Vacation Rentals by Owner

Snorkeling Paradise

Guest: Snorkel junky (Eugene, Oregon, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/04/12 Review Submitted: 04/18/12

The condo was very comfy, clean and easy to manage. Everything was as described. Due to travel snafus we arrived very late at night after the office was closed. Sand Dollar staff were ready with the key, and we were in our unit in minutes. The owner provided helpful notes and local contact info and was very easy to deal with. Sand Dollar is a relaxing, low key place to stay. The view is wonderful, perfect for sunset watching. I spotted 20 different birds from the terrace (bring your binoculars), along with a resident family of iguanas, many lizards and a charming cat. During my snorkeling adventures at various dive spots I saw at least 70 species of fish, plus turtles and a plethora of other sea life. The staff in the dive shop are friendly and helpful and rented me a flashlight so I could snorkel at night right off the dock. The shrimp with glowing red eyes are not to be missed! Quality of fresh food on Bonaire is spotty, but the new Dutch supermarket beyond the Warehouse Mkt on Industrial is open and is so vastly better than any other food store on Bonaire (and we went to several) that it is the one to use. Produce quality and selection are excellent. Thanks for providing such a nice place to stay. We hope to return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Fantastic vacation in wonderful lodgings

Guest: Melissa (Burbank, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

Just returned from 3 weeks in A-15 and then another week at a different resort so I can compare and contrast to other possibilities. A-15 is a fantastic choice. It is probably the best-located condo @ Sand Dollar. It's close to the dive facility and very close to the bank, ice cream shop, internet cafe and mini-market but still far away from those things to be quiet. It's very clean, well-maintained and comfortable. My experiences with the Sand Dollar maid service and the front desk were always good. Comparatively, A-15 gives you a lot more room than nearby resorts. My only complaint while there was with the wi-fi service at the resort but I worked through it and the front desk provided assistance. I plan on returning quite often and highly recommend it to others. For restaurants, we recommend It Rains Fishes, Mona Lisa, Captain Dons restaurant and the deli across the street. Sunset (the closest place to A-15) serves great food but is pretty slow. We had great days at Lac Bay, enjoyed a sunset sail and really liked the cave tour too. The dive facility is great. We found the staff on the top of their game and the diving was fantastic. Plus their new system that allows 24/7 access to gear and diving makes everything easy. We also had a great day with Eastside Divers checking out the other side of the island - 17 turtles on 1 dive! Don't hesitate! This is amazing diving and too easy to believe. Go now!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Would stay here again.

Guest: Ann (Boca Raton, FL)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/05/11

Nice place, comfortable, good management at Sand Dollar, everything worked. We're snorkelers. Decided not to rent a car this visit. Took ferry (with Hank--ask dive shop to contact him and he'll stop at nearby dock) to Klein Bonaire where drift snorkeling is heaven. Ask Hank to let you jump off boat at Ebo's Reef so you can drift snorkel to beach where ferry will pick you up again two hours later. For less demanding snorkel, dive site Cliff has some leafy coral and fish--walk up to Hamlet Oasis Resort (10 minutes). Next time would arrange at least one taxi trip to supermarket as there are no veggies/fruit to be had nearby. Indonesian food and ice cream nearby was great.

Owner response:Thanks for the great recommendation and so glad you had a good time! We aim for comfort!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Sand Dollar Condo

Guest: Roger (Littleton, Colorado USA)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

Hi Larry, Barbara and I had a Great time. Maybe the best dive Vacation ever. We are considering coming back next year. Your condo A15 is perfect. Centrally located, Great shore front, equipped with all you need. Liked the new more neutral color scheme p.s. Your Restaraunt reviews were most useful.

Owner response:Great, Roger! Nice to have met you, however briefly, and we hope you return next year!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Divers dream

Guest: Jim and Ang (Kernersville, NC)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

What a fantastic vacation. We just returned from a week of diving in Bonaire and cannot wait to make a second trip. Sand Dollar and the condo we stayed was great. Perfect location, dive shop was wonderful, people we very nice, Sand Dollar staff were friendly and helpful, Larry (the owner) was fabulous to work with. He provided so much information for us and, being our first trip to Bonaire, was GREATLY appreciated. Hardest part of the trip was trying to find a replacement blender for the one we broke (sorry again). Warning, the ice is very strong here. :-) This is a total do over!!!! One tip though, if you are flying in on the 6:00 am arrival, pack snacks. We couldn't find much open before 8:30 and were STARVING.

