La Case Najoli | House in Le Morne Brabant, Riviere Noire District

Positive: The property is in a beautiful location with a stunning beach just over the road. The house had everything we needed and was comfortable and clean. The house is situated in a palm garden, with plenty of birds and wildlife to enjoy. We loved the Red Whiskered Bulbuls, the Minor birds, the tiny frogs, the bigger frogs swimming in the pool, the geckos, and the lizards. We also saw pigs, deer, an Echo parakeet and a white-tailed tropic bird. The wider estate has such an abundance of flora it could be mistaken for a botanical garden. The house has 4 separate sitting areas in total, 1 inside and 3 outside. Everything is under cover so it doesn't matter if it is raining - it is always warm enough to be outside. We were nervous about the mosquitos and the paper wasps before arrival, but although the wasps were ever present they never actually felt a problem. Unlike wasps in the UK which move very eratically and seem interested in you and in food, these never bothered us at all and just seemed to go about their business - and they also did not appear in the evening / night. Mosquitos were hard to spot. We did get bitten a few times, despite taking precautions, but I got bitten a lot more in Italy in August so I would not consider them a particular problem. One more thing I should add - we took advantage of asking Marcelline to cook for us one evening and were immediately devastated that we had not asked her more often. The Creole captain fish was absolutely delicious - so make sure you take advantage! The snorkelling at La Prairie is good, better for intermediate if you follow the hosts instructions (due to the current and the shallowness of the water/proximity to the coral) but especially good for beginners (even non swimmers) if you just go slightly to the right as you face the beach and out about 30m. There you will find numerous mini reefs in knee deep water with plenty of fish and lots of white sand in between where you are able to easily stand.

Negative: The instructions were clear enough, but as we arrived in torrential rain we did miss the property at first. A sign saying "La Case Najoli" would have been helpful.