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Tamarind Cottage - For up to 4 people.

THE LOCATION:-

Located approximately 2 miles north of Sunset Crest & Holetown on Barbados' beautiful 'platinum' west coast, within the parish of St. James, the cottage is situated at James Bay in an area of attractive estates collectively known as 'The Garden'.  

Although some of the foliage has grown a little taller and a gated fence behind the beach has been added since the above photo was taken, this view still shows how close Tamarind Cottage (the more elevated property - just to the right of centre) is to the beach and the Caribbean Sea.

Nearby Gibbs Beach is well worth a visit, as is Mullins Bay - with its beachfront bar & restaurant - about a 40 minute walk north along the beach. There is a fresh fish market - which opens late morning – just a 5 minute walk along the beach to the north of the cottage. Be sure to buy your fresh fish by 2 or 3pm as it sells out fast !  You will find snapper, tuna, kingfish and flying fish amongst others. 'Smokey' will fillet the fish for you and you might also like to buy a jar of his traditional Bajan seasoning spice.

Next door to the fish stand is a little produce market which sells fresh fruit, lettuce, tomatoes and vegetables.

Merlin Bay is a pleasant stroll along the beach to the south of the cottage. There is very good snorkelling to be had there out on the reef.

An excellent selection of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets are located in Sunset Crest & Holetown as well as other amenities including the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre - with its shops, cafes & cinemas, plus lots more - bars, banks, a supermarket, Post Office, medical centres, a cyber café and an air-conditioned shopping mall - with duty free shops.

The famous Lone Star Restaurant is around a mile to the south of Tamarind Cottage, as is the world-renowned Royal Pavilion Hotel where you can sample the superb food and first class service on offer in the beach-front restaurant – an excellent choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Alternatively, you can just chill out with a cool drink and a bite to eat in Ju Ju's Beach Bar - which is just south of The Lone Star - or the Ramshackle Bar - which is just north of it.

Speightstown is a quaint, historic little town located north of Tamarind Cottage, in the parish of St. Peter. There are shops, street markets, restaurants and museums as well as the Gallery of Caribbean Art. Enjoy a lunch at Casareep, a charming little beach-side restaurant.

Two world-class golf courses - The Royal Westmoreland and Sandy Lane - are both within a 10-15 minute drive of the cottage.  

THE ACCOMMODATION:-

Tamarind Cottage is an ideal tropical retreat, wonderfully located with a lovely view of the sparkling blue Caribbean Sea from its veranda. The palm tree fringed white sandy beach is only 75 metres away - accessed via 30 steps that descend from the doorway of the cottage and a short walk through the gardens.

A table & chairs and an outdoor shower are conveniently located in the garden next to the beach and there are several sun loungers which are available for guests' use in the gardens or on the beach.

The entry path to the cottage is adorned with beautiful ferns, flowering trees, plants and a huge, old and magnificent fruit-bearing mango tree. Enjoy your rum punches - with limes from the garden - whilst watching the glorious sunsets.

Tamarind Cottage is beside a natural watercourse with lush plantings and tropical trees.   The ground slopes away beneath the veranda and towards the beach, and because the cottage is surrounded by shady trees and flowering plants including gardenia, frangipani, tamarind, mahogany, palm and fern, its position has a 'tree house' feel about it.

Tamarind Cottage offers Caribbean 'beach house style' living. It is very spacious with its high vaulted ceilings, cool tiled floors, coral stone walls and pickled pine timbers. The feeling is open and carefree with jalousie-style shutters that let the breeze flow in, and there are ceiling fans throughout.

VILLA LAYOUT:-

The comfortable, elegant lounge area offers facilities such as Digital Cable TV, a DVD player, a CD player with an ipod docking station, telephones for accepting incoming calls and making outgoing local calls - which are free, a high speed Wireless ADSL Broadband connection, a wicker sofa & chairs and a coffee table.

The well-equipped kitchen area includes a breakfast bar & two stools, an electric stove, oven, microwave, a large fridge/freezer, washing machine, a toaster, mixer, blender, a percolator, crockery, cutlery and glassware. There is a dryer in the separate laundry annexe. An iron & ironing board, a hairdryer, an umbrella and a couple of torches are also provided.

The lounge & kitchen areas lead out to the spacious, covered L-shaped veranda which is ideal for relaxing & unwinding and dining al fresco. It is furnished with a table and 4 director-style chairs plus wooden lounger chairs and a coffee table. The veranda offers views of a large tamarind tree, the beautiful tropical gardens and the sea beyond.

