Guest Book

Marlu,
It was a pleasure. Thanks so much for your beautiful and hospitable accommodations. The Downs family.

It was perfect for our extended family of 7! Plenty of beds for everyone, a large kitchen and spacious living room with the front of the house 100% windows that look out over a beautiful beach you can watch the surf or the kids out on the beach. The the big screen tv was rarely used, we were on the deck day and night eating our meals and relaxing or just listening to the waves crash at night. There are as always small "sugar" ants so keeping food cleaned up helps keep them at a minimum, the driveway is narrow and you have to dodge the neighbors vehicle a bit to get in and out, but he was very freindly when we spoke to him. You can't surpass the beach in front of the house, Sharks Cove for snorkling is within walking distance and the surfing contests were just getting going and just a short drive away. There are a lot of stairs since it is 2 story, the carport has space for 2 cars and a clearing for a third if needed, we went to Ted's Bakery which has awesome to go food as well as some yummy bakery items. Foodland is very close and we were able to get all our groceries and most everything we needed when we needed it. The little town of Haleiwa (sp?) is pretty close and we had a great time there eatting Mahi Mahi burgers at the Grass Skirt and shopping while we at the famous shaved ice. Waikiki is about a 30-40 minute drive if you want to go there for the day as well. If we needed a large place again we would for certain stay at this location again.

Aloha Marlu,

We had a great time, thanks to you; caught up with Richard but did not see Juan, so I trust he fed dear Beach, such a sweetie.

We left you a note.

Surf hit a thunderous 15' last night under magical moonlight; hereunder , a shot from the am surf scene and memories with wonderdog. We'd adopt him anytime.

Mahaloha/shalom/JET

Aloha Marlu!

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for our spectacular stay in Hawaii. Your accommodations and home style welcome were so appreciated! I will recomend your place to all my friends that plan any trips to Hawaii in the future, and hopefully I will be able to come back soon too!!

Aloha and Mahalo!!

Dear Marlu!
warm greetings and many thanks from Denmark!
We had a verry pleasent stay at your place in paradise. We would really like to get in touch with a couple that was there(at your place) at the same time as us. It was a couple from florida, He was from thailand- she was american. They stayed at the bottom part of the seafront bamboo. We stayed at the garden cottage from 24/7 tell 26/7. We would apreciate it verry much if you could forward this E-mail to them. They took some pictures of my son Jacob and I, when we were out surfing, and we would like to get some of thoose pictures.
We hope to see You and all the animals again in the future!

yours truely

Jacob, Tina and Martin Roland Iversen
Copenhagen Denmark

Aloha, Marlu - hope you and the Islands are doing well. Jane & I are in the process of possibly coming back to Hawaii next spring, if my back can hold out. When would be the best time to come to see all the flora in bloom, etc. As you may recall, last year we stayed with you in February. Next year we were thinking about mid-March or April or May. What would you recommend? (By the way, we love looking at our photo credits on your website!!)

Hi Marlu,
You are now with new renters, who I hope appreciate all you have there, and all you do for everyone who stays there.
I took pictures for as long as I could when we took off for home, and I am still shedding tears for all the beauty we saw. This was the most relaxing and beautiful vacation we have ever had. I imagine I will feel sad for weeks to come that we had to come home. It was funny, when we walked into our house, I said to Bill that it looked so bare, and what was missing? So much to look at in your house, mine seems so dull. I bought a quilt, and it is going up on a bare wall in my living room, and the only water I get to look at is the pool, and I can think of waves when the filter goes on, but not really! Reality really is awful!
Since you won't sell us your house, we will have to come back at least every other year!
I am already making out a list of things to do when we return. I have even looked at places to buy, but we want to be on the beach like you are, and it is hard to tell just how close they are by the pictures. Bit buying will be years away, so we will come and see you. Next trip will be 10 days, and that will be perfect.
Thank you again for a wonderful time, and making our anniversary so special.
Vicki and Bill Chafee

Aloha,
I had the best time ever at your home/vacation rental in June this year when
I went to the wedding.
I have dear friends going to Oahu and I want to send them to your place.
Please email me a link that I can forward to them.
Thanks Karen

Dear Marlu,

I just talked to our winners - they were more than impressed, loved the stay at your lovely spot and your excellent hospitality!
Actually they're dreaming of moving to oahu - So i guess they liked it :-)

I would like to thank you very much for all your help and your patience with all the paperwork!

I would love to come down too!
One day...

