Hunter Hales is the Perfect Getaway! KALA Cottage

Reviews

• Reviewer: Kristen

  Comments: The house in Haiku is absolutely heavenly. It is a well equipped house on a small private road in the heart of Haiku ( which is now my favorite town in Maui). The beds were incredibly comfortable with really nice linens; perfect place to lay your head after a long day of exploring. A huge plus for us was that there was a washer and dryer in the house, because we packed lite and did a lot of hiking. As a result it was great to have fresh clean clothes. Another plus is that the house is in walking distance from several great restaurants, a grocery store and local shopping. Overall, a perfect place to book for your next trip to Maui.

• Reviewer: Luke

  Comments: Great location in Ha'iku, walking distance to a bunch of shops and restaurants, and excellent for exploring Upcountry Maui, the North Shore, and/or the Road to Hana. Mike was super-responsive and helpful, and although the place is in "central" Ha'iku it feels very secluded. Nice kitchen, and beautiful pineapple-themed furniture. Note: there is no A/C or heating so be prepared for somewhat more humid/cool conditions typical for this part of the island.

• Reviewer: Jessica

  Comments: Beware of the roosters! They were infinitely noisy and kept us from a restful vacation. Very clean, neat and spacious cottage. Easy in and out.

• Reviewer: Alain

  Comments: Super emplacement. Supermarché accessible à pied. Nombreux petits restaurant à côté. Proche de la route de Hana. Meilleur coin de l'île.

• Reviewer: Daniel

  Comments: This place was fine but it was dirtier than we expected and although the location is very walkable the town is run down but does have a few restaurants, a grocery store and some food trucks. The overall geographical location is great though. This side of Maui is very fun green and wet.

• Reviewer: Kristian

  Comments: There are a few pro's and con's to Mike's cottage... Pro's: - Great location in Haiku town (which is a good town to explore the island from). Walking distance to the main square, cafes and restaurants - On-site parking - Well equipped kitchen - Spacious cottage overall - Mike is a good host. Although we didn't meet personally, Mike made sure we had everything we needed prior to arrival. Con's: - Overall the cottage feels rundown and tired. It needs a bit of work. - Outside garden hasn't been maintained and it doesn't feel like a spot you want to hang out - Veranda door doesn't lock (we were worried about leaving valuables in the house) - Construction right next door starting at 7am, very noisy!

• Reviewer: Monica

  Comments: Our stay in Kala was not enjoyable. The rental is not currently maintained to the advertised standard, and seemingly small details were quite frustrating - Inside: the couch is ratty, the whole place needs more thorough cleaning, screens were broken, curtain rods fall down, etc. Outside: the yard was not maintained, the deck and outside furniture was quite dirty. On arrival I spent a substantial amount of time cleaning so we could feel a bit more comfortable. A few items just need to be replaced. Mike is aware that his place isn't currently up to par and we found it frustrating that he rented it to us knowing its condition. The neighbors are quite noisy. Additionally there was construction next door, and Mike also had three loads of soil dumped in the back yard during our stay. Communication was lacking. With some minor effort Mike could have the place back in good condition but given our experience, and preference for quiet surroundings, we will not be returning.

• Reviewer: Sue

  Comments: Location was good. Communication was ok. Unit cleanliness was not what I expected.

• Reviewer: Jasy

  Comments: Nice and clean, roomy cottage. We stayed 1 week at the Kala cottage and had a great time. Kitchen is equipped with everything you need. Communication with the host was great and he is very responsive. There are restaurants and a local market in walking distance. Thank you!

• Reviewer: Nicole

  Comments: The cottage is located in a great little town with beautiful landscaping and relaxing feel. We really enjoyed the nice large kitchen for cooking and the chickens were a hoot. It’s a great deal with lots of space and stocked with helpful items such as cooler and beach chairs. A much better island experience than my last visit to Maui when I stayed in more of the resort areas. The cottage felt very private and was conveniently located to several tasty restaurants and awesome markets. We would definently stay here again if lucky enough to visit Maui again.

