Vacation Rentals by Owner

First visit to St. John

Guest: vacation time (Nashua, NH)
Date of Stay: 04/22/12 Review Submitted: 05/01/12

Kamabesu is a delightful, welcoming home in the Fish Bay area. Katie met us at the dock and helped us negotiate our first drive over to the house. After a pleasant tour around the place, she let us settle in. The location is quiet and scenic and we especially enjoyed the veranda style screened in porch with a clear blue water view. We made use of the coolers, beach chairs, and water noodles on our daily adventure to beaches including Trunk Bay, Maho (love those turtles), and Hawks Nest. There are many informational books in the bookshelves of the villa and wireless internet is also provided. We didn't really use the nice big screen tv but did use the air conditioning in the bedrooms every night. Ah yes, and we had an evening swim in the pool every night under the stars. Our group was made up of three generations and everyone found it comfortable. The 20 something year old in the group enjoyed his own digs in the lower level beachhouse. We could go "on and on" but suffice it to say, we highly recommend this special villa.

Owner response:We so enjoy seeing people who seek out all that St. .John has to offer. Your tenacity for finding natural adventure was inspirational. We even went on a few more hikes ourselves that week! Can't wait for your return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A private garden oasis on St John

Guest: Christie O. (Kiawah Island SC USA)
Date of Stay: 02/28/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

After ten glorious early-March days at Kamabesu, we long to return! Kamabesu Villa is wonderfully situated for privacy and tranquility, but is convenient to Cruz Bay’s fine dining and shopping. Kamabesu was the perfect home base for touring St. John’s beaches and sites in our rented Jeep. Kamabesu’s main house is a beautifully “old style” Caribbean villa, designed for complete relaxation and enjoyment of the remarkable setting overlooking Fish Bay. The villa’s large rooms, with high vaulted wood ceilings, paddle fans, and tiled floors, are naturally light, cool and ventilated to the prevailing sea breezes. We particularly enjoyed dining and relaxing on Kamabesu’s huge screen porch, which more than doubles the villa’s living area. Although independently controlled bedroom air conditioning (and all other modern comforts) are provided at Kamabesu, we never once turned on the AC! Outside, Kamabesu is a garden oasis, with lush tropical plantings – all chosen and carefully tended by Kamabesu’s owners/managers. Bougainvillea was flowering all over the property while we were there. (Note that plantings have been added and have grown up since the VRBO aerial photo was taken, so the gardens are much more luxuriant than they appear in the photo!) Natural stone pathways and stairways wander through the plantings, connecting the main house to Kamabesu’s relaxing pool area, which is always sunny, breezy, and fragrant, as well as to additional guest rooms in the “Club House”. Although our small group of four was not using the Club House rooms, I enjoyed a tour. The Club House guest rooms (which are never rented separately from the main house, but may be rented in addition to the main house for larger groups) are true “master suites” - as substantial and comfortable as the bedrooms in the main house - so no one will ever feel “short changed” in this private retreat. With all of Kamabesu’s many amenities, what is most remarkable about Kamabesu is the personal care taken by the owners and the gracious onsite manager to insure the comfort of guests. Many thanks to the owners for creating Kamabesu Villa and for sharing this wonderful home on VRBO.

Owner response:Dear Owens family, We are delighted you had such a great trip and look forward to a future stay at Kamabesu. Thank you for spending your vacation time at our Villa. Please stay in touch. Katie

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Kamabesu, take me away...

Guest: Rick and Jane (New Cumberland, PA)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/19/11

