| 07/14/09 |
Positive
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The house was very nice, and the perfect vacation spot where you had plenty of space, a great view, and easy access to everything.
There were 6 of us, but we decided to rent the whole compound because we weren't sure if one house would be comfortable enough for our group. The three bedroom house could have accommodated us but in the end we liked having the entire compound to ourselves.
The house is perfect situated a literal 5 minute walk down the hill to the town. It is a pretty steep driveway, however, so you need to be prepared for that when you walk back up. Vanessa and Will have a great relationship with their neighbors and every time we walked home we were waved to and called out to with hello neighbor!
In addition to feeling welcomed by the neighbors we loved the fact that the police department is at the bottom of the hill, 2 minutes away by foot. And the Pattisons pay their neighbor Offel to look after the house at night. He mostly stayed out of the way -- helped us turn on the outside lights and then would stay out of the way. We never had any issue or felt unsafe at any moment.
The pool/patio has a beautiful view of the San Juan beach and the cliffs along the other side. It is a completely unobstructed view. It was really pleasant to sit out and read on the chaise lounges - and you had your choice of sun or shade every day.
The bedrooms themselves are nice with incredible views- comfortable beds, private bath for one room in the Villa we stayed in, and a large, shared bath for the two other rooms.
We took full advantage of having Cristell come and cook for us. She makes great food, as well as snacks. (highly recommend! we paid ~$20/day for her to cook - and the price of groceries was so cheap it worked out to be much less than going out.)
The town itself is very easy to access via foot - and any kind of excursion you want, be it sailing, fishing canopy zip-lining, or horseback riding. With a little exploring you can find beautiful beaches north and south of town within 25 minutes by car that are basically secluded and have the beach all to yourself. (You can get there by rented boat as well as taxi, but we didn't try that). We liked staying right in town and being able to walk around and head to a restaurant or bar whenever we liked. Highly recommend El Colibri.
The beach in town is really nice to walk along, and has an amazing sunset. On the weekends, folks swim in the water there. We spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach in town, mostly at the bars along the edge, that have tables and chairs in the sand.
Vanessa also leaves a pre-paid phone and a "guide book" pulled together with her and former renter's suggestions. Really helpful in planning out your vacation.
It was a fabulous and very inexpensive vacation. We loved it so much that my fiance and I discussed coming back for our wedding next year!
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Ellen Sluder, Manhattan, New York
1-503-975-8026 |
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| 12/20/08 |
Positive
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This was most definitely the way to visit the town of San Juan del Sur. We have been here before but this time it was the private pool, our own kitchen, spectacular views and fantastic hosts that made the visit so great. Daily maid service was exceptional plus all the extras like wifi, air con, cable, only a short stroll down the hill to the beaches and restaurants, first hand recommendations on where to buy produce and fresh fish off the boats ... oh, and how could i forget the amazing early morning yoga classes by Vanessa herself...
The accommodation was most definitely a step up from the norm in Nicaragua, and when shared among a group of family and friends, is incredible value!!
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Heather, Vancouver, Canada
613-832-8984 |
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