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The Villas at Banyan Bay Traveler Review :: "A Grand Slam and Hurrican Dean!"

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Summary of All Property Reviews Ratings based on answers from a total of 1 reviews (All Reviews) 10 is best 1 is worst
Feature	Ranking	Feature	Ranking
Cleanliness of Property	10.00	Quality of Property	9.00
Privacy & Quietness	0.00	Quality of Service	8.00
Courtesy & Hospitality of Staff	9.00	Accuracy of Website (marketing hype) VS. Actual Experience	10.00
Food and Dining Experience	7.00	Price/Value of Property	8.00
Safety Factor (Did you feel safe at property)	10.00	Quality of Beach (ranked closest beach if property is located off the beach)	8.00
Total Property Score: 7.90 | Average Star Rating: 5.00 out of 5

• 100% (1 visitors of 1) said they would go back to The Villas at Banyan Bay again.
• 100% (1 visitors of 1) said they would recommend The Villas at Banyan Bay to friends.

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August 2007 was my third visit to Banyan Bay in 12 months. Two weeks August 2006, Two weeks December/January 2007 and having just returned form 2 ½ weeks August 2007.

It’s got a whole lot going for it.

The apartments comfortably sleep 4, with double bedrooms en suite. Its smack on the beach and importantly, close to town!

If you stay too far from San Pedro you need a golf cart ($30.00 US per day). NB: If you happen to be unfortunate enough to reside more then 3 miles north of San Pedro, you need a 4X4, not a golf cart! The road becomes more treacherous the further north you go. Some resorts provide water taxi’s. Quaint, but can get expensive: $12.00 US each per trip each way. Plus, if you want to go to town to dine at the many restaurants, you could get stuck after your dinner. So my advice is unless you yearn for total isolation, don’t venture more then 3 miles north/south of San Pedro town.

The beach at Banyan Bay is probably the best on ambergris Caye. The staff are wonderful. The maid service is great and the restaurant is just fine.

The pool is very ample, cleaned daily, as are the tropical grounds.

I have travelled extensively. 3 Caribbean Islands (Barbados, the Four Seasons in Nevis and Tobago). Done: Europe, Dubai, Florida, California, South Africa. The only place which is arguably better is the Maldives, which really is heaven and a great experience. But then again, at more than twice the price, it should be! Downside. No fishing! But great diving.

The diving at Ambergris Caye top notch as the reef that protects Ambergris Caye is just 400 meters from the shore….your dive-boat picks you up from the dock just yards from your suite.

Apart from diving, I am a fanatical fly-fisherman, which is what inspired me to go to San Pedro last year. Typically depending on how enthusiastic you are, you can leave between 5 &7 a.m. and be back for lunch with you family. Marvelous. You are not even missed. And just think, no guilt!

After a hot day on the flats you pull up to your dock, down a couple of frozen Margarita’s, tuck into a shrimp fajitas oozing with sour cream a guacamole and re-fried beans, strategically place your deck-chair under a palm tree, have a smoke, catch up on some ‘nod’ and awake ready for dinner. That is what life is all about.

What is so important here and what inspires me to write this missive is; all is well when the sun is shinning and things go according to plan. However, we got caught when Hurricane Dean decided to alter course and was heading our way. Yikes

At 5 a.m. on Sunday 19th August my fishing guide Omar picked me up from the dock. We went north and I saw huge queues on the docks with of people evacuating the island. Hmmm.. getting serious this I thought.

Anyway, the lull before the storm provided great fishing conditions. Calm water. Our strategy was to try Savannah which is about 12 miles towards the mainland and a fertile fishing flat for tarpon under favourable conditions. By 9:30 I had landed a 15 lb Tarpon on a purple frog-fly, so we decided to push our luck and try Roserie Caye which is well know for Permit. Omar poled for hours and we spotted a number of permit to 40lb, but all out of range. We persisted until Omar spotted a huge school of permit about 70 yards away. “Slide into the water….quietly” instructed Omar and we slowly approached the feeding school. Trying not to spook ‘em, my first 2 casts fell short. My third cast was right on the money….my fly landing within 2 feet of the lead fish. My pants fell off. Heart in the mouth. Sweating whilst standing in water (how). “let your fly settle” whispered Omar. “now…..strip”. Two pulls ‘n everything when tight. He took off like a Saturn Rocket. Eventually I slid my hands under a nice 5 lb permit.

