Guest Report

[Juliet]

This was our third visit to Castara and our first time at the lovely Little House on the Hill. We rented both Little Houses One and Two for our 2 week family stay. Previously we had stayed more centrally but loved the tranquil hillside position of these delightful traditional houses, just a 15 minute walk from the village amidst colourful gardens, in which we could really appreciate the wonderful surroundings and wildlife.(Note that the properties are a steep climb from the road so may not be suitable for everyone - the paths can be lit at night).
The accommodation is basic but very comfortable and clean and provided for all our needs. We spent most of our time outside on the spacious verandahs soaking up the sunshine, cooling breezes, sights and sounds of village life, and watching the antics of the resident cockerel! We also loved watching the birds, lizards and bats.
Marguarite and Sherwin, who live across the road and run Marguarite's Restaurant in the village, are incredibly kind and generous hosts; they were unobtrusive but always on hand if needed. We were invited to help ourselves to the mangoes growing in the gardens which are as good as you'll ever get! Marguarite came by every 3/4 days with clean towels and linen, and Sherwin offered a wonderful boat trip where we experienced some of the best snorkelling at Arnos Vale and Paradise Beach. Not surprisingly, being the chef at Marguarite's, his beach barbeque was fantastic!
Although we had use of a car, we enjoyed walking down to the village and spending time chatting to neighbours and local people - be prepared for an uphill return journey. Everyone was very friendly and we felt very safe.
Self catering was easily achieved; we stocked up at Pennysavers on our way from the airport and topped up with fresh fish, bread, fruit and vegetables from the village. Castara also has a number of restaurants, bars and a coffee shop for eating out. We mainly ate at Marguarite's where the food was fresh, varied and vary tasty. Sherwin offered a choice of superbly grilled fish, chicken, goat, lamb and fish curries served with rice, lentils and vegetables. Our son stopped by for cow heel soup one lunchtime and hasn't stopped raving about it since! Sherwin also cooked us the national dish of crab and dumplings in coconut sauce before we flew home- messy but delicious!
We had a fantastic holiday and are already planning to return to the Little House on the Hill. Thank you Sherwin and Marguarite for a wonderful stay,
Juliet, Julian, Lewis and Oscar