Tortue Villa:
Our Favorite Anguilla Villa Rental

Of all the Anguilla villas we've looked at, and stayed in, our beloved "white turtle" is our favorite Anguilla villa rental (I love the way "Anguilla villa" rhymes -- kind of like the two words were made to go together)...

It was also our "luckiest" find.

Weirdly, it came about through not-so-happy circumstances -- (click here for the only caveat about Anguilla villas.

But, as my Dad said while we settled into Mr. Mason's deluxe villa, perched on the cliff that overlooks Shoal Bay East...

"All's well that ends well." And Jackie Pascher and Sam Mason and the Tortue combined to make it all "better than just well." It was swell!

From the moment we stepped into the Tortue (the french word for "turtle"), until the moment we begrudgingly left for home, what can I say?

"Wow!"

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you step into a hotel or villa rental, not quite knowing what to expect? You know that feeling of sheer joy and excitement when it's everything you hoped?

Well, multiply that by five!

We could immediately see, of course, that the main central room was sensational. More on that in a second, because Yuki and I raced through the room and out back to see the views. But...

It was night.

Oh well.

Time for bed. We were all pretty tired. The next morning, with waves in our ears, we walked sleepily outdoors.

Boing! Eyes pop open! What a view!

Shoal Bay East, in all its shades of turquoise and white sand...

Click here to play the movie, scan the panorama, and "see what we saw."

Yes, truly breathtaking.

The movie scans from the view to the West (top of the page) and finishes with the view to the East (photo at left).

And in between...

The unblocked horizon to the North finally ends at Nova Scotia, a Canadian province in the Atlantic where my parents own this 8 acres of ocean front land (Hirtles Beach, where my Mom and Dad ultimately plan to spend the 5 summer months each year).



And this is really ironic -- the Nova Scotia bay faces due south, directly at the Tortue Villa. And this Anguilla cliffside, where my parents ultimately want to spend the other 7 months of each year, faces directly at our Nova Scotia bay.

It's almost like the location, and the Tortue, was made for us! :-)

And what a location it is, mere steps to the nicest beach in the entire Caribbean (according to many travel authorities and magazines such as Conde Naste)...



And, speaking of steps, Yuki, my Dad and I decided to go for a walk one blustery day...

Here's a pic taken from the end of the beach, where the sand turns the corner into the cliffside.

You can see the commanding position the Tortue has, overlooking all it surveys.

From there, we headed for a leisurely walk along the beach (what more relaxing thing can one do on a beach than to "just head nowhere" for a walk?).

My Mom stayed in the villa, lazing on the veranda. And then she spotted us...



And she took another telephoto as we rounded "the point" (note how quickly the colors can change)...



Sometimes, when you're on a cliff, you're stuck up top. Tortue Villa has stone stairs carved into the side of the cliff, making it easy to get down to water level.

From there, you could snorkel to the beach!

Or just sit and admire the view and solitary closeness to the endless ocean.

My Dad headed down those stairs more than once (I'm not sure why, but he's "allowed" to smoke on vacation, so I have my suspicions!).

Pool Time!

If you have children, a pool's a must.

Trust me... we love pools.

My Dad doesn't understand it, with the ocean "right there."

But we do love pools!
 
You can't do a CANNONBALL in the ocean -- click here to see.

Another advantage of an Anguilla villa rental is the pool and privacy (not that you'll have many people around the pool at the hotel!).

And as you can see, you can't beat the location of this pool, with its tremendous views.

The patio wraps around the pool, and the lounge chairs are comfy and plush.

As my Dad says...

"It's all good."
 
Here are some more pool pix...

Enjoying Every Spare Moment...


She Doesn't Swim. She Suns.


Sea. Sun. Pool. Perfection.


Sisters...


Even a Hot Tub!

"Tortue?"

"Tortue" is French for "turtle." Sam Mason, the owner, named this wonderful Anguilla villa after Anguilla's famed leatherback turtle.


 
We actually saw two of these sea turtles, live in the sea, during our March, 2004 vacation, but missed the photo both times! This photo is from the World Wildlife Fund.

