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richard243
Manchester, United Kingdom

leave it all behind

5.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed May 24, 2017
North Beach is a place of true authenticity, as we tend to forget our own. I've returned to Antigua and Barbuda for a second time now, but this was my first time to Barbuda, "the sister isle". With a mile-long pink sand beach, countless shipwrecks and good lobster, Barbuda was able to capture my imagination and bring back true authenticity. North Sound is fabulously kept, locally owned and managed boutique hotel, my only choice of stay. The rooms face the ocean, and the ocean breeze wakes you up in the morning. There are no kitchens in the room, so they are not "self-contained", as breakfast, lunch and dinner is served and prepared most time by Fred. Ask him questions, learn about the history and culture of Barbuda and leave it all beahind.
Date of stay: May 2017
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
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Reviewed April 23, 2017

The raw beauty of North Beach is breath taking. It's one of those unique places in the world that has not been touched by the hubbub of modern life and instead, lets you revel in the wonder of nature that engulfs it. Honestly, we didn't think places like this still exist.

We stayed four magical nights and we left a piece of our hearts at North Beach. We swam, walked, played, snorkelled, beach combed, took boat trips, snorkelled some more - we couldn't get enough.

We saw so much wildlife in those three days. Above land - great egrets, pelicans and the magnificent frigate birds; below the waves - stingrays, turtles, barracuda, moray eels, groupers, lobsters, crabs, queen conchs, a dolphin.. the list goes on.

Those looking for a resort or luxury have missed the point. This is nature's resort - the surroundings are wild and unspoilt and like nothing you'll experience anywhere else.

Waking up right on the beach, cool sand the first thing that touches your bare feet as you greet the day - what a feeling!

Amy and her team were amazing in every way and did everything they could to make our stay at North Beach even more special. Margaret, the queen of cocktails, wowed us with her creations every evening - a perfect accompaniment to spellbinding sunsets. We really enjoyed Justin's cooking - simple, honest and delicious - his conch fritters were the best! Matilda enlisted our nine year old daughter's help in artful designs and we loved our boat trips with Kayla and Kyle. And of course Amy was amazing - always ready to go above and beyond to make the experience special. They all made us feel at home and we'll never forget our stay at North Beach.

Date of stay: April 2017
Trip type: Travelled with family
2  Thank Patrick V
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 23, 2017

Our small family (two parents and a 10 year old) spent 4 wonderful days and nights in this remote and gorgeous spot. I cannot recommend this lovely retreat enough - it is far, far removed from all things electronic, technical, noisy, busy and crowded. One must travel first from Antigua ( we took a small 8 seater plane to the Barbuda "airport" - basically a two room cinderblock structure, about as low tech as one can find) and already the adventure begins. A short car ride to the dock, and the stress of city life and 24 hour connectivity continues to melt away - the only town on the island (the capital, Codrington) is sleepy and small, extremely basic - and then you take a 20 minute boat ride across a beautiful and huge bay, through mangroves, past the Frigate bird sanctuary, until there are no more structures or evidence of people anywhere - and you arrive at North Beach.

The collection of small blue and white cottages sit on the edge of an idyllic beach - Turquoise water, white sand, palms, sea grapes and flowers. Serene, natural.

The rooms are simple and tastefully decorated; they are hand hewn structures and full of rustic details (like a beamed peaked ceiling) coupled with artful finishes (our room had two small oil paintings and needle point pillows). There is a small refrigerator in each cottage, and each cottage has a private deck or balcony. The sunlight streams in, the birds sing, the frogs chirp, and all is right with the world.

The staff is wonderful and deliver in every way. Whatever you need, they do their best to provide quickly and with a smile. Margaret will deliver delicious hand made cocktails mixed with high end liquor and fresh fruit to you on a tray while you lounge in the palapa, gazing a the tranquil and endless sea. Justin, the chef, prepares each meal with delicious and fresh ingredients - like lobster, conch, and mahi mahi. Amy the manager is professional and gracious, a lovely host. Ruben, the owner, also helpful and fun to speak with. The staff: Matlida, Kayla and Kyle are all delightful, friendly and great hosts. It is just the right amount of formality and casualness. There are kayaks and snorkeling equipment to use, excursions can be arranged, or you can just chill out, relax and be pampered in this rustic and simple setting.