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

We'll be back

Guest: Cindy (Bellevue, WA USA)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/12

This is our forth time staying at Sand Dollar but our first booking directly with an owner. Since the condos are older and individually owned, some are nicer than others. This unit shows pride of ownership. Sand Dollar's location on Bari Reef is a huge draw for us - every time we dive there, we enjoy it. And it's so easy to "fall off the dock" and climb back up via the stairs when you are done with your dive. And now Bonaire Dive and Adventure provides 24 hour tank and gear access so it is even more convenient. Larry was great to work with and very informative. The photos of the unit are accurate, the condo was clean and well-equipped - there was even a hair dryer, though the Sand Dollar website says they aren't provided. And the location (in A building) was great - close to the dive shop but far enough from the restaurant to be quiet. We really enjoyed the screened porch - the sliding glass door is extra wide so really opens up to the porch and gives you a lot more living area. We ate many of our meals there. One of the great things about renting from Larry is that he includes the use of all A/C units when you rent from him. Condos rented through Sand Dollar only include the bedroom A/C and charge an extra fee (was $10 a night a couple years ago) to have the A/C in the kitchen/living area turned on. That said, we didn't use the A/C except in the bedroom but it was nice to know it was available if needed. We appreciate Larry sharing his great vacation home with us and would definitely stay here again on our next trip to Bonaire.

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

2nd Year staying here.

Guest: pincusb (connecticut)
Date of Stay: 10/16/10 Review Submitted: 10/26/10

Great location both on the island and in the complex. The property is kept up and the staff is pleasant. Both restaurants are good but only had breakfast at eddie's and lunch at Sunset. The snorkeling is unbelievable and the sunsets are spectacular. This is our 4th year in Bonair and while other islands have more beaches and flowers--none have the sea life that I see here every year. The dive shop is great--took several lessons and I hope to start spending more than a week at a time here. The snorkeling trip on the Woodwind is a tremendous value and for your own personal snorkel guide call Renee--she is the best!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Condo

Guest: Snorkeler (Bowie, MD)
Date of Stay: 02/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/14/10

I agree with all of the other comments made. This was the first time we rented from an individual in Bonaire vs staying in a hotel, and we had a wonderful experience. We loved the screened-in porch and ate our breakfasts out there every morning. Easy access to the dive shop was great, and we found the dive operation to be excellent. My husband is a diver and I'm a snorkeler, and we were able to go out on the boat together everyday. He and the divers went one way, and I went the other. Snorkeling Bari Reef off of the Sand Dollar property was excellent. I saw several eels and a free-swimming octopus, among numerous other reef creatures. We decided not to rent a car this time and found the Sand Dollar property to be in a good location for walking to several restaurants, in addition to a small grocery store and an ice cream shop. We appreciated all of the helpful information Tara supplied ahead of time. Bottom line...We definitely will rent from Tara again. The apartment suited our needs perfectly.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Can't do better than this

Guest: WMcK (Port Chester, NY)
Date of Stay: 01/09/10 Review Submitted: 01/18/10

All the other comments are true. Tara's place is perfect and had everything we needed. Now that we know the island, I realize Sand Dollar and her unit are perfectly located. She also is a wonderful source for information and advice about Bonaire. If (when?) we return to Bonaire it would be her place that we'd want to return to. WM Port Chester, NY

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

Perfect

Guest: skigirl62 (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 07/04/09 Review Submitted: 08/28/09

Tara was absolutely delightful helping us even before we got to Bonarie and Tara's condo was everything previous guests have mentioned and more. This was our 5th trip to Bonaire, but the first time we stayed in Tara's condo. We will only consider Tara's condo for future trips. It is beautifully decorated, clean, cool and comfortable. It truly was a home away from home. It is also so convenient to the dive shop, restaurants, a gym and downtown. The pool was very refreshing and nice. Wish we already had a trip planned to go back!!! I highly recommend Tara's place!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Teriffic apartment

Guest: Jim and Fran (Lafayette, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 04/26/09 Review Submitted: 05/11/09