A Webber coal/wood BBQ is provided within the gardens.

The two very spacious, air-conditioned bedrooms are each furnished with a king size bed, a vanity unit & mirror, plenty of storage space, chairs, CD/alarm clock, a ceiling fan and large wardrobes with sliding mirrored doors and a built-in safe.  

Both of the bedrooms offer en suite shower/W.C. rooms.

There is a parking space to the rear of the cottage should guests wish to hire a car during their stay.

Your maid, Diana, will meet and greet you on your arrival at Tamarind Cottage and she will happily answer any questions that you may have regarding your holiday in Barbados.

Rachel, the manager of the cottage, and her colleague, Fernanda, will also be on hand during your stay.

TO CHECK AVAILABILITY:-

If you would like to check the availability of Tamarind Cottage please click on the following link:- www.relaxingretreats.co.uk/enquireTamarindCottage.htm

Alternatively, you may prefer to call to make an enquiry via UK Tel : 01293 426832.

The rates shown above include maid service 3 days a week (& cooking service if required), all taxes, gas, electricity (including air-conditioning) linen and towels (including beach towels).

The number of days and hours for maid/cook service can be tailored to suit your needs.

YOU WILL HAVE SOLE USE OF THE COTTAGE REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY. 

Price promise: You should not find this property advertised for less anywhere else. If you do, please let me know.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:-

A pre-arranged transfer from Grantley Adams Airport to Tamarind Cottage. (Approx. 45 minute drive. BDS$ 65-BDS$ 80).

Your maid, Diana, is an excellent cook and she will be very happy to prepare a meal that will be ready for you on your first evening at the cottage.

She is able to offer you Bajan flying fish, a green salad and pumpkin fritters. Diana generally makes enough so that guests can enjoy flying fish cutters the next day. Alternatively you are welcome to order a roast chicken - served either cold with salad or hot.

The cost of the ingredients will be payable after you arrive at the cottage. If you have pre-ordered a ‘Welcome Pack’ of groceries the cost of the ingredients will be added to that.

Diana is available for additional days on request. If you would like her to cook during your stay she is happy to shop and buy the groceries and you pay her directly. Some guests also enjoy shopping with Diana at the markets.

Additional maid (& cooking service if required) is BDS$ 75 per day.

HOW TO BOOK/TERMS & CONDITIONS:-

If you would like to make a booking for Tamarind Cottage please contact Bajan Retreats on 01293 426832 (24 hour telephone/voicemail) or by e-mail to:- bajanretreats@relaxingretreats.co.uk

Credit card payments are not accepted at this time. (This is in order to keep the rates low and to avoid high bank charges for this small business).

A deposit cheque (or Banker's Draft/International Money Order if you are not resident in the UK) for 25% is required to secure a booking.

Once I have received your deposit payment I will send you a Booking Confirmation, together with my 'Car Hire' and 'Before you Travel' information.

A cheque (or Banker's Draft/International Money Order if you are not resident in the UK) for the balance will be required 8 weeks prior to your arrival at Tamarind Cottage.

Should the booking be made less than 8 weeks prior to the arrival date at the accommodation, the full payment will be due.

Full payment must be completed before your stay commences. Therefore, any ‘late’ bookings must be made and finalised no less than 10 days prior to your arrival at Tamarind Cottage.

As with all holidays, travel insurance is strongly recommended.

10 to 14 days before you arrive in Barbados you will receive a useful information pack that includes maps and many general tips designed to help you get the most out of your holiday.  

GUEST BOOK.

“Irene and Peter, 

We had a wonderful holiday in Barbados. All was fine with the highlight being so close to the beach. 

Early morning swims before breakfast every day of course !  

Diana was great and looked after us with lovely food.  

The cottage matched our style pretty well. The veranda was always a pleasant place to be and good 

to have those big beds !

Best rgds”.

Neil & family - Hampshire, UK.  October 2011.

"Hi Irene,

We had a great time at Tamarind cottage".

Ian, Debra & family - Suffolk, UK. August 2011.

"Hi Irene,

Tamarind Cottage was more beautiful in real life than in all the pictures. We had a fantastic holiday. William, the taxi driver, was waiting for us at the airport, what a nice man.

