Three of us spent a week on beautiful Saba for diving, hiking, and relaxation. I was looking forward to staying at Flamboyant Cottage based on the positive reviews and the lovely website. By the end of our stay, I was wondering if we had actually stayed at the same Cottage!
First, the positive. Flamboyant Cottage has gorgeous landscaping, with bushes in full bloom showing off bright reds and pinks everywhere. The gazebo is exactly as described; it was a great place to relax, eat dinner, listen to the tree frogs, and hang all our wet clothing to dry (on the two days that were actually sunny). The pool is rainwater and not treated, but is a perfectly crisp and refreshing temperature, and big enough for several people to float comfortably together. The internet was fast enough for us, and we never had problems accessing it.
If you need silence in order to sleep well, you will be in trouble on Saba...but if you like "white noise", as I do, then this island might just be heaven. Every night I fell asleep to the sound of wind, rain, and many many tree frogs. They blend into a soothing noise that will drown out all but the worst snoring and bumps-in-the-night.
One thing you should know (and the managers were very clear about this, so it was no surprise). The driveway to the Cottage, like the rest of Saba, is very steep. Most taxi drivers will not even come down, for fear of getting stuck trying to go back up. For most fit people this should pose no problem. If you have health issues, particularly knee or hip problems, this driveway will not be your friend.
Now, the negative. The Flamboyant Cottage website states that both bedrooms have a window AC unit. The website's picture of the "guest" bedroom even shows the unit sitting right there in the window between the beds. Not only was there NOT an AC unit in the room, but the manager said there has never been one! This was a problem not so much because of heat, but rather the high humidity. Rain fell every night and on most days, and the inside of the cottage was so damp that clothes and towels would not dry and got that icky mildew smell. Even our passports started curling around the edges from all the moisture in the air.
The cell phone that the managers provided was completely dead. Saba has a rather interesting phone system, and most taxi drivers can only be contacted using a cell phone. Luckily, one of us was able to walk up to the end of the driveway and get reception on our US phone.
Sitting on the kitchen counter in plain view was an envelope requesting "tips for the housekeeper". Silly me, that led me to believe that there was a housekeeper! Nope. Clean towels never found their way to us, and mid-week we had to track down one of the managers at his restaurant to get more toilet paper.
The Cottage was not nearly as clean for our visit as it seems to have been for others. Pots and pans were dirty. Bedsheets and bathmats had obvious stains. We fought a constant battle against ants and little worms. Think that's uncomfortable? Try waking up in the middle of the night to find a roach in your bed. I did, and it wasn't amusing.
I understand that this is an island, and bugs happen, as do rain and humidity. I understand that sometimes AC units malfunction and sometimes batteries die. But the website needs to accurately reflect the amenities of the cottage, and if the manager promises a cell phone that is necessary for island communication, is it so hard to make sure that it works before guests arrive? The customer service did not impress me. And I would certainly be embarrassed to invite people into my own home if it was no cleaner that the cottage was for us.
That being said, Saba in general is a fantastic place. The locals are amazingly friendly, the diving is just what I dreamed it would be, and the views from the top were always worth the hike, clouds or not. I also took away an appreciation for water conservation; water is indeed a precious resource. I will definitely go back. I'll just stay somewhere else next time.
All bookings are direct with the owner 