Just back from seven weeks at Gingerbread Hill. We stayed in the Villa, a wonderful apartment with a large open area under roof, protected from sun and rain. We had all our meals there, spent time reading or just enjoying the view and the subtropical breeze sitting on the swing.

The Villa is Feng Shui perfect. The view over the sea felt just right all through the day as the sun moved to the west. The sunsets were spectacular. David told me that before he built the house he spent time climbing ladders and trees to find the perfect location for the house. (The Heavenly Suite on the top floor has the most spectacular view but we preferred the Villa where we felt truly grounded with the roosters and goats roaming around.)

Some younger guests were great hikers and roamed all over the island on foot and occasionally by minibus. If you walk along the road (no sidewalks) you are likely to be offered a ride. We are an elderly couple and were grateful to have a car.

We found four or five restaurants that were very good, even excellent (Olveston, Tina's). People are truly friendly and enjoy a chat with strangers. Montserrat is definitely different.

The gardens were dry from lack of rain but even so we picked divine grapefruit, oranges, and mangos. Clover sold us great eggs (when the hens cooperated) and her daughter-in-law makes a perfect granola and great pies.

We stayed for seven weeks and wished it could have been longer. It was long enough to experience the volcano's various moods. On some days the ash fall could be troublesome but as ash covered flowers the hummingbirds flocked to our bird feeder in large numbers, keeping us company the whole day.

There is so much more we would like to tell you, but other reviewers have covered most of the points. Gingerbread Hill is for nature lovers, for savoring the quiet nights in cool trade winds.

It is for energetic 30 something who are great hikers and for 70+ who savor a slower pace. We came for Peace and found Serenity too.

Thank you Clover and David

I'm not going to repeat most of the details of past reviews, just agree with them. Gingerbread Hill is wonderful, especially the Heavenly Suite, and the view (including sunsets and rainbows) is inspiring. The island is very different from our one previous trip just before the volcano came back to life ten years ago. A fairly small accessible area, and a small, loyal population where, as someone else said, you start running into the same people after a day or two. There seemed to be almost no short-term tourists -- only locals and expat property owners --all friendly. We spent a lot of time volcano-watching and were very lucky to have clear weather and see red lava flows at night and some great pyroclastic flows during the day. I didn't even mind the one day of ash-fall, which gives you a real feeling for what living on this island must be like.

We travel a lot worldwide, but there's something about this trip and especially the almost ethereal sense of light and space of the Heavenly Suite that has occasionally haunted me in the month that we've been back. I should also echo what others have said about the Lea family. Jesse is a skilled and friendly pilot who encouraged me ride co-pilot to Montserrat, David is extremely knowledgeable, and Clover is a delight.

In the interests of disclosure, I feel I should mention one thing that no one else has noted -- the only hot water in the suite is in the shower. We were a little disconcerted at first having to heat water on the stove to wash dishes. But this is a very trivial matter in the overall picture.

Anyway, if this sort of peaceful, offbeat vacation appeals to you, you'll love a few days (or more) at Gingerbread Hill.