We (4 adults + 1 child) stayed for 4 nights in Tortoise C – Kwa Villa. This particular villa is located right at the top of a sea-facing cliff. There are 3 bedrooms, with 2 opening to the pool and sea. The view of the sea is enchanting and it doesn’t get any more private than this. Wake up on a lazy morning in the master bedroom to this picture perfect view (photo attached). Comes with a good medium sized pool which is 1.5m at the deep end…its ‘almost’ an infinity pool as there is a villa wall that comes between most snaps, unless you take it an angle. Luxurious use of space inside and outside the villa. The buggy is a good little addition and is very relaxing and useful to drive around to all the different resort facilities. The resort is really huge in size, so the buggy is a must-have. Comes with a fully equipped kitchen and a good selection of complimentary drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), which are refreshed every night. The villa does show a degree of wear and tear, especially with the bathroom fittings, curtains and doors. It might be an acceptable compromise for the private villa experience – just be sure you know how private it really is as it’s almost borderline isolated. Of course, there are some who prefer exactly that experience. The chef and staff at Spice restaurant deserve special mention – the food, be it Indian or Indonesian, was consistently delicious in sufficient quantity and assortments. There are sparrows flying around in this ‘open-concept’ restaurant and some might not like that. Complimentary breakfast is a standard spread with adequate options (irrespective of whether it is at Spice or at the Coffee Shop). We did go down to the range to try our hand at archery and air rifles. The complimentary bowling coupons were a nice touch and the facilities were well maintained. We also went for the off shore adventure for 3 and this was also a good adventurous experience. The crew in charge take adequate safety precautions and are very skilled. All the staff at the resort were friendly and courteous.

Things to be wary of –

1. The door between the outdoor shower and the inner bathroom had a small gap. At midnight, a giant centipede (see photo) crawled in and hid behind the toilet. I think more pest control in such isolated villas, especially before the monsoon season should be mandatory. I dread to think what I would have done if it had crawled into our kid’s bed or when someone was using the toilet.

2. There are no wipers on the buggy and not enough lights on the roads. Add heavy rains, several speed humps as well as ups and downs making it very difficult to drive at night in such conditions. More overhead lights in the resort would be a welcome safety addition, especially because the roads are also shared with other regular automobiles and buses.

3. There is a small pathway adjacent to the villa from where you can climb down to the tiny rocky beach below. At high tide, the waves are very strong and the sand recedes from your feet very quickly. If you are not careful, you could hit your foot in the sharp rocks easily (some which are buried just a few inches below the sand). Do not let children or weak swimmers go alone – the presence of the rocks is tricky and the water can suddenly rush up very quickly.

4. Everything is on the pricier side and a service charge is added to every bill. Everybody expects a sizeable tip (I am talking $5 - $10 tips) in addition to the charge. This becomes a bit awkward when they are looking at your hands rather than your face, for every small interaction. It’s a bit unusual to expect tipping in addition to a service charge for even bare minimum services and perhaps, the hotel staff could be compensated more adequately. The hotel could then advertise that tipping is not required unless it is for exceptional service at the client’s discretion.