All the best and kind regards
Marco

Hi Marlu!

Thank you so much for mailing Nate's shorts and underwear. :-) He was rather embarrassed... we were all excited about getting a package from you, and we opened it together, and out fell Nate's Superman undies! :-) We had a good laugh over that one. And thank you also for the refund of the security.

We had such a great time there, we miss Hawaii so much. I think I left something in your house too, but I don't think it can be mailed back... My heart is still there, and it's sitting on your balcony looking out over that beautiful ocean. We will never forget our time with you. Thank you for sharing your home with us. It really did feel like home. SO much better than a cold high-rise hotel!

We had a great time on the cruise. It was very rushed, going somewhere every second, but there was no time to waste, we only had a few days to soak in as much of Hawaii as we could. Our first stop was Maui, we went on a whale watch tour with Pacific Whale Foundation... it was amazing! We saw several whales, a little one with their Mom and a male "escort". We got alot of good "tail" shots. When I figure out this camera, I will email you some pictures. I'm very frustrated with my new video camera, it's not as simple as I'd hoped when it came time to download. After the whale adventure, we went to the Old Lahaina Luau. It was ok I guess, but I wouldn't do it again.

Our next stop was the Big Island, we docked in Hilo first and did a tour of Volcano Nat'l Park, very interesting, it felt like we were on a different continent, or maybe a different planet! Then the next day we were docked in Kona and went on a catamaran/snorkel cruise which was GREAT! I told you I have a fear of depth, and I just decided enough of this crap, and I jumped in and had a wonderful time! My first peek underwater, and I was hooked, I felt like I was in an aquarium with all the pretty coral and little fish. There was a drop off that went kind of deep, but I didn't panic, I even swam over it and looked around! So I think the Shark trip really helped me get over my fear. I wish we could have been in the water when we saw those whales! I'd love to see them swim and dive. I found a great lithograph at the "Art in the Park" event in Lahaina's Banyan tree park. It is beautiful, showing dolphins and whales swimming, and you can see them above and below the water. I'm going to have it framed and put over my fireplace.

Then, our last 2 days were in Kauai. Wow! Waimea Canyon, the fern grotto, Wailua River, it was all so green and lush, I couldn't believe the beauty. We toured the canyon one day, then the next day we did zip-lining which I probably should have passed on. (I almost wrecked my knee) But we did it and it was great. Nate even jumped off of a 20 ft. cliff on a rope swing. He's braver than I am! Then the captain gave us a treat and sailed us past Na'pali Coast. That was amazing! We saw those beautiful mountains, rainbows, and more whales. I felt like we had stepped thru some secret door into a magical land. I just didn't think anything could be so beautiful.

OH, and we finally got to the Aloha Stadium swap meet! Our last day when we docked at Honolulu, we ran over there and shopped before we jumped on the plane. What great buys! We spent our last dollar (literally!) and then ran to the airport. We had to pay extra for luggage because of all the stuff we bought. :-)

Anyway, sorry I blabbed on. It was just a magical, wonderful vacation. But it was more than a vacation. It changed me, and I can't stop thinking about it all. The people, the beauty, it was amazing. I will treasure all of it forever. If I were physically in better shape, I would be putting my house up for sale now. But ... I doubt I could get hired with a bad knee and back. But I'm still keeping my options opened... if you hear of a need for an old cranky nurse, let me know! Jess and I both agreed that of all the places we visited, North Shore was the one that grabbed our hearts... we loved it there.

I'll send pictures when I get this camera figured out. God bless, and again Mahalo for sharing your home and beautiful North Shore with us.

Take care,
Tanya, Jess, and Nate

Marlu - we wanting to thank you for the wonderful stay with you at Chun's Reef. By far, our time on the North Shore was the best part of our trip - thank you for taking such good care of us and being such an exceedingly good host. We very much want to come back :-)

Aloha Marlu,
What a wonderful time we had on the North Shore, thanks in part to your hospitality and beautiful setting. Our week was jam-packed, from nearly running into a 3' turtle on my 5:30am beach jog the first morning, to getting pummelled in the shorebreak at Waimea just before our flight home.
We also experienced the "Best Sunset of My Life," right on your deck.
Mahalo!
Kim and Alison

The North Shore is the best! And this web site is described/pictured exactly as it is. The part I liked best was short walk to the beach where sea turtles and monk seals come ashore. You won't have to find a parking place or fight traffic. Marlu's beach on the other side, right next to the driveway, is also fabulous. Pipeline's famous surf is real ly close and I saw whales at Pupukea, just down from Foodland (groceries). Food at little restaurants I visited was delicious and reasonable in price. Wish I would have stayed longer. Marlu will do anything for you.