Now - is this for everyone? Perhaps not. Do you like to be alone and quiet, without pool aerobics, constant music and endless buffets? Do you enjoy getting to know the very small and excellent staff on a first name basis? Do you like seeing wildlife and nature all around you? Are you OK with the critters that naturally are found in a simple and remote place like this (yes, there are flies, and other bugs to deal with at times - but also rays, turtles, hummingbirds, song birds, Douglas the Donkey and the occasional dolphin). Then this place is for you. We feel a deep love for this special place, and were very sorry to leave it.

The sunsets are magnificent, the water is clear, the nearby reefs and pink sand beaches are stunning, the service exemplary. It was a simple and fully recharging experience. We already miss this special slice of paradise.

(PS - the price may seem high, but keep in mind that because of the remote location and the fact that this hotel is completely off the grid, everything is expensive. Laundry must be shipped out, all food and supplies brought in by small boat, etc. The dinner is often the catch of the day from passing fishermen who are flagged down, or you might swim out and find the conch yourself. The drinking water is collected rainwater, the shower and toilets use desalinated sea water through reverse osmosis, the electricity is created by solar panels or independent generator. You must be flexible when off the grid - we found this eco-tourism very enjoyable.)

Date of stay: April 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Location
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
3  Thank Julie
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 17, 2017

The charm of Barbuda is its stunning beauty, sensational beaches, wealth of wild life, and lack of a tourism culture.

North Island Beach is as close to a tropical paradise as you will find in the Caribbean. With beautiful sunsets and white sands and azure water, it is ideal, a world away from overdeveloped tourist resorts. It is a place to delight in nature rich with beautiful flora and fauna.

From the start while we were planning this trip, Amy, the manager, did an amazing job in helping us put the whole thing together. She took care of all the details – right from having special VIP Fast Track Service personnel meet us upon arrival to help us through customs so we could make the flight to Barbuda, which, unfortunately we missed due to a delay in our flight to Antigua. Our flight was rescheduled for the morning and we arrived in Barbuda, after a 20 minute flight. We were met by a taxi and driven to a boat from North Beach for a ride across Codrington Lagoon, one of the largest natural lagoons in the Caribbean and is a protected as a wetland of international importance. Passing mangrove islands with Great White Egrets fishing in the shallows, flushing Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigates swirling above; the trip in the early morning light was dream-like.

It was such a wonderful holiday! My husband fished, I stalked birds, we swam in pristine water from one of the world’s best beaches, hiked, read, kayaked and because there is no light pollution, the starlit nights were so rich we were able to identify southern hemisphere constellations.

North Beach has photovoltaic solar panels for electricity, solar water heaters, LED lighting. Additionally, there are filters which purify the water and a rainwater collection system (sweetest drinking water). It is eco-friendly, built in harmony with its surroundings. The cottages have front porches facing the ocean, king sized beds, wood floorboards, modern bathrooms and no TVs.

The food was fresh and so delicious, fisherman stopped their boats to bring their daily catch which Justin prepared to perfection. Morning coffee and fruit, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are delivered to your doorstep. Fresh breakfast is prepared individually, for lunch you are given a few choices and dinner is a continuously changing menu of contemporary cuisine.

While the setting is beautiful and pristine, it is the staff who made our stay perfect. Helpful, interesting, always fun to be with, they made North Beach such a perfect place to stay.

Overall an amazing place! We enjoyed the entire trip and our stay at North Beach Island.

Room tip: There are four cottages, all are on the beach, all have stunning views.
Date of stay: March 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
2  Thank valerie101010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 13, 2017

North Beach is for those who really want to get away from the world and just be with you and your loved one/s. Perfect for a good book, beach walks, swimming and being in the now.

