smq1

Can anyone provide me with some information about this villa?

Thanks

virginia

i stayed in this house twice before the current owners bought it. at the time only the first floor was rentable with the owners unit upstairs, which was never occupied when renters were present. now, if you don't rent both floors you could end up sharing the house. i would not like this at all. if you're down you'll have to listen to footsteps and in either case you won't have the yard to yourself. "the others" could be loud drinkers, topless sunbathers, have horrible kids or even both having plans to use the bbq on the same evening. the yard is not large enough to separate from each other. as the vast majority of your time will be spent outdoors this is kind of a huge deal.
the sandy yard is quite nice with 2 palapas, fenced for privacy, gate opens directly onto the beach. the house is nice but not at all fancy. the house used to come with a resident dog - ricky - not sure if he's still there.
if there's anything else you'd like to know ask away.

next door is a nice rental called bella sur mer. has 4br and a nice pool.
how many ppl in your group?

smq1

Virginia,

Thanks for the response, you are the first person in a number of attempts to get back to me with some info. We are going to be renting both floors as we have a group of 10, two families of 5 ( 2 adults and 3 kids each). As long as the house is nice that is fine, we are really going for the beach, snorkeling, etc. If you do not mind, I do have a couple of other questions:

1. It looks as though, from Google earth, that you have a sandy area between some rocky area's on the shore, is this true? we stayed at the ocean club about 10 years ago and my wife recalls that once in the water the beach was kind of rocky.

2. What is the shopping at the IGA like, are the shelves pick over later in the week while they wait for the next delivery.

We are not opposed to other locations, the real challenge is the big difference is pricing as this place has cut the weekly rate dramatically compared to other locations. That being said, I will look for info on the house next door, if you have any, please send it. Is this house to the right or left as look at it with the water to your back.

Thanks again,

Sam

Caribzack

IGA is always pretty well stocked , no worries!

blamona

I've never been inside the villa, but I know where it is. It's an older property, probably more basic, and therefore the lower price.

There is a small area to swim on the beach, but mostly it's rocky-definately rockier than Grace Bay. Ocean Club used to be rocky to the right (when facing the beach) but it's been smoothed out now.

For a decent price, still walkable to Smiths Reef and Coral Gardens, check out Aquamarine Beach Houses--terrific property!

virginia

hi sam,
with both floors i'm sure you'll be pleased. you'll have 2 full kitchens. the upstairs porch is delightful at sunrise, sunset and for dining as there is a screened portion. the palapas are wonderful and there were a couple hammocks.
previous owner had a wonderful woman named caridad who kept the house clean. she is very nice and very efficient. caridads husband made the great front gates.

bella: http://www.bellasurmer.com/highlights.htm
with the water at your back bella is left of aobv. aobv has the red roof. the house on the right has no pool. i see that the rates are higher. if you like bella you might email them and ask for a discount mentioning aobv.
we found the IGA to normally be well stocked. possibly excepting vegeys & fruits, some of which got a bit sad looking. i don't know which day is delivery day.
we always do villa vacations and always take a cooler. not sure if this is something you would consider. we take meats, butter/marg, cans of frozen juices, pre-made appetizers, etc. all must be frozen and provo customs would like you to make a list of whats included & for you to leave meats in their original package. i have more tips if you decide to do this. we feel this saves us quite a bit of money and yet we still manage to spend a few hundred more. on last trip we bought liquor in the duty free leaving the US. that saved a lot. also, in checked luggage, we take tuna, pb&j, coffee & tea, goldfish, etc.
the beach in front of the house has sandy entrance. once in the water there was some turtle grass and some sandy areas. there is a mini reef just past bella.
smiths reef is down the beach 10-15 min walk towards turtle cove. the entrance there is small & should be marked by a rock carin on the beach. swim out and to the left. you can snorkel around this more or less round area. deep on the outer edge, extremely shallow in other spots. further out to the right is more coral.
drive up to coral gardens hotel and snorkel in front. it is marked by ropes. very good.
it's possible you've gotten no other responces because aobv used to be called windows ala mar.
the only other place i can think of that i'd recommend you look at is: http://www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com/index.htm
excellent locations. several good reviews from fodorites who've stayed there.
oh and if you were there 10 yrs ago you will notice some big changes and i think you'll be glad to be in the turtle cove area.
be sure to go over to tiki hut to eat.
how old are the kids?

smq1

Virginia,

Thanks again for all of the info. I believe that Caridad is still the housekeeper, good to hear how helpful she is. I have been in touch with Joanne about Bella, will see, although the price for the ABOV is pretty amazing for the two weeks that we are planning. There are some features at Bella that I do like better, so we will see.

