Hummingbird House, Private Paradise In Barbados

Guest: Donna & Gary (Markham, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/15/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

Our wonderful experience started with Jan and John, the couple that manage the property. They had asked for our flight information and were expecting us when we showed up in the driveway. Jan and John made sure that we knew everything about the property, the area and gave us great tips on what to see and do during our stay. Their welcome was the prelude to the warm and friendly hospitality that is prevalent on this island. The property is very well maintained. Even though there is an indoor dining area, we ate, sat and gathered exclusively at the outdoor dining room table in the covered area by the pool. The kitchen was well stocked and we especially enjoyed the fridge that spit out plenty of crushed ice that made a great base for our ``Hummingbird Rum Punch``. Although there is air conditioning, after the first couple of nights, we acclimatized and just let the ocean breeze that blew through the open windows cool us down. Stepping outside through the double French doors each morning, we were greeted by the sunrise, a magnificent view of the ocean breaking over the offshore reef in the distance and the sounds of the surf. We often heard comments from the locals that Bottom Bay was the best beach on the island; and we can attest to that. The cove is picturesque; the sand is beautiful, the water clear blue and the beach extremely clean. The ocean is a little rougher on the south eastern coast but our group enjoyed playing in the surf. A rental car is a must. While it took a little getting used to driving on the “wrong side” of the road, the drivers are very courteous and make allowances for tourists. You will get lost! But who cares, the island is small and even a series of wrong turns won’t get you too far off track. So much to do – not enough time. Don’t miss: Oistins Friday night party, the BBQ fish fry near the villa at the Church, St. Lawrence Gap (night life and restaurants). Drive the island. We especially enjoyed our coastal trip around the entire island. The view from the northern cliffs around Cluffs Bay is breathtaking and stopping off at Round House on the east coast for Coconut pie rounded out the day as the sun set on the surfers riding the waves below. Our favorite restaurants were L’Azure at the Crane (it was our anniversary), Pisces in the St Lawrence Gap, Round House and hanging out on Cutters’ patio. We had a great time and look forward to returning to Hummingbird House.

Owner response:Donna & Gary were Ideal guests. We're glad they had a wonderful anniversary & vacation.

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

Hummingbird House **Paradise**

Guest: Billie Jo R. (Manawa, WI)
Date of Stay: 12/13/11 Review Submitted: 12/25/11

We just returned to Wisconsin from this beautiful place. We were VERY happy with our recent stay at the Hummingbird House. We arrived late on 12/13 and stayed with friends from New York and our two daughters, age 12 and 26, The house was just as it was described - everything was how we imagined it. The pool was great, the house was clean and the perfect size. The property manager, John, was awesome and very helpful with everything. We used the grocery store at Six Roads very frequently....they had the necessities as well as lots of rum. We spent lots of time at the pool and took a cooler to the beaches nearly every day. We went to all four beaches that were within walking distance. We went during the morning, during the afternoon and at night even (full moon)! Our favorite was Harrismith Beach and we usually had the beaches to ourselves. We drove around the island a few times, saw some monkeys, went to the Sunbury Plantation, the gardens and a few other beaches. The West side was very populated and had good restaurants and shops, but way too crowded and the beaches near us where the best. The weather was perfect every day! The owners and managers of this property were top notch. They answered all of our questions, took good care of us, had a great property that lived up to its description. Thank you!!

Recommended for:

Great house

Guest: Kim T.
Date of Stay: 11/15/11 Review Submitted: 12/01/11

The house is the perfect size for our family of 4, including 2 young children. It is close enough to Bottom Bay (and the area quiet enough) that you will hear the ocean surf crashing in the rocks below the cliff. While you will need a car to go to other parts of the island, we particularly like the location because it is in more natural surroundings and away from the active west side of the island.

