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Style: Character Nevis villa life, and romantic tropical living in traditional Caribbean style, with fabulous 360’ views to Nevis Peak and down to St Kitts
The Beach: A mile drive down the hill to Oualie Beach
The Rooms: 6 bedrooms, 3 in one-bedroom cottages with their own facilities, and 3 in the main house
Key features: Superb Nevis rentals choice, mountainside setting above Oualie Beach, TV, CD and tape machine, barbecue, washing machine, dryer
Children: Welcome in the main house and garden cottage, but not toddlers
Staff: Maid service in the main house three times a week, and in the Firefly cottages twice a week. She will also do personal laundry. Extra maid service is available at US$25 per morning (3-4 hrs). Babysitting available at US$5-7 per hour. Cooking service, on advance request, works out at about US$50 a meal. Pool and garden maintenance. All linens, towels and cleaning materials are provided |
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Description
Exactly one hundred years after a traditional wooden chattel house was built in “Fountain” village, Eric Lamb orchestrated its move - on a flat-bed truck - to a new location at the head of the Spring Hill valley. After much hard work, sympathetic additions and plenty of imagination, it became one of the best Nevis villas available for rental.
‘Lambsdown’ has proved so popular that he has added three more cottages. The first was Garden Cottage, which as the name implies is set in the garden of the main house, and then there were two further eco-cabins that have been erected on stilts above the forest canopy at the top of the valley, just across the trail from the main house. They are called Firefly, after the captivating flashing insect that flies in undeveloped areas of the island and is, on a clear night, nearly indistinguishable from the stars above. Firefly is a unique vantage point from which to observe the varied wildlife of the valley. With its pretty traditional cottages and green and tranquil location, Lambsdown has a lovely romantic atmosphere. The cottages can be rented as a whole or separately.
Lambsdown is a two bedroom /two bathroom cottage with a small child’s room, making it suitable for a couple or small family. It is an L-shaped traditional Caribbean cottage, whose hallmarks are polished pine floors, cooling white woodwork and local antique furnishings. Lambsdown is set in expansive, well kept gardens with a variety of tropical species, and very attractive. It has a large veranda from which you enter the wooden-floored living room. The kitchen/breakfast room is also very attractive, and has a wonderful wooden breakfast bar table with high stools with pillar supports. From it glass doors lead out onto the veranda and semi-covered wooden decked area covered with trellis and sort of filigree work. Beyond it is a small swimming pool (about 4 metres x 3½ metres) and a decked surround for sunbathing. In the sloping garden you will find a strategically placed a hammock and the beginning of the Spring Hill Nature Trail which goes up Mt Nevis.
The main bedroom is delightful, full of detail, great for a honeymoon couple, and has a lovely romantic feel. There is air-conditioning and a TV. A passage leads to the bathroom with a free-standing cast iron bath with shower, basin and loo. In an adjoining storage area there is an under-floor safe. Off this is a single room, ideal for a child (which does not have a fan or air conditioning). It is very quaint with mosquito netting and doors out to a little veranda. The second bedroom is downstairs and has a double four poster draped in mosquito netting and small cupboard. This bedroom is air-conditioned.
The kitchen has got a large five burner gas stove with a double size oven, good size microwave, coffee machine, juicer, toaster, 1½ basin sink unit, draining board. Plenty of glasses and crockery, well equipped, a profile on American fridge/freezer with icemaker and water dispenser, telephone, cable TV and stereo.
The Garden Cottage melts unobtrusively into the sloping gardens of the main house, from which it is screened by some excellent locally crafted volcanic stone walls and terraces. The cottage is a subtle blend of old Caribbean with modern touches, beautifully crafted to a very high standard. No comfort has been spared. It is essentially a romantic one room cottage for two people. The views carry down the valley to the island of St Kitts and the Narrows that separate the two islands and there is a wide ocean-facing balcony with a Jacuzzi to take advantage of it all.
The main room combines a platformed king size four poster bed and a small yet fully equipped kitchen with innovative appliances such as a combination oven dishwasher! The kitchen cabinets are all refurbished antiques, the floors polished pine and the windows and sliding doors all oiled greenheart. Amenities include gas oven and hob, barbecue, dishwasher, coffee-machine, blender, toaster, fridge-freezer, microwave. There is a fine library, slanted to the owner’s passion for travel and the oceans (this in spite of a life spent as an airline pilot). The bathroom with its power shower, wooden hand-basin and floor ‘grating’ is quite unique.
Although not of the same era as Lambsdown itself, the Garden Cottage is built in the same timeless Antillean style out of local stone and wood from neighbouring islands, with an attention to detail that is one of the main features of these romantic retreats. There is a Bose music system, and a small plasma flat-screen cable TV with a good selection of DVD’s.