We arrived at the cottage and Diana was there to welcome us. Diana gave us all the info. on the cottage then left us to settle in. We didn't think we would want her to cook for us but her knowledge of Bajan cooking changed our minds. She cooked some amazing food for us and told us all about the ingredients and why they were so important to the Barbadians.

Diana is the real star of Tamarind Cottage and made us feel very relaxed and at home.

We also ate out on a few occasions, mainly at the Ramshackle next door to the Lone Star. The food there was very good and the Sitar in Holetown was also good. Our last night we ate at the Fish Pot in Speightstown, also very good.

The location of the cottage was ideal the beach fantastic, the sea even better, with turtles hatching and great snorkelling, a haven and peaceful retreat. The gardens were a delight and had a good show of hummingbirds and fireflies.

Thanks for all you help and advice which was invaluable and helped make the holiday a relaxing and enjoyable experience. We all loved the cottage and location and will look forward to returning in the future.

Again many thanks".

Rob, Richard, Yvonne and Andrew - Sheffield, UK. July/August 2011.

P.S. Andrew proposed to Yvonne and she said YES !"

 "Hello Irene,

"All in all a lovely holiday and we would love to go back !"

Annette - Hants, UK. February 2011.

 "Irene, Thank you so much for everything !!!  A grand holiday---only problem was that it was not long enough !!

The information you supplied was absolutely terrific — on the restaurants, beaches etc. Though we loved our beach so much that we really didn’t explore others...went to visit a friend at a resort on the south coast and couldn’t believe how much more built up etc. the south coast is...we were so glad to be where we were !  

Tamarind Cottage more than met our expectations ! We had a good sense of it from the photos on your web site but it was more spacious than we had imagined and the view was spectacular !  And the beach.....well, what can one say !

Your directions to the cottage were superb---perhaps the only time we didn’t get lost !

We will book with you and hope to stay at Tamarind again ! You were absolutely terrific !

Many thanks".

Pat & John - Ontario, Canada. February 2011.

"Hi Irene,

"Tamarind Cottage is paradise !  We've had a fabulous time here, relaxing on the porch & the beach, and also venturing out to the east coast & Harrison's Cave." - Newton, MA.

"We totally agree with the comments from previous visitors - Tamarind Cottage is simply the most enchanting holiday destination. Be sure to enjoy the undersea delights of Merlin Bay (to the left) and the culinary delights of the local fish market (to the right) . Tamarind Cottage will stay in out hearts forever." - Oxon, UK.

"Incredible villa in a fantastic location. Diana is a wonderful addition to the cottage.  I will be back again.  This island is beautiful." - Washington DC.

"Thank you for such a beautiful week of sun, beach, gorgeous waters, wonderful food and great relaxation. This is truly heaven on earth ! " Marlborough, CT.

"Hummingbirds, fireflies, tree frog serenades, sea turtles and  geckos....we loved you all” !  - New Orleans, LA.

"A vacation in the best Hemmingway-style". - Stockholm, Sweden.

"The brilliance of this island... its people, wonderful, kind and friendly and the open atmosphere of Tamarind Cottage." – Moscow, Russia.

"If only this could last forever, life would be so much better...thank you." – NYC.

"I found Tamarind Cottage on the internet. With views through a tamarind tree on to a turquoise sea. This was the Barbados I had dreamt of – so far, so good.

Next up, food. Seeing as I spend my life scoffing in smart restaurants as a food and drink writer, I didn’t want to do the same here.

I wanted to experience the local food – which offered a different way of seeing the island, and spend lots of time hanging out in the villa, preferably not having to cook myself.

Our villa cook, a lovely lady in her 50s called Diana, is standing at the stove with a big stick stirring cou-cou when we arrive.

The dish is a revelation. Cornmeal, studded with okra this time, and served with steamed flying fish in an aromatic gravy. Cou-cou harks back to its African heritage and can be found in some form or another all over the Caribbean, but it’s eaten routinely in Barbados. The flying fish is another Bajan emblem. When it’s not scudding across the water with its fairy wing-like fins, it’s most often breaded, then pan-fried and served in a bun.

Diana had rubbed ours in Bajan seasoning – a mix of onion, garlic, chives, thyme, pepper, sugar and spices (which you can buy in jars at the local supermarkets) before rolling up the fillets and steaming them over a gravy made with onions, spices, garlic, hot red pepper, tomatoes, and a dash of Lea & Perrins. Forget the soft, white beach, and snorkelling with the turtles and the tropical creatures on the reef, I’m staying near Diana and her kitchen.

