Villa De Lena

[Kwang Lee]

What is the most secure way to book a villa. I inquired about availabillity at Villa De Lena, however, they want me to wire transfer the money directly into their account. Please advise. Need reply asap to in order to find another place to stay if this is not legal.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Kwang

Welcome aboard!

The request to wire money is perfectly normal for Tobago. Remember, this is a developing country that simply does not have the "polished" commerce of other destinations - and long may it remain so.

I appreciate that this is not the most secure method but fear not. myTobago would be the first to OUT any property that did not honour a transaction - our entire aim is to steer visitors to the best of Tobago and away from the worst - so do not underestimate the influence of this 'threat'.

[Kwang Lee]

Can anyone tell me anything about Villa De Lena. Is the area safe for children to walk around? Is the Villa clean, modern,, etc. This is my first family vacation and want it to be special, any views about this villa is most welcome.

[Steve Wooler]

I don't know the property myself, Kwang, but search the forum for comment. It is very much a modern villa and given the type of property, I would be amazed if it is not clean and kept just the way you would expect of a holiday rental. Like everywhere in Tobago, the Bon Accord area is perfectly safe for children to walk around - you simply kick them out of the door and tell them to come back for mealtimes.

[Kwang Lee]

I receive a reply from a personal email address regarding the reservation/money xfer then I received a message from the information website, shouldn't be one in the same?

[Steve Wooler]

This is something you will have to ask them, Kwang. Maybe they answered one from home and one from the office and have different email addresses for each. I don't see why it is a problem - after all, who else will be able to intercept the mail and divert your funds? Relax or you will never enjoy your holiday in Tobago.

[Trish]

Hi there--
I didn't stay at the Villa, but passed it daily on the way to our place. It's down a dirt road, and has a gated entrance. It looked nice from what I could see. Kinda wished we had stayed there, especially after looking at their rates. I liked the Bon Accord area...close to Crown Point and restaurants, but once you get the hang of the curvy roads, not a bad drive to Englishman's Bay, etc.

[Kurt.Halfyard]

I have stayed at Villa De Lena 6 times now. Mervyn Sifontes still requires wire-xfers (which feels a bit dated in 2019) but he is genuine on customer service, and an excellent person. The slight inconvenience of wiring the money is more than worth it for such a wonderful and beautiful property.

The neighborhood is very very safe, and it's a ~5 minute drive from everywhere in the Scarborough Area.\\\

Car Hire is mandatory though if you want to truly experience the island from this location. All the 'good stuff' is on the North (Caribbean) coast: Castara, Charlotte, Parlatuvier, etc.