We rented Kamabesu with three other couples for the week of Jan 29,2011.Having survived our initial encounter with the roller coaster switchback roads of St. John ("OMG,we're gonna die!!!!!") we were delighted to find Kamabesu to be a great escape from the cold and ice we left behind. The mainhouse and guest house were more lovely than what we ever expected in a rental property! (I plan on stealing some of the decorating ideas in our NJ beach house! ) Simple amenities like beach chairs, coolers and beach towels really made our daily beach excusions so much better! Luxury beds,bedding and towels were the icing on the (coconut) cake!. Katie and her family were very helpful with our needs and questions but not intrusive at all. Their recommendations for out of the way beaches were spot on. If you don't mind a bumpy road at the end, Little Leinster Bay is worth the ride. If you have a jeep it's not a big deal but we had Ford Fusions and it was a little bit of an adventure going over the last bit of "road".(Our bumpers were held together with dry wall screws so we figured it was already in off road conditions...). Also we loved Miss Vie's private beach on the east end of the island. Found quite a bit of sea glass there. We had the beach to ourselves for $2.50 a person and beach chairs were provided which we parked in the water to keep cool. If you run out of beer or food in your cooler, you are steps away from a cold one and hot grilled garlic chicken and conch fritters. Speaking of food, we loved Skinny Legs and Shipwreck Landing for a late lunch on our way home after a fun day at one of St. John's spectacular beaches. Definitely a highlight for all of us! In the evening we discovered that The Banana Deck in Cruz Bay was great for a good steak and live steel drum entertainment in the open air deck. Unfortunately, all eight of us were disappointed in our meal we ate at the Lime Inn. Heard so much about it and our expectations were high but the food was nothing spectacular (my cauliflower soup was so salty as to be unedible and my rare tuna main course was flavorless and dry)and very $$$$. I would heartily recommend St. John and Kamabesu villa to anyone searching for a little piece of paradise. If Katie and Brian ever feel the need to head back to the states, there are eight of us who are willing to take turns being the caretakers of the house and we'll take great care of Joe the sweetheart dog and Kit the cat, too! Thanks for such a wonderful vacation!

Owner response:What a great group of travelers! We loved having you all stay with us at Kamabesu and hope you got the recipe for the coconut cake. I look forward to making it again for you some time.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

PERFECT!!

Guest: 6pak (colorado springs)
Date of Stay: 09/13/10 Review Submitted: 10/16/10

Things couldnt have been easier. It has been a month since our stay and we still talk about it every day.Katie was such a great help with her advise and recomindations.Diane and I enjoyed all of the hiking to the secluded beaches and the the tranquility of the house. It really seemed like a home away from home equiped with loaner pets. It was great to have all of the beach and pool needs at the house(ie.. beach chairs, coolers, pool toys, and of course the ice maker) We must have saved at least a $100 on ice. Thanks for a great time, hope to see you soon. Mike

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

Home away from home

Guest: Brian & Cindy (Chattanooga, TN)
Date of Stay: 05/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/10/10

My husband and I chose to USVI for our tenth wedding anniversary. We were fortunate enough to find Kamabesu for our stay while in St. John. The Tarta family were very hospitable and Kamabesu boasts all the amenities one would need for a wonderful beach vacation. Though we spent most of our days in the beautiful waters of St. John, it was a delight to come home and crawl into our tempurpedic bed! We found Kamabesu a value among the other rentals on the island and feel fortunate we were able to celebrate such a memorable occasion with Kamabesu and the Tarta Family!

Owner response:Brian & Cindy were adventure seekers whom thoroughly enjoyed all that St. John had to offer. Should you like some recommendations during your stay be sure to contact the caretakers whom can pass along their favorite stomping grounds!

Recommended for:Families with young children, sightseeing.

Exceeded our expectations...

Guest: NikkiSmith (Lee's Summit, MO)
Date of Stay: 04/30/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

Kamabesu Villa exceeded our expectations! Great tradewinds, beautiful view, and friendly caretakers that went above and beyond for us! We would definitely book this villa again and would recommend it to others!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

My Idea of a Vacation

Guest: Leslie Arturi (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/22/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

My stay at Kamabesu was exactly what I needed: rest, relaxation and views of paradise. The house was very clean and had all the amenities from home. I went there to get away from the every day hussle and bussle of NYC, but it is still nice to have a dishwasher, microwave, TV with a DVD player, and air conditioning. I could write an entire essay on how amazingly comfortable the beds were. The only down side is that I couldn't get cell phone service, which was one amenity that was hard to go without. However, that was the price I was more than willing to pay for being on a gorgeous tropical island. The caretakers were more than hospitable and were so willing to make my stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. I couldn't stop raving about my trip to my friends when I got home. I will definitely be back to spend another vacation at Kamabesu.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

