Retreat to a Zen-like setting in the trees;<br />slow down and relax in this beautiful redwood octagon artist studio on a working coffee, vanilla and chocolate farm. Private lanai tucked in the treetops in a tropical rainforest setting. Stargaze from bed and wake to birdsong. De-stress, meditate, read, write, dance, create and breathe!<br /><br />New King bed, high quality linens, streaming TV and an awesome BedJet air cooling/warming system & more ensure the most comfortable sleep possible.<br /><br /><b>The space</b><br />Aloha and welcome to our Zen Treehouse! <br /><br />This redwood octagon-shaped hale was originally an artist studio and is tucked in among the treetops away from the main house, overlooking lush tropical rainforest a seasonal stream and meadow below. You do not need to climb ladders or stairs to access the Treehouse, however there is a sloped entryway that can get wet or muddy during rainstorms, so please watch your step. Unless you have 4WD (weather permitting) there is a short walk across a lawn that can get wet and muddy during rain. <br /><br />You are surrounded by nature and if this is outside your comfort zone, or if you are sound-sensitive, or bugs and geckos freak you out, please read through the listing carefully to make sure we are a good fit.<br /> <br />COMPLIMENTARY CHOCOLATE FARM TOUR...AN AIRBNB 5 STAR EXPERIENCE!<br />Included in your stay is our complimentary Chocolate Farm Tour( provided we have one scheduled during your visit). If none are scheduled, we will do our best to arrange an abbreviated, private tour which may or may not include making chocolate (depending on our kitchen schedule). If we are not making chocolate, you will still get plenty to take with you. <br />This 3-hour in-depth Agri-Tour tour covers how coffee, cacao (seed-to-bar) and vanilla are propagated, grown, harvested and processed into the products we all know and love. <br />(Note: The value of tis Experience is roughly equivalent to one night's stay and is a courtesy to guests, but it is not guaranteed as a condition of yout stay)<br /><br />A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF GOODIES!<br />Enjoy an ample supply of Hilo Shark's 100% Hawaiian coffee, cacao tea and pure dark Hawaiian Chocolate from our farm during your stay. We greet you with fresh fruit (seasonal) a supply of staples and plenty of cooking options. <br /><br />BATHROOM & OTHER AMENITIES <br />The private, sheltered bathroom is just around the corner on the covered lanai, surrounded by a bamboo forest and complete with flush toilet, sink and shower with plenty of hot water, toiletries and soft towels. Our water is county approved/treated and is sourced from local artesian springs, so drinking from the tap is perfectly ok.<br /> <br />Enjoy nature from your private lanai with comfortable seating, grill, outdoor dining, bluetooth speaker, and a welcoming Zen foot bath to pamper you.<br /><br />LARGE-SCREEN STREAMING TV (mounted) WITH BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS...Watch from bed or couch. Please sign into your own accounts (Netflix/Prime, etc). Some free TV and local channels are accessible.<br /><br />AND THERE'S A POOL! (Subject to conditions) which may close without notice for maintenance or weather- related conditions, so we cannot guarantee it will be available during your stay. Use at Own Risk, observe quiet hours and please always lock the gate. It is an older, 5' in-ground cement pool that's lovely for refreshing dips. We try to deep clean the pool weekly, but know that the surrounding trees and tradewinds storms often drop leaves and debris into the water which you may need skim out with the net. After heavy rain, the water must be treated; we use as little chlorine as possible. Night swimming is permissible, please be mindful of our neighbors and quiet hours. The gate is kept locked to protect neighborhood children and the key is accessible by reaching over the gate. <br /><br /><br />OTHER AMENITIES OFFERED<br />(Subject to Availabilty & Season)<br />Yoga or Meditation, anyone? We have yoga mats, blocks, bands and balls as well as cushions, incense, singing bowls, art supplies and reading materials to bring out your inner OM....<br />Ask Ana for items you may not find in the Treehouse, she keeps them elsewhere and is happy to lend them. <br />GRILL: There is a new electric outdoor grill in your entryway. Please do not leave grill unattended; it is your responsibility to clean it after use, and if we have to clean your baked-on food, you will incur a damage charge of $50.<br /> <br />BOOGIE BOARDS, BEACH & SNORKEL GEAR: <br />You are welcome to borrow the beach and snorkel gear in the entryway. It is your responsibility to clean, sanitize and return them properly when done. Failure to do so will result in a damage fee of $50 or the cost to replace them, whichever we deem necessary.