“Oasis in the Pyramids” We have enjoyed an extended stay (2 to 4 weeks) at Owl's House every year for the past 4 years and find it a perfect location to visit Uxmal and the nearby Puuc (pyramid) region. It is also delightful to relax on the porch, read a good book and enjoy the colourful birds and sounds of the Yucatan jungle. The cottage is comfortable and well equiped. The owners are extremely knowledgeable about the region and are more than accommodating. Private tours can be arrange to nearby sites, both well known ones and those seldom seen by visitors. Perfect for a longer stay in an extremely interesting area.

“15 days by the sea” A very special place this Casa del Cielo de las Estrellas. Far from the crowded areas, close enough to the village of Mahahual for basic shopping, with a private enchanted beach, the house has pretty much everything you need. Don't expect luxury, but good taste in interior and exterior decorating is everywhere. You'll have that warm feeling of being in a good place. The house is not big but we never felt like we needed more space (I have to mention that, for one week, 3 friends came along and joined us). No conditioned air, but the windows were open almost all the time (don't worry about bugs, there are screens at every single window) and that was enough to cool down the place even at 40 C outside. The breeze from the sea was almost perpetual and it made a big difference. Things to do around there: swim and snorkel right in front of your house, go visit the myriad of Mayan ruins, fish and cook your capture (even I was able to catch fish), go kayaking, look for sea shells and marine snails. Or just sit on one of the 3 terraces or under the palapa just nearby the shore line and have a drink or a cup of tea. Regarding activities, Rudolf's Internet site is a gold mine data wise. And he'll answer your questions in no time. You'll love the taste of the fresh fruits there (don't hesitate one moment to buy them from the vendors on the side of the highways) and, if you're not very swanky, you'll like the local made cheese and ham as well. We ate 2 or 3 times at the local restaurants and a few other times outside Mahahual, in little "cocina"s located in small villages. The simple, not very fancy ones, won by far, in my opinion. Anyway, if you're looking for tranquillity and you're trying to get disconnected from today`s world tumult, Casa del Cielo de las Estrellas is the place to be. Did we lack anything while there? Yes: a blender and a shaker! Will we go back? Certainly. If time will allow. That's another thing we lacked there. Whish we could've stayed longer...

“Great house; great hosts” We spent 4 full days at the Mango Street Casita, had a wonderful experience, and could easily have stayed 4 more days. The house was clean, comfortable, spacious, and felt very safe and secluded even though it is right in the middle of Drake Bay and activities/stores/restaurants are within easy walking distance. Mario and Nichole are dedicated to all aspects of the Drake Bay community, and were very helpful in arranging tours and suggesting other activities such as beaches to visit or walks/hikes to take. They live next door to the casita, but still gave us the privacy we wanted while at the same time being very available to assist us. They even did some grocery shopping on our behalf before we arrived!

“Amazing bliss in paradise” We had an amazing time at aruba Beach Chalets during the Christmas time. Best things: - Very large, spacious 2-floor condo - Just steps from the water / private beach - Quiet (very quiet!), peaceful atmosphere - Friendly, extremely thoughtful owners and on-site manager - Romantic moonlight nights - Minutes from the airport and amenities (groceries, restaurants, etc.) When we arrived, we were extremely impressed with the size of the unit and proximity to the water. It is one of those rare condos with the ocean view just feet away! You can't beat this, really!! The owners left us Holiday goodies including tasty wine, snowman toy (for our baby!), and a nice letter with great descriptions of everything we could do. They were very responsive to all our questions before / during / after the stay. We are very happy with the management overall. What we recommend: - Visit the Baby Beach (just minutes away, beautiful calm waters) - Visit ancient "rock park" - Visit Orangestad Port open-air market shopping - Visit the California Lighthouse - Grill on the deck - Rent-a-car (to enjoy the stay, reserve your car in advance)

