4 Self-Catering Apartments
Located just 40 metres from Castara's wonderful Heavenly Bay beach, Lillibets is a two-storey apartment house with four self-contained one-bedroom apartments. Located on a lush hillside, the property wont suit those with mobility issues, but the higher location does provide the most beautiful of views over the village and bay and ensures that the apartments benefit from the cooling breezes. The apartments are simple, but extremely good value for money, particularly when considering their proximity to the nicest of Castara’s beaches.
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Dramatically positioned beside Heavenly Bay Lillibets provides modern comfortable accommodation surrounded by mango trees
The apartments and their verandas are spacious, well-furnished and extremely comfortable. Enjoy the luxury of your very own fully equipped suite. The beach is quiet, secluded and approximately 40 metres from your apartment. Heavenly Bay has some of the best snorkelling in Tobago, just 30 metres from the shore, and just has to be experienced.
Lillibets is a small development made up of four apartments on a superb elevated site facing south overlooking the whole of Castara Bay. Lillibets is reached from sea level up a path and stairway, approximately three flights of steps, this gives residents the superb views out over the bay. However, this also makes it difficult for people with mobility problems to enjoy Lillibets.
The apartments are made up of, a double bedroom with en-suite facilities, a fully equipped kitchen dining area and a sitting room. Most guests, however, prefer to use the large balcony for al fresco dining and relaxing.
Looking out across the bay there are magnificent views of the surrounding rain forest in the hills behind Castara village and below are some pictures of these views. Lillibets is in a wonderful position just above Heavenly Bay which is the quieter of the two beaches in Castara offering a good deal of seclusion.
Lillibets has been built to incorporate a number of 'eco friendly' features including the magnificent roof which provides a natural cooling system. Timber for the construction is from sustainable sources and has been sealed, but not painted to display its natural richness. For views of the accomodation click the links.
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The following review was produced during a visit to Lillibets.
Lillibets is a two-storey house in the increasingly popular small fishing village of Castara. Located just a stone's throw from beautiful Little Bay, the house offers 4 self-catering one-bedroom apartments.
There are now more than two dozen holiday accommodation properties in Castara. All this accommodation echoes the simple 'back-to-basics' ethos and ambience of the village, but even so there is still a variation of more than 7:1 in terms of the high-season rental rates of this disparate property. Despite being located within 100m of the beach, Lillibets manage to offer simple, but comfortable holiday accommodation at very affordable rates, without the huge premium prices often associated with beachside locations.
Lillibets is located on the lower slopes of the hillside backing Castara's Little Bay (more often referred to by the more glamorous,but technically incorrect, name of Heavenly Bay). Access to the property is off Depot Road, a steep lane leading from the main North Coast Road as it wends its way to Parlatuvier and Englishman's Bay. Depot Road is narrow, steep, pitted and potholed but as long as drivers exercise care the road represents little more than a minor challenge. Lillibets is situated behind the Boat House Restaurant.
Two rocky outcrops separate Little Bay from Big Bay and the main beach. At low tide it is possible to wade waist-deep from one beach to the other, but few do. Other than the Boat House there are no shops or restaurants in Little Bay, so walking to shops and restaurants does entail a walk up the hill to the main road, then back down to the rest of the village. Best avoided in the heat of the day, it can be a pleasant walk that shouldn't faze anyone and a cold beer always tastes so much better at the end.
As with virtually all accommodation in Tobago, I repeat my usual recommendation that visitors should budget to hire a car or jeep for at least part of their stay. The friendly local co-owner of Lillibets, Bruce Taylor, also runs a small self-drive rental agency, Taylor's Jeep & Car Rentals, and they can supply cars and jeeps to guests on a daily or weekly basis. Although your own car is by far the best way to experience the best of Tobago, you will certainly not require transport around Castara itself.