<br /><br />WASHER/DRYER (subject to length of stay/availability) <br />Available Only to Guests staying 7+ nights, by Appointment. Please leave a $25 donation to cover our cost for utilities and supplies, and limit your use to 1 washer load (washer is large capacity and holds up to 2 loads/cycle; dryer may require 2 loads, please clean filter). <br />DO NOT LEAVE LAUNDRY UNATTENDED...it will get put into a basket "as is" if we have to move it! <br />There is a full service laundromat nearby in Hilo, they've got it all!<br /><br />WHY DON'T WE CHARGE A CLEANING FEE?<br /> The 6-hour deep cleaning and sanitizing protocol we perform IN ADVANCE of your stay ensures that you arrive to a sparkling clean home with plenty of freshly-washed linens, towels and amenities, in addition to a well-stocked pantry, supplies and extras.<br /><br />We do not feel you should spend a lot of time cleaning on your vacation, but we also need you to understand that we are not a maid service, and we expect you to respect the space and clean up after yourselves, leaving as little trace as possible. Please leave your clean, WASHED dishes in the drainer and we will sanitize and put them away.<br /><br />*We stock ample toiletries, supplies and towels (large pool/beach towels included as part of the $25 linens fee.<br /><br />*We supply freshly laundered, high-quality natural bedding, towels and linens (backups in the dresser) before each stay and provide extra beach/pool towels, accessories and products.<br /><br />*We re-stock pantry staples and ensure an ample supply of our Hilo Shark's 100% Hawaiian coffee, teas, chocolate, macadamia nuts, fresh fruit (in season), local honey, breakfast cookies, vanilla sugar and more (subject to season and availability). <br /><br />CHECKING OUT: <br />* We do NOT require you to do any laundry or heavy cleaning before you check out, but we DO ask you to ensure the following for health and safety reasons: <br /> <br />* Leftover Food attracts insects and critters. There is a trash can with a lid and extra bags provided under sink. Meat scraps and unwanted leftovers can be left in the covered compost bucket, or in ziplock bags left in refrigerator or freezer. Coffee grounds and tea bags may simply be tossed over the rail to compost naturally. <br />* Dishes should be carefully WASHED after use and left in the drainer so we can steam, dry as necessary and properly store them. <br />* Please notify us if you break anything so we can replace it before the next guests arrive.<br />* Wet towels should be hung on the coat rack, left on towel bars or hooks or draped over the lanai railing. Please do not leave wet towels on the furniture or in a pile on the floor or bed, as they attract centipedes who seek out damp places to hide. <br />* THAT'S IT! We take care of the rest.<br /><br /><b>Guest access</b><br />HOUSE RULES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT<br />Zen Treehouse Retreat & Unique Farm Stay<br /><br />RULE #1 (MOST IMPORTANT):<br />WE DO NOT ALLOW SELF-CHECK-IN, YOU MUST LET US KNOW AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE AND WE WILL COME OUT TO CHECK YOU IN, ASSIGN PARKING AND GIVE YOU A BRIEF ORIENTATION.<br /><br />If you choose to bypass this rule, you will be considered Trespassing, and asked to leave with no refund for your entire stay. This is for your own safety, and the security and safety of our family, business and animals. Once you are checked in, you are free to come and go at will.<br /><br />THE SPACE:<br />You will have use of the private lanai and entire Treehouse studio. Parking is limited to 1 space. Any visitors MUST be approved in advance, and parking arranged for. There is a short walk across the lawn, and a slight slope which can get muddy and sometimes slippery to reach the entrance (umbrellas and flashlights are furnished); a wagon and sometimes golf cart are available to haul suitcases and groceries. If you have an AWD or 4WD vehicle, we will show you where you may drive across the lawn to park closer to your entrance, WEATHER and CONDITIONS PERMITTING. <br /><br />You are welcome to explore our orchards and grounds, but please ask permission to enter the greenhouse, chocolate kitchen or cabana (‘she-shed’) or other private areas.<br /><br />WHAT WE DO NOT ALLOW:<br /><br /> * NO VISITORS UNLESS APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY HOST<br /><br />The grounds and pool area are for registered guests only and we ask that you do bring visitors onto the property without receiving approval and parking instructions from your Host IN ADVANCE. Bringing unauthorized guests or visitors on the property will be considered grounds for terminating your stay without refund, and you and your visitors will both be asked to vacate the premises immediately. <br /><br />*No parties or gatherings are allowed without expressed, written permission. No exceptions.