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WHAT TO KNOW AND BRING:

•  OUR ENVIRONMENT: Located in tropical, volcanic rainforest, Kulana is a peaceful, quirky, rustic, women-centric, cooperative work-in-progress sanctuary of rooms, cabins & camping within a private home that welcomes the artistic and spiritually minded for short and longer-term stays. Kulana is, and is intended to be, a unique experience in intimate creative community conveniently located near many of the top attractions and sacred sites Hawaii has to offer: Volcanoes National Park hiking trails, black sand sea turtle and snorkeling beaches, local farmer's markets, waterfalls, art galleries/workshops, Wood Valley temple, snow-topped Mauna Kea, Hilo's 50 cent theater, the University of Hawaii, the annual Merrie Monarch hula festival, etc. Kulana is maintained as a smoke-alcohol-drugs-&-drama-FREE ZONE.

•  Folks who have preconceived notions of what Pele's Big Island and creative community living will or should be like are often gifted with surprises; over the years we've found it is best to be open to experiencing each moment as it actually "is!" But for those of you who would still like to be able to imagine where you'll be landing: Kulana is not a pricey resort where everything is done for the guests, nor a loud or crowded youth hostel; it's not a bedroom-only bed & breakfast or a free love commune, and though sacred and rustic, Kulana is also not as intense as an ashram...yet, if one lets themselves fully embrace the experience, it is quite deeply real.

•  Those who enjoy a balance between simple country living and having access to amenities like electric lights and flush toilets will like it here, because both of these things are what we have to offer! This Hilo-side of the Big Island (-vs- the more developed Kona-side with its traffic and resorts) is a place where the natural beauty of nature is louder than things created by people...and it is a place where the spirit of laid-back, friendly aloha is prevalent while city conveniences such as frequent busses, cable TV, high-speed internet, etc. are not. (Note: we have cats on the property but, for those who are allergic, they generally don't go indoors unless you let them!)

•  WEATHER: Yes it rains in the rainforest, that's why everything is so green even in times of drought! Lucky for us, our slight elevation makes mosquitoes rare. And actually, 21 of the world's 22 temperature zones are on this island, from humid sea level to snow-topped mountains! Kulana is located at 2800 feet where night air can be mild or cold. Bring sturdy shoes and warm clothes for the evening along with beach-going tropical wear, especially if you plan to visit the Mauna Kea star-gazing observatories (13,000 feet elevation), Volcanoes National Park (4000 feet), or the live lava at night. (The weather patterns also seem to be changing here in Hawaii...It is too soon to tell what the new patterns will be, but those who have spent significant time here over the years feel like it is getting chillier down at lower elevations than it used to be, while at the same time less snowy up high where traditionally the mountains were mostly snow capped.)

•  RESPONSIBILITY: As a rustic co-creation located in the tropical jungle of an active volcano, all participants who visit and live at Kulana agree to be 100% responsible for their own safety and the safety of their belongings.

•  INDIVIDUAL SPACES: Upon arrival you will find that our basic indoor spaces have windows, beds, pillows, comforters, lamps, flowers, and individual perks ranging from private deck to phone jack. Visitors are assigned a modest-sized private cabin or room from what is unoccupied when they arrive. Bring own bedding, towels, toiletries, flashlights, etc...or a set of sheets and a towel can be rented for $5 plus tax for the duration of your stay.

•  COMMUNITY SPACE: Shared kitchen is equipped with pots, pans, dishwear, refrigeration, individual and community food shelves. Our growing library includes an eclectic collection of reading material, our history documented in a series of Guest Photo Albums, art & music supplies, and an Art Wall in progress. Bathrooms offer shower and tub. Shared main house is for meals, discussion, reading, and bathroom use, mainly during daylight hours; please be considerate of those sleeping and working below! Visitors and Residents clean up after themselves promptly; we have no huge tropical roaches here, and would like to keep it that way.

•  SHARED HOUSEHOLD PURCHASES:   Management, Residents and Medium/Longer-Term Visitors take turns purchasing shared community items like: toilet paper, cleansers, propane, Envirobio, water filters, etc. at the beginning of their third week. These costs range from approximately $35 drinking water filters (purchased every six months) to sets of 3 scrubby sponges approximately $1.50, which are purchased more frequently. When you're a newcomer, those that have been here longer carry your share...and later, you get to help carry the newcomers who make up our ever-evolving creative community. Thus far, all reasonable electricity bills are paid for by Founder, whether or not she is on-site. Optional: Though we prefer all participants share in the care of our facilities, "medium-length" & "longer-stay" visitors can add an additional fee of $14.28 per day into their reservation and have their Care Project and Household Purchase obligations "hired out". (In the spirit of hands-on community, this option is not available for Residents.)