They are an endangered species (the turtles, not the fund), but you'll see them if you keep your eyes peeled. And if you don't see them in the ocean, you'll certainly see them in Mr. Mason's magnificent Anguilla villa rental...

The Lone Turtle


The Musical Turtle


The Cooking Turtles


The Family Turtles


The Bed Time Turtles
(With Yuki's Teddy for Company)

Yes, all the turtle touches add a certain flair. It seems like every second day or so, we were finding new ones. They're fun to discover -- I'm sure we still missed one or two!

As long as we're now inside the villa, let me show you yet another reason why this is our favorite of all Anguilla villa rentals...

Inside Tortue Villa

From the moment we pulled up, we knew we were going to be spoiled...

The villa's elegant building is very inviting.

Just a glance, before we even entered, made us feel at home, even when we were thousands of miles away.

It's funny how some places give you "that feeling."

And the inside? Well, it more than lives up to the promise of the outside.

You are greeted by an absolutely sensational, luxurious, and gigantic central room...

Wow! My parents held a party for 20 people and it never felt crowded. And yet, for a family of four, we always felt cozy and comfy.

And that's because the central room divides nicely into kitchen, dining area and a nice living/TV spot right by the veranda. No expense has been spared to provide comfy couches and love seats to watch TV, listen to CDs, etc., etc... and listen to the ocean at the same time!

See what I mean?...

The kitchen is huge and equipped with top-of-the-line modern appliances. The kitchen area just sort of flows naturally into the elegant "dining room"...

Each floor has four bedrooms, one at each corner of the main central room. Naturally, the two nearest the ocean are "the best" since the view and the sounds are wonderful.

And what bedrooms they are!...

Comfy mattresses. Soft duvets and pillows. Each has its own bathroom.

(If you have teenage daughters, you "get" what I'm saying here, right?)

Lots of closet and dresser space, too. (Also a "must" if you "travel heavy" -- but we only bring carry-on.)

Air conditioning? Of course! All the rooms are air-conditioned. But our "White Turtle" is situated to catch the tropical tradewinds. So I don't know if you're like my Dad or not...

"We didn't come to Anguilla to turn on the air conditioning.
We could stay in Canada if you wanted it cold."

If you are like Dad... you'll only need the A/C on the hottest of days.

On the other hand, if you're like me and you like your bedroom really cool at night... crank it up! You'll never be hot or sticky in Tortue.

"The Bottom Line" (my Dad loves saying that)...

This is, hands-down, the best villa experience we've ever had. And most importantly, Sam Mason is a charming gentleman. A sweet person who we all really like.

Many people write to ask for our favorite Anguilla villa (it's so amazing and exciting to see how popular anguilla-beaches.com has become)...

What more could you want...

• perfect location
  
  
• luxurious kitchen/dining/living
  
  
• the best sleeps we've ever had
  
  
• the ultimate views.

Speaking of the ultimate views, imagine waking up to this (as my Dad did, and promptly ran outside to catch the moon setting in the West just as the sun was about to rise in the East)...



And for Anguilla, the villa rental rate was quite reasonable. The prices are less if you don't need all 4 rooms. And, of course, it varies according to the time of the year.

One little tip... ask for the upper level if you can get it. The high cathedral ceilings and the light make it a touch brighter and airier. On the other hand, you're not at "pool level." Decisions, decisions.

The rates range from $575 (approx) per night for four bedrooms on the main floor in the offseason... to $830 (approx) per night for four bedrooms on the upper floor in the high season.

Update: They no longer rent only two bedrooms, but it is well worth it to rent three bedrooms even if you only use two! The value Tortue Villa offers is exceptional for the price. Of course another option is to bring friends and split the cost. You won't feel crowded in a villa this huge!

To make a reservation or inquire about current rates, e-mail Sam by using the form below (I don't provide e-mail addresses on Web sites -- I use forms -- this stop spambots from stealing and spamming addresses)...

UPDATE 2006: Click here to see Tortue's latest addition!

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