<br /><br />FOOD DELIVERIES<br />*We do not allow food deliveries to the farm for security, safety and liability reasons. If you break this rule, it will be grounds for terminating your stay without refund, and you will be asked to leave immediately. <br />Note: If you arrange to meet a food delivery driver down the road next to the school, you may do so and bring the food on to the property yourself.<br /><br />FILMING, RECORDING & POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA<br />Personal photos and short videos are fine, but any representations featuring our property, farm and/or business for Guest’s own social media posts (such as podcasts, Youtube, TikTok and the like) is strictly forbidden without our expressed WRITTEN authorization. Violation of these conditions could result in your being asked to leave without refund, and/or legal action, including all attorneys fees.<br /><br /><b>Other things to note</b><br />THE TREEHOUSE IS OPEN-AIR (SCREENED <br /> IN FRENCH DOORS) SURROUNDED BY NATURE and is intended to provide the unique experience of of living in a Tropical Rainforest and working farm. <br />It is a fully enclosed structure with 3 sets of French Doors; 2 of which have fixed screens to bring in the ocean breezes and sounds of nature. The 3rd is your entryway with closing glass doors. If weather is really bad, please ask Ana for assistance moving furnishings and rough-closing the other doors. DO NOT push them fully shut, they will pop out the screens.<br /> <br />You will undoubtedly see bright, green geckos which are a part of Hawaiian culture and are often found indoors in this part of Hawaii. They are your friends! They eat mosquitos and other bugs, and we cheerfully live among them because they are next to impossible to keep out, regardless. You will see them in many places on this part of the island, including restaurants and other indoor venues. <br /><br />The friendly, carpenter bees who bore into the redwood building are not interested in you, and will go about their business. Please do not scream and run about or try to bat them away; they are not aggressive toward humans. <br /><br />Rather than kill these important pollinators, we choose to live among them and honor their place in nature, and ask you to do the same. Anyone found maliciously killing geckos or trying to smother them with bug spray will be reported and asked to leave without refund. (yes, it's happened!)<br /><br />You may see or hear wild pigs down by the stream. They are also a part of nature and local culture, please do not approach them, and let us know if you see any so we can check the fencing. Should you hear gunshots, know that you are in a very safe area, and that some locals hunt the pigs to feed their families.<br /><br />COQUI FROGS:<br />At least 75% of this island (below a certain elevation) have colonies of Coqui frogs; a tiny, invasive species with a very loud voice. <br />Coqui are active in the evening and throughout the night, especially during summer months. Most people find their songs to be rather soothing background noise and often mistake them for birds; but if you are a sensitive sleeper, you may want to opt for a hotel with fully closed windows and forced A/C. <br /><br />Early morning is filled with the sounds of the awakening rainforest and you may be greeted with a chorus of birdsong, the melody of ship horns in the harbor and soothing pattern of tradewind showers that (usually) dissipate by mid-morning. <br />You may see other critters who thrive in this environment during your stay. They are inherent to this tropical setting and each plays a role in the natural ecosystem. You may encounter mosquitos, flies/midges, wasps, rodents, roaches, spiders, centipedes, African snails and the tiny but very mighty fire ant. <br />We do our very best to control these aspects of nature before you arrive and ask that you advise us if you encounter any during your stay. <br />You can help mitigate the possibility of encounter by not leaving out food, liquids and dirty dishes, and by immediately wiping up any spills. Many of species are pheromone-driven and attracted to sweet smells.<br /> Centipedes seek out damp piles to hide, so please don't leave towels and clothes piled on the floor. We provide hangers and luggage racks to store your stuff.<br /><br />WORKING REMOTELY<br />While we understand that most folks need time each day to check on work activities, we discourage extensive work-from-home stays. <br />Our wifi is strong and generally reliable, however during inclement weather, our electricity (and therefore our cable) can go out without warning and may take some time to restore. We therefore cannot guarantee uninterrupted internet accessibility and our cellular coverage is often subject to weather conditions.<br /> <br />During certain times of the year, there may be farm related activities during the day which are unavoidable. You are welcome to join in if that suits you!<br /><br /><b>Registration Details</b><br />W00961032-01