• Reviewer: Shawnte

  Comments: Mike’s place was excellent. It was secluded, but still walking distance to restaurants and grocery stores. It was conveniently close to the highways, making it easy to travel to the larger towns. The house itself was clean and comfortable. Mike was a great host, very prompt in answering our questions and very helpful. Definitely recommend staying here!

• Reviewer: Patrice

  Comments: One of the best value on the north shore of Maui

• Reviewer: Ke

  Comments: Close to market and restaurants. Two queen size beds good for family. Affordable place in Maui.

• Reviewer: Amy

  Comments: First the pros - The location is great! I love Haiku. This place is walking distance to the best restaurants on the island. Maui Kombucha, The Greek Oven and Nuka can't be missed as well as yoga and fitness studios, massage, chiropractic, mountain biking rentals and shops. It's also a great location to get to all the less touristy and beautiful parts of the island. If I came back, this is the area I'd stay in again. Getting to the house is easy and check in was simple. The place itself is simple and small, but comfy enough for a family of 3 or 4. Loved the gas stove and great water pressure in the shower. Also great to have a washer and dryer to use on our longer stay. Also we didn't need it, but there is a baby crib there. It's also pretty quiet for an in-town location. As long as your neighbors in the hale next door are quiet, you should be fine. Ours were. The Cons and Neutrals - The beds were hard and springy, making it difficult to sleep, especially with someone else in the bed. If you crash easy, this may not bother you. The place is a bit dusty, something that could be fixed immeditaly with a more comprehensive cleaning. We tend to cook in a lot with a kiddo, so the kitchen tools were lacking for us. The knives were too dull to use and the cookware was mostly scratched up teflon. We bought a good knife and cast iron pan at Target to use while we were there that fixed the problem for us and just paid to ship them home. There was only one beach towel (we left one, so now two) and no beach toys for kids, but you can buy some for cheap at the store. There is a cooler and two beach chairs at the house. For me, this would be a five star stay with better beds, new kitchen supplies and a good thorough cleaning.

• Reviewer: Dustin

  Comments: too much or too litttle

• Reviewer: Maggie

  Comments: After staying an a camper for five days in Paia, a tent for four days in Hana, this place was heaven for the final leg of our trip! It is within walking distance to everything in Haiku if you want to chill and take it easy, and also not that long of a drive to any of the bigger resort towns if you want to head to Lahaina or Kiehei for the day. Paia and Makawao are super nearby and both worth spending time in. Would love to stay here again!

• Reviewer: Sam

  Comments: Very handy to downtown Haiku and the beginning of the Hana road. We ate at a couple of food trucks that were outstanding. All in all, perfect!

• Reviewer: Alisa

  Comments: Best AirBnb we have ever stayed in- the location was absolutely perfect! The cottage was amazing- it exceeded the expectations we had. We will definitely be staying again on our next visit to Maui!

• Reviewer: Andrea

  Comments: We really liked our stay here. The house is in a peaceful and quiet place with banana, ginger, papaya and coconut trees around. The bathroom is great, the kitchen is well equipped, you can leave the doors open to cool the place down if needed and there is option to dine outside with birds singing around. Although we didn't use it, there is a BBQ outside and washing/drying. The supermarket is 2 min walk away. There are restaurants, food trucks and yoga studio just few mins walk away. Paia , Mamas fishhouse, and beaches and the famous Hookipa lookout with turtles on the beach just 5-10 min drive away. We really enjoyed our stay here. Everything was closeby - Hana, you can drive to the airport in 20 mins, south of the island 40 mins and west of the island to Lahaina about an hour. The volcano national park is about 30 mins drive away.

• Reviewer: Karley

  Comments: Mike's place was amazing! It was so peaceful and serene with plenty of nearby restaraunts and shops. There were tons of geckos, several neighborhood chickens, and fruit trees on the property. A perfect escape after leaving the noise of Honolulu.

• Reviewer: Erin

  Comments: The place was just what we needed. I read other reviews about it being dirty, but that wasn't the case for us. When I accidentally went to another island for the day with the house key, Mike had one brought over right away so the rest of our party wasn't locked out all day!

