Went to Saba 9/1/05 for peace and solitude. Got exactly that. The only noise was the tree frogs at night. The quietest rain forest in the day time. Lots of very great hiking with incredible views. Ecolodge was hand painted cabins, very comfortable and private. Solar showers a bit chilly but no other complaints. The food at the lodge was incredible. The people pampered us the entire time. Great place to rest,hike,dive,or snorkle.Good restaurant in Windwardside-The Kitchen-to die for salads.
Great value for the money. Only caution is Winair. Take the boat over to the island. Winair is the worst for reservations and losing and stealing from your luggage.

B & J

My wife and I just returned from a week at the Ecolodge on Saba, and we are already planning for our next visit. If you are looking for a place to truly enjoy nature, without the noise and distractions of modern life, this is the place for you. I'll first talk a little about Saba in general, then about our stay at the Ecolodge.

As has been stated in other user reviews, Saba is not your typical Caribbean destination. There are no beaches, casinos, and no nightlife to speak of. There is also the water situation: Saba has no natural springs or streams, so rainwater must be collected in cisterns. This also means that there is a paucity of swimming pools on the island, given the relative scarcity of water. This will (thankfully) be offputting to the average vacationer, who doesn't want less resources and conveniences than they have at home. What the island does offer is some of the best scuba diving in the world, a wonderful menu of hiking trails, and the atmosphere of a friendly small town, where everyone waves to you, whether they know you or not. If you spend any length of time there, you will start seeing locals and fellow touristas on a repeat basis - there are only so many places to go on a five square mile island!

As for accomodations and dining spots, I would first mention Ecolodge, which offers beautifully decorated cabins, and what many say is the best food on the island. For a central location, one's best bet would be either Scout's Place or Julianna's, as both are situated in town, close to dining, shopping, and access to the road. El Momo is fairly close to these, but up a fairly steep hill on a plateau above the town. For eats, the special nights at Swinging Doors are very popular with those we talked with, particularly the bbq rib and steak nights. We didn't eat at Brigadoon, but heard good things about it. Tropics is also very popular - an open air space next to Julianna's, with a nice view of the ocean. We also had a nice lunch at the Family Deli in The Bottom, and a delicious lobster sandwich at Pops Place in Fort Bay.

The heart of our experience on Saba came from our stay at the Ecolodge, and our hikes on the trails up and around Mt. Scenery. The Ecolodge is as ideal for hikers as Scouts Place might be for divers, given its location halfway up the mountain. (That being said, one of the Ecolodge owners, Tom Van t'of, was instrumental in creating the Saba Marine park, so you'd be hard pressed to find anyone more knowledgable about diving spots). We enjoyed hiking the Crispeen Track to the Bottom, the unforgettable Sandy Cruz trail, and portions of the Windwardside-Mt. Scenery staircase. At night, we retired to our secluded cottage, and listened to the tree frogs as we dropped off to sleep. As for the attached Rainforest restaurant, we enjoyed their signature Red Curry Coconut shrimp and Mahi creole, among other dinner entrees. The highlight of the week's dining was the Dutch Indonesian-style Rijstaffel (rice table) which offered a dizzying array of meats, shrimp, and veggies, with an array of delicious spices. The majority of the fruits, veggies, and herbs are grown on site, so most everything is literally garden fresh.

Most importantly, we were priviledged to become friends with those who dreamed up the Ecolodge, and planned and worked hard to make that dream a reality. They are truly loving and caring people, in addition to being stunningly talented. Tom Van t'of has done visionary work in conservation efforts throughout the Netherlands Antilles, and co-owner Heleen Cornet is a wonderfully inspired artist. One can see her work in the restaurant and cabins at the Ecolodge, and you can travel to the Sacred Heart Church in The Bottom, where she has created an amazing mural over the alter. They and the other staff are all hard working, accomplished, positive people, and being around them and their realized dream was warmly inspiring.

So Saba is a wonderful place, for those that enjoy unfettered interaction nature, on land and sea. It doesn't have the amenities of the typical cruise ship or all-inclusive resort, nor the nightlife and partying that some associate with a tropical vacation spot. But for us and other visitors to Saba, that "less" is really more, and we intend to return as often as we are able.

The Ecolodge is one of the best bargains in the Caribbean, a sort of luxury camp. The cottages are beautiful, individually decorated, extremely private, and fairly luxurious given the fact that the entire resort runs on solar power (no real showers though). The food at the restaurant was consistently delicious. Almost everything comes from their own garden, and the cooks really know what they are doing. I happily ate three meals a day there for three days and never got bored.
The staff is great, and there is amazing hiking right outside the resort. Note that this place (really all of Saba) is only appropriate for people who like to hike up and down constantly. The island is almost completely vertical. If you can deal with the fact that there are no beaches on Saba, and the only access to water you are likely to have is through scuba/snorkling, you should give the Ecolodge a try.

Wonderful stay, very friendly and caring staff. Built into the side of a rain forest covered dormant volcano, it is beautiful, peaceful, and refreshing. I could not recommended it highly enough.