Castara is a 50-minute drive from the airport. When making your booking we would recommend that you arrange for Bruce to provide transfer from the airport. He will then meet your incoming flight and transport you back to Lillibets. Shopping facilities in the village are limited, to say the least, so Bruce will take you via one of the main supermarkets where you can stock up with groceries. You will then probably need to plan for at least one trip per week to the main supermarkets. The golden rule of shopping in Tobago is "if it's in stock, buy it". Don't assume that they will have something tomorrow just because it's on the shelves today.
The four one-bedroom self-catering apartments that comprise Lillibets are housed in a single two-storey building, with two apartments adjacent to each other on each level. A partial lattice-work panel divides each apartment and affords a degree of privacy on the deep common balcony that runs along the frontage of each floor. External steps on each side of the building allow guests' access to their own apartments without having to pass in front of neighbouring apartments.
The apartments are virtually identical and a single description will suffice for all four.
Guests will clearly have to climb an extra flight of stairs to gain access to the apartments on the upper level. However, these apartments benefit from the best views of the bay and get the maximum cooling from both land and sea breezes. For this reason, the two upper apartments do not have, or need, air-conditioning, unlike the lower apartments, which have small air-conditioning units in the bedrooms. The upper apartments did originally have small cable TV sets but these were removed due to lack of demand. The lower level apartments have ceramic floor tiles and the upper floor wooden floors. There are no other material differences between the four apartments.
The Lillibets building is located on a steep hillside. Access is via several flights of stairs. It has to be stressed that whilst the property undoubtedly represents an excellent choice for those looking for no-frills near-beachside accommodation, it would be totally unsuitable for anyone with walking or mobility difficulties.
Against this, being built on the hillside gives the property a major advantage: the view. Although located behind another apartment house, both floors of Lillibets provide wonderful views over the bay and the pretty little valley in which the house is located. Climbing the extra flight of stairs to the second floor is well worthwhile, as the top apartments clearly have the best views.
The apartments offer a spacious 42sq.m. of floor area, excluding the front balcony. They provide comfortable accommodation for two adults and one or two children. Although simply furnished, allthe basic necessities are provided.
Each bedroom is furnished with a 5ft Queen-size double-bed with mosquito net, bedside tables with lamps, a dressing table and a wooden wardrobe offering half a metre of full-length hanging space and a similar area of shelved storage. As already mentioned, the bedrooms on the lower floor are equipped with modern whisper-quiet split-unit air-conditioners. The apartments on the upper floor have no need of air-conditioning due to the higher location and cathedral-type open roof which provides exceptional air flow and cooling.
Each bedroom has direct access to the bathroom. A second door provides access from the living area. The bathrooms are fully tiled 'wet rooms' and feature a walk-in open shower, toilet and wash basin. Hot and cold water are provided in both the bathrooms and the kitchens, unlike many of the local small apartments who only provide cold water and instantaneous hot-water showers.
Various options can be provided in the apartments to accommodate children or additional guests, including a double bed settee, a rattan day bed suitable for a child, a travel cot and a lightweight single folding bed.
The L-shaped living areas are spacious and simply furnished with a comfortable rattan sofa and armchairs, but little else.
The kitchenettes are furnished with a medium-sized fridge with freezer compartment, four-ring gas stove, electric kettle and toaster and small, but adequate, collection of kitchen utensils, glassware, crockery and cutlery. Everything was reasonably maintained and adequately clean.
There is no dining table inside the apartment, despite there being adequate space, because frankly no holidaymaker is likely to dine indoors when they can dine on the wide (2.2m) covered balcony with those wonderful views of Castara Bay and the lovely little valley in which Lillibets is situated. The balconies are furnished with attractive wooden circular tables and chairs where most guests will choose to dine and to spend much of their leisure time when not on the beach.
Lillibets undoubtedly represents an excellent choice for couples or small families seeking modest accommodation in a stunning location and at affordable prices. The apartments are only a minute or so from one of the most beautiful Caribbean beaches. The life in Castara is simple and relaxed. If this is what you are looking for, then Lillibets should be on your list.
