Magnificent!

This was our first visit to St John and now that we’re in love with the island we can’t imagine staying anywhere other than the Windwardside Guest Cottage - except perhaps another Calabash Cottages property. We just can’t gush enough about this sweet little bungalow. Its setting is spectacular; the view will knock your socks off! A teeny note of caution for those less adventurous, the last mile approaching the cottage is slightly intimidating (steep, quite a drop down [thus the fabulous view!] and mostly not paved/bumpy). However, don’t let that sway you – you get used to it by your 2nd or 3rd try and it’s worth it. The cottage was perfectly appointed for two. Everything you’ll need for your stay is there. The little galley kitchen will surprise you by how well equipped it is, between it and the grill we were very set to have most of our dinners in, and we’re not talking PB&J here. The cottage was spotless and extremely well cared, particularly given how rough an island environment can be on metal, wood, etc. It appears as if it is tended to regularly. The level of service from this team was top-notch. Margaret & Diane answered all of our pre-arrival questions & provided great tips for our stay. Beth (aka Yoga Beth) met us at the ferry dock & generously spent about 2 hrs with us. In addition to what was promised (ferry pick-up, rental car retrieval, grocery stop in the big city, follow-me to the cottage), Beth took us to the National Park Visitor Center so we could pick up our tickets for a hike the next morning. She also provided us some wonderful “local’ tips on beaches for snorkeling and restaurants not to miss. Beth never once made us feel rushed; she really introduced us to the concept of island time. Oh almost forgot Warren from Dynamic tours, the car service from the airport to the ferry in St Thomas which was recommended & we highly suggest using it. It made our arrival & departure so smooth. Warren was warmly welcoming & completely reliable, there for us at the airport despite that our flight was over an hour late & then he called at the end of the week to find out which ferry we were taking from St John so that he’d be waiting our arrival. Lastly, Susan (the owner?) called us the last night to be sure our stay had gone well. Really, this is stellar service that is rare to find these days. Thank you Calabash Cottage team. …..and for prospective future guests reading this: don’t hesitate, this place is a gem!