Recommended for:

Very good place within Barbados

Guest: Stephan H.
Date of Stay: 10/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

We have visited Hummingbird House end of Hurricane season (Oct. 2011) and enjoyed it. Many thanks to John (the local manager) for his kindness and support during the stay. You get many information around the location, what to do and what is going on in Barbados. The description of the house fits to what we have read on this site. The house is pretty good for two people like us and maybe for a family of 4 persons, maybe to narrow for four adults. We appreciated the two mobile phones, the WLAN access and the pre-filled fridge especially if you arrive very late at Barbados. The pool situation is already described in other reviews. We were already aware that there is no pool service. This is ok. In such cases without pool serice, I highly recommend to make pool cleaning tools available as well as a short explanation how to keep the pool clean (e.g. provide chlorine pallets and better cleaning tool beside a simple fishing net) in order to avoid a turnover of pool water during two weeks of our stay.But this is maybe the only point we have to mention around the pool.However, very bracing at the end of the day! We have also used the grill... good stuff but the warm rain and has unfortunately prevented us from using the grill more frequently :-). One note to the description of the location: it may work -- during daylight :-). But if you arrive very late, it is much better to take a taxi from the airport to the villa otherwise you are maybe lost :-). The car rentals are offering bring-in service. To all of you who are looking for villas in Barbados: put Hummingbird House in any case onto the short-list. You will enjoy the view and the short distance to our favorite beaches Bottom Bay and Crane.

Recommended for:

Excellent Accommodation

Guest: akalabb (Barbados)
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 11/03/11

The property is exactly as the owners said it would be! We had an excellent time and absolutely loved our stay there. It is conveniently close to a beautiful beach, and not too far from the supermarket and gas station. The apartment was very clean and well stocked with all the amenities of home. It was wonderful having WiFi, and even though the cable didn't work while we were there, we didn't miss it because it gave us more time to spend in the pool. It was truly a relaxing vacation! Thank you so much for a wonderful stay. We will definitely be booking again next year.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway.

Excellent Villa

Guest: Curt R. (Calgary, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 09/19/11

Quite an enjoyable experience we travelled to Barbados in the low season, which was still stunning. Villa keepers were easy to deal with and helped out in anyway. If you're looking for R&R I would recommend this Villa hands down. Usually I dont write reviews but WE LOVED IT! Short distance to anywhere on the island, Bottom Bay was AMAZING. We also LOVED Harrismith which is 5mins from the Villa. Beach all to ourselves.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Hummingbird House - The Perfect Beach Escape

Guest: Joe and Friends (New York, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/28/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

Our stay at Hummingbird House was great. We arrived 5 hours late, due to plane issues, and Jan was still waiting for us at the door with a warm welcome and tons of information about the house and the island. John, Jan’s husband and the other property manager, even brought us to the mechanic when we got a flat on our rental car. Jan and John were there for all of our needs and provided us with their phone numbers and two local cell phones with prepaid minutes. Renting a car is definitely a must for your stay at Hummingbird. Beware of the poorly marked roads and the potholes all over the island. The house was exactly as advertised and had everything we needed (a fully stocked kitchen, refrigerator, stove, beach towels, etc…). We spent most of our time sitting in the backyard under the covered deck in the perfect weather either eating around the outdoor table or lounging in the hammock. The pool was also a perfect refreshing break from the salt water after coming back from Bottom Bay or the many other beautiful east coast beaches, as were the air conditioned bedrooms. Jan and John also recommended a local cab driver named Buffy for us the days we did not have a car. Like all of the locals we met in Barbados he was extremely friendly and gave us additional advice on beaches, events and places to eat and even shared a few meals with us. I could not have imagined having a better stay at Hummingbird House and would highly recommend staying here on any trip to Barbados, as I hope to do again sometime not too far in the future.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

Amazing and relaxing

Guest: Edoardo P. (ITALY)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

The house it's amazing, really. We've stayed there for 2 weeks, and we have enjoyed every single minute. Youhave all you could want and need. Janet and John do whatever they can to help you in case of need. Bottom Bay it's the perfect place to stay and to travel around the island. For us it has been perfect. You should know, only, that the east coast is not good for swimming, so even if the beaches are stunning, you won't be able to swijm in the sea. But that has nothing to do with the house that is perfect!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

Hummingbird, Private, Relaxing Vacation

Guest: Yvonne, Dale, Janet, Barrie & Louise (Brockville, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/12/11 Review Submitted: 03/12/11