The illusive Grand Slam was in sight. I couldn’t believe it.

Omar then took off for bonefish territory. I said “I will fish till midnight to complete the Grand Slam, as a bonefish was all I needed to achieve the illusive hatrick”. No need. We slid quietly into a bay and Omar pointed out what I thought was a huge sea-grass bed…..only it was moving! There would have been over 200 bonefish in the school. One cast, and my shrimp-fly was nailed by a bonefish within seconds of splashdown.

Put in some perspective for non-fishing folk, a Grand Slam is the equivalent of Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Halle Berry scantily clad in the Presidential Suite at the Four Season in Maui for the weekend. Beluga caviar, sour cream & Bellini’s a couple of Maine lobsters, a case of crystal champagne on ice and a few little blue pills for back-up! Hoooo yeh.

Elated, Omar & I we motored back to Banyan Bay. The sun on our backs. The wind in our hair and a deep feeling of satisfaction. We were as happy as a dog with two dicks. At one point we embraced (no one was watching afterall). We had a celebratory soda and I lit a Marlboro Light. The world just fell into place. Becalmed, the sea was like a mill-pond. Not a ripple as far as the eye could see.

It goes without saying, Omar is my hero, a first-class guide and perhaps most of all, a very decent man and great company. I wouldn’t dream of using anyone else having fished with him for 6 weeks in the last 12 months. (Omar’s number 00 501 226 3518).

Anyway, the plot thickens….. When we arrived back at Banyan Bay, it was as if there had been a nuclear leak. The beach and the pool were devoid of sun-beds and the bar was closed. I half expected tumble-weed and Clint Eastwood! Not a bloody soul. Even the birds had hoofed it.

As you might expect, the Yanks who have university degrees in panic had fled.

In great contrast, my kids were in the pool with my wife having a jolly time.

Indeed, American Airlines wanted $1,000 each to change the ticket which would have got me to Miami and there was always a chance the BA might have inflicted further financial misery too, so we decided to tough it out. We unanimously voted to stay.

Immediately our luggage was moved from a beach-facing condo to one further to the back of the property for safety. Banyan Bay is very well-built structurally, designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. So… no sweat. It was either Mr Dean or hours queuing and trying to steal a few zzzzzz in an airport lounge. Give me a hurricane any day!

The rest of the day was spent watching The Weather Channel as Hurricane Dean battered Jamaica and The Cayman’s.

The following day at about noon the sky started to look menacing; the reef started to get a bashing and slowly waves started to come in. Mother Nature was limbering up…. ready to assert herself. By 5 p.m. there were surfers taking advantage of her tempest.

Later that evening the army turned up and stayed in the apartment below us, just in case of looting. Most of the staff at Banyan Bay who live elsewhere on the island stayed in the condos as the owner Cheffie insisted that they use the sanctuary and safety of Banyan Bay.

I must have drifted off to sleep at circa 10 p.m. and was awakened about 2 a.m. by what sounded like an old-fashioned roller-coaster thundering through the resort. Gingerly…. I opened the door and shone my flash-light into the grounds. There was vegetation flying around and coconut trees flapping around like socks in a tumble-dryer. It was amazing to witness the power of Mother Nature when rattled. Of course, all the staff were up too with flashlights and there was a great sense of camaraderie.

The wind peaked at around 4 a.m. and of course my sons were fascinated.

Eventually we all nodded off and I awoke at 7 a.m. By this time the wind had died down considerably. Apprehensively, I opened the door. Trees were smashed. Coconuts & limes were strewn everywhere, the pool was full of debris and the beach had been eroded. The dock at Banyan Bay was crooked and the Dive Shop was listing. It was a mess. My good deed was performed when I spotted a shivering, dishevelled, water-logged red-headed wood-pecker clinging for dear life to a piece of masonry right in the surf. I prized his claws off the stone and rinsed the poor blighter off under a fresh-water tap. Quite unceremoniously shook off as much as the water as I could and let him toddle off under the shelter of a nearby wooden hut. I hope he made it.