Aloha Marlu

Just to say a big thank you for an amazing stay at Chuns Reef last week. Rob and I are now back in England and its extremely cold -3c. Wishing I was back in Hawaii.

Attached are some pictures of our trip.

Thank you again

Best wishes

Fiona

Aloha Marlu! thanks for the fantastic stay! here are the beachy pics!

Marlu,
Snow, sleet, and rain!! Subzero temps!! We check your cam and long for our ohana!!

We've been checking airline fares. Still very high!!

See our attached Christmas postcard and see if you recognized it?!?!?!

Aloha!! Say hi to Barack for us!

We pull up the Chun's cam about every day and check out our second home. Helps to zen.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Aloha Marlu,

I trust you are well ;-) I wanted to say a BIG thank you for a wonderful time in Hale'iwa !!! Spending Thankskiving dinner with you on your Birthday was so incredibly nice. We had such a good time and count ourselves very lucky to have met such wonderful, fun loving people. On Friday we were able to catch some of the Triple Crown comp at Sunset and it was amazing !!!!!

A big thanks to our wonderful hosts a well, they were very nice and welcoming.

Well, until next time Marlu take care amd Surf's up !!
Aloha & Mahalo,

Dear Marlu,

Thanks again for a wonderful stay at the Bamboo Cottage--we had a great time! We're safely back in snowy Juneau now, dreaming about our next trip...

Here's some of the pics we took. Cheers!

Dear Marlu,

I wanted to take a moment before the pressures of the real world set in and your paradise is a distant memory to tell you again what a wonderful time we had staying at your little oasis. The photos online simply do not do it justice, as one cannot capture how truly close this house is to the ocean! Inside the house are so many wonderful treasures that one would have to stay a month to see them all....everyday is like living in a museum with wonderful gifts to discover.

Each morning I would awake before day break, and from the deck on your home, watch the local surfers coming out to the beach by your house, waiting for dawn. At first light, they would paddle out to the surf; some of them standing on their boards and using real paddles to get there! I had never seen that before, and was in awe of this each morning. One day, the surfers came later, and the fisherman came out to play...what fun; a new entertainment enfolding from your balcony each wonderful day! I cannot express to you what joy I felt each day just being in this fabulous environment!

I have attached a couple of photo's taken from your second floor deck. God Bless you Marlu!

"One does not do something in order to be compassionate; one is compassionate and hence acts in a certain way." CWG

Namaste',

Dear Marlu,

Thank you so much for everything!

It was a true pleasure to meet you and I appreciate all of your helpful recommendations. Chuns Reef is a very special place and I will be sure to recommend it to anyone traveling to the area.

Mahalo and Aloha.

I wanted to say "THANK YOU" very much for allowing us to stay at your home. It was absolutely beautiful!!!

Dear Marlu,

Thank you so much for being such a great host. You gave us what we needed, told us where to find what we wanted, and our only regret was that the visit was too short! And we didn't even get to clean a beach...

We had a wonderful time - received the deposit check and all is well - We'll remember your beach forever!

We've been glad to see our pictures in your guest book, and we've sent you there a few notes; you'll find more pictures of our trip
Hasta luego

Xavier

Hello I'm Hirokazu.Kataoka.
We are Japanese tourist.
When we lost car key at chan's beech, you helped us.

It not only called for the car rental company
but also it got to the shower and meal,
it was moving.

Thank you very much for your help.

Though time passed for a moment,
I attached the photograph taken together.
Can you see it?

And if possible,Please tell us your name and address.
If we find interesting japanese item,we will send you.

Felt like the beach was our "private beach". Unforgettable place!

We stayed here for 5 nights and it was very nice. Marlu is a friendly and colourful lady. The beach was wonderful and her pets were sweet. She had all the equipment you can think of and it was free to borrow at any time. We enjoyed our stay in our cottage.