•  MONEY: Visiting/living on the Big Island of Hawaii can be done on a budget...or extravagantly. There are $1 movies...and $25 plays. There are pricey health food stores...and inexpensive Farmer's Markets. There is free hiking and ocean adventures...and there are far-from-free helicopter rides and tour boats. Gas is expensive...and the (infrequent) busses are cheap. Come prepared to enjoy the experiences you wish to have and are able to afford. Neither Kulana nor other Kulana participants can be expected to pick up the slack if you incorrectly budget or overspend.

•  CARE PROJECTS: Co-creating and maintaining even a small, affordable retreat in the tropics is no small feat! Kulana is meant to embody balance, equality & health on many levels by providing a cooperative environment where all who visit & live here are considered her part-time "caregivers". In the spirit of the Hawaiian principal of ukupau, one-a-week Care Projects for Visitors and two-a-week Care Projects for Residents enable the sanctuary to thrive and grow. No experience necessary.

•  Our general Care Projects alternate between care of the structures, inside & out, and care of the land...with a bit of organizational paperwork or outreach PR from time to time. And we try to rotate everything, whenever possible, so no one does one particular thing too often. For those who prefer to think in terms of "hours", a weekly Care Project can take up to one hour per day of one's stay. Though some folks request additional projects which we can happily supply, this is not expected; it is expected however that each participant will give good energy to completing each Care Project as assigned. Weekly projects range from meditation trail shaping with pruners/weednetting/red gravel to cabin painting (including artistic designs as appropriate!), mailing list updating to posting Kulana brochures in nearby towns, cleaning community spaces to land TLC which includes weedwacking and planting/tending new flowers/bushes/palm trees, taking visitor bedding and community items to the local laundrymat, etc.

•  Care Projects are tailored to current Kulana priorities, individual abilities/talents, length of stay, and to the weather. Optional: Though we prefer all participants share in the care of our facilities, "short-term" Visitors can add an additional $10/day into their reservation to have their Care Project "hired out," and "medium-length" & "longer-stay" visitors can pay an additional $14.28 per day to have both their Care Projects and Household Purchase obligations taken care of by others. (In the spirit of enjoying a hands-on community that we all co-create, this option is not available for Residents.)

•  MEETINGS:   All Visitors and Residents participate in generally brief weekly meetings with Management, usually on the day their next Care Project is assigned. Participants may also meet with Management plus other Residents and Visitors, as needed.

• TRANSPORTATION:   They don't call this the "Big" Island for nothing! Neighborhood & trail walking/biking is enjoyable, and limited bus service to Hilo and around the island is available (808-961-8744), but specific near & far sacred sites, local farmer's markets, stores, social events and the multi-colored beaches are reached most easily, most conveniently, by car. Longer-staying Kulana participants have shipped their vehicles over &/or purchased new ones here. Rental cars are also available at the Hilo and Kona airports. For those not wishing the expense of their own personal vehicles, transportation to and from Hilo Airport with one stop at the grocery store of choice upon arrival is available for $45 plus tax per person each way, schedule permitting; best to reserve in advance. (NOTE: We do not do airport pick-ups/drop-offs to Kona Airport, the airport on the other side of this island, which is about 3 hours away.) For a single traveler, our Hilo Airport service is about half of what a taxi costs, and we can transport 2 guests (if they don't have much luggage!) in our passenger vehicle; large parties are better served by taxi vans or renting a car.

•  Additionally, sightseeing &/or errand trips with Kulana Management are sometimes possible, $12 plus tax per hour and gas, schedule permitting; best to request in advance.

•  Cristina also has a second "loaner" car that she is sometimes willing and able to allow Kulana visitors/residents/managers to use for $20/day plus tax if they are agreeable to its 100% driver responsibility terms; loaner car is a stickshift and a legally binding contract is signed. [UPDATE 4/08: CRISTINA JUST SOLD THIS CAR AND THUS ISN'T LOANING OUT ANY VEHICLES AT THIS TIME!]

•  Lastly, carpooling with other Visitors or Residents is sometimes possible by invitation, but please note: ALL KULANA PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY. (We have found over the years that folks who tend to lean too heavily on the generosity of others in order to get their daily needs met do not tend to work out as well here!)

•  SETTING UP SERVICES:   Mail can be received for your name, c/o General Delivery, Volcano, HI 96785, or via an individually rented post office box. Payphones and low cost internet access located in Volcano Village, 5 miles away, as well as in Hilo and elsewhere. Several Kulana spaces have phone hook-up for longer staying guests who wish to have these turned on via the local phone company for land line and internet use.   Internet access   is also free via the Hawaiian library system. Past Visitors/Residents have also enjoyed the ease of cell phones, high-speed internet "air cards", and inexpensive answering services . Please note: There is no community access to these services at Kulana. As we value a healthy balance between community sharing and privacy, please do not ask to use phone, internet, post office box addresses, etc. of other Visitors/Residents/Management. (See note re: responsibly meeting one's own needs in preceeding paragraph!)