• Reviewer: Adam

  Comments: Hunter Hale was an incredible home for the week we spent in Maui. The lush setting made it such a magical place to stay. The home itself was perfectly equipped with anything we needed (dishes, pots & pans, utensils, coffee pot, toaster oven, microwave.. 4 beach towels, a small ice chest.) Super quiet area in upcountry Haiku. There is no air conditioning, but sufficient fans (ceiling and oscillating) to be very comfortable. There is a market and restaurant/food trucks across the street. The prices at the market are VERY high, suggest traveling approx 25 minutes to Kahului and hitting Target or Wal-Mart for groceries/necessities (as much as I LOVE supporting locals, we just couldn’t do it the entire trip). Thanks for the amazing place, Mike!

• Reviewer: Jim

  Comments: Awesome location in a cool little town with great proximity to beaches, airport and rest of the island. Will stay again!

• Reviewer: Wendy

  Comments: Mike offers great care for the us, even prepare the a brand new rice cooker for us and all the kitchen facilities are new. The property is very close the haiku village center with resturants, shops and foodmarket, its so great! Its just a couple of mins drive from the famous surfers beach, its so good!We super love this great get away!

• Reviewer: Nicole

  Comments: Cute house. Great location. Fair price.

• Reviewer: Jared

  Comments: Absolutely love this spot...close to haiku downtown and can easily ride to paia and hookipa! Perfect!

• Reviewer: Irene

  Comments: Lovely Cottage and great location!

• Reviewer: Sébastien

  Comments: We were here for our honeymoon and it was wonderfull, great privacy, close to everything

• Reviewer: Carolina

  Comments: Mike was a phenomenal host. The cottage was in impeccable condition and spacious enough for 5 people to stay comfortably. Location is wonderful if you are keen on staying in Haiku. Would definitely come back!

• Reviewer: Alice

  Comments: The place was as described. Very quaint and next to adorable local businesses.

• Reviewer: Meredith

  Comments: I really enjoyed Mike’s place. Haiku seems like a quiet town it once you walk around you find amazing shops and especially restaurants!!! They are literally a seconds walk away. The place is spacious and has well equipped kitchen and laundry facilities. Easy directions and was greeted with a bottle of wine and a gift voucher.

• Reviewer: Leyna

  Comments: Love this place. Got everything we need. Walkable to So many wonderful restaurants.

• Reviewer: Larissa

  Comments: Thank you, Mike! Highly recommended, we felt very comfortable.

• Reviewer: Philip

  Comments: This cottage is in a great location in Haiku just walking distance from a well-stocked grocery store and some wonderful restaurants. The house has a private yard with a distant view of the water -- great to hang out and barbecue fresh fish! We had no problem finding what we needed in the kitchen -- we actually cooked and ate in most nights! We appreciated having a cooler for the beach, too! Of the two beds, we found the king bed upstairs the most comfortable, and climbing the ladder to the loft was an experience! :) Mike's place is a great location for exploring the rest of Maui, whether it's the road to Hana or Haleakala or the beaches. We stayed a week and looked forward every day to returning to our home away from home!

• Reviewer: Meg

  Comments: We loved our stay! First time to Maui and I’m so happy we stayed away from the resorts/hotels. Centrally located so we were able to explore all sides of the island with a well planned itinerary! Located in the heart of Haiku, we walked everywhere and loved all the food (went to the sushi spot twice it was so good!) it’s also a 3 minute walk to the bike shop that takes you up the volcano to do the bike tour/ sunrise - an added bonus as we had to arrive at 3am! The place was super clean and had everything we needed. Mike responded quickly to any request/questions we had! Thank you!

