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Full refund up to 30 days prior to arrival, and 50% up to 14 days prior to arrival, no refund after that time.
50% deposit to hold your reservation, balance payable 14 days prior to your arrival.
Check-in time is 3:00pm
Check-out time is 11:00am
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We have stayed a number of times at Barbuda Cottages and had become so comfortable with both the cottages and Barbuda itself that this had become less of a holiday and more visiting friends. We are both getting older now and easing into retirement, we can see that soon adventures like this will be a thing of the past. So we had made sure that while we were still able (we both have health issues) we visited Barbuda Cottages for what might have been a last time for us. This year we decided to not have a car, we didn't need to move about the island we just wanted to chill, see our friends, relax on the beach and do as little as possible. We are so glad we made the choice to do this in July, we can now look back at Barbuda as it was, one of the last unspoilt islands in the caribbean. Seven weeks after we arrived back in London the Barbuda we had grown to love was destroyed by hurricane irma. I realise that Barbudans are a tough, proud people and they will bounce back and rebuild. It will take time but it will happen and, although this will still be a very small beautiful place with the best beaches in the world I cannot help but feel something unique has been lost. So in July Barbuda was as always challenging, rewarding and full of wonders. We walked on the beach and a friendly stingray followed, watching us from the shallows. Large fish chased the bait fish into the waves around our toes. We threw scraps of fish into the clear blue water and watched as what appeared to be garfish leapt clear of the waves and chased them. What we thought was a large leaf turned and swam against the current before diving and returning several times a beautiful turtle. While we sat on our porch the humming birds fed on the tropical flowers and yellow birds and finches came and begged for scraps. While there we saw many of our friends, Uncle Roddy, Kelcina, Karen and Ted, Ros and Speedy and met some new ones like Nutan. We always remember Chet and hope he and his family are safe and well. So we hope that Barbuda and the wonderful Barbuda Cottages rise again and that this is soon enough for us to visit again. If not we have truly wonderful memories which will always be with us and we will always be able to say that we knew Barbuda before the hurricane.
In April, 2017 we made our fifth visit to Barbuda Cottages and we can only say that it gets better every time. Uncle Roddy has retired since our last visit but the wonderful restaurant remains with a fantastic new menu with many additional options. They are also open for lunch daily, serving burgers, fries, curry chicken and many other yummy items. Will there be a sixth trip to Barbuda? Absolutely!! Each time we visit there is something new that we discover we haven’t done. This trip we went to the Coderington Ruins which was very interesting to see. They sit on the highest point of the island with a spectacular view. We also found trails at the ruins that lead to the Darby sinkhole which is about a 20 to 30 minute hike from the ruins each way. We will make this a priority for our next trip as it is another must see landmark! Kelcina and her staff are wonderful, attentive, friendly people who always have a smile on their face and are always available if needed. Kelcina is a wonderful person who genuinely cares about her guests and her only wish is for her guests to have a wonderful, relaxing stay at her cottages. New additions to the staff this year include Forbes, the grounds keeper, who was always busy maintaining the grounds. There was also Racine, a lovely server at Uncle Roddy’s who quickly became our best friend. She was never without a warm and welcoming smile on her face. The new Chef, Lennox, is an excellent cook who made some excellent dishes. On our last night on the island Kelcina brought in a steel drum band which was fantastic entertainment. The Steel Band leader brought my wife up and taught her how to play one song and she accompanied them which had many of the guests at the restaurant enjoying a good laugh. 2019 will be the Tenth Anniversary for Barbuda Cottages and we definitely will be there again to be part of this wonderful milestone. Barbuda cottages – You will not find a better place to relax and enjoy the serenity of the island or soak up the sun at one of the many spectacular beaches!!
We got off the ferry and just told the cab driver to take our family of five someplace private with a great beach and drinks. He drove us down a gravel road - dodging wild donkeys - and deposited us at this cute little open air bar called Uncle Roddys, attached to Barbuda Cottages. We were among only a few guests (only three cottages) and had the personal attention of our magical hostess Kelcina, who is so warm and a total goddess. She totally spoiled us (great food, try the sweet potato fries she gave us for an appetizer.). We spent the afternoon solo on the beach watching dolphins and napping. Honestly, it was one of my most memorable days ever and cannot recommend anything more highly. Thank you Kelcina and team for the beautiful experience!
