VILLA ROSE PORCELAIN WITH POOL, 800 M FROM THE BEACH DIAMOND

Everything was perfect! We came from the United States and don't speak much French (I studied some in high school many years ago), so the language barrier was a little intimidating at first. I was able to communicate with the owner, Sylvie, using Google translate. She was also able to write back in English when needed. She was very responsive and helpful. Everything went really smoothly. The house itself is very well situated. I was able to walk to the beach easily, which is just down the road, 800m away. There is a great bakery at the bottom of the road, across from the beach. There is also an excellent food stand, Pam Snack (owner can speak English), at the beach there. The walk back up to the house is a little strenuous though, because it is up a hill, but good exercise. The pool is a pretty good size, bigger than most pools at other houses that I had considered renting. This was important for our family because our kids were really looking forward to swimming. The pool/yard is a truly beautiful and relaxing spot. There were a few mosquitos, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. AC in the bedrooms worked well and kept us comfortable. The best part of the whole trip was Colette, who was super kind, and gave us a warm welcome. She does know a little English, and I tried my best with my limited French and Google translate, as well as hand gestures, and we did just fine. We hired her to cook several meals for us, which were always delicious. She is also available to hire to do the cleaning upon departure as well. Colette was also a very helpful source for local information. We would love to return to this house again, because it is a great house, but in particular, because of our wonderful experience with Sylvie and Colette. As for additional tips... We found snorkeling to be good at the very northern end of the beach, by the rocks, at Les Anses d'Arlet. If using google maps (US version website), it is the beach that is not quite labeled, between Grande Anse d'Arlet and Petite Anse. While there, eat at Chez Fab et Claude. We tried Anse Dufour and Anse Noire, but the waters were rough and not clear that particular day. As for grocery stores, Sylvie suggested Carrefour in Rivière-Salée. As an American shopping there, I would say it was not the easiest for us. We did find Naturalia in Ducos, which was good for natural/organic type foods, although expensive. There is also a small local store called 8 à Huit in Diamant.