Reviews for Glenburnie Vacation Rental - VRBO 114831 - 4 BR St. John House in Barbados, Idyllic Nature Lovers Retreat on Beautiful East Coast

My Carribean Idyl

Guest SunDoc
Date of stay 12/15/12
Review Submitted 01/17/13

This property is nothing short of stunning. Although I confess to be an off the beaten track kind of traveler, Rabbit Hill has all the amenities one could ever want. It is totally private. The 5 acres are yours alone and you could host a nudist convention here if such were your desire! Situated in the charming little village of Glenburnie (which is so small even the taxi drivers and car rental companies don't know where it is!) you are immersed in the culture of this lovely island. The locals are quite used to the eccentric tourists from RH who stroll along their streets in their shorts and funny looking Tilley hats, and they welcome you and treat you with respect. In fact, we feel exceedingly safe here, as we do everywhere on Barbados. The views from the verandah, the pool and the newest addition, a little tree fort we call the 'coffee perch' are spectacular. The property is beautifully maintained and the variety of trees, plants and flowers would be worth charging admission to see. We know Barbados well and have stayed in fancy resorts on the west and south coasts. But we always want to return to Rabbit Hill. Each time we return it looks better than ever and the owners take pride in sharing their private home in paradise with their guests. You have to be at least mildly adventurous and be prepared to rent a car if you wish to explore the island. However, it doesn't take long to get over the fear of driving on the wrong side and avoiding the potholes. You will regularly get lost on your journeys, which is always part of the fun. The Atlantic side is very rough. This isn't the side of the island to go to if you want pristine, swimmable beaches. However, once you've seen the beaches at Bathsheba and Cattlewash, you will fall in love. If you are a beach walker, you can walk forever on Cattlewash and never see another soul. Just glorious surf and beautiful mountainous scenery. You can access the action by driving over to the other side (about 40mins) or hire a local taxi to chauffeur you. However, there are now some good new restaurants that have sprung up nearby that will be sufficient to keep you near to home. And once you're there for a few days, the wanderlust fades as you never want to leave the property. My wife and I stay in this house by ourselves and consider it a bargain. If you have family, or want to share with friends, it comfortably accommodates 6-8 people. Then it becomes a steal. However, we are selfish. We don't want to share!

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

Owner response: Rick and Debbie Thank you for your review about our home we always welcome comments especially from 5 time repeat renters like yourselves. To share our east coast gem and continue to improve the experience for holiday seekers is a fun thing to do. PS. We have no plans to develop the nudist colony part of your review!

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

Beautiful, peaceful, idyllic spot.

Guest Rebecca
Date of stay 08/18/12
Review Submitted 09/21/12

We are a family of 5 ( three teenage boys) and have recently returned from a two week stay at Rabbit Hill. We have had a wonderful vacation and would love to return to Barbados and Rabbit Hill. The house is in a beautiful position overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and even in August there are cooling breezes particularly on the wonderful deck. It is very well equipped and spacious. Both Agnes and Winston who look after the property are very friendly and helpful but unobtrusive. The garden is amazing with loads to explore. The driveway was excellent for games of road tennis! We loved being on the east of the island, whenever we ventured west we were always very happy to get back. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Even though your are in a relatively remote and unspoilt part of the island nothing is very far away- and any journey along the roads of Barbados is interesting with lots to see. We visited many of the islands beaches but our favourite was Bottom Bay, which we usually had completely to ourselves and is only a 20 minute drive away. Walking along the coast both to Bathsheba and Martin's Bay was a wonderful experience with the most stunning scenery. We went snorkelling, surfing, swimming with turtles, visited a rum factory and plantation and lots more. There is an amazing amount to see and do on such a small island. We had lovely meals in The Atlantis Hotel, The Fish Pot and The Lone Star but also at the take away in Martin's Bay! We also enjoyed several meals on the BBQ at Rabbit Hill. We are a family who prefer to be away from the usual tourist areas and Rabbit Hill is perfect for this. Even the passing of tropical storm Isaac made for a couple of dramatic weather days which was yet another experience. I would recommend Rabbit Hill to anyone who wants to experience the more remote, peaceful, dramatic, beautiful and less touristy side of Barbados.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

A little slice of Paradise

Guest EricEC
Date of stay 04/07/12
Review Submitted 04/19/12

Okay, yes the swimming beaches are on the South and West side of the island and this house is on the East side of the island, but that's kinda the point. Having just gotten back from our stay at Rabbit Hill we could not believe our good fortune in having found such an incredible place. You are only 20 - 25 minutes from the best beaches on the island (we recommend Accra in the South and Mullins on The West side) and yet you are wonderfully far from the crowds, noise and craziness of the more populated areas. Sitting on the fantastic covered porch overlooking the Atlantic reading a book and drinking a rum punch while our daughters swam in the pool (that is within sight range for supervisory purposes) it was very difficult to even think about going anywhere. Beautiful breezes, absolutely gorgeous grounds overflowing with tropical flowers and fruit trees, helpful and friendly staff who are there when you need them and not when you don't, sometimes you just had to pinch yourself. Perfect for families with children, perfect for people who want someplace quiet and secluded where they can immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Barbados, frankly just pretty darn perfect.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9

Rabbit Hill--Idyllic, for sure

Guest Ann
Date of stay 03/22/12
Review Submitted 05/09/12

We loved our time at Rabbit Hill and only wish we could have stayed longer. Winston and Agnes were very helpful and so friendly, your home was very comfortable and we enjoyed the beautifully tended grounds, trees, animals, pool and porches equally as much. Your packet of information was invaluable but we do recommend that guests take your advice and have Winston pick you up at the airport; it's a hard place to find. The rental car company delivered our car to us the next day- very convenient. We explored beaches and sights all around the island- recommend the Grenade Hill Forest Preserve (to see wildlife) and St. Nicholas Abbey(history and nice luncheon spot) in particular. We cooked "in" most of the time as we didn't want to leave our beautiful "estate" and bought fresh fish in Oistins at the fish market. Our adult children surfed most days. The house at Rabbit Hill was was nicely kept and equipped, the photos don't do it justice. For a quiet get-away this is the place to go; it's lovely. Bill and Ann

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9

A FEEL GOOD PLACE.

Guest The Girls.
Date of stay 03/11/12
Review Submitted 04/30/12

Coming to Rabbit Hill is like coming home, it feels good immediately. This little banana plantation is cozy. While we were there it was our own little bit of heaven. We sat on the gallery, drinking rum punches. Layed in the hammocks & read, slept & just let ourselves be swayed by the cooling Trade Winds. No decisions to make, no pressure, no stress & full privacy. We hired Angela who cooked a true bajan meal for us, we asked Winston to bring us fresh coconuts (used the water for our rum punches), relaxed, cooled off in the pool, went to the lookout & enjoyed the view. It is a dream home in a dream location. The property is clean , well maintained, spacious and fun to discover.. (is that a lime tree or orange?.. are those green monkeys??). In St.John (where this property is located) you get the real Barbados. Buy your fruits & vegetables from the locals (at local costs not tourist prices). Walk along the Atlantic ocean at Cattlewash, dine at the Cove,the Atlantis or do like the locals & go to the take away at Martins Bay for fantastic chicken & fish. We were never bored, there was so much to do. If you want to find the true bajan spirit , go to Rabbit Hill that is where it lives. The Girls March 11-21st ,2012

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 10/10

hopsourth review

Guest pdxtraveler
Date of stay 12/01/11
Review Submitted 12/27/11

If you think the property is beautiful in the website, you'll be blown away seeing it in person. It's absolutely beautiful. A real gem. The house was very comfortable. We felt very at home. There were beautiful fresh flowers in the house upon our arrival. The porch was our favorite spot. We began and ended each day there. At night the whistling frogs put us to sleep, and in the morning, the dove's cooing awakened us. We were fortunate to have our visit coincide with a full moon. Sitting by the pool and seeing the moon reflect on the Atlantic was just mesmerizing. We loved staying on the east side of Barbados. After the first day, we figured out that going out to lunch was a better option than going out to dinner, at least, until we learned the roads. My husband enjoyed the challenge of driving so every day we enjoyed touring all parts of the island. After about five days, we were able to navigate enough to return to the house after dark. We truly enjoyed coming back to the peace and serenity of Rabbit Hill after our daily outings. The solitude of the east side and Rabbit Hill was the highlight of our trip. I would recommend it to more independent-seeking travelers who are happier soaking up a lush, beautiful setting than watching tv.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/7

Rabbit Hill Remarkable

Guest Nomad
Date of stay 04/02/11
Review Submitted 10/03/11

Let me begin by saying that Rabbit Hill worked its magic -- one can only "relax" in the midst of such beauty. Set on five green and bountiful acres, Rabbit Hill looks out to the ocean. Besides well-kept lawns and flower beds there are all manner of fruit trees: limes, bananas, breadfruit and others. A lovely triangular swimming pool is privately situated in this garden. The house is large and full of light, but relatively cool during the day. The wide veranda at the front of the house was our favourite place to spend time with its comfortable furniture, hammocks and long dinning table. The house was spotless and welcoming. We arrived late and the manager, Agnes, had left the porch and veranda lights on for us and turned on the air conditioning. We are hoping to return to Barbados and Rabbit Hill. We are not particularly interested in the tourist scene, so to stay in a quiet residential area suits us fine. My husband made friends with the neighbour ladies and learned much about gardening in island soils. Also, we like space to spread out and privacy in which to enjoy it. Rabbit Hill provided all this with charm. I'm especially fond of the elegant master bedroom and unique en suite (from which I watched monkeys). Agnes and Winston the gardener were helpful, friendly and non-intrusive. Very nice people. I expect to read one day in the future that Agnes in the Minister of Finance for Barbados. She certainly has the drive and work ethic. We have been singing the praise of Rabbit Hill to our family and friends. We took quite a number of photos to substantiate our claims. I love the wild Atlantic and its shaping influence on the landscape. From the patio of the nearby historic Atlantis Hotel we watched Humpback whales feeding. We rented a car and for ranging trips we hired Winston II to drive. It was a great way to actually see and hear about the island without the stress of negotiating the roads. Winston is a good companion and well-informed. We went over the Highlands to the Mullins Bay area (to the Shell Gallery) and had lunch in one of Winston's favourite local eateries, and then on to St. Nicholas Abbey. Other day trips included Harrison Cave, Bridgetown, Animal Flower Caves, all of which allowed us to cross the island, travel up the west coast to the northern point and back down the east coast. For a short visit I think we did quite well, but just scratched the surface.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

Charming Piece of Paradise

Guest Viking
Date of stay 11/08/10
Review Submitted 11/27/10

Rabbit Hill was exactly what we were looking for during our vacation in Barbados - quiet, stunning views, convenient to all parts of the island, and full of special touches that really make a vacation. The house and grounds are simply phenomenal. While difficult to identify our true favorite parts - we particularly enjoyed the pool, porch, and the fabulous fruit trees on the property. Having a two year old daughter, we greatly appreciated the convenience of the pool, but also appreciated that it was far enough away from the house for us not to have to worry about her accidentally falling in. We probably spent 75% of our time on the fabulous front porch with the two great hammocks. It has fantastic views and is so peaceful and charming! Despite being on the East coast, we felt the entire island was accessible from Rabbit Hill. While we rented a car, the good local bus service has a stop just outside the front gate of the property, so it would be convenient for those without a car too. By car, we were 5 minutes from Bath Beach, which was a fantastic site for the family - picnic tables, a snackette, and fresh water showers made this a great place to hang our for a day. The staff at Rabbit Hill were tremendously friendly and helpful. The property manager checked on us nearly every day and went out of her way to ensure we had everything we needed during our stay. The grounds manager was a true delight. He spent a little bit of time each morning talking to us, telling us things about the island or about the property. He even helped us harvest some coconuts, limes and breadfruit off the trees on the property - delicious! We would return to Rabbit Hill in a heartbeat, and hope to have a chance to do so soon!

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

Guest comment entered by owner

Guest Rebecca
Date of stay 01/17/10
Review Submitted 04/14/10

We did get to see a lot of the island and visited a different beach everyday. We very much enjoyed Crane Beach and Sandy Beach as well as Mullins Beach on the west coast. The Wildlife Preserve was probably our son's favorite activity. We would definitely recommend your home to anyone and everyone. If you should ever need a reference or want to use our comments please do so! It was our ideal house - lots of room to run around and relax, a pool to use (especially when our son was taking naps), and two hammocks on a gorgeous deck listening to the ocean - couldn't ask for anything better! A vacation that will stay in our hearts. So thank you again for everything and if we should ever visit Barbados again, I hope that we will be able to stay at Rabbit Hill. If I think of any additional comments, I let you know. Sincerely, Rebecca C.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Guest comment entered by owner

Guest Dean A.
Date of stay 11/16/09
Review Submitted 04/14/10

Subject: Return from Rabbit Hill Hello Andre, Hello Tom, We returned to the cooler weather of Illinois late last night. Everything went well in Barbados. Rabbit Hill was very relaxing and enjoyable, and there were no problems or issues. The new lighting on the driveway and to the pool is quite nice. Agnes made sure to ask about it when she checked in on us. We spent most of our days out doing activities and visiting all coasts of the island, but always enjoyed the peaceful evenings at "home". Thank you for sharing your house with us. Regards, Dean, Coralie, Eric (had his 17th birthday on the island), Rianne (14), Paige (12), and Adia (8).

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Best Get Away

Guest Kim & Ryan
Date of stay 05/26/09
Review Submitted 06/04/10

This is our second time to Rabbit Hill. We could not have imagined a better vacation. It was the perfect place for our family to vacation. We have a one year old and have done all inclusive with her in the past, but found this much more enjoyable. We loved the beaches, went to the wilderness reserve and just enjoyed the property in general. Turns out we did not go far to see Monkey's....often we would watch them on the property eating fruit out of the trees...so cute. The pool, property and house were just amazing. It was also nice when our daughter napped we were still able to enjoy the pool and property. Andre was extremely helpful with providing us with information and helping us coordinate the trip logistics. Winston and Agnes were very friendly and helpful. Thanks again for renting Rabbit Hill to us. Now we are just counting down the days to our next retreat there :)

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

Paradise on the East Coast

Guest Rebecca C.
Date of stay 01/17/09
Review Submitted 02/07/09

We stayed for a week here at Rabbit Hill and loved every minute of it! The house was perfect for my husband, myself, and our two year old son. The deck was fabulous and the two hammocks were used frequently. The view of the ocean and hearing the waves was wonderful. It was so nice to lay out by the pool while our son took his nap. The grounds are immaculate and spacious! Picking our own fruit off the trees was a real treat (bananas, lemons, limes, and oranges). The caretaker and landscaper were so pleasant and always took care of us. The east coast of Barbados was a nice retreat from the bustle of the west. We enjoyed several restaurants and beaches nearby. We would absolutely recommend this property to anyone and everyone! Hopefully we can come back soon!

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Guest comment entered by owner

Guest Simon Y.
Date of stay 07/07/08
Review Submitted 04/14/10

These are questions which we sent to our first long term renter, Simon and family from the U.K. who rented Rabbitt Hill for 3 weeks in July. qte Were the people who run the house ( Agnes, Winston, Ronie) of help and available when needed? Yes but at the same time respecting privacy. It was good chatting with Winston each morning. Agnes was very helpful ( and her husband). Did not get to meet with Ronie but cleaning was excellent and all things we would need in interim were all readily available. How did you find the East Coast of the island? The best from a scenery perspective ( along with North). People a little more friendly and environment was still more green and natural. For us Brits July and August is our main vacation time. On the west and south coast it was less noticeable but it is apparent that things are quieter at this time on the East coast. A couple of occasions it was very difficult to eat out locally. I had phoned the Round House the day before to check opening for Sunday lunch but when we got there they were not open!. Atlantis, Edgewater and Dina’s at Bathsheba all recommended. Driving is different in Barbados at night and the drive back from Holetown etc took a little getting used to. I was glad we hired a jeep and feel I would recommend this in order to travel the Island. Must say however looked forward to coming back to east coast every night. Feel any issue or expectation was more with guide books and Barbados web sites etc about level of activity at this time of year Would you consider going back? Would you recommend Rabbit Hill to others ? Yes. May be as part of ‘Island hopping’ when kids have gone to college or with other friends. I say this as we were there for almost 3 weeks and covered 1200 km of the Islands 1450km roads rather than any issue with Barbados. In terms of recommending Rabbit Hill to others then absolutely. Happy to do this informally in our own social network or by providing any reference or testimonial for you as needed. Once again thanks to you and your family for a great holiday ! unqte

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

Vacation Rentals by Owner

Idyllic Nature Lovers Retreat on Beautiful East Coast [#114831] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (13)

My Carribean Idyl

My Carribean Idyl

Beautiful, peaceful, idyllic spot.

Beautiful, peaceful, idyllic spot.

A little slice of Paradise

A little slice of Paradise

Rabbit Hill--Idyllic, for sure

Rabbit Hill--Idyllic, for sure

A FEEL GOOD PLACE.

A FEEL GOOD PLACE.

hopsourth review

hopsourth review

Rabbit Hill Remarkable

Rabbit Hill Remarkable

Charming Piece of Paradise

Charming Piece of Paradise

Best Get Away

Best Get Away

Paradise on the East Coast

Paradise on the East Coast