We stayed at Somnia for the month of February. The house is divided into two spacious apartments. While we stayed in the upper apartment, I did get the chance to see the lower one (which is equally as lovely as upstairs). Our accommodation consisted of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a very well equipped kitchen and a large dining/sitting room area that opened up onto a huge deck that was surrounded on three sides by trees and shrubs of all kinds. Because of the house’s fairly high location, the deck captured the soft breezes, a godsend particularly in the heat of the day, and attracted all manner of birds. The decor of the apartment was stunning with much attention to detail. I particularly enjoyed the artwork.
The house is an 8-minute walk from the beach and a very fine boardwalk that was built in 2012. It runs from Rockley beach to Hastings beach, some 1.5 kms, and is well used by locals and tourists alike. It was wonderful to walk along the shore and enjoy the ocean without having to dodge traffic. No dogs, bikers, rollerbladers are allowed on the boardwalk - just walkers and joggers. There were plenty of restaurants by the water and a farmers’ market every Wednesday and Saturday.
The owners, Ian and Cecily, were readily available by email as were the caretakers, Trudi and Randy. We had a problem with the a/c one day and within 24 hours, it was fixed. We were impressed. Trudi cooked us a delicious Bajan dinner one day - a real treat.
We didn’t have a car so relied on taxis and the prolific van buses which seemed to come along every two minutes and cost $3.5 Bajan to go anywhere on the island - surely one of the best and most efficient transit systems we’ve encountered in our travels.
All in all, we had a lovely time in Barbados which was made all the lovelier by our stay at Somnia.