If you are looking for luxury, in the form of suited staff, fast wifi and a pool bar this is not for you. But if you consider luxury to be the remote and untouched beauty of an island, with superb care and attention from a small hard working team. This is your place.

My partner and I loved the fact that at present there is wifi only in the dining room. We loved that we had to entertain ourselves and thoroughly enjoyed having no distractions from the outside world for a few days. We saw this as a huge selling point.

The small team of three staff work so hard to make your stay special. From early coffee and fruit deliveries to our room, meals created from the days catch, pre dinner hors d'oeuvres and freshly cleaned room, discreetly done while we ate breakfast. This super team couldn't have done more for us.

Even when weather disrupted our return travel plans the team did everything they could to get us back to Antigua on time.

All in all a truly wonderful and very memorable holiday.

Date of stay: March 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Value
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
3  Thank loispage87
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 8, 2017

Barbuda is stunning. Just stunning. All the beaches make you gasp - you can't believe such beauty really exists! And Barbuda is the place to get away from it all.

But if you really really want to get away from it all. Go to the Barbuda North Beach Cottages. You need to take a small boat from Codrington (the town in Barbuda) to get there as there are no roads. You are cut off from everywhere and you are dropped into your piece of paradise.

The beach is probably one of the best we've ever been too (and we've travelled extensively). The peace and quiet is priceless. The stars at night are breathtaking. The sea is warm. And you stay in a beautiful, private, cottage in the middle of nowhere. To us, it was just heavenly.

Reuben James, the kind and respectful owner of the cottages, hand built every cottage (there are 4, plus a few extra for staff) taking each piece of wood over himself and building them with love and care. A few years ago he updated and redid the cottages so that now they are even more elegant and comfortable. Each cottage is on stilts - some are bigger than others. We had a small one bed and it was plenty for us. A lovely big bed, clean bathroom (with warm water shower), a little fridge, ample storage space, and a balcony with the best view you will ever find, ever.

Reuben joined us for dinner one night - if he is there when you are there you should certainly spend time with him. He is a remarkable man who has led an interesting life (he was the politician who represented Barbuda's independent rights from Antigua) and is a lovely man who truly cares about your experience and wants to do everything he can to make you stay as comfortable as possible. Reuben doesn't spend all his time there but has recently employed a wonderful new manager, Amy, who is on a mission to make Barbuda North Beach the best it can possibly be. There are a few things which they are already starting to sort out for example, as it is an all inclusive (there's nowhere else to go) they are focusing on ensuring the meals are of a consistently great quality as well as introducing extras like afternoon snacks (or kettles in the rooms if they go for my suggestion!). But these are small things and easily sorted now that Amy is there. If our last lunch of Barracuda steak, salad and rice is anything to go on, the food is headed in a delicious direction.

Like in the rest of Barbuda, the sand flies are vicious. Make sure you take deet insect repellent with you and cover yourself with the stuff. Light clothes and long trousers help too. I'd also recommend picking up your favourite alcohol and bring some with you. They do serve drinks (my husband loved the rum punch!) but i brought my own Bombay Sapphire as I like that gin with my tonic and it's not easy to come by in Antigua/Barbuda.

Reuben, Amy or any of the staff can organise local trips e.g the wonderful Frigate Bird Santuary, or the Pink Sands beach. They have water sport equipment that you can use like single or double kayaks, or snorkels so that you can explore the reef (about 50m out from the last cottage - an easy swim and we saw a sea turtle on our first snorkel!).

But ultimately you'll probably do what we did ... very little! Just relax and take in the pure joy of the place. If you manage to get here you, like us, will feel extremely fortunate to have discovered and experienced such beauty.

Room tip: They all have the same view of the stunning beach!
Date of stay: February 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Location
    • Rooms
    • Service
2  Thank Claire401
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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