Frangipani Villa

Nearly a whole year went into planning and looking forward to this holiday with a difference, helped along by enthusiastic emails from the owner of the villa Frangipani. But arriving in St Lucia was by far the best thing to happen to me and my girl-friend in a long and difficult time. We treated ourselves to this holiday after working hard to secure our BA degrees, and we have just returned from a truly brilliant 2 weeks in St Lucia . When we first saw Dylyn’s Holiday Rental site, we liked both the villa and the reviews, and we emailed asking a couple of questions. Back came a quick reply, and for the next 12 months she whetted our appetites with entertaining responses to just about anything we asked. Dylyn described the beauty of her local beach on the Vigie peninsula along with reminiscences and humorous stories about some of the characters around. And when we got to her favourite beach we were not disappointed, and we feasted on Miss Pam’s yummy (and cheap!) dhal purees and ‘bakes’ at her rustic table under the spreading umbrella tree. We got nice stories of some of the hill residents near the villa (most of whom are related to Dylyn), and so by the time we got to our holiday home we not only knew names but felt we’d already met the neighbours! And what a fine bunch of people they are – kept bringing us a variety of luscious mangos which were in full season, and sugar-cane from their gardens. We spent lazy times chilling out on Frangipani’s veranda, and for a rented house we think that the spectacular view must rival any on the island. We occasionally got Ganza’s taxi (he’s within shouting distance of the villa), and for two days we hired a jeep to go round the island and were bowled over by the gorgeous lushness everywhere. But for short distances we travelled mostly on small buses where good-natured locals always had something jokey to say or to sing about! Dylyn got her friends to include us at a picnic party on beautiful Reduit beach in Rodney Bay and this was a very enjoyable day . A great holiday and the villa suited us (and our purses!) absolutely fine. We were sorry to leave - and we will miss those jolly emails on the lovely villa and the stunning island of St Lucia !

Review Submitted: 16 August 2009 - Date of Stay: August 2008
Josie, Marilyn, Gwen and Viola.
My sisters and I stayed at Villa Frangipani for three weeks in August 2008.

The moment I saw those pictures of Villa Frangipani I knew that was the place I wanted to stay, and when my sisters and I arrived, we were not disappointed. I quickly nabbed the wonderful en-suite master bedroom, and soon felt I had come home.

Mornings were spent on the very wide balcony watching the sun come up and partaking of the many mangoes and other tropical fruits we either bought or were given to us by friendly neighbours. Evenings spent watching the sun going down and the lovely lights of Castries coming on were a delight.

We were there to celebrate my 60th birthday, and the surprised party attended by neighbours and Dylan’s friends (whom we had met at a wonderful beach party on Veggie Beach). It was certainly a memorable day for me. I could not think of a better way to spend a 60th birthday.

We came together from America, Canada and England, and this year when we met up in England we were still discussing the wonderful time we had at Villa Frangipani and the peaceful days on Veggie Beach. We all agreed that I made a wonderful choice when I selected our accommodation. We all agreed that we will definitely be making a trip back to Frangipani. It is the best holiday I have ever had and anyone who is looking for a holiday with a difference should stay at the Villa Frangipani.

My wife, 2 year old son, and I stayed at Frangipani for 2 weeks in March 2009. The house, although relatively recently built, has all the style of traditional tropical architecture. Both the balcony and the view from it are every bit as good as they're cracked up to be, and the interior spaces are generous, attractive, and functional. The natural cross ventilation works well, so we didn't miss airconditioning, though it takes a bit of practice to get the louvres set right for a comfortable night's sleep. In this kind of building there is virtually no sound attenuation and quite a bit of light spillage in the morning, so we found ourselves waking early. Edward has got us used to that anyway, so no big problem.

Although the setting is said to be rural this is really the Caribbean version of suburbia - a bit wilder than North London where we live, but plenty of houses, and people, around. This was good for Edward - lots of children, plus their footballs and toys, and supervising parents. We felt comfortable letting him play across the street, which is a steep, unsurfaced cul de sac with just the occasional car passing slowly up or down.

The owners, Dylyn and Chris, have an apartment below the main house, and their presence was a boon - very helpful when we needed it, but respectful of our privacy when we didn't.

We rented a car, at enormous expense, but you need one if you are to get around easily. Although the house sits way above the town it is less than 5 minutes' drive to the streets of Castries below, or the highway north to Rodney Bay.

All in all, a good spot, in fact I can't think of a better one in all my years of holiday travel.

We stayed for a week in March and loved it. You'll get the best of both worlds here with a chance to experience local life (and those magnificent views) while still being close enough to most of the islands attractions. We found a car useful for a few days to get out and explore the island but by no means necessary if you're prepared to hop on one of the very efficient buses along with the locals!

Dylyn and Chris (The owners) were great to have on hand and went out of their way to offer advice and show us around when we asked.

Particular highlights included Marigot Bay, Pigeon Point, dinner at the Coal Pot (local) and of course the legendary Friday night jump up at Gros Islet.

we stayed as a family of four at villa frangipani in may this year (08) to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
frangipani is the perfect place to explore st lucia. Not only is it a beautiful house but it has the most incredible view that i do not believe you could ever be tired of.
And the best way to enjoy it is....lying in the hammock with a malibu and pineapple....lazing on the steamer chair..just stand and admire...eating breakfast around the table on the deck.find your way..
to help you... turn to your neighbours. Mr j
the bus driver, or ganza the taxi driver, always there when you need them. totaly reliable. Ganza will always be early, is very friendly, and knowledgeable about the island. mr j and gabo happy to take you to far flung places.
both very reasonable prices.
the villa is very comfortable and attractive throughout.
info at the vila on places to go. we found the sunset cruise on the brig unicorn to be a fabulous trip, definatley worth the price.
although there is not a pool at the villa you can go for the day at most of the top hotels as all beaches are public. so long as you buy drinks. our favorite was windjammer landing especially on a sunday, a fab soul fusion band play live. simply divine.
Dylan the owner was truley helpful, from her resume' on the villa and info to actually getting one of her friends to take us to an annual beach barbecue, which was possibly the best day out we had.
frangipani is the perfect place to stay and you can pretend its yours for however long you stay. the birds sing to you in the turret of the house. It can be majical.
advice.... you must sleep inside the mosquito nets. try not to touch nets while sleeping. you will need insect repellant.
that being said ..... we loved staying among the friendly and kind people of st Lucia, so will you. The natural constant breezes will cool you down anytime of day at frangipani, you always look forward to returning to the villa.

I stayed at Villa Frangipani for a week in May/June 2008.
The accommodation was as depicted in the photos. The views were excellent and the surroundings peaceful. My friends and I really enjoyed staying there and all are willing to make a return visit. This is the place to stay in St.Lucia when you want to get away from the pressures of the modern world - surrounded by nature and tranquility.

Beautiful place to stay.Fully furnished, clean and the scenic beauty is captivating. i would highly recommend this villa married couples. The mountains, beaches and other sights are fantastic.

I first visited St Lucia over thirty years ago and last year, with my children now adults, I could treat myself to a return trip. I was not disappointed with my choice of a place to stay on the island. The rural setting of Villa Frangipani and the fantastic views over Castries and the bay were well worth waiting all those years! One of the delights of my stay was the way the villa Frangipani had been constructed to blend in with the surroundings. I loved the open wooden vents in my windows letting in cool breezes on even the hottest nights - beating any air conditioning hands down. But perhaps the greatest joy was reclining on the balcony with the verdant tropical garden spread out below; relaxing with a book or simply day dreaming to the sounds of birdsong, the wind rustling the plants and children playing in across the valley.