While the idea of renting a villa can conjure up the beautiful scenes of “Under the Tuscan Sun”, if you choose a villa over an all-inclusive resort, there are some additional considerations.

The first is transportation. You need to consider how you are going to get from the airport to the villa and, additionally, how you are going to get around for the entire stay. Hotels usually offer shuttle or bus service, the villa will not. Renting a car is a common choice, but it comes with some additional considerations – such as what side of the road you must drive on, how safe are the roads, etc.

The next concern is food. An all-inclusive resort will provide you with everything you need to eat and drink, but, in a villa, you are usually on your own. Most villa managers and owners provide a cook who will shop for you and prepare meals. The cook will usually prepare two meals of your choice a day (that is, breakfast/lunch or lunch/dinner). The best part is that the cook can provide you with a taste of the local flavor. Make sure you prepare a shopping list that will include what you will eat – sometimes the “local flavor” is not appetizing to travelers, particularly kids. And remember: there is no room service in a villa. Stock your refrigerator and pantry such that you can have a snack at midnight if you want it.

You should also budget for tips. In addition to the cook, a villa will usually have at least a manager and a maid. The manager can help you with local attractions and answer any additional questions or concerns that arise. Generally, the maid will clean on the weekdays. Each of these people will expect gratuities. Get a guide from the owner of the villa on the rate for tips. Typically, it is a number of U.S. dollars (or Euros, or local currency) per guest per day.

Villa Serendipity – St. Lucia, West Indies

The Pool at Villa Serendipity

When we saw pictures of this villa on the Internet, we thought – a small, quaint bungalow. When we arrived at Villa Serendipity, we saw how wrong we were. Villa Serendipity is more like a sugar baron’s palace than a bungalow. Perched in the hills above Castries, the St. Lucian capital, the villa is extraordinarily appointed and boasts three bedrooms and a private pool. The pool seems to disappear into the western horizon and provides a fantastic place to repose as the sun goes down over the Caribbean Sea. In fact, the view of the ocean and the city of Castries is most stunning and worth the trip.

The pool itself is surrounded by lush flora including fruit trees in which fruit bats live which, at night, swoop down and drink out of the pool.

The villa provides a wonderful launching pad to visit the rest of St. Lucia where you can enjoy the nightlife of Castries, enjoy water sports and tour several interesting and historical sites on the island. Villa Serendipity is not right on the beach, but a short drive will get you there.

Since Villa Serendipity is on the North side of the island, near Castries, visits to the South, where the Pitons and the volcano are, will require you to either brave the hairpin turns through the mountains if you drive or to take a helicopter or boat ride. We drove, but we recommend the helicopter, particularly if you get carsick.

Villa Serendipity has a high season from December 15 to April 14 and a low season from April 15 to December 14. The price of the villa is about forty percent more in the high season.

Villa Karaway – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Beach View at Villa Karaway

Villa Karaway actually provides you with the best of both worlds: a private villa atmosphere and some hotel-like services. While Villa Karaway is a private villa, it is also connected to the Los Palmares condominium complex, which provides guests of Villa Karaway with access to the large pool, kids pool, Jacuzzi, restaurant and game room. Los Palmares also provides twenty-four hour security for Villa Karaway.

Villa Karaway is literally right on the ocean and boasts a private plunge pool to help you cool down. After all, Mexico is hot. There are 4 bedrooms called del Mar (the Sea), El Nubes (the Clouds), El Sol (The Sun) and Cielo (Heaven). Villa Karaway is quite comfortable for groups up to twelve. It is ideal for large groups or families. Cielo, the master bedroom is a dream with a plush king-sized bed, a private bathroom and a patio that overlooks Mexico’s largest bay.

Villa Karaway provides a manager, a cook and a maid. You might want to brush up on your Spanish as Adela (the cook) and Gloria (the maid) do not speak much English. They are all friendly and provide superior service.

There are three seasons at Villa Karaway: off season (May – October), Prime Season (November – April) and Holiday Season (Christmas and New Years).

Villa Karaway is located just south of Puerto Vallarta proper, a short drive from the airport and with easy access to the town. When we went, the first five days were absolutely stunning, with the sunny weather and amazing sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, we then lived through the first Western hurricane in sixty-five years. Fortunately, Villa Karaway stood up to the 140 mph winds famously, and our kids just considered the whole thing part of the adventure.

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