My wife and I first visited the island while on a cruise ship at least 15 years ago. Since then, we have made ten trips, but this is my first attempt at a trip report.

Because we usually had to use a timeshare exchange, we had always arrived and departed on a Saturday and stayed at OBBR. Happily, we are now rid of the timeshare that we “inherited” from one of our kids, so we were free to come and go on our timetable, not someone else’s.

We flew out of CLT on Monday, 03/4 on American. The Charlotte airport is in a perpetual state of construction. Once we got parked in the long-term lot, schlepped our luggage on and off the shuttle, and navigated the construction mess, we finally arrived at the AA desk that was devoted to helping with wheelchairs.

Just an aside about my limitations on this trip, which will explain some of my complaining and complimenting later. I had knee replacement surgery about six months ago. My surgeon said I should be good to go by the time of this trip. He was wrong. That and chronic neuropathy in my feet made walking difficult. Happily, Charlotte has a good system in place to help, and we were ushered to our gate and boarded in plenty of time.

Based on what I have read here recently, we were anticipating chaos and long waits upon arrival. We had none of it. I had not been wise enough to arrange for a wheelchair ahead of time, but upon exiting the aircraft, we were met by a young man who was waiting for someone who had done so but never showed. He offered his services to us and we gladly accepted. He breezed us through customs, retrieved our luggage, and wheeled us out to where Leslie was awaiting our arrival. It was a joy to give him a generous tip.

We had read about KAZANU here at TTOL about a year ago, so when we were on the island for one day last year we arranged to meet Tim Roosens for a tour. We decided then to book this week and we are so glad we did. I am a bit hesitant to say much about this place as I would not like it to become so popular that booking a week will be difficult in the future. But I am anxious to see this place prosper and for Tim to be able to continue to upgrade the property.

The property has both upper and lower rooms. The upper rooms (where we stayed) have a wonderful view of the ocean and a pleasant breeze. Parking was just outside the door of our unit. For me, making my way down to the pool was a chore. There are handrails for some of the climb, but not all. If we had chosen a lower unit, we would have had the same difficulty bringing our luggage down to the unit and climbing our way up to the car whenever we wanted to leave. Folk who do not have my mobility issues would have no problem.

The property is well-maintained and Tim, the owner, lives on-site to handle any problems. The property is a work in progress and Tim is diligently making improvements. Our unit needs a kitchen upgrade, and the shower was not constructed with someone with my mobility challenges in mind. We were without power one afternoon, but that was an island issue.

We had delightful neighbors the entire time who were just the right amount of friendly without being nosy. But being Canadian, what would you expect?

We are not foodies. We bring lunch supplies from home and make a trip to the bakery on the corner each morning for a baguette for sandwiches and some yummy pastries. We ventured out to local restaurants several times including Yevettes, Oasis, and Mama Pizza. Until this trip, I had always thought my wife made the world’s best lasagna. Even my wife agreed that the title now has to go to Mama Pizza.

Because of my mobility issues, we only made it to the Club Orient beach twice, but it was so good to be back at one of our favorite places in the world. We ate at Perch both times. Given the limitations of their location, they do a fine job of serving good food. The toilet seems to have been upgraded a bit since our last time, but it is still quite Spartan.

Departure was equally painless. Leslie was on the spot to retrieve our car and even ran in to secure a wheelchair for us. He is such a joy to do business with. My wheelchair Sherpa stayed with us all the way to our gate and then reappeared at boarding time to help me onto the plane.

Summary: if you are looking for a CO place to enjoy during your time on the island, you should check out KAZANU. We love the slower pace of the Oyster Pond area, and Tim was a great host.

Thanks for your report. The upper units at Kazanu do have a lovely view, but it is somewhat of a hike down to the pool. For me, having the parking close by would be the top priority. Sounds like you had the unit on the right upstairs. The one on the left (for obviously a lot more money!!) has an amazing kitchen. I wouldn't mind staying in that unit on the left sometime!!! I wish Tim well. He is a good guy.

We are done with trips this year as wife wants to save the $$$ for a kitchen upgrade. Next year we plan to take several trips to celebrate our 50th with KAZANU one of them. I hope to be much more mobile by then.

I can relate to wanting that kitchen upgrade!! Best wishes with the 50th anniversary coming up! Enjoy!

Thanks Donn and do have a nice rest of the year . Heading next Thursday to Toronto for Baby Zion first Birthday party , blessings !

Enjoyed your trip report! Thanks!