Magic Isle Beach Apartments

3 readers found this review helpful

We stayed at the Magic Isle in May for 3 weeks and had a fabulous time. The apartment was spacious, staff friendly, apartment cleaned every day with clean towels daily (bedding was changed every other day). We had a great sea view and overlooking the pool which was not overcrowded. This was also cleaned every morning. The only moan was that our air conditioning unit (this is only in the bedroom) was close to our bed, so was fairly noisy and kept us awake. But that is the only moan and it was great value for money.
Apartments are only 5 minutes to the beach which we often walked along early morning to get some exercise. There are sun loungers for hire and a few food and drink kiosks. This was my second time in Barbados and did not make the same mistake as last year, getting burned!! There is a constant breeze so you have to be careful.
We were lucky to have met a Bajan guy on the beach who kindly climbed up a nearby palm tree (and these are pretty high) and came down with a couple of coconuts. These were not the same as ours but we could drink the coconut juice, delicious!
The island has lots of excursions, my favourite was the catamaran. $150 for the day where your drink and lunch are included, snorkelling where you get to swim with the turtles and see some pretty amazing fish and a stop off at Sandy Lane, where you can either swim in the turquoise waters or hire jet skis. You end the day, if you want to, dancing to some great music as you sail into port. Great day out but make sure you bring high factor sun cream!
St Lawrence gap has the nightlife where there are a few lively bars, karaoke etc. Roots and rhythms where they have limbo dancers, stilt walking, dinner etc, and Oistens which is a fish market where they cook fresh fish and the locals go to dance. Worth a visit.
Coconut Court Hotel, 15 minutes walk towards Bridgetown have a nice restaurant with a Calapso band also Southern Palms hotel in St Lawrence Gap do great food with live band on Thursday nights and Sunday lunch, great atmosphere! Especially after a couple of rum punches.
We hired a car and visited the East coast (waters are choppy here) but beautiful scenery. The west coast waters are calm, Mullins was a nice beach but it seemed prices are more expensive that side of the Island.
Barbados I have been told it the safest of all the Caribbean islands and we never felt intimidated at all. You are told to shut all windows and patio doors at night, but you do that at home

Had a great time, people are friendly and it would be hard not to enjoy any of it!
Angie
Kent, England

2 readers found this review helpful

This lovely aparthotel is situated right on Accra Beach at Rockley.
A gate from the grounds leads straight onto the soft, white, sandy beach, shaped like a crescent, edged with palm trees, and with the crystal clear Caribbean breaking onto it.
Swimming immediately in front of the hotel is not advised as there are no lifeguards and there are small rocks under the water.
However further to the left is a lifeguard station with bars and stalls behind where swimming is safer and where loungers and umbrellas can be hired.
The hotel is in three blocks, each with three or four levels. There are no lifts.
Our room was two bedded, but as there were only two of us the second room was locked. However we had the use of two bathrooms/toilets.
The lounge is fairly large with sofa, two loungers, coffee table, and standard lamp.
The kitchen, open plan to the lounge, was fully equipped and, although some distance to walk to the larger supermarket at Worthing, self catering was by far cheaper than eating at a restaurant, which was generally very expensive.
However, 'Just Grill Inn', to the right from the hotel, provided a good and cheap meal.
Remember to ask for a fidelity card and, having bought ten meals, the next was free (a couple purchasing a meal each received two stamps so it only took five visits for two to obtain the free meal).
A smaller supermarket but with no fresh meat was just being this grill, as was an ATM machine.
The hotel was set in a garden with lawns and coconut palms. The lovely pool was cleaned each morning before it was opened for use.
The maid service was excellent. Our maid, Deborah, was so sweet and helpful that she soon became a real friend.
The only nuisance, in a minor way, was that because the air conditioning only cooled the bedroom, you have to leave all windows and patio door open to allow the sea breeze to cool the room.
This allowed the birds to fly into the room, attack any food left out, and to mess where they perched. However it was lovely to see such friendly birds.
The hotel advises that all windows and doors are locked when you are out or asleep.
This may seem alarming at first but in fact all the Bajans we met were friendly and helpful to the extreme.
Buses stop in either direction outside the hotel, cost $1.50 BDS a journey (no interchange allowed). Use them at rush hour or one of the mini buses plying the route at any time for a high adventure thrill ride at minimum cost - and marvel at the same time as to just how many people you can fit into such a vehicle.
Many of the multi-national guests at this hotel had returned year upon year and all said it was a far nicer hotel than others they had used in the past.
We would definitely return here for the location, the tranquillity, and the friendly staff.
However a new mews of town houses is too built on the ground adjoining the garden and so the tranquillity and location may be disturbed in the future.

2 readers found this review helpful

Good clean accommodation. Well positioned for getting around the island as transport stops outside the apartments. Beach is beautiful and the complex has an excellent pool with good sun loungers tables and chairs.
Around the pool has been retiled and new furniture is there not like in the video clip. The only down side is that a room sleeps 2/3 people the third person is in a 'fold out bed' which our 14 year old found strange sleeping in his parents room. Just to finish with - a good place to stay clean, value for money and the weather is brilliant!

2 readers found this review helpful

Value for money. Clean bedding every other day. Clean towels every day. Beach towels free just a deposit of 25$ which you can be use for airport tax.
I have been going now to the Magic Isle for about 19 years and find it most convenient to get around the Island but staying that I have never used the local bus the ZR I must say at my age I do like comfort so I get a rented car and drive, the local people are very nice and helpful.
I have my breakfast at the Yellow Bird at St.Lawrence Gap, and eat at any where in the local run shops the food is great. if you get to Miami Beach there is a nice new bus that does food great fish cakes.
Go along to Oistins Fish Fry night Friday or Saturday about 7.30 eat and then head to Green shed great to see everyone having a great time.
Hope you have a great Holiday like I have always had and I hope many more to come.

2 readers found this review helpful

Magic Isle Apartments, Barbados were 3* and were well worth the money. They were clean, two bathrooms, kitchen compact but had fridge/freezer, oven, toaster, microwave etc. We were allocated a ground floor apartment which we asked for. No evening reception or entertainment available, but very near to St Lawrence which is very lively. Pool large and extremely clean.
Their main attraction for a budget holiday were that they were located on Worthing Beach which is one of the best beaches in the South of the Island. Food shopping is done at the hypermarket only a short bus ride for BDS$1.5 about 75p and then there is a free bus service back direct to your accommodation, prices competitive with English supermarkets. Car Hire expensive, but is recommended for 3 days where you can tour most of the island and some of the beaches in the West of the island are the best in the World. Can't praise this holiday too much.
Thomsons were the carrier and flight by BWIA which unfortunately although advertised as from Manchester direct, we were routed via Heathrow (by coach not flight) which is the reason for 8/10 otherwise would have been 10/10.