Welcome to The Sacred Garden Retreat Log House!
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.
We believe everything you need is available to enjoy your stay, but we live next door so if we missed something, please let us know! It always breaks our hearts to find out after someone leaves, or in a review, that there was something that could have been better without our ability to tend to it while you are here!
The house has a fully equipped kitchen and an extra refrigerator downstairs (2 fridges), microwave, blender, toaster, oven/stove, drip coffee maker, filters/grinder and coffee for the first few days, electric hot water kettle, tea, salt/pepper/some spices, dishwasher, etc. Rental also comes with all linens, soaps (body, hand, shampoo, conditioner, dish, clothes), iron/ironing board, hair dryers, beach towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, some beach toys (boogie boards/masks/fins/beach shoes etc were left by previous guests and are not part of what we provide –although they are available for your use. Please CHECK TO BE SURE EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONAL BEFORE USING, including the chairs and umbrellas, as we are often not told if something is broken. If you want to know if something is here that I didn’t list, just ask!
There are some things that will be helpful to know:
Check in is 4:00pm.
Check out is 10:00 am. If you need a late check out, please discuss this with us as soon as possible. If possible, we will be happy to accommodate you, however, the sooner we know the more likely we can work it out. We have to juggle an entire cleaning crew’s schedule and it is not always viable. Otherwise, the cleaning crew will be showing up at 10.00. If you have a red eye flight, you may want to book an extra night so as to ensure you have a place to leave your belongings and can come back, shower, rest, and eat before your flight.
Address: 470 Kaluanui Road (Ka-Lu-A-Nu-EE) Makawao (ma-ka-wow) 96768 (Please note that there are two driveways, the first one is for The Sacred Garden which is open to the public. The second one (shared by 460 AND 470) is next to the mailboxes and has a gate.
The gate code is 1234. The gate will automatically open inward when you leave, 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. Please be aware that the gate is on a timer. If there are several cars caravanning in your party, make sure no one is waiting in front of the gate as it will close on a scheduled interval. Either pull all the way through the gate, or wait behind the gate.
ONCE THROUGH THE GATE DRIVE ABOUT 100 yards and TURN LEFT UP THE CEMENT DRIVEWAY (about 30 ft driveway). The log house is at the top of the driveway. Park right next to the log house. Please look up before you park. Branches fall, breadfruit falls, coconuts fall, your mindfulness about where you park and what is above you will better ensure your and your cars well being (this is true EVERYWHERE on the island!)
Please be extremely careful coming and going up and down the driveway. There is a drop off on either side. It is best to turn around before you drive down it. If you are walking, please note that it can be slippery after a lot of rainfall. Please tread carefully!
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY ON THE PROPERTY!
There are kids, chickens, ducks, cats and dogs that you should ASSUME WILL NOT GET OUT OF YOUR WAY!
The door code:
The door code will be sent to you just prior to your arrival. You can turn the lock knob on the door to stop it from locking every time you go outside, or making sure that it does.
Wireless:
Wireless is on the LogHouseOrbi system. The password is “wireless”. All internet systems on the property share the same password.
LAYOUT of the HOUSE:
This is a three story house; The entrance is on the middle floor.
Main Floor (kitchen, living room, dining room, lanai)
Bedroom 1: one queen bed.
Master bath off of bedroom. Shower/bath, sink, toilet and bidet.
Top Floor (2 bedrooms and a bathroom)
Bedroom 2: two twin beds
Bedroom 3: loft bedroom with 2 queen-sized beds
Bathroom off the hallway between two rooms Shower/toilet/sink
Bottom floor (2 bedrooms, laundry room, bathroom)
Bedroom 4: two twins and a queen (no bathroom at night unless going to the 3rd floor or through the other bedroom
Laundry room
Bedroom 5: Studio suite with king bed and sofa bed, kitchenette
Bathroom (shower/bathtub, toilet, sink)
One of the challenges is that there are 3 bathrooms in the house— one on each of the three floors. However, two of those bathrooms are off of bedrooms. Consequently, if someone is in the bottom floor back room (4) and they have to use the bathroom in the night, they have to either go through someone else’s room, or they have to go to the 3rd floor. (so best to put people in that room that don’t have to use bathroom at night or are comfortable with the people in room 5).
If it is raining, PLEASE CLOSE THE WINDOWS ON THE EAST and SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE or water will come into the house.
MUST SEE!!!
The Sacred Garden greenhouse is a working nursery, open to the public everyday. There is also a gift shop in the greenhouse and a beautiful Buddha meditation garden. Just outside of the greenhouse there is a Labyrinth (walking meditation)). We do a full moon labyrinth walk every month.
Other details:
House Rules:
10 people Max (unless children are under 2). 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.
Smoking: Please NO smoking in the house or on either lanai. There is a propane tank on the front porch, so please do not light candles or cigarettes on the lanai. You are welcome to smoke in the yard, just please dispose of butts properly.