Marlu,
Aloha from a Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Washington. Absolutely the BEST family vacation experience we've ever had. A huge MAHALO to you for your gracious hospitality. We couldn't have stayed at a better place & location for our trip.
The upstairs beach house & the bamboo studio met all of our needs. One of the favorite parts of the beach house was the outdoor shower, the fellas loved the shower. Also, the view from the upstairs’ deck was awesome and the sunsets were breathtaking.
Waking up & going to bed to the sound of the ocean waves was extraordinarily soothing to the soul. Snorkeling, swimming & lying out on the beach were as good as it gets. We felt we had our own private beach in the morning and at sunset. Yet, the beach never felt crowded when the locals and the other people came out at midday.
We'll always remember Koa, Sadie, Twiddle Dum, the turtles & the macaw, although we’re saddened for the loss of Koa during our stay. What a group of characters they are, they sure have big appetites!
The Shark Encounter trip & deep sea fishing with Capt Mark of North Shore Sport fishing charters were extremely memorable and two of the highlights of our trip. Grilling the Mahi Mahi & Ahi we caught that day was some great tastin’ fish. From a couple of 50 yr olds, we highly recommend these two trips. And that lil town of Haleiwa is something special with all its cute shops, cafes & diners.
Well, Marlu, we’ll be talking about this trip for years to come. Again, Mahalo, till next time.

Sincerely, Manu, Tina & the Tuiasosopo family

Marlu,

What an awesome place you have! Roger, Don, Chris and I all had a terrific time. Especially when there was a little bump going. Chris ended up extending his return flight to next Wednesday, so he's getting in on the real nice south swell that's hitting right now.

I'm already thinking about next year...

Thanks again for a fantastic time.

Aloha,

Rick

Hi Marlu. Hope you remember us -we were there in February and fell in love with your pets - especially the goose. Hope all is well. This Canadian goose (transplanted in Virginia) has heard about Twiddle-dum and wants to come to visit. Is there room in the swimming pool?

No, he's not our goose - just a random goose that we photographed. We so enjoyed our trip to Hawaii and would like to come again.

Have a wonderful summer. We miss you. Here are some photos of Jodi's wedding.

Fondly,
Jane and Danny Pugh

Merci Marlu and Mahalo! (See photos :) )

Thanks, and we had a wonderful time staying there. We've been recommending it to all our friends!
Mahalo,
Evan
Chuns Reef May 2008

Hi Marlu

It's summer here in France, but we can't forget the fantastic time we had at Chun's reef !!! Perfect for our honeymoon...
Everybody has to know that it's a place where they must stay at least one time if they come in Hawaii: great house with a great view (at sunset, it's unreal), nice bay and nice beach with no crowd, warm water with turtles (yes, you can dive with them, but please, don't bother them!), good waves for surfing, and so much more. guys, one thing to do: ask Marlu to go and dive with you, surrounded by 10 foot sharks!
Marlu, thanks to you, we've found the Aloha spirit at Chun's!
Merci encore y hasta luego!
Xavier + Valerie

Marlu,
Thanks for the hospitality. Your place is great!
Love to you and all the animals.
Bless xoxoxoxoox
Will & Jade – Chun’s Reef- April 2008
PS will send photos soon

We wanted to thank you again for the cozy digs during our stay. We loved the experience and will have fond memories of it.

As for the airline snaffu's...

Thanks for the memories. We'll recommend you to our friends.

Hi Marlu!

We just wanted to thank you for the lovely time we had staying in your cottage! It was lovely along with your hospitality! You are so centrally located without all the traffic that we just fell in love with the cottage!
Thanks again for all the special memories!
Shane and Amy Merritt

Dear Marlu,

Danny and I just got in from the last leg of our Hawaiian trip, an inter-island cruise and we are exhausted but had such a wonderful time. We truly enjoyed our stay at your bamboo studio. Your home is lovely. Danny is ready to move to the islands.

We truly miss that silly goose.

Again, thank you so much. It was a joy meeting you and spending a week at your home. Perhaps we can do it again sometime.

Sincerely,
Jane and Danny Pugh

Marlu:
Back to chilly, rainy California. Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed staying at your amazing piece of paradise on the beach at Chuns. I am already making plans to return next year. Piddlies Rocks!, (but, don't tell anyone!).
Thanks again for all of your Aloha,

Marlu,

Amy and I had a great time at your place, despite the crazy weather. I will recommend it to anyone visiting the island.

Aloha,
John Bernie

Well, we all arrived safely at home after our absolutely wonderful stay at your place at Chuns Reef (and Kawela Bay).
Marlu, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you ever so much for the great stay we had. The only bad part of it all was having to pull up stakes and go into Waikiki for 4 days...and then it turns out we didn't have to do that after all...!!! Anyway, we all want you to know that we all enjoyed ourselves immensely and Chuns Reef will definitely be our destination choice next time if possible. Pam SO loved the beach right next door!