We left a cold winter behind to an island of sun, warmth, blue skies and friendly people. Upon our arrival our welcoming committee of Jan and John, property managers, familiarized us with the house and answered our questions, they were only a short walk or phone call away. They were truly a wonderful couple who loved the island and the area. The Hummingbird was a wonderful place to call home for two weeks for five adults. Two double French doors opened to a breath-taking view of the ocean, a short distance away, our outdoor patio with its patio chairs, hammock, and dining table suitable for six was a dream area out of the sun to relax, read, eat and socialize. The villa was clean, comfortable and the kitchen was well stocked with a refrigerator that made crushed ice, ice cubes, and dispensed cold water. The kitchen had a blender with which we made our banana daiquiris. The pool was a glorious place to cool off and socialize or you could take an easy walk to Bottom Bay Beach, a picturesque cove with white soft beautiful sand and rolling waves. We were told by the natives to not swim but our feet did get wet when walking too close to the water. Driving on the left side of the narrow not well marked roads can be a challenge at times; but we toured the different areas of the island every other day in our rented vehicle. It is helpful to have a very good map, compass, an excellent navigator and driver. We ate at a few restaurants - The Atlantis, Tapas, The Crane Beach Sunday Buffet, The Tamarind & Bert’s Sports Bar, the latter a favourite place of Canadians because it is owned by the owner of the Ottawa Senators Hockey team. The meals we ate at home were barbequed on the BBQ that we rented. We bought our groceries at Emerald City grocery store where we found the prices very comparable to home. There was a shopping morning in Bridgetown but were anxious to get home to our wonderful and peaceful villa away from the hustle of the island so that we could take in the solidarity of our place. All five of us would highly recommend the Hummingbird Villa and certainly will consider it again on another visit to the island. Amanda and Maurice, the owners, have been most helpful as well and very quick to answer any question we sent them by email. We would like to thank them and look forward to being in touch with them again soon for another vacation. Yvonne, Dale, Janet, Barrie & Louise – Brockville & Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+.

Bottom Bay - what a great getaway.

Guest: winter,cold, snow (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 01/07/11 Review Submitted: 01/24/11

This was a fantastic spot. My husband and I have done a lot of travelling and this was one of our favourite spots. It is a great spot for children. Our children are age 6 and 8, the perfect age to enjoy the pool and the ocean. We explored many of the island beaches and each had it's own unique qualities. We spent several days at Crane beach ( only a 10 min drive). It had some of the best sand my toes have ever felt. It is rough but swimmable surf which the kids enjoyed immensily. My husband and my son boogy boarded for hours while my daughter and jumped and were carried in by the waves. Although they can both swim we did put them both in lifejackets. The waves provided hours of entertainment and the water was warm. We took several trips around the island and all were great adventures. The highways are tight and small but all part of the adventure. Roads are not always marked well but we always seemed to find our way with a few detours. The island is small but it takes a little longer to get somewhere than you think so just plan your timing. The island is safe and the people are extremely friendly so you can always ask if you get lost. The bungalow was beautiful with the ammenties you need. The view from the porch was breathtaking. We enjoyed coffee in the morning , a banks( the local beer) in the afternoon and dinner in the evening there. The wind, and it is wind, not a breeze was very welcome in the heat of the day and we found it to be one of the great things about that spot. The pool is clean and just the right size for children to play in or for a quick dip to cool off in. The kids enjoyed the frogs, grasshoppers and lizards that we saw on a daily basis in and around the property. We also took them snorkling with the sea turtles. It was a great experience. The turtles came right up to you. Emerald City had all your grocery needs and we brought along a few of the things we needed. We made most of our meals. I would recommend Mullins for lunch, up on the West coast. You sit right over the beach. The food was great and reasonable for Barbados. Some of the restaurants can be very pricey. We found this one to have great service and good food for the price. The surf is very different on the West and South coast so I definately recommend a day trip to each. All of the beaches are extremely beautiful with water so clear and blue. A car is a must; you can see and do more and you can enjoy the island living better.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.