Quick trip report for you (Tuesday, July 19 thru Wednesday, July 27). Great visit this year. Our eighth (but two-year gap – last was 2019). Weather was perfect and beautiful every day.

Beachside Villas
Our third stay here. Perfect. Staff was great, rooms were great. Every day, the beach was near perfect. It was wide, absolutely zero seaweed, and mostly disserted. First half of visit, no one else really at the place but us. Last half, there were about 6 or so new cars – so fuller by the end of our stay. Noticed just how many unique flowers are on the property. And noticed one flower closes up at dusk. Beautiful.

Clud O Beach and Perch
Was here Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. Only clear seaweed day was Wednesday. More on that in next post. Perch staff and food were great. Most days we shared the rib plate which was perfect. Each day I counted about 50-60 folks (about 25-30 couples). Never full – but about 2/3s of chairs put out. Always about 4 or so couples there using there now chairs or blankets.

Took a hike to the end of the point past the old restaurant with 3 new friends to see the blow hole over there. Nice hike and very cool to see the point that is basically made of old limestone and reef.

The feral donkeys came two of our days. Really pretty and tame. You could pet them. The only bad part was that some people were quick to start grabbing cameras when they came which made others, including us, uncomfortable.

Friday shopping
Wife needed break from beach so went to Phillipsburg to shop. Didn’t get anything. Not really for us.

Sunday Dive
Did a two-tank scuba dive Sunday with Ocean Extreme out of Simpson Bay. They did a great job and one good selling point is that the boat ride is like only 5-minutes. We dove a small reef and then a sunken cargo container ship just off Beachside Villas. Reefs are small here and not as 'alive' but we saw sharks and turtles and rays. And the dive master taught me how to blow bubble rings.

Food
Ate in room mostly from things we made and bought at Carrefour. Did eat out twice, first day and last, at Sunset. One of my wife’s favorites for the view. And Saturday night at Buccaneer’s to hear music and see beach fire. BBQ chicken pizza was really good.

Most mornings went to the Zee Best bakery. Everything absolutely great. Did notice a few workers are much more terse and 'get it over with' than the lady, that I think, was the owner or boss. I could joke and compliment her and she would brighten up and converse back. The others wanted to get us in and out in a hurry - like we were bothering them. But, you never know and everyone is different, I just keep going and being cheerful. Hoping it was good for them too. But wow, there stuff is so good.


Really great trip. The clean up and rebuilding were very obvious to us this time. Huge improvements (except airport still the same - but supposed to be up and going by 2023). Did not see any sunken boats and lots of work done on sides of road.