My idea of a vacation

Guest: Leslie Arturi (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/22/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

My stay at Kamabesu was exactly what I needed: rest, relaxation and views of paradise. The house was very clean and had all the amenities from home. I went there to get away from the every day hussle and bussle of NYC, but it is still nice to have a dishwasher, microwave, TV with a DVD player, and air conditioning. I could write an entire essay on how amazingly comfortable the beds were. The only down side is that I couldn't get cell phone service, which was one amenity that was hard to go without. However, that was the price I was more than willing to pay for being on a gorgeous tropical island. The caretakers were more than hospitable and were so willing to make my stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. I couldn't stop raving about my trip to my friends when I got home. I will definitely be back to spend another vacation at Kamabesu.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Kamabesu-the best

Guest: tuna (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 08/03/09 Review Submitted: 11/09/10

Hi-my family stayed there from 8/3/09-8/10/09 and had a blast. Great location for peace and quiet, yet 5 minutes from everything. The beds are first rate and the screened in porch helps out when the bugs come out. The pool was perfect for my morning coffee and lounge in the pool before the rest of family got up. After a day at one of the spectacular beaches we would come home for our family swim and and a cold one. The villa was well stocked and the caretaker Katie would answer all our island questions for the best recommendations. I would not hesitate a second to rent this villa again. thanks Steve F.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Amazing Getaway

Guest: Deena & Todd (Westchester, NY )
Date of Stay: 08/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

We had an incredible vacation at Kamabesu! The villa was as comfortable as my home, yet as relaxing as a hotel! We were able to enjoy nights on the town with local cuisine, and other nights going to the local market to return back to the villa for grilling and chilling poolside. The caretakers were wonderful! They were as pleasant and helpful as could be by always suggesting daytrips and activities to do. We look forward to going back!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Casey12 (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 06/01/09 Review Submitted: 06/01/09

I miss Kamabesu! What a remarkable place to unwind and check-out. The beds were super-comfy, the rooms were immaculate, the kitchen was well-stocked, the air-conditioners worked, the view from the main house was exquisite. The hospitality and service provided by Katie and Brian was top-notch. I felt like I was at a five-star hotel!

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Guest: Kimberly14 (Toledo, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 05/18/09 Review Submitted: 05/18/09

what we loved about the property: * the beds! so incredibly comfortable!!! (this was the big feature for us both) * having you to answer all of our questions - both on the island and prior to arriving and having you meet us at the dock! that was very good * loved the set up of the house with the 2 beds - 2 baths....having a kitchen fully equiped with an ice maker and big closets * loved staying at a place that felt like home that had beach chairs, coolers etc and wireless internet to use * loved the screened in porch for breakfast * loved that it felt private & very safe * loved the location I would have loved to have had a full length mirror somewhere in the house ....I always like to be able to check my appearance before going out and really missed having a full length mirror....other than that I was very happy there and completely loved St John. I really did not want to leave! I am so glad we rented a jeep, stayed at your place and then totally explored the island. It was handy that you had beach chairs, towels, coolers and that water jug - we took all that stuff with us every day. So I hope to see you again sometime......I would return to St John in a heart beat! My Best, Kimberly

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Guest: Vadis Turner (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/18/09 Review Submitted: 05/18/09

Kamabesu Villa is a divine delight. The space is open, comfortable and beautifully maintained. It is an easy please to share and relax in. I slept better there than I do at home! The owners are sincerely friendly and happy to help in any way. They can anticipate your every need and are happy to share tips about St. John. It was an incredible visit. GO NOW.

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Guest: Vidovich
Date of Stay: 02/10/09 Review Submitted: 02/09/09

Guest comments on site where all positive, citing the welcome basket, large pool area and ice-machine as highlights! Renting a car is a must and have already scheduled the return trip.

Recommended for:

Guest: Vidovich
Date of Stay: 02/10/09 Review Submitted: 02/09/09

Guest comments on site where all positive, citing the welcome basket, large pool area and ice-machine as highlights! Renting a car is a must and have already scheduled the return trip.

Recommended for: