Adventure in Paradise

Guest: Lynette and Larry (Ft. Bidwell, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/23/11 Review Submitted: 05/18/11

How does one describe Paradise? Two words,,,,,,,Far Tortuga! We spent 10 fascinating and adventurous days at this lovely home situated above the coral reefs and Caribbean sea, watching the hummingbirds and iguanas, luxuriating in the Infinity Pool, feeling the warm trade winds and enjoying the overwhelming amenities this home provides. The beautifully appointed kitchen, spacious living area with ocean view, and lanai with pool, master bedroom with sliding door providing views of the ocean, and the private, yet secure location made us never want to leave! We snorkled and kayaked both from the First Bight lagoon entrance and off the coral outcrops below the deck, in waters crystal clear and abounding with Caribbean sealife. We were almost content to just repose in the pool, sipping tropical drinks, but adventure beckoned and we toured West End and West Bay,,,,main tourist and diving areas, with quaint colorful homes and Jimmy Buffet atmosphere. Our favorite tho was the east end of Roatan, less developed and quieter, more of what the island used to be before being "discovered:. We stopped in to say hi to BJ at at her BJ's Backyard restaurant/bar in the picturesque town of Oak Ridge, chatted with friendly folks in the Garifuna village of Punta Gorda, and were enthralled with our dining experience at La Sirena (The Asylum), locally called Jimmy's, in Camp Bay. Go there! Dining on lobster and grouper on a tiny deck over the Caribbean while watching sea turtles swim below and the exquisite Honduran sunset and sipping Rum punch in the hammock was one of the best birthday I'd ever experienced!. We met wonderful folks during our Far Tortuga stay, from local islanders born on Roatan to American exPatriots and of other nationalities who now make this island their home. Be sure to visit Butch and Sherry Wade at the Bulk Gourmet in French Harbour for wonderful speciality foods & wine selections, and much, much more. Fun folks! Far Tortuga is a treasure we want to certainly return to for our next visit to Roatan. We will certainly include Scuba Diving then, as Roatan is the premier dive spot on the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. Dive boats dropped anchor right offshore from the home on occasion, and sailboats skimmed the sea in the distance. Truly a Caribbean Paradise and beyond even the accurate listing description, Far Tortuga is the vacation home of your dreams on Roatan. Thank you Karl and Anne for making this lifestyle dream a reality for us!

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

The Perfect Vacation

Guest: Wade, Tina, Bob & Judy (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 02/18/10 Review Submitted: 05/13/11

We are two couples who stayed at Far Tortuga for two weeks. Where to start? This was our first time in Roatan, our first time diving in Caribbean waters and our first time renting through VRBO. Any questions or concerns we had when first looking at the property were promptly answered by Anne, the owner. We were met at the airport by the property managers, Kevin & Claire, who were very helpful with the vehicle rental, grocery shopping and setting us up at the house. They respect your privacy and are only a phone call away. The house is what the pictures show and more. Our experience with renting through VRBO was everything we could have hoped for. Diving in front of the house was amazing and tanks and equipment were rented through Fantasy Island for very reasonable prices. Because of the atmosphere at Far Tortuga, we prepared and enjoyed most of our meals at the house. There is nothing like that morning cup of coffee by the pool or that afternoon cerveza in the pool. The pool was definitely an asset. Renting a vehicle is a must with staying at the house. It gave us the ability to tour the island from east to west--a drive to the West End for site seeing, Coxen Hole for shopping and true island life, a trip to the East end to Camp Bay (where we had the best Buffalo Shrimp at Camp Bay Resort) and a day at the Spa at the Sante Wellness Centre. Shopping at Eldons and The Bulk Gourmet supplied us with more than we had expected to find. We would recommend Roatan and Far Tortuga. We are looking forward to returning next year.

Owner response:Wade asked me to note that they actually stayed in 2011.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Better than the pictures

Guest: Been all around the world (Oregon)
Date of Stay: 03/20/11 Review Submitted: 05/12/11

Our stay at First Bight was even better than we had expected. My husband and I, my brother and his two sons stayed in this wonderful house for a week and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The house was light and airy, the kitchen had everything we needed, the weather was perfect and we had a lovely vacation. We spent our days snorkeling, going on long drives around the island (rental car is definitely a necessity), eating great seafood and generally loafing. A local fisherman brought fresh seafood to the dock a few yards from the house. We watched vacationing divers scuba dive right off the shore at the local dive buoy, enjoyed the sunsets and the surf. The iguanas right below the house were fun to watch, and we spent much time feeding the humming birds and delighting in their antics. Kevin and Claire were perfect as our local contacts - very helpful and easily accessible. We would definitely recommend this place to just about all groups except maybe families with small children.

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

Perfect Vacation!

