Guest Report

[John Walker]

Just arrived back home in the UK from two weeks in Castara staying at the Villa Carpe Diem (32 degrees to minus 2 and snow, bit of a shock to the system).

We were extremely lucky to stumble across this new property, everywhere we tried to book in Castara was 'sold out' (I now know why and will book earlier next time).

We were kindly directed to Villa Carpe Diem by Sue from Castara Cottage. For those regular visitors to Castara the property is located just past Coddrington Wallace's bar on the road up the hill going North, the path leading to the accomodation starts directly opposite the rooftop of the Castara Cottage.

The path is fairly steep but does contain a small number of steps to smooth out the incline, there are a number of small lights that guide you if you negotiate the path at night, which you invariably will do when you arrive from the UK.

We were met at the airport by 'Taylor' and driven to a supermarket to collect various provisions, the following drive to Castara in the dark is quite 'interesting' for a first-timer, but you soon get the hang of it.

We didn't do much the first night, just had a quick snack, a Stag, a Carib, a Stag, then went to bed.

Although I had seen a number of pictures of the property and Castara in general, nothing quite prepares you for the view when you open the door for the first time in the morning, a simply breathtaking vista of the main bay, I even forgave the cockerel with the dodgy timekeeping (4.00am).

We met Troy for the first time (very laid back) and was introduced to a new saying - 'Yeh man', which just about summed the whole Castara experience into two words.

We stayed in one of the two downstairs self contained apartments for two weeks, our daughter and her partner joined us in the second apartment for the second week, the apartments are spotlessly clean and have everything you need to spend two weeks(or more) in paradise and are very reasonably priced.

We had actually wanted to book the upstairs two bedroom apartment for all of us for the second week, but Chris and Yvonne the owners were coming over from the UK for that week.
Chris, Yvonne and Stuart (Chris's brother) were excellent hosts and gave us lots of advice and help and have built a brilliant place in a wonderful setting, we are so envious.

You get to the main beach by walking down the road at the side of Wallaces bar straight down past the Naturalist, you can get to Heavenly Bay either by using the same road but cut down the path in front of Castara Cottage or going up the hill and down depot road, it's easier in the heat to use the short cut.

We discovered Marguerites, the Boathouse, Cascerole, Wallaces, fresh fish, the bread ladies, the various food shops, the football matches on the strangest shaped pitch in the world, we went on a tour of the Rainforest with Fitzroy from Bloody Bay (cricket mad but a brilliant and enthusiastic guide).

The weather was superb, two very short rain periods in two weeks, the beaches are to die for although the sea did get a bit rough on the last two days due to the Atlantic thing and the coral section of Heavenly bay did get a bit mashed (another new expression) by the waves and there was some beach erosion outside the Boathouse, although I'm sure it will not be permanent.

Over the last 25 years we have never been back to a summer holiday destination once we have visited, that will now change, we can't wait to visit Villa Carpe Diem and Castara gain and that about says it all for me.