•  WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "WOMEN-CENTRIC" AND "DIVERSE"?   Kulana is a woman-centric (though not women-only) space that values diversity (age diversity, racial diversity, diversity by spiritual and affectional preference, artistic medium, etc). Here women and people of color are prioritized. Many artistic retreats seem to select more talented men than women, many creative communities seem to assign men the interesting and valued work, and women the stereotypical chores of cleaning up. Many resorts to "get away" from daily life and focus on art or spirituality often cost more than many women and people of color can afford. Gay/bi/transgender folk often feel invisible or unwelcome in predominately heterosexual environments....Here we turn those imbalances around. Men cannot take up more space (physically, emotionally, or psychically) than women at Kulana. Male opinions are not valued over those of women's. We practice gender neutrality when assigning Care Projects, i.e. a man is just as likely to be assigned a cleaning project, and a woman is just as likely to be asked to help build or move something (bodily abilities taken into consideration of course.) In general we have welcomed wonderful women and men over the years, though overall Kulana has been about 80-90% female. Men and women with gentle and feminist sensibilities tend to fit in well here. Here at Kulana, we enthusiastically welcome gay people, people of color, those who are younger or older, etc!

•  CHECK OUT: individual spaces should be left clean and welcoming for the next Kulana participant. We are always happy to welcome back folks who leave the premises as nice--or better--than they found them! Visitors and Residents welcome to donate belongings for us to use or pass on at our discretion. As we have very limited storage space, we cannot hold individual possessions until your next stay.

•  GUESTS OF GUESTS:   Kulana was created to be a sacred retreat environment conducive to on-going creative/spiritual work; therefore we keep the number of participants utilizing our shared grounds and main house intimate. Friends/partners are always welcome to schedule visits with Kulana Visitors/Residents during daylight hours; and welcome to spend the night by reservation, same fees and guidelines apply.

•  OUR ATMOSPHERE: Kulana is a quiet, nature-based, nurturing, growth-full sanctuary, generally housing 2 - 7 people at any one time. Participant "energy" fluctuates depending on who is currently here. Sometimes many interactions are shared; other times are more focused on solitary growth and expression. Meals and adventures are shared as mutually desired. All who visit and live here are responsible for co-creating a relaxed and considerate "community" atmosphere (no matter what Pele might be bringing up for them!). Consideration re: noise, privacy, use of shared space, behavior, etc. is required. All are welcome to stay as long as, in the opinion of Management, "it's working!" Management retains the right to offer or decline accommodations to anyone.

•  CHILDREN: We have welcomed a number of well-behaved, quiet, respectful, and artistic children of various ages over the years and are happy to continue doing so! However, parents please note: Kulana is creative retreat space intended for adults focussed on the pursuit of artistic/spiritual/rejuvenating paths, and therefore a quiet, contemplative environment is maintained here. We are not by any means a "kid-proof" place, though we do have a playpen for infants in our community library now. For the safety of all, we expect parents to keep an eye on their children at all times. Reimbursement for any damaged work tools, musical instruments, furniture, flooring, electronics, etc. is expected (though we would rather not have any of our belongings--many of which have significant sentimental value to us--damaged!) Though other tourist accommodations may be fine with noisy, rambunctious, unsupervised children, it is not something we enjoy or allow. Therefore it is important for parents wishing to stay with us to know the kind of behavior typical to their children and whether or not a stay at an artist sanctuary is actually appropriate.

•  NO DROP-INS PLEASE!   As there is no "front desk" and Management/Residents are pursuing creative/spiritual goals while also intending to maintain healthy, balanced schedules, we do not accept drop-in guests. Please call regarding space and airport pick-up availability, and to set up a Check-In Time so someone will be here to welcome you and give the grand tour! (Advance reservations preferred, but happy to welcome last minute visitors when we can. Leave a message--we're often home, but we're hardly ever sitting right by the phone!)  

•  NON-REFUNDABLE RESERVATIONS POLICY: All Kulana fees for Visitors and Residents are prepaid and non-refundable/non-transferable.

•  NO EXCEPTIONS:  As experience has taught us, these Guidelines help us create our sustainable health on all levels, thus fee structure and our set-up as this unique, creative sanctuary--which is also a "business"--are non-negotiable. No exceptions are made. Even for friends. (So, please don't ask!)

•  UPDATES: Kulana fees, accommodations, and guidelines subject to change. Acquire most recent information when planning your next visit!

When the island of Pele calls you to replenish...

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