A & K (Winnipeg, Mb. Canada)

Guest: A & K (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/13/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

We stayed at Bamboo House from Nov 13-20,2011. As this was our first vacation in Antigua we were very pleased with our choice of accommodations. Bamboo apartment is spacious, tastefully decorated and has a great outdoor deck. We totally enjoyed having our meals on the deck and in the evening listening to the tree frogs. The pool is close to the house and perfect for a swim at anytime. Joanne, our ever gracious hostess (who treated us like family) provided us with all the information we needed to tour the island. It was nice being close to English Harbor, restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores and the bank. The beaches are gorgeous with crystal clear water. One of our favorites was Pigeon Beach. It is not large, but there are nice big trees to keep you out of the sun if you wish. A 4 x 4 rental is a must as the roads are not great, but after a few days you get used to them. Once again, thank you Joanne. You made our vacation in Antigua memorable. We will be back.

Owner response:Thank you for your review, I look forward to your return. Take care. Joanne

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

Gorgeous, relaxing, and beautiful vacation!

Guest: Juan & Gabriel (Montreal, Qc Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/04/12

Bamboo Cottage and Joanne just made our vacation an unforgettable one. The cottage is very comfortable, cozy, and well maintained. The beautiful garden that surrounds it just makes you feel in paradise. You can either relax in the porch sipping coffee, or in the hammock listening to the birds, or sitting at the pool while enjoying the beautiful nature. The cottage is very well located, close to English Harbour, Nelsons Dockyard, several beaches which are a must: Pigeon Beach, Halfmoon Bay, Rendezvous Bay (absolutely worth the trip!). You can either buy your groceries close to the cottage, or eat out in one of the nice places in English Harbour. You should definitely rent a car, even better if you get a 4x4. Driving is totally relaxing and the scenery is breath taking. Last but not least, Joanne is the perfect host. She will help you all the way from your trip planning to the last minute. She will make sure you enjoy your stay! She has great tips, great produce from the market, a great property, and a great smile that she always shares with you! Thanks Joanne, you really made our vacation a very special one.

Owner response:Thank you , I do hope to see you both again it was a pleasure to share this place with you. Take care and all the best for 2012. Joanne

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful Hideaway

Guest: sherdave50 (Denver, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 10/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/11/11

My wife and I had the opportunity to stay at Bamboo House for two weeks recently and recommend that anyone considering an extended stay outside of the all inclusive resorts should look at this lovely property. Located on the south side of the island, Bamboo House has the amenities travelers come to expect in a vacation home including privacy, swimming pool, laundry and cleaning service. The "lush tropical garden" is exactly what our hostess, Joanne, has created for her guests. The bed was comfortable, the kitchen was complete, the outside grounds were well maintained and the entire atmosphere made the property feel like home.The listing photos cannot do justice to the property. My wife and I would be swimming while at the same time marveling at the beauty of the flora and fauna surrounding us. Joanne, our hostess, was available when we needed questions answered but she was never intrusive. By our last evening we invited her to sit with us and it was like talking with a long time friend. Having worked in the hospitality industry for many years, Joanne goes out of her way to meet her clients' needs, make recommendations and provide expert insight to the island, its' people, its' culture and its' attractions. Falmouth Harbour and English Harbour have much to offer with Nelson's Dockyard National Park, fine dining, great beaches, beach bars and shopping within two miles of the property. Most of the excursion tours were located in Jolly Harbour to the west of where the property is located or in the capital city of St. Johns. We rented a car at the airport when we flew in and Joanne met us there and we followed her to the Bamboo House. Looking back, we would recommend taking a taxi from the airport to Falmouth Harbour and renting a vehicle in Falmouth for exploring; and taking a taxi back to the airport when departing. We found driving to be challenging to say the least: narrow streets, potholes and few road signs. We booked two excursions with Treasure Island-those were two of our best experiences. We took the ferry to Barbuda for a tour of the island, the frigate bird sanctuary, a lobster lunch and a 17 mile beach all to ourselves. If prone to motion sickness, take your pills! Try Hamilton's, Tappas and Cloggy's for excellent dining in English Harbour. If headed to Jolly Harbour, stop at Turner Beach (and the beach bar). Antigua and Barbuda was a trip to remember. If we have the opportunity to return, we will stay at the Bamboo House. Thanks, Joanne!

Owner response:Dave & Sherry Thank you for your postive and encourging review, I do hope to see you both again and enjoyed sharing with you. Take care Joanne

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

A wonderful holiday

Guest: fiora f. (Italy)
Date of Stay: 04/15/11 Review Submitted: 04/28/11

I have been looking forward to this vacation, during the Classic Antigua Regatta (Easter time) from long ago. This was a reunion of me and my two children that leave in London (I leave in Italy) and my uncle that was there already from a long time. So for me was extremely important that the house would have been cosy, nice, relaxing… Of course I was worried: long travel and then? I’m VRBO too, so in principle I trust the other VRBOs… In any case, from the very first email with Joanne I understood she was a special person, and I was sure that everything would have been as I was dreaming from many months. And indeed it was. The house is adorable, the garden magnificent. Everything has taste, love, and years of dedicated settlement. Joanne (who runs a farm for local genuine Antiguans food) is a wonderful guest, always available, always nice and ready to bring everything you need from the farm. Everything is perfect! Hot water, linen, Wi-Fi, calm, light, birds songs,.. We had taken both the house and the cottage: after a discussion between my two my sons it has been decided that the cottage would have been taken by the elder and her girlfriend. The cottage is superb it is like a hat in the jungle, but with all is needed. My child and her girl friend were very happy there. The main house has a big living room, with a well-furnished kitchen and two bedrooms with bathrooms. All around the house the veranda, the glorious garden with all possible kind of birds and the pool. The place is also quite close to Falmouth and English harbour where we used to go every day as my uncle participated to the regatta (actually his boat won the elegance award). Falmouth and English Harbour are the nicest places in Antigua, plenty of restaurants and café’ and so many beautiful sailing boats. A car is needed but we enjoyed having it so that we could go around and visit the whole island and its secret bays. I’m already looking forward to go back to Antigua at this very special house, full of charm and beauty.