“AWESOME EXPERIENCE” My wife and I were looking for the perfect getaway in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We contacted the owner of Apt. 5A Stella Maris Condominium. We were impressed with the ease of booking, the prompt reply from the owner and receiving the keys for entry so quickly after we had finalized the reservation. The condo was as described in the contract, even better. The condo had everything you could possibly need. The kitchen and dining area cabinets were well stocked with dishes, plates, glassware, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, microwave, blender, toaster coffee machine, etc. We had plenty of sheets and towels. We noticed that there was a baby crib, dining chair, playpen and baby stroller in storage. There was a second TV in the bedroom along with WI-FI. The condo is well-maintained with adequate furnishings and decorated with very nice paintings on the walls. The place was neat and clean when we first arrived but the floor got pretty dirty during the course of our stay because we kept the sliding glass windows open for cross-ventilation. The closet is well stocked with mop, broom, wet and dry vacs. We put these items to good use. The twin beds can easily be converted into a king bed. There are two futons in the living room with mattresses in storage behind the wall unit. We found an inflatable bed in one of the large drawers. We did not need the extra sleeping accommodations for this trip but know that we can come back with our two friends on our next trip. We contacted the owner, Paulet, only one time because we noticed a puddle of water on the floor near the refrigerator. She responded immediately by sending a cleaning lady to check out the situation. The lady told us that the refrigerator door was not closed tightly which was the cause of the problem. Paulet offered to reimburse us for tipping this nice lady. The staff and other residents in this building were very friendly and helpful The building janitor helped us with our luggage and offered to take us to the 'Supermax' supermarket and nearby Walmart. We are seasoned travelers and are always concerned about the security in the place we are staying. There are security cameras both inside and outside this Condominium. Each floor is keyed for entry from the elevator and the stairway doors are individually keyed. The building and street is well lighted. The tourist police are visible on Ashford Ave. The municipal police patrol the beach all night long on a four-wheeled buggy. The new CVS on the corner of Ashford and Condado Ave. lights up that area. We always felt safe when we ventured out to dine at one of the restaurants along Ashford Ave. My wife liked the soup at the Fresh Mart (natural food & restaurant) across the street from the Marriott Hotel. Nightlife in the Condado Beach area means a quiet evening with a drink and dinner in one of the many sidewalk eateries and/or dancing to the music of a live band at the Marriott Hotel.There is a 24 hour casino in the Marriott Hotel. If you prefer disco music you will need to take a taxi to the Santurce area of San Juan. We liked to hang out at the beach in the morning and take the bus, at the stop in front of the Marriott Hotel, to Old San Juan in the mid-afternoon. We enjoyed the Forts (El Morro and San Cristobel), the cruise ship area and the Governor's Mansion. We also signed up for a day excursion at the Marriott Hotel to the Rain Forest (El Junque) . On the last two days of our stay we rented a car at Charlie Car Rental to travel to Dorado and Ponce. We were fortunate that this condo has a parking space because it is difficult to find on street parking. We hated to leave after the week was over. There is so much to see and do on this island. We asked the owner if it was possible to check out later because our flight was at 2:00 P.M. She said it was okay because nobody was checking in until the next day. My wife and I travel to France for nine weeks every year to do bicycle touring in the countryside. We plan our own biking excursions and book condos, rooms, and houses along the route. We have had some very good experiences and some very bad experiences booking and dealing with property owners on these trips. This property and property owner rank way up on the top of our list. The location, amenities, proximity to the beach, view, ambiance, restaurants and affordability are incredible. Needless to say we had a wonderful stay in this location of San Juan. We highly recommend this property to other travelers. Kudos to the owner of this vacation retreat. Robert

“Perfect place to stay!” My daughter and I stayed in this studio condo for a little over a week and it was perfect. It's right on the beach, I fell asleep every night to the sound of the ocean; pure heaven! We had no issues finding the place thanks to Joe and his well organized maps and directions. Joe even sent us information we requested for our stay on the island. I never felt safer than this place, it was a good feeling being that it was just my teen daughter and I. The studio provided every comfort we could require for a home away from home and the decor was pefect (bright and cheery) for a stay on the ocean. The bed was comfortable with plenty of pillows (one of my necessities when I travel). You don't need to bring any beach towels so you can save the precious space in your suitcase to bring back souvenirs! The laundry is $2 a wash and dry so it's kind of pricey but it was nice to have the facility. I cannot tell you how much money we saved by not having to pay resort fees and parking; not to mention the hotel costs in the area for this prime location. The Marriott was right across the street and you can use their pool for a fee but why use a pool when the beach is right there! There is a Walgreen's a block away and it has everything you would need (even light grocery's). Traveling the island is easy. I rented a car and had no problem getting around with my Garmin I brought along. We went to every part of this island except the SouthWest part. We scuba, snorkeled, hiked, rappelled, and ziplined. You must visit Culebra and spend time on Flamenco beach, bring your snorkel gear,visit the history in Ponce, visit the fort and spend some time in Old San Juan. The food is cheap if you get out of Condado. There's some great restaurants a few minutes south in Guavate. Buy some fruit on the side of the road if you travel out of San Juan and support the locals, it's cheap and oh so good. We will definitely be back and stay at this condo. Thank you Joe for a great home away from home!