Hidden Cottage - Review Page 3
Mot-Mot Apartment - Bedrooms
A central corridor provides access to the three very simply furnished bedrooms and second bathroom. All three bedrooms are air-conditioned. The air-conditioners are older-style integrated units and therefore can’t be described as whisper-quiet. However, they were efficient and when set to the lowest fan setting, not particularly obtrusive.
Although Castara is a very safe village, common sense dictates that you do not sleep with ground-floor windows open at night. So, the air-conditioning is essential. Of course it has the added advantage of keeping out mosquitoes and other flying insects. To be honest, mossies weren’t a problem anywhere around the property, even though rainfall was well above average during our visit. There was certainly no need for mosquito nets and we never even unpacked the electric bug deterrent we normally use at night. The gentle hum of the air-con also masked the early morning sounds of village life – dogs barking, cockerels (roosters) crowing and the raucous call of Tobago’s national pest, sorry bird – the cocrico. Fortunately, these latter pests were almost conspicuous by their absence.
The master bedroom is located to the rear of the property and has access onto the lovely wrap-around balcony. It offers a spacious 23sq.m. of floor space, including the en suite bathroom.
In addition to a queen-size bed, the master bedroom is furnished with a single bedside table and lamp, a clothes-tree and a large wardrobe with 1.2m of full-length hanging space (hangers provided) and drawers. A small armchair would be a big advantage as the room is so spacious. The older you get, the more essential a chair is when dressing (at least, so I am told).
The bathroom was of good size and only let down by an absence of shelf space around the wash basin. A small wooden storage unit became home to our bathroom essentials. A double shaver socket is provided, but with no adjacent shelf, one was left with the problem of where to stand anything plugged into the socket. We understand that additional shelving has now been installed.
In addition to a hot and cold pedestal sink, the bathroom’s piece de resistance is undoubtedly the semi-circular corner shower unit. The strong magnetic doors could give the impression that one was locked in, but with apparently inexhaustible supplies of hot water and a strong but gentle cascade, it was all too tempting to get back under the shower and worry about getting out later. My only criticism was that the wall-mounted support for the shower head was as droopy as my appendages, meaning that you either had to huddle close to the wall or hold the shower above your head to get the full stream.
Bedroom 2 is also at the rear of the property and offers direct access onto the balcony. It is furnished almost identically to the master bedroom, except that it has a slightly smaller floor area (4.7 x 3.5m) and houses two 53-inch double beds instead of one queen-size.
The third bedroom is the smallest, but still reasonably spacious offering a floor area of 3.25 x 3.8m. The room is very simply furnished: a 5-foot queen-size bed, a small wardrobe and a clothes-tree.
Bedrooms 2 and 3 share a common bathroom, handily located between both rooms. Although quite large (2.4 x 1.7m) and furnished with another lovely (but droopy) shower, the bathroom demonstrates one of those typical Tobagonian idiosyncrasies that characterise the island: the bathroom door has been put at the wrong end and bangs against the washbasin if you try to open it more than 18 inches. So, don’t go barging in – if you throw open the door, it is likely to rebound against the sink and smack you in the face.
All linen and towels were of high quality and immaculately clean. The apartments are serviced every four days by cheery housekeeper, Rhonette. Don’t forget to bring your own beach towels.
External Facilities
There is limited access to the grounds of the property, primarily because the house is built on a steep hillside and un-cleared bush covers the surrounding land. However, this is a lovely refuge for wildlife and if you start leaving fruit, sugar and other tasties out at the start of your visit, you will be surprised how quickly the birds catch on. Within a few days you will be able to sit back and watch a veritable parade of bird species.
The balcony at the rear of the property is a lovely relaxing place to sit and contemplate life. Furnished with two all-weather chairs and a comfortable hammock, the balcony is in shade throughout the day.
To the front of the property sits a small gated area with a couple of all-weather chairs and table, a single plastic sun bed and a small 2.1 x 3.2m (max) plunge pool with a depth of 1.2m. This not going to tax Olympic swimmers, but is a useful place to cool off. Since our visit, a large plastic table, sun umbrella and four chairs have replaced the small table.
A washing line is available in the grounds beneath the apartment and an electric iron and ironing board are stored in the master bedroom. Laundry can be undertaken on behalf of guests by Rhonette. Naturally, a small extra charge is made for this service and paid locally.
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