We stayed in Unit A-15 the last week in April 2009. This was our 8th or 9th trip to Bonaire, but our first at Sand Dollar. Our experience was a pleasure from the start. The owner was gracious, honest and very helpful. The lease agreement was straight forward and uncomplicated. Best of all, when we arrived at 5:15 AM on Sunday, the guard had our room keys ready, so we were in the unit in minutes. We loved this apartment! We immediately felt at home. Despite our careful reading of the unit description, the apartment seemed larger than we expected. There were plenty of closets and drawers for all of our clothes. The dining and living room area was spacious. We loved the screened-in porch, where we could read. Best of all, the shower in the bathroom was one of the better ones on the island! Our dealing with Sand Dollar also went perfectly. We had a small problem with one of the AC units and Sand Dollar had the problem fixed within an hour. Housekeeping was excellent and we had all the fluffy towels we requested. Another plus is the location of this unit. It is on the first floor, close to a parking area and a small commercial development were we purchased internet service (worked in the room), ice cream and even some very good wine - how convenient! It is a short 3 minute walk from the dive shop and dock. Bottom line - we plan to stay there again. We loved it.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/23/09

We had a warm and wonderful week in Bonaire and at the Sand Dollar condo owned by Tara. It was very well-equipped, clean and quiet. Location of condo is convenient to the dive shop, beach and restaurant/pool Had the grandchildren with us, and they loved every minute of their stay on the island with plenty to do. Recommend the Donkey Sanctuary and the Butterfly House as points of interest.

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Bonaire Bound

Guest: Snorklers (Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 02/27/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/09

My husband and I planned on celebrating his 50th birthday on Bonaire without the kids and were looking forward to renting Tara's beautiful condo. When our family vacation plans for the summer 2009 did not go as planned my husband decided that we would bring our 2 teenagers along to Bonaire so to make a long story short we were not able to rent Tara's condo as planned. Tara was more than helpful in trying to locate another condo to rent at the SandDollar and supplied us with a lot of information and advice on Bonaire. She is true to her word and refunded our deposit check. I already know that when my husband and I return to Bonaire we will be renting from Tara.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/23/09

Got back from Bonaire and Tara's lovely condo a week ago. We had a wonderful time and the condo was perfect. When I first rented it I wondered how I would feel about all the bright colors -- I tend toward using pastels in my own living spaces. Once there, I loved it! The bright colors really enhanced the Caribbean feeling and her place was so comfortable. As a fellow vacation condo owner with a condo in Maui, I really appreciated the effort that Tara makes to personalize her condo and to make her guests feel at home. She provides a wealth of information on local restaurants and dive sites right inside the condo. There is also a small library of books for surface intervals (between dives). Divers will appreciate the hooks for drying off gear (even though the dive shop has a very good gear storage facility) and drying rack for swimsuits. The screened in Lanai was really a big deal for us as we were there during the rainy season and mosquitos, which are normally few and far between, were a bit of a problem. We could really use the patio and didn't have to worry about closing the sliding door to the living room all the time to keep bugs out. It was all so easy. We can hardly wait to come back. Thanks again, Tara!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/06/09

This was our first trip to Bonaire and we loved it. We stayed at Sand Dollar unit A-15 for a week in December. Tara was very accomodating and communicating with her to rent her unit was wonderful. When we go to Bonaire next time, we will deffinetely contact her to rent the A-15 unit again. Our stay was very good and we felt very comfortable in the unit. The owners did the wonderful job decorating their unit and it creates relaxing and cheerful atmosphere. The unit has everything that is needed for guests to be comfortable in there. I can not think what else the owners could add there. I felt there was everything we needed to have a great vacation and feel relaxed. Air-conditioners work quitely, kitchen is equipped with stuff needed to prepare meals. The sceened patio is a great bonus that we appreciated a lot. We noticed that some units don't have screens and we felt that we were lucky that Tara's unit has one. Also location of A-15 unit in the complex is very good. I hope the unit will be available for our next trip!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/08 Review Submitted: 11/05/08

Wish we could go back next week! The condo was excellent overall. It was clean and service was great, weather was fine, diving good. The unit was the best that we have rented at Sand Dollar and we will be requesting it again. The travel ice chest and ice packs were a thoughtful feature. Close to dive shop and ice cream shop.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/19/08

We spent a glorious 2 weeks on Bonaire in June/July 2008, and Tara's condo was truly our "home away from home". This was our second stay in this particular condo, and it was absolutely wonderful -- comfortable, beautifully decorated, and well maintained. And Tara was very helpful and easy to work with. We will definitely stay in A15 when we return again -- hopefully next summer.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/03/08

