELL-BEING AND MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN. We do not want anyone hurt.
YOU MUST SEE The Sacred Garden while you are here! It is free, open to the public, 9-5 daily. It is BEAUTIFUL and right here on site….please don’t miss it. The Greenhouse is a working nursery. There is a beautiful Buddha meditation garden. Just outside of the greenhouse there is a Labyrinth (walking meditation) Garden. We do a full moon labyrinth walk every month and are happy to offer you a labyrinth orientation if you are interested. There is also a Sunday meditation 8-9am every week.
House Rules:
Quiet Time 9pm-8am. Amplified sound that disturbs neighbors or other guests is prohibited. Parking (provided at no extra cost) must be on gated property, not on street. Parties and events are not allowed.
Lights:
We live on an island with limited resources, please turn off lights when you are not going to be home. Please note that the dimmer switch to the right of the sink has to be pushed down until it clicks to turn off. The light switch next to the back door turns on a light at night to light up the beautiful tree! The bathroom has both an on/off light switch on the bedroom side of the door and a dimmer switch behind the door. If someone turns it off with the dimmer switch, it will need to be turned back on from the dimmer in order for the other switch to work. Electric bills in Hawaii are outrageous so we humbly ask that you conserve energy and turn out lights when you aren’t using them.
BBQ:
There is a charcoal BBQ in the back yard, and there should be charcoal in the metal can next to it. If you need more, let us know.
Firepit:
There is a chiminea outside for your use, and firewood in the larger metal can. If you need more, let us know.
Smoking:
Please no smoking in the cottage. There are sitting areas outside. Please throw butts in trash.
Washer and Dryer:
There is a washer and dryer outside the house to the east of your front door, on the outside of the main house. You are welcome to use it. Please shake any sand from towels/swimsuits before washing, remove objects from pockets and use small amount of soap per load. There should also be tide pods in the closet (1 per load).
Massage:
I can make recommendations for you if you want a massage. There is a near by spa and I have a lovely woman who will come to the property.
Trash:
The large brown trashcan outside in the front (on the left toward the gate) is where all the trash needs to end up. Please note that we put the trash out on Monday and Thursday nights, so if you have any trash you will want to put it out in the brown trash can by Monday and Thursday.
Recycling:
Please recycle. There is a recycling bin under your sink. There is a large blue recycling can next to the trash can on your way to the gate. Please recycle Glass, Plastic Bottles, Aluminum, Cardboard and mixed metals. Our recycling center DOES NOT TAKE ANY PLASTIC EXCEPT FOR BOTTLES so go ahead an throw away plastic cups, yogurt containers, etc.
Composting:
There is a bucket out the back door for food waste.
Conservation:
We live on a small island with limited resources. Please conserve water and turn out lights when not home.
FOOD STORAGE:
Because we are in the jungle, we aim to keep bugs and rodents at bay. YOU CAN REALLY HELP by keeping food put away either in the refrigerator or in the plastic containers provided. ANYTHING left on the counters or simply in plastic bags can invite pests. Due to the humidity in Hawaii, breads and crackers get stale extremely fast. It is highly recommended that you keep them in the refrigerator.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANTS, OR OTHER INSECTS. The cottage gets quarterly treatments for pests, and we do our best to continuously manage them, as well. PLEASE HELP! The majority of the insects that come into the condo do so looking for food (or water). The cleaner you keep the kitchen, the less likely they will be attracted to come in. THANK YOU! Please put your food trash outside as soon as possible TO AVOID INVITING RODENTS AND BUGS INSIDE. If you are interested in composting, there is a bucket at the bottom of the back steps, otherwise the trashcan is fine.
Please note that Gecko lizards live inside and outside all the houses in Hawaii. Do not be alarmed if you see them in the house. They are good luck and harmless (and cute!)
ANIMALS:
Next door we have two cats and a two Golden Retrievers. The dogs will likely greet you when they see you. The darker Golden Retriever is Kumu (teacher) and the lighter one is Maka (beloved one). Both very sweet. Both are EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC when they meet people so be prepared to fend off when they enthusiastically greet you! The cats like to come inside houses and cars so please do not lock them in or relocate them! The Black cat with a tiny bit of white on her chest is Kiki. The grey striped kitty is Sol. (Sol lives in The Sacred Garden greenhouse by day and explores the property at night)
The white duck is Momi. She is very sweet but not super smart about cars. Please do not assume she will get out of the way.
The chickens are wild ….but they think we belong to them. If you pretend you are on a safari and the roosters are lions roaring…you’ll joyfully think “There’s one!!” at 4am instead of being unhappy about it!
The only wild animals Maui really has are chickens, deer, pigs, rodents/mongoose, birds and sea animals. You very well may see deer on the property.
PLEASE BE WATCHFUL OF ALL ANIMALS WHILE DRIVING IN AND OUT OF THE PROPERTY. THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO MOVE OUT OF YOUR WAY.
The Grounds:
We will be happy to give you a tour of the property if you would like. You are welcome to wander around. As long as you do not cross the stream or the street you are still on our property. There are some chairs around the property, you are welcome to enjoy. There is great star gazing at night, as well. Please respect that people live in the main house next door and cottages, and aim to maintain the privacy in the immediate areas of those dwellings. PLEASE NOTE: Any hiking or exploring you do on the grounds are done so AT YOUR OWN RISK. The stream is seasonal, but if it is raining above us, could be subject to flash flooding. In any case, the rocks are slippery. This is the wilderness; Be careful!
PLEASE ONLY PICK FRUIT THAT WE HAVE SHOWN YOU IS OKAY TO PICK AND TAUGHT YOU WHEN IT IS RIPE.
We are a working farm and often wait a full year for fruit to come into season only to discover it has been picked prematurely and thus wasted. Sometimes we are planning to take it to market, only to find it gone.
Same with the vegetable garden. PLEASE ASK BEFORE TAKING. We are happy to share, and give samples, but deeply appreciate the conversation before the picking.
PLEASE SHARE THIS REQUEST WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
BE SURE TO WASH ALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY THAT YOU PICK OR BUY AT FARMER’S MARKETS TO AVOID DISEASE.
Farm Fresh Eggs! Our tenant has a chicken coop and often has farm fresh eggs from free range chickens available upon request. Just let me know. ($8 a dozen or $1 per egg if less are preferred.
Check Out:
- Checkout time is 11:00am
- Please let us know what time you will be departing so we can schedule cleaners accordingly. Please also let us know if anything is broken or needs our special attention.
- PLEASE wash your dishes.
- Take out trash.
- NO NEED to strip the beds.
- Gather all personal belongings.
- You are welcome to leave untouched food/drinks. (if you are leaving alcohol, please let me know so I can hold cleaners accountable. Thanks!)