Guest Report

[Adrian Brown]

We spent a wonderful 10 days at Wavesong in Castara. We love the village, the people and the property, and when they say that Seascape/Wavesong is the best property in Castara we can fully endorse that view. We never ceased to tire of the view from our extensive balcony, perched right out over the beach and the waves, it could be possible to just sit there all day and watch the comings and goings of the fishing fleet, the visiting yachts, the antics of the assorted seabirds, dolphins, the explosions of the massive baitballs as they were attacked by tarpon, king fish, bonito and jacks, all clearly visible. You would however soon run short of the necessary bits of fruit or crumbs to feed the extensive birdlife that visit the balcony.

We soon got into the rhythm of Wavesong, being up at dawn and most nights in bed by 10 pm. This is far from our usual routine, but one which was pleasantly relaxing.

The village is rather more extensive than we had thought. Before arriving we didn't aim to use the cooking facilities in Wavesong, although they are more than adequate, but wondered if we would be restricted to just a couple of places to eat. Not so at all. We ate well, and don't be fooled by the unimposing exteriors to some places. Marguerites for example served us up with a monster lobster, photo attached, with trimmings and with an additional dish of really tasty dish of shrimps, all for under TT500. Just remember to bring your own beer. Castara Restreats is a little more refined and inclusive of wine we paid just a little more, with great service from Kenny who recognised us from just having seen us in the street a few days earlier. Sharon serves delicious food at the Boathouse. Sadly, this is mostly a lunch venue, but we did book a table for the Wednesday night drum routine which was a great night. The atmosphere was rocking, especially when the locals started to turn up, culminating in an amazing limbo session with the local champions taking part. We retired at midnight on the excuse that we had to meet Ali Baba on the beach at 6 am for a booked fishing excursion, but we were told that the party only wound down around 2 am.

As for fishing, I must admit I did pack a travel rod (9 foot Shimano Beastmaster for those in the know) with the aim of chucking a few lures around. In hindsight, I wish I had brought a boat rod instead. We went out with Brian, aka Ali Baba for a 6 hour fishing excursion - $250 for the boat, with all the banter you can take from a hugely knowledgeable and likeable Brian. We had masses of fish. The evening time is better, and we ended up with jacks, barracuda, bonito, lizardfish and amberjacks. Brian assisted cleaning the fish and we therefore had more than enough for the next couple of nights' dinner, plus we made ourselves popular with neighbours by giving some away. For those who like serious angling, there is a lot out there.

We had the aim of renting a car for a couple of days but Lavorne, our housekeeper took us on an all-day excursion around the northern part of the island, all for TT600 which really satiated our immediate curiosity about the island, while giving us a very personal insight into the culture and history of the places we visited. Plus, she knew all the best places to stop - breadfruit icecream at Charlotteville - yummy! Needless to say, we saw some beautiful sights. We shall save the car for our return visit.

You can rent mask, snorkel and flippers (recommended) to see the amazing coral and fish life just beside the Bay. We invested in our own masks with prescription lenses and a whole new world opened up for us. We did see a turtle one day too.

At Castara/Wavesong, we felt safe. We met some great characters. Yes, there are one or two unsmiling people, but you get those anywhere, but they were more than negated by the helpful, kind people, such as Lavorne and Rollins, our housekeepers, Hazel and Benghi who provide supplied us with freshly baked bread and fresh fruit, Porridge who lives nearby and is a great source of info, Graham, the ex-pat who lives next door. The list is endless.

Any downsides to the property? You have to be prepared for the number of steps to access the property from the street. Outsize luggage is not a good idea. Be prepared for insects, but that is normal for the tropics. There are 4-5 very large stingrays that patrol Heavenly Bay. We were wary of them, and were given conflicting advice about how dangerous they can be, but we kept our distance anyway.

Beyond that, we can just say that if you book Seascape, you will not look back. It is a first-rate property, with very obliging owners in the middle of paradise. We shall return, and we don't say that often. Enjoy!