The Electricity was down as were the phones. I thought it would take them a week to sort out the chaos.

Then an army of people showed up. The staff from Rico’s (the on-site restaurant) and all of the other staff all mucked-in running around with wheel-barrows, brooms etc. The book-keeper was busy wielding a chain-saw backed by an army of machetes (which interested my sons no end).

I kid you not, by 3 p.m. everything was spick & span…..like nothing had happened. Just hours before, we had just been hammered by the 3rd largest hurricane on record, yet anyone would have thought that is was a light shower on the Champs- Elysées! Bloody amazing is what it was.

The sun eventually filtered through, the pool was cleaned and everything was back to normal.

I counted 5 tiles missing off the roofs and apart from the dock, no structural damage was sustained.

The following day sand was swept off the pathways and Rico’s bar & restaurant was open for business. Later that night, my family and I dinned on lobster and other such local fair together with a flinty chilled bottle of Sauv Blanc.

It was overwhelmed at the attitude and professionalism of everyone. Banyan Bay is a very well-run establishment. The staff are dedicated, hard-working eager to please and very thorough. Everyone was in good spirits, as indeed we were very fortunate and were collectively counting our blessings. The eye of the storm which had reach category 5 passed some 40-50 miles north of Ambergris Caye, meaning we just missed the worst of it by the skin of our teeth. T’was a close shave.

Cozumel town which boarders the Mexican Yucatan peninsular caught the brunt of it, devastating their papaya and sugar-cane crops. Thankfully, from what I gathered there was very little loss of life, but some peoples livelihoods were snuffed out in a matter of hours, which is a great loss to all those concerned.

We left as scheduled on Friday 24th August with our vacation hardly diminished - thanks to Laura and her dedicated team at Banyan Bay.

Will we be back? Darn right we will….another Grande Slam beckons! Sadly, Halle Berry does not!

Put in some perspective, the last time San Pedro was struck was in 2000. So don’t be a ninny….just go! Banyan Bay is a fab beach resort by any measure and having seen many other resorts on the island, they somehow lack the charm and tranquillity of what’s on offer at Banyan Bay.

Finally, if it’s unashamed luxury you seek, do yourself a favour and check out Grande Colony. It’s owned and operated by the same people who run Banyan Bay - only a lot more opulent and sophisticated (“up-scale” in the parlance of Americans). Don’t get me wrong, Banyan Bay is very adequate, but the quality of the accommodation at Grande Colony splendorous….top notch as us Brits say. As good as the Four Seasons….if not better in my opinion!

Property Review
10 is best 1 is worst

Would you stay at this property again?: ... Yes
Would you recommend this property to your friends?: ... Yes
In your opinion, how would you classify the "style" of this property: ... Family Oriented
Possible Anwswers: Family Oriented, Couples Oriented, Mixed/Diverse in a Good Way, Mixed/Diverse in a Bad Way

• Cleanliness of Property: ... 10
• Quality of Property: ... 9
• Privacy and Quietness: ... 0
• Quality of Service: ... 8
• Courtesy and Hospitality of Staff: ... 9
• Accuracy of Website VS. Actual Experience: ... 10
  
• Food and Dining Experience: ... 7
• Price/Value of Property: ... 8
  
• Safety Factor (Did you feel safe at property): ... 10
• Quality of Beach (ranked closest beach if property is located off the beach): ... 8

Destination/Island Review
10 is best 1 is worst

Would you visit this destination/island again?: ... Yes
Would you recommend this destination/island to your friends?: ... Yes

• Cleanliness of Destination/Island: ... 7
• Options of Activities in the Area: ... 8
• Ease of Transportation (air, taxi, bus, shuttle): ... 7
• Quality of Beaches in the Area: ... 8
• Courtesy & Hospitality of Locals: ... 9
• Safety Factor (Did you feel safe in the Area): ... 10
  
• Local Restaurant Experience/Options: ... 8
• Price/Value of Destination (Does your dollar stretch?): ... 9
  

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