We found the Maui Retreat quite by accident, simply by surfing the internet. We had never been to maui before and had no idea about the differences between one side of the island or another. We so lucked out, I still cannot believe it. Rather than staying at one of those beach resorts that looks exactly like beach resorts around the world, we stayed at the most beautiful setting imaginable. We were on the side of the island where, at least in march, it rained a lot--but if we were in search of sun and beach, we just got in the car and drove to a beach on the other side of the island. But staying in the middle of the rain forest landscape, in a room (the Lotus room) that looked out on a lotus pond (with full privacy for us), where we could go walking about the property to waterfalls and fresh water ponds and around the cliff tops to look out on the ocean--this was heaven. And, by the way, it was also significantly cheaper than any of the internationally owned artificial beach resorts! Significantly! The house staff were volunteers with whom we quickly made friends. And then there was the great massage...and Kutira's and Rafael's music...

The Maui Retreat is a paradise. Our stay was inspiring, the beautiful setting of the land, the character of the Eco Thai Hale cottage and the attention to the details were a delight for all the family.Finally we found a real fully furnished kitchen. The morning yoga looking at the ocean was inspiring.
Our teenage kids loved it too, and enjoyed very much the walk to the fresh water pools, and the adventure on the trail to the ocean.
We all relaxed and felt pampered by the beautiful nature.
we , as a couple, enjoyed the romantic setting of our cozy bedroom, the space for meditation, and the possibility of enjoying a romantic walk.
Kutira is a wonderful host.

This is a great place to stay for anyone who wants truly experience the beauty and fundamental nature of being on a tropical island. As you approach the retreat, you get hit with a positive flow of energy and you begin to feel your hear charka open. We stayed at the bamboo temple and the dolphin room, both of which were very relaxing. Hiking to the top of the waterfall was something one can only dream of. It's a blessing for such wonderful people, Kutira and Raphael, to allow us in their space that they so delicately created out of love and peace!

If you're looking for your typical predictable island resort hotel with a pool and room service you're not going to find it here, but unlike any resort this place is rich in history and spirit.

The rooms are thoughtfully adorned and the land is cared for with great love and reverance - and that is priceless. There's a challenging trail down to a lava rock beach with a breath-taking view and a more leisurely waterfall trail to a small pool at the mouth of a 200-foot waterfall - it's like being in Jurassic Park, I was just waiting for the dinosaurs to come running out of the valley!

The place is off-the-grid about 20 minutes toward Hana from Paia on the north shore. It's got a totally unique ever-changing community of friendly student interns and fascinating guests and my short time there was a period of growth and transformation I will never, ever forget.