As we finalize our plans, I would like to take you up on your other tips. We have done house/villa rentals in the US on the gulf, but never in the Caribbean. For some reason it never occurred to me until this year to check the Caribbean out. Thanks for the idea of the cooler, do you need to pack it with dry ice for the plane flight?

I did look at the AquamarineBeach House(ABH) There pricing was higher, but what I really liked better about ABOV was that it was a single house whereas ABH is more of a compound and did not seem as private.

Thanks again and I will continue to be in touch.

Sam

virginia

sam, you are correct about aquamarine beach houses, it would definetly reduce your privacy unless no one was in the other houses. many ppl don't seem to mind this - to me it completely defeats the purpose of renting a private home (as w/only renting 1/2 of aobv)
NO to dry ice - tsa would freak. we don't even the blue freezer packs but have everything frozen in our home freezer by the night before and then just before we leave our home we pack the cooler. i live in maine, our flight days are looong - nothing has ever defrosted - including the time the cooler became "lost luggage" for a day. i do have a serious igloo brand, on wheels, with a handle like rolling luggage cooler; but friend has taken just a standard cooler and had no defrosting. duct tape to keep it closed while in flight is necessary, so take it with you to the airport as tsa will want to check cooler for bombs and and then They will tape it shut for you. on arrival provo customs may ask you to open it up. tell them you have "as instructed by british embassy" a list of all included and offer it to them while they peek in. we've never paid any duty to enter with food. oh and the cooler makes an excellent place to carry home any island purchases.

deacon1986

Virginia, we're trying to decide between AOBV and the Somerset. We would like to do a private house for once for the privacy. I have seen very positive reviews for the Somerset, but we've always gone the resort route and looking for a change. We have not been to Provo before and the primary reason we selected it was Grace Bay and how everyone talks about the unbelievable water. How does the water compare at AOBV to the Somerset area of Grace Bay. Is it vastly different or similar? If we go with Somerset, it will be an english cottage and no ocean view. I hate to give up that AOBV oceanfront location, but if the view does not have that wow factor, we would not be giving up anything anyway. Thanks

virginia

the beach in front of the somerset is wider and flatter than in front of the villa. the water is equally stunning and the view is probably pretty much the same. it's not so much the drama of the view ppl talk about it's the color of the water which is remarkably tourqouise.
i personally would always choose a villa over a resort (love love drinks in my own yard/by the pool, not having to dress for dinner, having coffee on the beach in my nightgown, etc). also, i'd always choose ocean view over garden (i mean it is what you are there for?!?) although others will argue that if you are only sleeping in the room who cares what the view is.

while i wouldn't use this criteria to make a choice - one of my favortie things about aobv is that you can see the ocean from "the throne" in one of the downstairs bedrooms. perhaps more important is that you can hear the waves on the beach from the villa - not from the resorts which are set further back from the sea. as blamona mentioned this is one of the original vaca homes on island and is set very close to the water.

as i understand it, somerset is big on service so somerset vs aobv will be very different vacations. we love to cook/grill and as stated always bring food with us - we do eat out a couple times a week though.

not sure any of this will help you make your choice. either way you'll love the beauty of provo.

Caribzack

We love the Somerset and are returning this summer...service is fantastic. We also would choose it for safety reasons, my wife would never stay in a villa given the problems of late...sorry just my opinion.

virginia

i could not disagree more. i'd say staying in a villa is Much safer than a hotel, and i travel as a single woman. i feel that at a hotel too many ppl have access to your room and it it is too easy for ppl to watch your schedule, or follow you without you noticing.
caribzack, if you're going to make statements referring to "the problems of late" shouldn't you relate the specifics of your recent personal experience rather than make a blanket statement? do i recall correctly that it was you, who was walking at night on the bight road when something untoward occured? i by no means mean to diminish your experience, but provo is well known to be one of the safest islands in the caribbean.

