Castara Retreats - Review Page 3
Accommodation (Continued)
Osprey & Pelican Apartments
The two studio apartments are very similar in size but slightly different in layout. The differences are so negligible that I shall write a combined description.
Located on the ground floor of the main building, Osprey and Pelican are less open than Rainforest, so have a slightly different feel. Mind you, the wide shutters to the front of each apartment can be swung back, opening the rooms and almost creating the impression that you are living outside.
The rooms are reasonably spacious, with overall dimensions a shade under 6x4 metres (24sq.m.) including the separate bathroom area. They are simply, but adequately furnished, and it should be mentioned that, as with Rainforest Apartment, the quality of all furnishings and appliances are of the very highest order. It is very obvious from the attention to detail throughout Castara Retreats that the owners, Steve and Sue, have put tremendous thought and effort into the design and fitting-out of the apartments and are determined to provide the very highest standard possible within the style, nature and price of the accommodation.
One small difference between the two apartments is that Osprey has a queen-size bed, whereas Pelican has two single beds pushed together to make a giant double bed. This obviously has a small impact on available floor space, but having seen both apartments, I didn't feel that one felt noticeably larger than the other.
As with Rainforest, the studio apartments feature mosquito nets hanging from a rectangular suspended frame. Unless you are particularly sensitive to mosquitoes, I would dispense with the net and use an electric BugMat mosquito deterrent, available from most local stores. Locate the BugMat between the bed and the fan and leave the fan running at the lowest setting. The mosquitoes will be unable to control their flight in the airflow created by the fan, so should leave you alone. Mosquito nets are fine, but they don’t just stop mosquitoes – they also stop air flow, so can get hot and stuffy.
Osprey and Pelican are fitted out in very similar style to Rainforest, with bedside tables, a hanging wardrobe area, table and chairs, a small security safe, floor-standing electric fan (very quiet and efficient) and a hairdryer. The kitchen area is equipped with a gas oven/hob, fridge with small freezer compartment, quality utensils, pans, coffee-maker and teapots, glasses and china plates and bowls.
The single bathroom in each apartment has a tiled walk-in showers, toilet and pedestal wash basin. As with Rainforest, there are no shaver points. Osprey's bathroom is conveniently located next to the front door, allowing you to wash sand of your feet before traipsing through the apartment.
To the front of each apartment is a covered terrace. Pelican’s terrace is 4x3m in size. Osprey's terrace has been extended since our visit and is now very much the larger of the two. Both are furnished with tables and chairs and a hammock and will inevitably become the favoured dining and liming spot of most guests. A partition separates the two terraces and provides privacy, but a connecting door has been fitted, allowing one large area to be created when appropriate. Each apartment has full views of the beach and Castara Bay, both from the room and from the terrace.
Fisherman's Lodge
Located just 10 metres away from the main house, Fisherman’s Lodge gives the impression of being in a world of its own. It is superbly located on a hillside bluff overlooking the sea and coastline to the west of Castara, and the main beach and bay. It is the only apartment at Castara Retreats where you can view the full splendour of the Caribbean sunsets while sipping a G&T on your balcony.
At the time of our visit, this cottage had an overall size of around 6.8x5.5 metres. Since then it has been extended and nearly doubled in size. Although we had the opportunity to view the apartment later in our holiday, it was still work-in-progress and not quite ready for photography. The pictures shown here were taken before the extension was completed. As might be expected, it is furnished and equipped to the same high standards as the other apartments.
In similar style to Rainforest, Fisherman’s is open at the front, with a wooden balustrade ensuring that residents don’t fall into the garden while trying to find the loo during the night (I joke, of course). The main bedroom is curtained off, but when the curtain is open, one can lie in the queen-size bed and watch activity in Castara Bay.
Located immediately outside the lodge, on the same bluff of land, is a substantial wooden table and bench – a lovely hand-made high-quality version of the type of garden table you expect outside an English pub. The views from this spot are beautiful. It is so peaceful and tranquil that you truly feel to be in a world of your own.
Fisherman’s Lodge cottage has immense charm and character and undoubtedly offers a very unique Tobago accommodation experience.
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