In case of fire, there is a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink, one in the laundry room downstairs and one next to the toilet in the upstairs bathroom. There is a fire alarm in every bedroom and in the kitchen. In the event of Fire, there is the front door exit, and an exit on the bottom floor. If you are on the top floor and can not safely come down the stairs, exit out the windows in the small bedroom and onto the roof, the roof is low and can be a safe exit. There are fire exit maps in every bedroom.
PLEASE CONSERVE AND RECYCLE!
We are on a small island and resources are limited. We humbly ask that you conserve energy and turn out lights when you aren’t using them. The light over the parking area and the light over the bottom floor entrance get left on all time. Please aim to turn them off when you leave for the day.
PLEASE PUT FOOD TRASH OUTSIDE IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID INVITING RODENTS AND BUGS INSIDE. If you are up for separating food waste, we will provide a bucket with a lid, but if you don’t want to compost, the trash can is fine. The large brown trashcan at the bottom of the cement driveway 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 inside (or on the lanai) you will want to put it out in the brown trashcan on Monday and Thursday.
FOOD STORAGE: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANTS! 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. The cleaner you keep the kitchen, the less problems you will encounter. Keeping food out of the bedrooms will also help. Due to the humidity in Hawaii, breads and crackers get stale extremely fast. It is highly recommended that you keep them in the refrigerator.
TRASH:
There is a large brown trash can at the bottom of the cement driveway (where you turn to go toward gate).
RECYCLING:
PLEASE RECYCLE! We live on a small island and anything not recycled ends up in the landfill. Please separate glass, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, mixed metal and cardboard from the rest of your trash. There are recycling bins on the front lanai and there is a large blue bin by the brown trash can at the bottom of the cement driveway for your recyclables. We will separate them. PLEASE NOTE that the ONLY plastic recycled on Maui are plastic bottles (cups, and other food containers that do not have a “neck” are trash, not recycling.
Composting:
We compost …and feed chickens, and other animals left overs. If you would like to compost, we will provide a bucket/lid.
Quirks:
The water in the shower in the downstairs studio is reversed. The cold is to the left, the hot is to the right.
The bidet in the main bedroom is NOT a urinal…. If you are not familiar with bidets, they are used for washing. Sit facing it instead of the facing outward (opposite of the way you sit on a toilet) and carefully turn the water on….
Laundry:
There is a washer and dryer downstairs in the laundry room. There is also a washer and dryer outside the studio door. Please shake any sand from towels before washing and remove objects from pockets. Use minimal soap. If using tide pods, one per load. Liquid soap require very little. Please clean lint trap between uses.
Animals:
Critters: We are located in the jungle of Maui…consequently… it is possible that you will encounter pests…We do treat the property quarterly, but sometimes that is insufficient. Please let us know if you have a concern.
Cats and Dogs: Next door we have two cats and two Golden Retrievers. You will probably not see the cats but the dogs will likely greet you when you come home. They are very friendly and EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC GREETERS. Be prepared to fend off. The older, darker one is Kumu (teacher) and the younger lighter one is Maka (beloved one). The cats may try to get in the house and your car. Please do your best NOT to let them in or lock them in….and be careful not to relocate them! The black one is Kiki and the grey striped one is Sol. Sol lives in The Sacred Garden during the day and roams the property at night.
The duck is named Momi. She is very sweet but not very car-wise. Please do not assume she will get out of the way, but rather either wait or get someone out of the car to gently encourage her to move.
Gecko lizards live inside and outside the house. Do not be alarmed if you see them in the house. They are good luck and harmless (and cute!)
Roosters and chickens are wild. Please do not feed them (or they will adopt you), or chase them or throw things at them. If you imagine you are on a safari and they are lion’s roaring, you will be far more enthusiastic about hearing them when they start crowing in the wee hours!
The only wild animals on Maui are deer, pigs, chickens, rodents/mongoose, birds and sea life. You may see deer on the property. There are no snakes and nothing really poisonous. There are some insects that you wouldn’t want to annoy, so don’t put your hands into the wood pile without looking…or under rocks.
The Grounds:
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.
We will be happy to give you a tour of the property if you would like. You are welcome to wander around. There are some chairs down by the stream and other places around the property, you are welcome to enjoy. Please respect that people are either living or staying in the other houses 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 (or flowers) 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.
Fire Pit Instructions and Rules
If you choose to build a fire in the front yard fire pit, please do so 100% at your own risk and taking full responsibility for your well-being and that of the property.
Fire wood is in the plastic bin on the opposite side of the lawn. If you need more, let us know.
Fires should be kept manageably small.
Only wood and starter paper should be burned.
Fires must be monitored by a responsible adult. Children must not be left alone with the fire.
There is a hose on the back side of the house under the master bedroom window. Please extinguish fire when you are done.
In the event of fire beyond your control, there are 3 fire extinguishers inside the house. One under the kitchen sink, one in the upstairs bathroom and one downstairs in the bottom level bedroom. There is also a hose on the back of the house, under the master bedroom window.
In an Emergency, call 911. The address is 470 Kaluanui Road, Makawao, HI 96768.