Caribzack

Everyone knows about " the problems of late" and I do not intend to re hash that! Our situation was on Grace Bay Road not on Bight Rd. and we learned our lesson. ( A very hard one) If someone wants to click on my name they can read all about it...We all differ on what we like our travel experiences to be you say villa .... I say resort ( security guards, 2nd floor condo-can sleep with windows open, and people around) That works for us. I agree Provo is one of the safest islands and that is why I do not want to re hash my experience. We love it so much and feel so strongly we are planning to but a condo this summer...at the Somerset.

travelerfromtx

I still think that Provo is very safe. We've been twice, last visit in March 2009. However, I will mention this for informational purposes for those that are not aware: there were several villa break-ins with families held hostage at gunpoint in April. There have been no more villa incidents since then and villa owners are reported to have increased security. So some people may not feel as safe at a villa knowing of these recent incidents. Everyone needs to make their own choice.

virginia

i was completely unaware of these incidents. do you know which villas were involved? what happened to those involved - i hope they were released unharmed? any chance you have a link with these reports?
sorry to hijack this thread, but i plan to do more villa trips to provo and would like as much info as possible.

travelerfromtx

I GREATLY hesitate to give any more information because anyone that tried to discuss it on Trip Advisor was subject to harrassment.

But because you asked I will provide a link to a video about some of the villa break-ins in April. There have also been some written reports with details but I can't seem to locate those reports. No one was killed, but assaults did occur.

http://wiv4.wordpress.com/2009/04/15...-held-hostage/

Here is the video of a police conference concerning the rise in crime and how the police are addressing the issue.

http://wiv4.wordpress.com/2009/04/23...ss-conference/

Trip reports remain positive. I wouldn't hesitate to return. You can discuss security issues with the villa owner but reports indicate that most have been taking considerable measures to ensure traveler's safety.

But I do understand anyone's choice of a resort instead of a villa in light of these incidents.

blamona

Virginia: The 2 major villa break-ins occured while I was on Provo. (mid=April) Since then, they have captured 3 of the 4, and know who the 4th is. It was a rough couple of weeks, thank God they have stopped, and crime has calmed down. Still always good to be vigilant. I noticed an increase in police. Under the circumstances, resorts have security, I would still currently be a little more comfortable at a resort for now. I still feel safer on Provo than I do where I live. One of the problems, especially with older properties, is that only the bedrooms have A/C (some don't even have it bedroom.) and for now, I like sleeping with the windows locked.

Unfortunately, crime has increased everywhere. When world economies tank, crime increases. Add to it a corrupt government change, and all the bad ones come out of the woodwork. Every Island is going through it unfortunately, and you can find the same type stats on every island.

travelerfromtx: I read all of the posts on TA. "Harassment"? please. All the posts where there to read, and everyone got there say. The problem was when there were separate posts for the same incidents, giving the impression that things happened again. Some people where just voicing that. There comes a point where rehashing does no good either. There comes a point, where people should take all precautions and information as possible, but after the same incidents are repeated excessively, then they appear to continue, when that's not the case. Should you be on guard? Yes. Should you live in fear? No.

I'm not making light of what happened. It happens once to one person and that's too many.

Virginia: you can privately email on TA=I'd be happy to tell you ALL of the incidents that happened, with outcomes. I just don't don't feel rehashing on a forum when things have calmed down, to "alarm" people anew like something new has happened.

smq1: I just got your email on TA and will be answering you shortly.

travelerfromtx

Sorry about the use of the word harassment, that was indeed too strong a term, just typing a bit fast without thinking. I just meant people received a lot of "flack" about it. She asked what happenned so I answered! She didn't seem to understand why someone would hesitate to stay at a villa, that's the ONLY reason I brought it up and I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!

blamona

nothing wrong with it! 8-)

deacon1986

I am aware of the incidents in April and it has increased my concern. However,coming from the US, for me to talk about crime is like the pot calling black. But, when tourists are deliberately targeted and not random acts, you have to think about it.

I talked with the owner of AOBV. He advised that the Coconut Road homeowners kicked in funds to pay for 2 security guards at night to patrol the area. However, the funds for that runs out in the middle of June. They will continue it, but its dependent on the other homeowners continuing to pay. Although not completely unconcerned about what happened, I am not overly concerned.

Virginia, thanks for reviewing AOBV, that helped a lot. If you check this posting again, can you advise whether the area to swim at AOBV was OK. We went to Mexico last year and where we stayed at the water was so rocky, you had to wear watershoes.
Thanks