• Reviewer: Leila

  Comments: Absolutely loved our stay at Hunter Hales! Location couldn’t be more perfect for our Maui itinerary. We were welcomed with a bottle of wine (which we sadly didn’t get to enjoy) and a gift certificate to the market nearby. Amazing eats literally around the corner! We walked to dinner most nights. NUKA for sushi and the Greek Food truck are a MUST! If you’re in the mood for a new swimsuit or date night dress or even aloha shirt or board shorts for the guys, the cutest shop, The Lucky Honey is also walking distance. The house was equipped with all the basic needs including a little cooler which was useful for our adventures. No complaints here! Just wish we could’ve stayed longer!

• Reviewer: Sherry

  Comments: Mike's cottage was super cute and clean. Also he was very considerate and prepared everything for us. Nice experience!

• Reviewer: Ines

  Comments: Great stay! Great host!

• Reviewer: Levi

  Comments: Great spot right next to town! Very modern and equipped. Yard is big and beautiful. We had a wonderful time here!

• Reviewer: Isabella

  Comments: Das Haus ist super gelegen, damit man gemütlich die Insel erkunden kann. Mike ist ein super Gastgeber und unser Aufenthalt war einfach perfekt.

• Reviewer: Alain

  Comments: Uns hat das Häuschen gefallen. Auch der Ort ist gut, mehr ein Dorf für Einheimische als Touristen, aber das hat auch seinen Reiz. Zudem ist alles wichtige in der Nähe. Das Haus vefügt über eine vollwertige Küche sowie allem notwendigen zum kochen. Das Bad ist sehr gross und praktisch. Das Schlafzimmer oben haben wir nicht gebraucht, da es dort sehr heiss war. Unten waren die Nächte aber angenehm, da es draussen abkühlte. Es ist alles sehr sauber, jedoch hatten wir 2 mal Ameisen, welche jedoch schnell „besiegt“ waren. Einfach kein Essen rumstehen lassen... ein Geheimtipp zum Schluss: Unbedingt das nahe gelegene Restaurant „Colleen‘s“ besuchen, wir hatten dort einmal Frühstück und einmal Dinner und es war super lecker! Auch wenn das Restaurant nicht sehr einladend wirkt...

• Reviewer: Yue

  Comments: Such a lovely place in Haiku! Really love the location and the amenities!

• Reviewer: Ajna

  Comments: We had a wonderful stay at Kala cottage. Mike was a great in communication. The cottage is in a convenient location in Haiku, making it easy to walk to grocery & restaurants.

• Reviewer: Jan

  Comments: Schöne Unterkunft. Sehr zentral, um den Norden Mauis zu bereisen. Ruhige, entspannte Lage mit dem Supermakrt und einigen Restaurants direkt vor der Tür!

• Reviewer: Elaina

  Comments: We had a great stay at hunter hales. The grounds were beautiful and the location was in close proximity to everything.

• Reviewer: Stephen

  Comments: Place was great with a nice back yard. very convenient to grocery and eating places across the street. Best was the day we took bike Maui up to see the sunrise on halelakela. You have to be there at 3 am to get fitted and load up in shuttle. Got up at 245 and walked across the street. Nice!

• Reviewer: Ruth

  Comments: Great space in a good location to explore Maui. Very close to local shops and easy to get to the main tourist attractions.

• Reviewer: Susan

  Comments: We loved our stay at Kala Hale Cottage in Haiku, HI. Mike's place was perfect for us. We booked a 10-day stay and wanted a place where we could cook meals and really live during our stay. The location is amazing! You can walk to the grocery store right across the street. Also in the same lot are several excellent food trucks - the Mediterranean was to die for! Mike provided everything we could need. A fabulous location near Paia and Makawao, and on the road to Hana. This cottage is on the North Shore of Maui and has a cooler climate than the south, although you will still have a bit of humidity and frequent, brief showers. Kala Cottage was just what we wanted in every respect.

• Reviewer: Jan

  Comments: Mike's place is great! We've stayed a few times now and we really like it. Perfect upcountry location in our opinion.

• Reviewer: James

  Comments: Great place in terms of value. We liked the location next to some local restaurants that we enjoyed. We were in the Kala cottage. The residents next door (not Mike’s property) were very loud and using vulgar language outside until late at night which we could hear. I don’t think there would have been anything Mike could have done about it and it was Thanksgiving so maybe the holiday made them louder than normal. Anyway, other than the neighbor noise, we were happy.