This property has a weighted Reader Satisfaction Rating of 84.9% . Click below to read the 74 reader reports that this is rating is based on.
Chris Annand from Canada visited in February 2018 and awarded
My husband and I stayed at Lilibets in February 2018. We very much enjoyed the apartment and Castara. The apartment was basic but clean and comfortable and we really appreciated the lovely fluffy towels and cotton sheets. The large deck sheltered us from both rain and sun and the view was spectacular. The stairs to and from and the hills of Castara provided a great exercise program. The colourful birds provided a treat morning and evening on our deck. Liz and Tom the owners on premis were ever helpful. The bay below was lovely and swimming with the rays a true delight. Overall a lovely vacation we would be happy to repeat.
Rwillerton from U.K. visited in May 2017 and awarded
Lillibets was a lovely place to stay. There are some things to be aware of - may not suit everyone. Positives: fantastic view, lovely sea breezes, balcony for sitting out surrounded by trees looking out over the bay, eating mangos and drinking carib. Clean, good shower, comfy beds, mosquito nets, good size fridge freezer, bats, birds, short trip down to beach to snorkel, good snorkelling R side of bay out round the corner, stingrays.
Things to be aware of: not all appts have a/c. I don't like it so that suits me. Quite steep steps up from the beach, in humid weather can be a bit sapping. Basic kitchen, cooker didn't work in ours, you need to be adaptable. Living space in our appt smaller than photos on website, our son's futon took up most of the space. But the balcony is the place to be anyway and is spacious. The beach restaurant closed the week before we arrived (23rd May) due to lack of tourists. There's nil else in little bay and in hot weather you can feel too lazy to walk to big bay (in truth its 5 mins away).
In conclusion it depends what you want. Castara and Tobago in general is so beautiful, you've got to take it slow and the longer you are there the easier that is. If you are on a short holiday and want more luxury/everything in tip top order, maybe go elsewhere? I could've stayed at Lillibets for weeks.
TOhagan replied...
Hi. Thanks for the great review. It sounds like you had a great time. Castara is not for everyone as it is so laid back.
I understand our apartments are bigger than most in the bay and are fully equip.
sorry to hear the cooker did not work the reason for that could have been the need for a new gas bottle. The house keeper or our partner could perhaps have resolved that point.
As you say it does depend on what you want in a holiday . Luxury is not our strong point but that does come at a price I'm afraid.
We do have guest who stay over a lengthy period who soon become used to the steps up from the bay using it an exercise session ?!
Thanks again for the lovely review.
To view a detailed interactive map showing the location of this property relative to restaurants, shops and sightseeing features, click this link
| Telephone: | +1(868) none |
| Property Type: | Self-Catering Apartments |
| Apartments: | 4 |
| Bedrooms: | 1 |
| Maximum Guests: | 12 |
| Air-Conditioning: | 2 apartments have a/c |
| Children: | Children welcome |
| Hair Dryers: | None |
| Telephone: | No |
| Internet Access: | WiFi now available on site |
| Television: | No |
| Safety Deposit: | Yes |
| Wheelchair Access: | No |
| Swimming Pool: | None |
| Catering Options: |
| Housekeeping: | Twice per week |
| Baby-Sitting: | No |
| Personal Laundry: | No |
| Personal Cooking: | No |
| Location: | Castara |
| Region: | Upper Caribbean |
| Location Type: | Village |
| Airport: | 50 minutes |
| Beach: | 1-2 minute Walk |
Located just 40 metres from Castara's wonderful Heavenly Bay beach, Lillibets is a two-storey apartment house with four self-contained one-bedroom apartments.... Located on a lush hillside, the property wont suit those with mobility issues, but the higher location does provide the most beautiful of views over the village and bay and ensures that the apartments benefit from the cooling breezes. The apartments are simple, but extremely good value for money, particularly when considering their proximity to the nicest of Castara’s beaches. [read more]