We were particularly touched or how should I put this...made comfortable(?)...with our host (thats you) being such a real person! Refreshing to find people who see and know real value in life and work towards a greater cause. Sometimes we aspire to ideals that our higher than ourselves...but thats the real spirit of loving and caring and giving, isn't it.
We feel so fortunate to have connected with so many island folk who,like yourself, in their own little or big way are trying to make a difference to the overall betterment of the land they love and live on and the people they live with.

At the end of the day, it is THIS quality, THESE values, that will keep us coming back to enjoy the North Shore of Hawaii over and over again.

In your own way Marlu, you are an ambassador to this land that you love. The extension of yourself... reaching out to others, including visitors such as ourselves and other folk less fortunate, be they people folk or animal folk, is deeply felt, and on behalf of myself and Pam and Josh and Mom, I would like to thank you for the genuine love, compassion and concern shown, not only to us but to all these others that your life touches.

You're great. We love you. Keep up the good work. I truly hope that all your dreams come true with your new boat. You deserve it more than anyone else, and if any one can make it work , you can.

Mahalo for a great vacation and till next time...Aloha !

Greeting Marlu,
We are home and recovered from our wonderful vacation. I am so glad we discovered your house at Kawela Bay. It suited us perfectly and we could not have found a better location.
The house and site were beautiful and gave us a vacation we will always cherish.

Hi Marlu,

We really enjoyed our time at Paul’s. The beach was beautiful, the accommodations were perfect for us and we liked all the people we met. Perhaps we can come another time...

Thanks for your help.

Donna and Jon Skovlin

Top dogs at Chun's Reef. As we come every year and have grown to love your dog Koa, we were happy to see he has a new companion just as well behaved!

What a wonderful restful vacation. Back in the real world, looking forward to next trip.

Dropping a line to say hello and a big mahalo for the stay last summer for our wedding. We came back home to the North Shore to get married barefeet in the sand on the beach I grew up on and the entire week + was amazing. Such a comfortable and beautiful spot in Haleiwa, which says a lot since there are a lot of beautiful spots/beaches on that side of the island. There was really no reason to leave the house - we couldn't have asked for more. Now we're daydreaming about coming back for the holidays. Mahalo nui, Matt and Kim

Perfect Hawaiian moment on Chun's Reef (photo)

Thank you for a "ono" vacation. We felt like the beach was our private beach. The experience with the sea turtles was truly unforgettable and will change our lives. Thank you for sharing "stories" with us and allowing us to enjoy your talented pets.
We love Waimea Falls, Ted's Bakery, Foodland and Haleiwa Eats. Chun's Reef is where we will go when we need to de-stress and just close our eyes and imagine we are back there. We feel like we are locals! Keep your passion and keep swimming.
Mahalo, until again-
LoRee & Denise

We are trying to survive the winter freeze!!! So made the decision we are coming back!!!!

We can come May 29 - June 12 ~ we would like to stay in the Bamboo studio this time.

We check Chun's cam all the time and see the rocks in front of your house; home away from home! Look like surf is up now.

We are ready for Koa and the rest of the gang!! Hungry for Ted's and some Thai food too!

Hi Marlu,

Thanks for the wonderful stay; the shark experience was a once in a lifetime adventure. What a wonderful way to redefine a person's relationship to these magnificent creatures. Thank you for everything and be well.

Ann Marie Tommey

Dear Marlu
This is Heide and Othmar from Davos Switzerland. We stayed at your nice
beachfront appartment in end of May this year. Apperently for one night
only!
Your place was the highlight of our trip to Oahu. Thank you for letting us
stay in your place. We hope to be back sometimes. You were asking us for
some pictures, well here they are. I did not think it would be possible to
kitesurf in front of your house. This was a very special experience! If you
need more pictures or pictures in higher resolution please let me know.
Kind Regards from the Swiss mountains,
Othmar and Heide

We loved the time we spent at Chun's Reef, nothing like being at the beautiful beach and ocean every day. It was an ideal beachfront vacation experience that we can't wait to do again. Marlu is the most gracious ever and went the extra mile to make sure we had everthing we needed. We highly recommend this location for a relaxing and uncrowded island getaway.

Thao & Quin
Tustin, CA

Aloha Marlu,

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HOSPITALITY!!
-Leaving my card with all my info.
-We'll spread the word about your place.

OK ALOHA!

Robert and I both thank you sooo much!

wanted to add a couple more pics, thanks again!!
aloha!!