• Reviewer: Stan

  Comments: The KALA Cottage is a wonderful place to stay for those wanting to avoid the touristy areas of Maui. We were there for nine days and enjoyed our stay. The location is walking distance to a general store, good local restaurants, and food trucks. It is also a great starting point for car trips to Hana, Haleakala, and beaches. Mike is a great host. Mahalo.

• Reviewer: Louise

  Comments: Mike’s place is clean and comfortable. The location in Haiku is great for exploring the northern area of Maui, and as a starting point to the road to Hana. We also enjoyed the proximity to a local market and Colleen’s restaurant, which we frequented a few times. Listened to the rain and coqui frogs as we fell asleep.

• Reviewer: Adrian

  Comments: We liked the location on the much less touristy north of the island. It's also very convenient to have a grocery store across the street. You do need to drive 10 minutes to get to the shore and Paia, which we really liked to get coffee/brunch (check out Paia Bay Cafe!) and hang out at the beaches (big waves! If you want to swim, find the "baby beach" ;). The cottage is nice. As other guests have noted, it was very clean (with the exception of some plates, which previous guests probably didn't wash properly). Somewhat annoying were the neighbors in the run-down house/backyard on the right side (not the other cottage). One night a woman was screaming at a dog, the other night a man was berating a woman (I've never heard anyone scream the f-word that many times). There was also a nearby alarm somewhere in the neighborhood that went off for like 10-20 seconds some of the nights (never figured out where it came from). Overall, we enjoyed our stay but it was less idyllic than what we had hoped.

• Reviewer: Tony & Lacy

  Comments: Conveniently located and very family friendly.

• Reviewer: Andreas

  Comments: Wir wurden von Mike dem Gastgeber sehr freundlich, frühzeitig und ausführlich informiert. Er ist am zweiten Tag kurz persönlich vorbeigekommen, um sich zu vergewissern, dass alles in Ordnung ist. Wir haben das sehr geschätzt. Das Cottage ist geräumig und verfügt über ein umfangreiches Kücheninventar. Auch Haarföhn und Frotteewäsche standen zur Verfügung. Die Schlafzimmer waren sauber, WC und Lavabo auch. Es gibt eine Waschmaschine und einen Tumbler, was für uns sehr praktisch war. Für uns Landeier war es in der Nacht jeweils wirklich schwierig Schlaf zu finden. Da die Fenster sehr durchlässig sind, hörten wir sämtliche Geräusche ziemlich laut. Einzelne Unsauberkeiten störten uns.(Duschvorhang, Küchenutensilien) Den Garten und die Veranda konnten wir leider aufgrund des Wetters nicht gross nutzen. Es steht ein Grill zur Verfügung sowie ein Gartentisch mit Stühlen. In der Nähe des Cottages gibt es tolle Strände, wir konnten sogar Schildkröten beim Sonnen am Strand beobachten. Tolles Erlebnis. Für 2 Personen ist das Cottage sehr teuer, ich würde es nur zu viert noch einmal besuchen.

• Reviewer: Lexi

  Comments: awesome stay! we loved the location so much. we would definitely come back!

• Reviewer: Colin

  Comments: Location is awesome - Haiku is a hidden gem in Maui (along with everything in the upcountry. We got to know the local shop owners (Colleens, Maui Kombucha, Nuka, food trucks) since we went there so often. A big plus since we had a 6 month old. The place itself is great for a small family or a couple, and good amenities. But as others mentioned, there is noise next door (generator, dogs) that can sometimes dampen the charm - and there is definitely is charm. Nothing the hosts can likely do about it. We didn't plan on spending so much time indoors but the island faced a huge storm and lost power over the weekend - so we likely experienced it more than usual. Thanks to Mike for being a great host.

• Reviewer: Mitch

  Comments: Great place little place off the beaten path, close to everthing including the best shopping in Paia. Very open but cozy