Guest: Liz (Missoula, Montana)
Date of Stay: 03/03/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

All of the previous reviews are dead-on. My husband and I stayed here for 10 days for our belated honeymoon. Two friends joined us for part of our stay. It was just the perfect spot. Although there are many amazing things to do in Roatan, our most enjoyable times were simply relaxing in First Bight! We snorkeled right in front of the house, used to kayaks to cruise around and do a little fly fishing, cooked fresh seafood meals every night, and relaxed by the pool and just enjoyed the scenary. Looking at the pictures on this website bring back wonderful memories, and we are counting down the days until we can return. Kevin and Claire, the property managers, were simply wonderful. They truly make traveling to another country stress-free. Kevin, Claire, and the owners go above and beyond to make sure that all of your needs are met and that your vacation is perfect. We will be back to Roatan and we will be staying here when we return.

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

Amazing vacation property

Guest: George and Barbara (Lion's Head Ontario Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/12/10 Review Submitted: 12/13/10

We would absolutely recommend Far Tortuga. We totally agree with everything in the reviews below. We would like to add comments re the beautiful well equipped kitchen, the original artwork, the high quality furnishings, comfortable deck furniture, comfortable mattresses and lovely bedding. We bought fresh lobster and fish right at the dock and were given instructions on how to cook it. Snorkelling right in front of the house and the beautiful infinity pool for cooling off were real assets. We also enjoyed the outdoor showers after snorkelling. There is nothing missing to make this one of the best vacation spots ever

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

Diver's Paradise

Guest: Divers4Jesus (Cookeville, TN)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

This was our first trip to Roatan. This house is very nice and had everything we needed. The owner was so helpful by providing information about the island, and the property managers were fantastic and made us feel very comfortable. Through prior arrangements with the owner, Fantasy Island Dive Resort provided discounts on rental gear and dive trips. You can dive at your convenience right from the shore here. The only downer was that rainy season started a little earlier than normal so our weather wasn't the best. I would go at a different time of the year next trip.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Pirates and Kings

Guest: Brewmaster Nick (pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 03/13/10 Review Submitted: 04/23/10

One word, amazing. Everything was top notch. Kevin and Claire are the best (go emlenton and crfu!) The fact that diving and snorkeling 15' away from the porch can keep you busy when not fishing which is great on the island or just sipping flor de cana in a hammock or a salva vida pool side. The house is second to none, humming birds and iguanas hanging around are always good company. A few miles to the grocery stores close enough to get things whenever and secluded enough to feel almost like youre on a private island. We drank like pirates and ate like kings. Far tortuga was our castle.

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

First Trip and Many More to Come!

Guest: Amera (Michigan)
Date of Stay: 02/14/10 Review Submitted: 03/14/10

What an amazing vacation! My mother and I wanted a warm trip away from our midwest winter and we couldn't have been more blessed to have found the perfect home in paradise. The home as a whole is near the middle of the island so a perfect place to start whether going East or West (which we did) and it sits right in front of the sea and what a view and experience that was. My family and I have been renting homes around the world and within the US for years and this was by far one of the most memorable--we've never stayed so close to such gorgeous water! What others have said about the home is dead-on--very warm and comfortable and equipped with everything you'd need (including bug spray and aloe) and now a booklet with what to do in the house or on the island. See you next year!

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/26/10

The house was great it was Amazing to wake with the sounds of the ocean every morning or just to watch the waves roll in while enjoying our coffee on one of the large decks. The house was as promised,great views, nice pool, spotless, lots of room with privacy between bedrooms and very well equipped. We loved the snorkeling and kayaking right in front of the house. We also want to thank Kevin and Claire they were great!! They put us at ease right away and were willing to assist us in any way to make our vacation a great one. We explored the island from one end to the other during our visit and decided we had picked the best location to stay. We would recommend zip lining at pirates of the Caribbean , snorkeling with dolphins at Anthony's key and a especially a day at the The Santé Wellness Center. For dining we would recommend Gios seafood in French harbor, Marble Hill Farms and our best meal was lunch served at the Sante Wellness Center. Roatan was great and we will be back.Thank you once again Sharlene & Wade

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Guest: Nancy,Mike, Dan & Cass (Burlington, ON)
Date of Stay: 12/30/09 Review Submitted: 12/30/09

We just returned from a family Christmas vacation week (Dec. 19-26, 2009) at Far Tortuga, First Bight. Accommodation at this beautiful villa met all our expectations. Claire & Kevin, property mgrs met us at the airport and waited patiently as we took possession of our rental car(a 4x4 is a must for the coastal roads). The villa commands an outstanding view of the Caribbean with full view of the sunset which is spectacular. We welcomed the fresh water infinity pool for days lounging on the deck or after a full day of snorkelling/diving. Cell phone was provided for our use on the island and Kevin was a phone call away for any concerns re restaurants, directions, etc. Our first few days were overcast and rainy so we seized the opportunity to travel the coastal roads. Of particular interest was the Garifuna village of Punta Gorda, Jonesville (it took some time to locate the Hole in the Wall Restaurant but well worth it), and snorkelling/diving at Pigeon Caye. We were fortunate to meet up with Larry and his Islander dive boat (ask about him at the Hole in the Wall) who took us for the day to this pristine offshore island Paradise. Highly recommend a visit to Roatan with a stay at Far Tortuga.

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