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Style: Natural retreat with bags of earthy Caribbean style and a dash of European refinement. Designed to get the best of open-air life, a perfect getaway for families or couples seeking privacy in style. Also an excellent setting for special occasions such as a wedding
The Beach: Shingle beach on Turtle Bay two minutes walk from the villa
The Rooms: Main house with 3 bedrooms with 1 en suite and 1 shared bathroom, a 1 bedroom garden apartment with en suite bathroom and a 1 bedroom cottage with en suite bathroom
Key features: Immensely stylish choice for Antigua villa rentals, large open-plan living areas, swimming pool, cable TV, VCR, surround sound CD stereo system, linked to gazebo, pool table/table tennis, selection of books, videos & board games, wireless internet connection available, wet bar and large barbecue grill.
Children: Welcome
Staff: Maid/laundress six days a week. Cook on request (extra) |
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Description
The Carib House is set within almost two acres of mature landscaped grounds above Falmouth Harbour on the south coast of Antigua. As you drive up, the house is barely visible among all the tropical greenery, which is so profuse that it soon becomes apparent that plants and gardening are something of a passion here. Completed in 1999, the Carib House was designed and built by its charming owners Jonathan ‘Jonny’ Tubbs and Louisa Hale. They used Caribbean hardwoods and local stone as the main fabric of the building and built it with local labour and craftsmen from nearby villages, aided by Jonny himself. According to Louisa, an Australian, Jonny was actually known locally as ‘Digger’ at one point because he was to be seen in his yellow JCB so often, shifting earth as he sculpted the gardens, the freshwater pond and a tree nursery (part of reforestation programme that Jonny is involved with, see below). All their hard work has paid off, though. Their villa is now ideal for discerning guests looking for somewhere to escape the humdrum and to enjoy a relaxed, natural environment, with every modern convenience to hand.
The house eventually reveals itself as you drive up through the gardens. It is painted in bright yellow and deep blue, which curiously happen to be the colours of the house’s namesake, Carib Beer. To enter you climb a flight of stone stairs, where a beautiful sago palm placed dead centre has matured into a natural umbrella, making for an unusual entranceway. Inside, the foyer has been elegantly furnished in traditional plantation style and has a bed of exotic plants that partially screen the main living room, which is heart of the villa. This room is large and has a wonderful, welcoming glow about it, mainly due to the use of Trinidadian mahogany, in the lofty beams in the roof, the door frames and shutters to the veranda, and because of the natural limestone floors. Interestingly there is not a single pane of glass in the whole property. Instead there are wooden shutters which allow the air to circulate through the villa, which itself has been positioned to take full advantage of the natural breeze. There is no air-conditioning.
The ‘Great Room’ has a very nicely furnished sitting area with luxurious upholstered sofas and a coffee table fashioned out of the side of an old Balinese ox cart. Tucked into a corner is an entertainment centre, a TV with cable service, a VCR and the CD system which pipes music out to the poolside dining gazebo. On the side overlooking the sea a run of huge doors folds back to reveal the L-shaped veranda, enabling you to keep an eye on what is going on outside, including the pool area, from inside. On one side of the Great Room a large cupboard houses a selection of books, videos and board games, plus table tennis bats. A beautiful, full size, oak pool table converts into a huge dining table which can seat up to fourteen comfortably for formal dinners, or as a third option converts to table tennis. The kitchen, located at the other end of the Great Room, is extremely well equipped and rather special, perfect for those who would like to cook while remaining at the heart of things. It is reminiscent of a country kitchen, with an overhead pot hanger adapted to the tropics, and it features a varnished mahogany, oval-shaped cooking station which also serves as a breakfast bar. An adjoining room houses two large fridge/freezer units and the laundry equipment.