It is the second year we've stayed at Barbuda Cottages and we just love it. Many thanks to Kelcina and her family who always make our stay so enjoyable, always available to help and so nice! - First, the island, Barbuda: it has some of the most beautiful & pristine beaches we have seen in a long time. There are also very few people as there are not many hotels on the island. - Second, Barbuda cottages: very nice and comfortable eco-cottages with a beautiful view on the sea and beach just in front. They are all nicely equipped and the beds are very comfortable. We usually stay in the biggest one with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms & a living/dining/kitchen area. The 3 other cottages have 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom & a kitchen/dining/living area. They are all big enough and have all you need for inside & outside (beach towels, fins, masks, tubas). Outside are large verandas. The beach in front of the cottages is very beautiful and very quiet. You can sometimes spot turtles, stingrays, baracudas,... It has sun beds and nice chairs to watch the sunset. And it is EMPTY. It is mostly visited by the Barbuda cottages guests and sometimes by the people coming from anchoring sailboats or going to Uncle Roddy's restaurant. Just to say that you can spend a full day meeting almost no one. That is the ultimate luxury! There are very few hotels on Barbuda, therefore you will not meet many people when visiting the island beaches. A car is recommended to travel around the island, visit the other beaches (Princess Diana beach is one of the most beautiful I have seen in my life) but also to go food shopping or buy fresh fish from the fishermen at the nearby harbour. You can also eat at the next door Uncle Roddy's restaurant also belonging to the cottages owners family. Barbuda is a small island with not many touristic infrastructures (no big supermarkets but more small local stores). That is what makes it so special but I do not recommend it for those who like to see a lot of people, go to a different restaurant every night or go shopping during their vacation :-). It is not this type of island or tourism!
Barbuda accommodation options fall into 3 types: high end luxury ($900+/night), cottages (Barbuda and North Beach) and small private residences (not on the coast or much used by tourists). The hotels are great if you have the budget (and don't mind being a little cut off from the local flavour/rest of the island). By all accounts North Beach Cottages are lovely but very cut off. So that left Barbuda Cottages....and luckily they are amazing! - Location: between the ferry dock and Princess Diana beach....not far from the village. No shops but Uncle Roddy's awesome restaurant takes care of evening meals (or you can go out or cook in the cottage) - Rooms: the cottages are v well designed and equipped....awesome fridge, kitchen, sofa, table, bed, bathroom. Huge deck, great views, quiet. As soon as we saw them we wanted to stay longer! - Location: Great beach directly outside, lovely for swimming, great shelters. Wifi even works on the beach if you want it! - Logistics: Kelcina can get food in but bring what you can; shops on Barbuda v basic and expensive - Staff: amazing! Kelcina is a very adept host and has the support of a great team of chefs, servers etc - Barbuda: is incredible: huge, great atmosphere, lovely people, unspoiled, lots of to if you want to - Caveats: yes, sandflies are a proper issue, come prepared. Probably need to rend a car ($25 for 8 hours) for some of the time. Ferry over was pretty rough but not dangerous. In summary, Barbuda is unique and Barbuda Cottages is a superb place to stay
Honestly, just go. There are no words to describe the beauty of Barbuda and no words to describe the joy of experiencing the island whilst staying at Barbuda Cottages. But I will try. Firstly, this is not 5* living so if you are looking to be pampered and have water sports and swimming pools etc then Barbuda isn't for you. It is a very low key island. There's very little happening there and the sand flies are a pretty awful. You go to Barbuda to experience what, I imagine, the Caribbean used to be. Just raw, simple, natural beauty. Barbuda cottages, run by the utterly gorgeous and truly wonderful Kelcina, is a small self catering collection of 4 cottages, all on stilts. 3 of the them have one bedroom and the fourth has 3 bedrooms. We were in the purple cottage at the end. Though I think all the one beds are identical. They are super comfortable. They each have a huge verandah where you can enjoy the sunset, or sit during the day and look out to the ocean. Inside you have a living space with a couch and coffee table and a kitchenette with all you need - fridge, sink, cooker, microwave, utensils - and then a separate room with a 4 poster bed and ensuite shower room and toilet. Extremely comfortable, clean, rustic and perfect for us. Outside, you are steps from a heavenly beach where you look around and can't believe how beautiful it is. A special mention to Uncle Roddy's restaurant which is part of Barbuda Cottages. The food is sensational. The chef is a super star (he came to chat to me about my gluten-free diet and would make sauces separately for me). Honestly the food was just gorgeous. There are bicycles to borrow and Kelcina can help with absolutely everything (flights, ferry, other bookings, car hire, trips) but mostly just hang out with her and have a cuppa (or in our case, too many Baileys shots!) as she is wonderful company and makes an already incredible experience just that extra bit perfect.
OMG...The next time you want to go somewhere that gives you the ultimate feeling of paradise...this is the place. The most incredible vacation I've ever taken. Don't go there to party...go there to relax. Go with your wife, girlfriend or significant other. This is the real place where dreams come true. Your own piece of paradise. I've always wished there was a place that I could go that VERY few people ever visit or maybe even heard of, I finally found it here.
Words cannot describe just how incredible Barbuda Cottages really is. Kelcina, the property manager, was delightful and helped us in multiple ways - we owe you! The beach out front is beautiful and Princess Diana Beach is only a short walk away. This island is great for kiteboarding (we visited in December) and the cottage is a relaxing place to stay while doing so. I would recommend staying here a thousand times again; while you're at it, make sure to have dinner at Uncle Roddys (which is a one minute walk from the cottages)...you probably wont want to go anywhere else for dinner after eating there. We left dinner each night satisfied and excited for dinner the next night. Hats off to the vegetarian chef! We reluctantly left Barbuda, knowing that we will soon be back to this little slice of paradise. Thank you Kelcina and wait staff!