Owner response:Fiora I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and your family. I look forward to your next visit to Antigua. Hopefully that is in the not too distant future. Thank you for the review and for sharing this place I love. Please take care. Joanne

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

Little place called paradise

Guest: Justin (Gaspé, Quebec, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

My girlfriend and I stayed in both the house and the cottage for our one week trip and we adored the place. It is a gorgeous oasis of palm trees and exotic plants with a beautiful private swimming pool. Every morning and evening we would go swimming as if we were the only ones in a tropical forest. The house and cottage were way over my expectations, perfect for a romantic getaway, and I would easily picture also going there for a family getaway. Joanne is such a nice and helpful person, not intrusive, and she made everything possible to make our stay even better. Also, she knows the island perfectly and knows the best spots to go. The house is located just a 5 minute drive to English Harbor where you have great restaurants and good night life. Last but not least, we had time to go everywhere on the island but we definitely thought that Falmouth Harbor was the best place on the island to stay as it is close to all the most beautiful places of the island. We will definitely come back to Antigua in the near future and I can’t think of a better place to stay than at Joanne’s. Thank you so much for everything Joanne! Take care, Justin and Stef

Owner response:Justin and Stef I was a pleasure meeting the both of you and I look forward to seeing you again. Thank you for sharing Bamboo Place. Take care Joanne

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Disappointment

Guest: Barb & George (Ottawa Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/27/11 Review Submitted: 03/13/11

My husband and I arrived on Jan 27, 2011 for an intended 9 night stay and were disappointed in the property from the start. Amenities were worn and in need of refurbishment and the property needed basic maintenance. Security was inadequate, there was no safe for valuables and no practical way of locking the rear access to the lower house (large wooden shutters for patio doors). The property was clean but not exceptionally so. Location was such that taxi drivers could not find it. A car was required to access beaches and other attractions and we did obtain a rental car after our arrival. Our disappointment was evident in that we only stayed for 5 nights but we paid for 7 (minimum stay as per the owner's policy). We searched for alternate accomodation after our arrival, which was booked on Jan 29, 2011 (I have proof of this). We had a dispute with the owner, Joanne, suffice it to say that Joanne reacted badly however we paid the amount we owed in cash and left happy to have the experience behind us. I have booked private rentals for several years and have never been disappointed or had a dispute with an owner. There were no traveller reviews posted for this property at the time we booked and I am surprised at other recently posted guest comments in light of our experience. I felt it was important to provide our account to help future travellers assess their options. Quality, security and location are very important considerations for us among other things. I would not recommend this property.

Owner response:Barbara, I am sorry that you were not able to relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounded you at Bamboo House and Antigua. All the best. Joanne

Recommended for:

Best Host On The Island

Guest: Alberta Bound (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/06/11 Review Submitted: 02/25/11

February, 2011 My wife and I had the pleasure of staying at one of Joanne's accomodations specifically the cottage. The cottage has all one needs to enjoy a relaxing stay along with access to a swimming pool. Joanne is the most graccious host you will ever find and makes sure you are wel looked after from suggestions for resturants and local sites. Thank you Joanne Wayne & Beverley McGhie, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Owner response:Thank you both, very nice meeting you and hope to do so again. Joanne

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great holiday at Bamboo House and Antigua

Guest: Island Girl (San Diego, California)
Date of Stay: 12/03/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

My husband and I stayed at Bamboo House for 2 weeks in December 2010 where also my daughter and son in law joined us for a week and it was a wonderful and relaxing experience for all of us. The home is very comfortable, clean, spacious and warm. There is a nice large patio for dining or being lazy in the hammock which we often did. Joanne was also very nice and very helpful, giving us guidance in exploring the island and also directing us in the best places to dine, whether it be roadside roti's, beach lunches or dinner. The garden is beautiful and the pool which is surrounded by palms was a lovely place to relax, very tranquil. Overall the house is in a great location, there was alot going on in Falmouth Harbour not to mention the amazing yachts that were there. Thankyou Joanne we really enjoyed your place and had a wonderful Antigua trip and I would hightly recommend it to anyone traveling to the island.

Owner response:Thankyou Susan for your review, It was really nice to meet all of you, I hope I will see you again in the future.

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

Wonderful Place to Stay!

Guest: N/A (New jersey)
Date of Stay: 01/11/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/11

We just returned home from Antigua and our stay at Bamboo Cottage. We had a wonderful time! The house was perfect for us as we wanted to be in close proximity to several beaches and have a pool to relax in as well. The covered patio is also a great place to hang out. Joanne was an excellent host. She was available to answer any questions and offer suggestions, when needed. Highly recommend!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.