This was our third year staying at this very comfortable and fun condo. Yep, that is how much we liked it. Stayed for two weeks this time and don't have a regret in the world. It has personality, humor, and air conditioning too. It is true, that the winds are present all the time, but for sleeping, the a/c was great! Bonaire is unspeakingly beautiful. My spouses is a marine biologist, so we can say with some assurance that the diving is better than anywhere we have been. The dive shop is competant, honest and available. You can shore dive whenever you like. We love it, the condo and the folks. I didn't find the food as inexpensive as some have. Good though.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/05/08

This was our second time staying in Tara's condo at Sand Dollar. We enjoyed it even more than the first trip. This time we made all of our dinners in the condo, from lasagna to hamburgers. The appliances and cookware were all great and we had more than enough pots and pan. It's located very close to the gear shed and dock, so you don't have to walk far to get geared up. It is especially handy if you are planning on an early morning or night dive since they lock up the gear at 9pm. We can't say enough good things about her place, we'll definitely be back.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 04/27/08

Very nice condo. Location is great, nice parking spot under a shade tree right by the door.Internet at Michael's is a one minute walk. Nice breeze flows through the condo. Quiet air conditioners in bedroom, living and kitchen, but we never needed air except at night in bedroom. Kitchen is well stocked with everything you'll need to make amazing meals. Groceries on island now are as cheap as at home. Good selection of meats at Warehouse, always fresh looking and yummy.Screened porch is great for drying all your dive gear. We felt comfortable letting things dry during the day but took things inside at bedtime just to be secure. Security on the grounds was present at all times. This unit is near the office so we felt more secure than other parts of Sand Dollar. There is a very nice sandy beach by the dock for swimming. Diving here is easy, the reef has tons of fish, but coral is not as pretty as other sites. Night dive is a must here to see the huge Tarpon and Red Snapper. Just enter at the dock and suddenly the Tarpon will find you. You can't miss them. They will be waiting for your flashlight beams to find little sparkly fish to eat right in front of your eyes. Lots of construction going on all over the island. 6 days of week 7am to dusk, across from Chat n Browse so kind of noisy for us during March 2008, but it was very quiet at other times with a great deal of serenity each evening. Nice to walk the grounds of Sand Dollar, see the sunsets, lounge chairs along the shore to sit in, always available. Rented tanks at BDA, very convenient and always over 3000 psi. Ate at Den Lamen restaurant, (a one mintue walk from condo) a couple of dinners & there were only 3 tables of people, service friendly, food was very nice and tasty and reasonably priced. Very serene setting for dinner. Go at dusk to watch the night divers go into the water, the view of the restaurant is at the dock of BDA. If you like to be on the water, this is a very convenient condo. Very clean and cutely decorated. Could use a new couch, this one was saggy, but usuable. Owner was very upfront on the description of the condo, no surprises here. You will enjoy your stay here.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Jay and Ann_HAC125277 (Brevard, NC)
Date of Stay: 02/01/08 Review Submitted: 02/15/08

We just got back from one wonderful week of diving in Bonaire. We stayed in Tara's one bedroom condo at the Sand Dollar Resort--the best resort location on the island. The best offshore reef. We were entirely satisfied with our experience. The unit is well furnished and delightfully decorated. The new tilework in the kitchen and bath is outstanding. Lots of pots, pans dishes and glasses in the kitchen. Three air conditioners will keep you cool although we just used the one in the bedroom. We lived on the comfortable screened porch. Also a great place to dry gear. We will definitely request to stay in Tara's unit for our next visit to Bonaire. Jay and Ann

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Sharon_HAC109290 (Clarksville, MD)
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 10/05/07

We stayed in the condo for a week in August. This was the first time we visited Bonaire. Tara was very prompt in replying our inquires and her information very helpful. Her condo made us feel like right at home. The condo had everything our comfortable stay needed, and more. The decoration was charming, the air conditioners worked perfectly, The screen-in porch made it so easy to dry our gear, and sit in the morning eating breakfast with the sound of wave. You do need a car though, for it is couple of miles to the town, and to other snorkel and diving sites, though the house reef is nothing but spectacular. We had one off-day due to the passing hurricane, regardless, we had a wonderful time visiting Bonaire and staying at Tara's condo.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Tom & Connie (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 05/31/07