Outside, the large veranda is partially covered and has the same polished limestone floor, making it almost a continuation of the villa’s living space. One section, facing Falmouth Harbour, has a day bed, hammocks and some rattan furniture. Beyond here is a casual dining area, with an Indonesian teak table that can seat six. It has great views onto both Falmouth Harbour and Turtle Bay. Farther round is a very comfortable, casual sitting area with natural fibre furnishings, and then finally, back at the kitchen end, there is a large charcoal grill with an overhead copper hood built into the wall, and a wet bar next to the pool. Here the veranda leads straight out to the sizeable pool and its sundeck built of local stone. Around the pool is a series of stone terraces cut into the hillside that can be used for sun bathing. And set in the middle of the swimming pool is an island surrounded by a shallow shelf, which is great for lolling in. At the far end of the pool is a gazebo which is used for relaxing and as a further dining area. The views from the terrace are splendid. As well as taking in Turtle Bay, on a clear day the view carries to the islands of Montserrat and Guadeloupe. Facing south west, the sunsets here are fantastic.
There are currently five bedrooms at the Carib House. The three main bedrooms are located off the foyer, and have cool Italian terracotta tiles. Two of them have twin beds, one of which converts to a king if required, and one of the bedrooms has a small study corner with wireless internet connection. These two bedrooms both have ceiling fans, and share a family bathroom featuring a large open shower with local greenstone floor. The Master bedroom has a king size oak bed and two sets of double doors that open out to a private balcony overlooking Falmouth Harbour. It has a ceiling fan and an en suite bathroom featuring a beautifully made inlaid hardwood bench and a large open greenstone shower.
Above the main house, accessed by a pathway from the pool terrace, is a charming cottage built of wood in chattel house style. It has a narrow covered veranda on two sides with lovely views onto the bay, and it features a king size, wrought iron, four poster bed and en suite stone shower. The fifth bedroom is located at garden level and is built under the corner of the main veranda. It is accessed from the main terrace via a stone stairway or through the gardens from the drive. It is completely private and has a covered terra cotta tiled terrace for dining and relaxing, with wicker and hardwood ‘planters’ chairs and the same mahogany doors that lead into the bedroom. There is a queen size wrought iron bed and an en suite bathroom with shower attached. The cottage also has a separate fully equipped, compact kitchen with large gas cooker, double sink, a small fridge, pots and pans, electric kettle and a kettle for the gas hob, crockery and some glasses.
Jonny Tubbs has been working on a reforestation programme for the past few years. The island is far less green than it once was because so many trees wer e cut down for sugar cultivation and agriculture. Interestingly it also receives less rain than it used to - because of the deforestation, most people think. Working with a friend from New Zealand, Jonny has collected seeds around the island, from trees at the roadsides and in remote valleys. These they then cultivate, potting them and re-potting them as they grow, until they are ready for planting out, which they have carried out by themselves or as a donation to environmental groups that carry out tree-planting projects. They have cultivated several native species such as silk cotton, mahogany, tamarind, sandbox, sea grape and many types of palms. Around 200 trees have been planted out on beaches, around sports grounds and at the roadside. Stop-press: in 2006 Jonny’s reforestation programme had to be put on hold following his friend’s return to New Zealand. It is a project that cannot be managed single-handed. |
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Beach and Swimming
The Carib House is within two minutes walk of the beach at Turtle Bay, which is located below the villa. Access is via a gate at the bottom of the gardens and then a pathway through grassland directly onto the beach. Turtle Bay is a shingle rather than a sandy beach and somewhat rocky, so jelly shoes or other foot protection are recommended when swimming. The swimming is limited, but there is a small area that is good for a dip, and there is some good snorkelling. The nearest white sand beach is Pigeon’s Point in English Harbour, which is about 10 minutes by car and is popular with visitors and locals alike.
An alluring, very natural looking swimming pool is located next to the veranda and is set within a spacious, local stone sun terrace. The pool was completely reburbished in 2006 and features a green stone island, which provides a shallow shelf ideal for lolling in the water and sunbathing on the island itself. The pool measures about 20ft by 40ft and has steps to the shallow end, with depths of 3ft to 6ft 6 inches. |
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Sports & Recreation
The villa is equipped with a convertible, full size pool table that can also be configured for use as a dining table or for table tennis. There is a large games cupboard in the living area which contains a selection of books and board games.
