Guest Report

[Tai Fernandez]

I and other four adults (some from Canada, some from Trinidad and Tobago) stayed at the Roundhouse in March, 2015. Apparently, we were its first official guests, as the middle-floor apartment (which is the rental part of the house) had only recently been completed. We had a wonderful time here. The apartment was beautifully built with the use of local timber and by local woodworkers, and shows exquisite taste in its decoration and layout. It is very comfortable and up-to-date in terms of appliances and utilities. We had pretty much everything we needed to cook breakfasts, lunches and dinners, served with style.

The bathroom was large and comfortable, and quite attractive in its color scheme and general decor, like the rest of the apartment. The bedrooms were comfortable and spacious, and one of them has a gorgeous view of the sea through a sliding door that leads to the two-sided balcony. This balcony has a view of Heavenly Bay and is surrounded by vegetation and a majestic tree that is always full of birds. We saw the beautiful Trinidad Motmot all throughout our stay, flying from and into that tree in couples. A sight to behold. Sitting there in the evenings having dinner and sipping cocktails after a day at the beach was deliciously relaxing.

The house is at the top of the hill right at the entrance from the main road into Depot Road which goes right down to the bay, so walking down to the beach (even when it is a very short walk) could be a problem for people with physical limitations because of its steepness. At the bottom of the hill there’s a restaurant called the Boatview which serves delicious lunches and dinners, and where, on Wednesday nights, a band of local drummers performs live. It also has a bar. The beach (Heavenly Bay) is exquisite and is great for snorkeling on clear days. The house is also a short car drive to other breathtaking Tobago beaches and bays, like Englishman’s Bay and Parlatuvier.

Rachael, who manages the house for the owners when they’re away, was extremely efficient, sweet and accommodating to all of our requests without exception or hesitation; she replied to our emails in great time and made sure everything was in perfect order for our arrival, meeting us there as soon as we arrived. We were very lucky to have her as our hostess.

There is also a small store right across the street with basic provisions and fresh fruits and vegetables, which was very convenient.

Our single complaint about the house is the lack of shade in the balcony when the sun starts coming down, and how this makes the house get a bit too hot in the evening hours, as it hits the house on that side directly. We let the owners know about this soon after our stay, and they are in the process of correcting this issue.

All in all, we give The Castara Roundhouse our full rating of 5 (Extremely Satisfied), and hope to be return guests sometime soon! I definitely recommend it.