Firefly Cottages are two ‘eco-cabins’ built in a similar style to the main house, but they are simpler and in a far more dramatic location. They stand on platforms at treetop height, identical to one another except for the bed configuration and the view. They have traditional Caribbean features such as cedar shingles roof-tiles, polished pine floors and white woodwork. One has a queen size bed, the other two twins, one ’Mountain view’ and ‘Ocean view’, but both have uninterrupted views of the forest canopy. Each cottage is completely self-sufficient with en suite bathroom, kitchenette, air-conditioning, and of course a balcony with breathtaking views. There is no TV, no telephone nor music centre. In fact nothing to distract you from the environment, which is captivating. A cellular phone may be rented. Firefly Cottages offer excellent value for unique accommodation. |
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Beach & Swimming
Set above north shore, Lambsdown is ten minutes walk to Oualie Beach, which has plenty of sports as well as good swimming. There is a pool attached to Lambsdown main house, but the other cottages are not permitted to use it unless they are being rented with Lambsdown, or the main house is unoccupied. |
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Sports & Recreation
Hiking is one of the pleasures of Nevis and there are a number of excellent guides. Trails begin on the edge of the property. Sports at Oualie Beach include windsurfing, mountain bike hire, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, dinghy sailing and kayaking. Horse back riding is available at Cades bay.
Golf and tennis are available at the Four Seasons Resort. |
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Locality
Lambsdown is located on the flanks of Nevis Peak in the north of the island and there are hikes (to the peak for instance) and beautiful views all around. It is situated in a quiet neighbourhood of predominantly expatriate rental homes. Most of Nevis’s historical culture is to be found closer to Charlestown, 15 minutes drive. The airport is 8 minutes away, and the Four Seasons is a 10 minute drive. A small market for fruits and vegetables grown in Nevis’s dark volcanic soil is at the octagonal shop opposite Tequila Sheila’s in Cades Bay, just a couple of minutes away. Other beach bars include the Gallipot at Tamarind Bay and Sunshine’s on Pinneys Beach. The newly opened Hermitage Beach Club –adjacent to the Four Seasons - is well worth a visit.
There are a few restaurants in this area of the island – try Bananas at Cliffdwellers and Miss Junes, where you will receive a seemingly limitless volley of dishes many of them of Trinidadian origin.
Another good option is the plantation house hotels, which make for a romantic evening out. |
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Useful Hints
There is no television or telephone in the Firefly cottages. A cell phone may be rented inexpensively from the agent.
If you are staying at Lambsdown, you would need to tread quietly upstairs in order not to disturb those in the downstairs bedroom, and generally Lambsdown is probably best rented together with the cottage whilst the Firefly units are in a different area and therefore quite separate. The cottage however is not rented separately so one’s privacy is guaranteed.
The first night’s meal, essential breakfast provisions and some beverages are offered complimentary with all main house bookings. Additional shopping with no service charge is also offered. Rental rates for villas do not include 'tips' about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa. |
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Rates
| Lambsdown & Firefly Cottages | 16 Apr-16 Dec | 16 Dec-16 Apr | | Main House 2/3 persons | 1,800 | 3,000 | | House & Cottage 4/5 persons | 2,200 | 3,400 | | Firefly Cottages 2 persons | 800 | 1,000 | Rates are in US$ per week and subject to 9% Government Tax. Additional days pro-rated. Minimum rental 7 nights except bookings over Christmas/New Year when minimum stay is 10 days - rates available on request. Refundable phone and security deposit of US$200 is payable on arrival. |
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How To Book
Bookings should be made through the local managing agent, Hart of Nevis. You will need to send a deposit equal to 50% of the total rental fee to confirm a reservation. Payment of the remaining 50% is required 30 days prior to arrival. If you are booking with 30 days or less prior to your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking.
To contact Hart of Nevis for your Nevis vacation homes please use the TELEPHONE or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES link at the top of the page.
For a review of Hart of Nevis and full details of their services please see here. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
The managing agent will arrange for a taxi to meet you at your arrival point and the agent will meet you personally at the house. We advise that rental cars be left at the house for your arrival, and not at the airport. This should be arranged at the time of booking your vehicle. |
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Getting Around
Although plenty is available within walking distance and Charlestown can be reached fairly easily by public transport, a hire car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays. It will be useful if you want to dine out at night or go sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries.
You can ask the rental agent to arrange a car for you. He will have it delivered to the property and issue your Nevisian driving licence, price US$25 or book direct with TDC Rentals. For a small fee vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Be aware that over Christmas, February and even in August there can be a shortage of cars on Nevis, so you are advised to book well in advance. |
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All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Hart of Nevis for your Nevis rentals or TDC for your Nevis car rentals as our service to you may depend on how frequently our name comes up as a point of reference. |
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