We had a wonderful week in Bonaire staying in this condo with its bright, cheerful décor and great amenities. We especially liked the screened porch, the lovely remodeled bath and the very efficient air conditioning. During the day we let the Bonaire breezes cool the unit but at night the air conditioning provided just the right environment for a refreshing night’s sleep. The unit is very convenient to the dive shop and the dock. We did at least one dive every day right there on Bari Reef. Although we enjoyed exploring other dive locations on Bonaire we particularly liked this peaceful and beautiful dive right in front of the Sand Dollar. We hope to make a return visit to this unit and highly recommend it to others looking for an excellent condo on a wonderful island

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: John and Natalie (Atlanta, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 03/02/07

First visit to Bonaire and we can't see staying anywhere else for our next visit. The screened porch was a nice retreat after a day of diving. Having a dive shop, grocery store, ice cream shop, two restuarants, and dive pier steps from the door; BIG PLUS! Very professional dive shop. We will be back Tara!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Brenda & Linda (Not Specified)
Date of Stay: 02/01/07 Review Submitted: 02/27/07

This was our second stay in this condo. It continues to be spotlessly clean, nicely decorated and the owner continues to make improvements to the unit. It has new bathroom tile this year and sports a nice caribbean-theme paint job. It is nicely decorated, quiet and the dive shop on site is awesome! We enjoy both diving and snorkeling the reef in front- both are equally great. Satelite TV is appreciated for news at "home." The fully equiped kitchen is very nice as well. We look forward to our next visit.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: katy and Arne (Cypress, Tx.)
Date of Stay: 02/01/07 Review Submitted: 02/25/07

This will be our third stay at Tara's Condo. We highly recommend this Condo. The owners have redone the kitchen and bath, love the colors in the condo too. The diving, resturants and a convenient store are just a short walk away. Tara is great to work with too. She is very accomodating. Arne and Katy Cypress, Tx.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bob & Joyce (Monument, CO)
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/10/06

We rented this unit for two weeks in Nov 2006 and highly recommend it. As other people have said, Tara (owner) is easy to work with. Great snorkeling right out in front of Sand Dollar (and lots of other places on the island, of course). The Sand Dollar staff was very helpful and responsive.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bill & Stephanie (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 09/01/06 Review Submitted: 09/29/06

This condo, a nice, private end unit, is a wonderful place for your Bonaire vacation. The amenities are first-rate, and the staff at Sand Dollar are friendly and helpful. The nearby dive shop, convenience stores, and proximity to town, as well as the excellent dive and snorkeling site right outside your door make this an almost perfect location. Tara is a real pleasure to deal with as well. You won't be disappointed!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bill_HAC65219 (Decatur, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 09/01/06 Review Submitted: 09/28/06

This condo, a nice, private end unit, is a wonderful place for your Bonaire vacation. The amenities are first-rate, and the staff at Sand Dollar are friendly and helpful. The nearby dive shop, convenience stores, and proximity to town, as well as the excellent dive and snorkeling site right outside your door make this an almost perfect location. Tara is a real pleasure to deal with as well. You won't be disappointed!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Arne (Cypress Texas USA)
Date of Stay: 05/01/06 Review Submitted: 05/21/06

The condo is nice and welcoming. The Screened patio has plenty of room and a partial view of the ocean and Klein Bonaire. The location is great with Bonaire Dive and Adventure, Fisheye Photo, 2 Restaurants and a Convenience store within walking distance while still being in a quiet area. The pier is only about a 2 minute walk away with good diving and a shower. We enjoyed everything so much we have already booked another week in Tara's condo.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Brenda (Wisconsin, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/01/06 Review Submitted: 03/22/06

The condo was wonderful! We enjoyed the screened in porch and full kitchen. The unit was clean and nicely decorated with A/C through out. Although I hate to admit it, the TV in the bedroom was nice too. Diving and snorkeling right off the pier was fantastic. The grounds were very quiet, which we appreciated. We would definitely rent from Tara again.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/05 Review Submitted: 11/27/05

We stayed at Sand dollar and rented this unit from Tara. Wonderful place and beautiful diving from the pier. Perfect vacation. We will be back. Owners are wonderful and very accomodating. We would highly recommend.

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