Review of Mairela Retreat Cottage
Reviews from our community
4 reviews
1 helpful vote
Booked through Air BnB and already written an AirBnB review. Writing a tripadvisor one as I feel the current rating is an unfair representation of the place! :)
Sara was a lovely host, very accommodating, on hand to help and an absolute pleasure to talk to!
The cottage itself was lovely, very quaint, charming and fairytale-esque! It had twin beds on the ground level and up the ladder a doubleish sized bed. Be aware that the toilet is a eco bio-compostable outdoor toilet which is not everyone taste, we found it a little bizarre at first, being town and city girls, but got used to it. Trips to the toilet in the dark was a challenge, luckily it was summer and the Finnish long summer days helped us out! Overall we felt the space was decent, but we spent most of our time outdoors so it was ideal.
The setting amongst the trees was very relaxing, we couldn't have asked for a better place to experience Finland outside of the towns and cities. My friends enjoyed a leisurely row around the lake as I explored and took photos of surrounding nature.
Our stay of two days was very short, I recommend an average of 4 days or more to allow time to explore and get the full cottage experience. Due to our short stay we didn't use the grillhouse, but I assume it's very awesome. The kitchen is well equipped with everything you may need. The water is collected from a well but that was fine with us. The kitchen is well stocked with utensils and previous guests had left random foil/non perishables/seasonings which was handy.
Setting up the sauna was challenging, but we got it going after a while, topped off by a dip in the lake. It really made our Finnish forest experience! Peace and quiet was definitely needed and we certainly got it.
Location-wise the sat-nav took us down a single tracked mud path (came from the North), there was a more simple way I later found out, but it was more fun. There's a local supermarket shop 15ish minutes away by car in Kuhmoinen itself for everything you may need. Getting back to Helsinki was straight forward with google maps on our side. Such lovely scenery of trees, lakes and farmland.
I hope to return one day for longer! Highly recommended for a forest escape.
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13 reviews
4 hotel reviews
4 helpful votes
I stayed here for two purposes: silence and Reiki healing. The silence was good in such a remote setting. I had 1 Reiki session and withdrew from the other 14 I'd arranged. Sara talked at me for over an hour about herself, her experiences and could not listen to or be attentive to me. She didn't explain how the session would go or undertake the customary new client questionnaire saying that she didn't think these were necessary. I discovered that Sara didn't complete her 3rd and final year in Energy Healing saying that she hadn't thought this to be necessary either. So she has no Qualification in this subject. She refused to refund the money I'd paid for the remainder of the Reiki Sessions, or even a part thereof. On the return journey to the airport she talked incessantly about herself. I came home 2 days early.
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On the first session I explained why I didn't use forms and why that wasn't relevant, I also explained why I used my own experiences to give examples of the spiritual aspects we covered. This would be the part where you weren't listening or paying attention.
I then began a very simple exercise where you close your eyes, feet flat on the floor and begin to notice your body whilst I assist you to do so. You didn't ever really take this seriously and after 20 minutes you stopped the session, said it wasn't working for you and left.
Next day you came and said that you didn't want to do any more work with me.
I had rearranged my care work and my voluntary work, and busted a gut getting the refurbished kitchen ready for you, plus rejecting other enquiries, so when YOU decide to stop coming to sessions I don't think a refund is required. You accepted that at the time, so what has changed since?
You didn't “discover” that I didn't do the 3rd year at the UK school of Energy Healing, I told you that and my website clearly states that I studied “for some time” at the school.
If you want certificates then I have them for 4 levels of Reiki, Meditation, Traditional Yoga Massage, Foot Reflexology, Business Law, Business Administration, Tax Law, Accounting, Information Systems, A level Maths and Biology, 8 O levels and a 50 yards swimming certificate!
My qualifications are my successful return to health from stage 3 ovarian cancer after a life expectancy of 17%, dealing with acute depression since my teenage years, dealing with self harm, overcoming an abusive 7 year relationship, successfully navigating a 4 year stalker, nursing my soul mate through his cancer until he died in my arms after only 1 year and 3 days.
If you had wanted a silent journey to and from the airport why did you specifically ask me to collect you? If you wanted silence in the car why didn't you just say so?!! If you wanted silence in the car why didn't you sit in the back? If you wanted silence why didn't you take the bus? If you wanted silence why didn't you take a taxi? It's not rocket science!!!
Generally, and by that I mean everyone except for you, appreciates getting to know a little bit about the person they are staying with, places of interest along the way and an introduction to life in Finland.
In my 13 years of running these holistic retreats and holidays I had never met anyone who refused to even shake my hand at the airport.....that is until you came.
When I dropped you off at the airport and wished you luck with your new job you got my name completely wrong!
The entire essence of your traducement reflects the very ill that you came to see me about.
A classic case of anosognosia?
1 review
1 helpful vote
Beautiful surroundings, a great place to relax, although the cottage looks more isolated in the pictures that it is. because Sara also lives there in a bigger house. I can recomend the cottage to anyone who wants to be in the nature and get rid of civilisation.
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
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I hope my google French is ok!! :)