The Spring Hill Riding Club nearby has BHS trained instructors, and they offer trail and beach rides, including a ride to the glorious stretch of deserted sand on Rendezvous Bay. This bay is to the west of the Carib House and is only accessible by boat or by trekking over the hills. The nearest tennis and squash courts are in Falmouth Harbour at Temo Sports. |
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Locality
The Carib House is located on a peninsular which forms part of the entrance to Falmouth Harbour and is about five minutes drive off the main highway leading from St John’s to Falmouth and then English Harbours. The access road up to the residential development at Turtle Bay is a little rough at times as not all of it has a tarmac surface, and so a jeep is recommended. There are a number of large homes, one or two of which can be rented out as holiday homes. The nearest grocery store/mini mart is Bailey’s on Falmouth main road, which does stock the essentials and some fresh produce (all meat, poultry etc is frozen) as well as fresh local breads and cakes. The best place for groceries is the Epicurean supermarket in the Woods Shopping Mall on Friar’s Hill Road north of St John’s, where you will find a wide selection of both local and imported food items and wine.
English Harbour is nearby and takes about 10 minutes by car. The area is very popular with yachtsmen and has many bars and restaurants, a marina, gift shops, provision stores, a bakery, internet café, post office, ATM, a bank, a craft market, museum and of course the historic docks at Nelson’s Dockyard. The season is mainly during the winter months. In the summer, when the yachts are away, things quieten down considerably and some businesses close down for several months. Where nightlife is concerned, English Harbour and its various bars can be very lively, but a highlight for the week is the Sunday afternoon barbecue at Shirley Heights Lookout. Visitors and locals gather to party and watch the sunset with a drink or two and enjoy a live steel band concert, followed by a reggae band. |
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Useful Hints
If you would like your villa or cottage stocked with groceries, a provisioning service is provided and you should e-mail your list to the owners Jonathan Tubbs or Louisa Hale (if booking direct) or let your travel organiser know what you require so that supplies are in place for your arrival. You will be billed for your groceries on arrival. A cook is available on request and prices vary according to whoever is available at the time.
Please note that there is a resident cat. Trippy appeared in the building rubble during construction and has remained at the Carib House ever since.
Highchairs and cots and toys for children can be made available, as well as fencing to make the house childproof, including the swimming pool just beyond the living terrace.
In the gazebo there is an 11 o’clock rule which means that there can be no music after that time. |
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Rates
| | | 1 week | 2 weeks | 3 weeks | | 4 bedrooms (8 persons) 5 bedrooms (10 persons) | 08 May-09 Dec 2007 | 8,120 10,150 | 13,440 16,800 | 16,800 21,000 | | 4 bedrooms (8 persons) 5 bedrooms (10 persons) | 10 Dec-07 May 2007-08 | 10,920 13,650 | 17,360 21,700 | 23,520 29,400 | | 4 bedrooms (8 persons) 5 bedrooms (10 persons) | 08 May-09 Dec 2008 | 8,120 10,150 | 13,440 16,800 | 16,800 21,000 | Rates are quoted in US$ and include 10.5% ABST (Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax/VAT). Special rates and conditions apply for Antigua Race Weeks (Classic and Sailing) and Christmas/New Year bookings so please request further details. All rates are subject to change without notice. |
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How To Book
If you wish to make further enquiries or book direct, bookings should be made through the owners Jonathan Tubbs and Louisa Hale by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number.
To confirm a reservation you should send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee. Payment of the remaining 75% is required 30 days prior to your arrival. If you are booking within 30 days of arrival full payment must be made to secure the booking. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct do ask the owner to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers take approximately 30 minutes and should be paid for locally. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport until the time that you depart, a Transfer and Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Due to its location a hired car is essential and a jeep would probably be the most suitable choice. It will be useful if you want to dine out at night or for sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or the owners of Carib House and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately 2-3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Antigua or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. |
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