“..a lovely home in this gorgeous setting” – Nathalie, UK. February 2020

What can we say about Villa Fairview? First and foremost, the views (plural) are fantastic. We spent our afternoons moving from seat to seat to capture all the stunning views from this Villa from the deep blue sea to the quaint village of Windwardside with its Saban cottages to the towering Mt Scenery. The rooms were large with high ceilings and beautiful decor. This is clearly a labour of love for Hans and Yvonne–they have made a lovely home in this gorgeous setting.

We were 5 people—mom, friend, sister, partner and me. My partner and I stayed in the flat downstairs, which was a nice space with its own bathroom for convenience. The other three stayed upstairs. We all slept better than we had in a long time. Maybe it’s the comfy beds, nice temperatures at night, or the peace and quiet of Saba, but it was so restful!

The kitchen had everything we needed –big fridge (with a few beers to start us off), a microwave, stove/oven, coffee machine with paper filters, and some cooking basics like dried herbs. There was even dishwashing liquid and detergent for the dishwasher, bin bags, and cleaning supplies. There were plenty of dishes, glasses, and cutlery as well as pots and pans. There was a laundry downstairs with washer and dryer (which you need in Saba if you want to dry clothes quickly) and a bit of detergent was left, though we also brought our own laundry pods. The only thing we did miss was a drying rack for those items we didn’t want to put in the dryer—but we just hung clothes from the fencing around the deck.

The bathrooms were both stocked very well with towels for inside and for the pool and there was some toilet paper and hand soap as well as some bits left from other guests (so we didn’t have to do a big shop the first day as we had essentials). We did buy a lot of bottled water as the locals we spoke to said even they boil water just in case. The shop will deliver if you spend $60 and they can give you a lift too.

The pool was amazing! There were plenty of chairs, loungers, and tables outside, so we never had to use the indoor dining table. There were also a few games and art supplies in the living room (along with TV, wireless internet and speaker for music) so we had all the entertainment we needed, though honestly, the views were enough for us!

We enjoyed hiking in the morning and the pool in the afternoon. We found the pool refreshing (not too warm, not too cold). It was nice to have a pool float too for lounging in the water. The pool guy (Robert) came while we were there but was very quick to vacuum and service the pool and it didn’t interrupt our enjoyment at all. Bettina also sent a cleaning crew one day, but we were pretty much just cleaning up as we went because everything you need is there to keep tidy (laundry, vacuum cleaner, broom, etc all there too).

My partner did a couple of dives with Sea Saba (just make sure you clarify if they will pick you up at Villa Fairview or if you have to walk down to their Windwardside shop, as he first had to meet them at the shop and the second time when he went down they had sent a car up for him).

We only rented a car one day to have a tour of the whole island, but otherwise we walked/hiked or took a few taxis, which were reasonable for Saba. Hans has a list of phone numbers of taxis, restaurants, and other services in the flat as well as a guide to hikes.

If you have any mild mobility issues, this a great place to stay, because it is set on a little plateau (Saba is otherwise VERY steep and hilly) and there are just a few steps into the main house. Of course, there are more steps to the lower ground floor flat, but if you stay in the main house it is very easy to access.

As a family we started visiting Saba in 1988 when my grandfather retired there. We hadn’t visited since 2000 because we no longer had a place to stay. So, we are very happy we found Villa Fairview and hope to return sooner than 20 years from now!!

Nathalie., from the UK. February 2020

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