The next day we go shopping. The deal is you drive your cook to the shops, then pick her up after – or accompany her, which I willingly choose to do. The nearest supermarket in Holetown has all the comforts of home (shortbread, Rich Tea biscuits, Typhoo, Marmite and so forth) – just in case you can’t bear to be without anything. Most of it is imported (there’s even a few lines from Waitrose), but the fruit and vegetable section had plenty of locally-grown produce – some of it completely new to me.

‘That’s cassava,’ says Diana, pointing at the long, thin, hairy root. ‘I’ll make you a pone one day,’ she promises. Cassava pone is a pudding, made with grated cassava, butter, sugar, spices, grated coconut and eggs. I can’t wait. ‘And that’s mauby,’ continues Diana, when I thrust a piece of unusual looking bark under her nose. It’s brewed up with a stick of cinnamon, a slice of orange peel, mace, cloves and sugar to make a refreshing, but toe-curlingly bitter, drink (an acquired taste, unsurprisingly).

The large, spiky breadfruit, I know – not that I’ve ever cooked one. They appear regularly on Bajan café menus as breadfruit cheese (think cauliflower cheese, but better). Peeled, chopped, boiled, then mashed, spring onion is added along with garlic, sweet pepper, mustard, Cheddar cheese (and it has to be Cheddar) and eggs – the whites separated, whisked, then folded in to give it some lift – before being baked with another layer of grated cheese. ‘I’ll do that for you, too, if you like,’ she grins, registering my drool.

She orders a piece of salt cod from the fish counter – we’re having fritters and pepper sauce tonight. Over the course of the week, I try countless salt cod fritters (usually with an accompanying rum punch), but Diana’s are certainly the best – the tiny flecks of hot pepper lifting the crunchy batter.

And before you start thinking that all this Caribbean food is sounding rather stodgy, every dish we eat comes with an enormous bowl of salad, made with plump lettuce, nutty alfalfa and cleansing herbs, grown not 15 minutes away.

On the drive back to the villa, we stop at a roadside stall for a refreshing slug of coconut water sucked up through a straw, before stocking up on the week’s supply of mangoes, avocados, bananas and papaya and other delicious fruit – all grown on the island, and much cheaper here than bought at the supermarket.

‘I’ll bring you something rather special tomorrow,’ promises Diana, when she leaves for the night. Every Friday, Diana gets up early and makes pudding and souce. She’s known for it and it’s a real art.

Where to start? The pudding consists of grated sweet potato, herbs and spices, which Diana steams for a couple of hours. The souce is, basically, a pork salad cured overnight in a mixture of salty water laced with lime juice. The next day, it’s dressed with more lime, before cucumber, onions, sweet and hot peppers and parsley are added. A real trencherman’s dish, yes, but it works (honest !), the sweetness of the pudding contrasting beautifully with the sharp lime-boosted pork salad.

Three days in, and we haven’t moved, aside from a few strokes in the sea to make room for the next meal. It is time to venture out.

This coincides with my first trip to the fish market in Bridgetown. Sparklingly fresh marlin, swordfish and tuna (plus a few more fish I don’t recognise) sit on stone counters packed with ice, a third of the price we pay at home.

I’m keen to try another Bajan speciality, conkies, served primarily on Independence Day (from the British, that is). We miss the event by a couple of days but Diana makes up a batch regularly and brought a few for us to try. Imagine the most delicious Christmas pudding, combined with, say, the best pumpkin pie – conkies are definitely one dish I’ll be making regularly at home.

Grated pumpkin and sweet potato is combined with allspice, cinnamon, raisins, shortening, milk, flour and brown sugar, then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

I wish I could have taken some of it back with me in my suitcase, but I content myself with a traditional stick for stirring cou-cou, a jar of Bajan seasoning, and a bottle of hot and spicy pepper sauce, pledging to make more trips to the Afro-Caribbean shops in Peckham, a few miles from my home in south London, to get the rest of the now-familiar Caribbean ingredients.

And I will be back – hopefully to the same villa, if it isn’t booked up".

 FS – London, UK. 2008.

Please contact property agent: -

Irene Ford | Bajan Retreats

UK Tel / Voicemail: 01293 426832
E-mail: barbados@relaxingretreats.co.uk
Please expect a prompt and personal reply to any e-mail you send us.

Web site: www.relaxingretreats.co.uk

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