Hale Mauka Makai

We stayed at Hale Mauka Makai May 28-​June 7 in 2013. This house in Haiku on Maui is a wonderful vacation property and the owner, Claudia, is a pleasure to know.
First, to echo some other reviews, it’s really odd that the pictures on the site do not do the property justice. It’s better in person and everything Claudia writes about the property is understated. It is hard to describe just how relaxing this house when the windows are open and the trades are flowing through the home. It is possible to hear neighbors and traffic, but you most likely will not.
A few notes: the kitchen is well maintained. You will have everything you need to cook (or grill) and make dinner. We made most of our meals while there, and alternated between eating on the lanai or inside in the dining room.
Claudia is very proud about her espresso/​cappuccino set up and a great way to start your day.
The kids spent hours in the pool. There is a chest of pool toys that were well used by all of us, and there are plenty of beach towels.
Haiku, of course, is about as far away from the resorts at Kaanapali and Kapalua as one can get and still by on the same island. This location is for people that want to get out and do things, then come ‘home’ for the evening. It was perfect for us.
On activities, Claudia referred us to Hawaiian Paddle Sports for a few of our outings. The owner, Tim, coaches outrigger teams and coached Claudia who is a steersman on a club team. We kayaked, paddled and surfed with Tim’s company (Tim for outrigger paddling and Patrick for kayaking and surfing). These were excellent outings and thank you Claudia for pointing us in the right direction.
We did go out for pizza in Haiku at Colleen’s, which is a nice local spot and Paia is only a few minutes away. We ate at Mama’s Fish House on our last day and ate at the Paia Fish Market and several other places for lunch. We did most of our food shopping at Costco, which is also fairly close in Kahului.
The beaches at Hookipa and Paia are close and great beaches.
To sum up, we couldn’t have been happier with Hale Mauka Makai. It was better than expected (and we expected a lot) and Claudia made us welcome. We will be coming back.

ABSOLUTE PARADISE — YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY
That’s the first thing that came to mind when I arrived at Hale Mauka Makai. I should be so lucky — and for the next month I WAS. Maui is an outstanding destination, and the welcome of Claudia & Kevin to their dream home made it a dream trip.
The house is close enough to the action (Paia, Makawao, Haiku) yet far enough away from the masses to truly relax. Out every window you see beauty, whether it’s the ocean, the mountain, or the lush lush landscaping. Trips to our orchard in the morning were fun to be rewarded with the freshest of juices. This city girl never picked fruits for juicing before, and it is still a highlight memory of the trip.
The pool is heaven, the house an elegant treat. We BBQd on the lanai, yet still stayed connected with the wireless service and cable TV. The master bedroom & bathroom are exquisite — and the 2 guestrooms perfect. Each has their own little patio facing the pool — which made it perfect for folks waking up early (time zone made us early risers) to read by the pool and enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of espresso from the included machine & coffee!
Already checking the calendar to see when we can go back.
Warning: once you stay here — you will not want to stay anywhere else!
Aloha~