Family vacation at Shambhala Villa
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
This was a family vacation for 11 people aged 20’s, 50’s and late 70’s. This was an absolutely perfect house for our group and it exceeded our expectations. The house itself is stunning - you enter into a large open living space with kitchen, great room, and a large dining table that can easily seat 12 people. The entire back of the house opens up to the pool and ocean just beyond - there is an incredible breeze that kept the house cool so we never had to use the air conditioning in the main area - we only used it at night to sleep. The house has a private outdoor tennis court, basketball court and racquetball court, along with a beach volleyball net and cornhole on the beach. There was no shortage of activities.
When not on our excursions around the islands we spent our time enjoying the pool, beachfront lounge chairs, kayaks and paddle boards that were provided at the house. The outdoor dining and seating areas also were well used by our group. We cooked most dinners in the well-appointed kitchen.
Betsy and Sharon were very helpful with any questions we had pre-arrival. Their recommendations for car rental (Grace Bay Car Rental), grocery delivery and activities were all excellent. We definitely felt prepared when we got to the house thanks to them.
When we arrived we were greeted by Shauna - a representative of the property management team. She was lovely and showed us around, highlighting all of the features of the home and grounds.
The villa was a short drive to Grace Bay for a quick grocery trip, lunch or excursion - a very convenient location.
Betsy reached out to us a few weeks before our scheduled arrival to let us know that there was an influx of sargassum seaweed on Long Bay Beach. The owner offered to let us pick a different week if we chose to but we did not - we kept our original planned week. There was some seaweed but every day it was raked up on the beach and honestly the seaweed in the water was not a big deal at all. A couple of steps in we were over it and in the clear beautiful waters of the ocean. I was extremely impressed and appreciative of the fact that they were up front and it did not impede our vacation in the slightest.
Overall a wonderful stay for our entire group in a beautiful villa.
Betsy and Sharon were very helpful, friendly and promptly replied to any questions I had pre-arrival.
Posted by Ruth K
Incredible!
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
Let me just say, this family (party of 6, ages ranging from 13 to 48) vacation might be impossible to top! Pictures do not do this place justice. We were initially concerned with the AC allowance given to us when we arrived however, all rooms opened up fully to the outside with the most incredible breeze flowing all day long needing the AC only for sleeping. A complete dream! From the initial booking, Faye our personal concierge at the villa, to taxi and transfers from Virgil, we could not ask for a better experience! Shambhala had absolutely everything we needed and then some. Incredible private home in great location, short 8 min drive to Grace Bay, restaurants and shopping. Faye was top notch and was always a phone call or message away. I fell in love with this place! Cheers and thank you for sharing your beautiful home with my family!
Andrew's knowledge and expertise was second to none! He and Sharon were always a phone call or email away. I greatly appreciated how quickly they responded and with great detail as we were booking this trip within 1 week of traveling. I will be booking with Andrew for travel needs in the future! Cheers and thank you!
Posted by Vicki H
A Most Remarkable and Memorable Family Vacation
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
Shambhala Villa provided one of the most exquisite vacations my family has ever experienced.
As you enter the Villa, your eyes focus on the spacious and open living area that serves as a formal dining room (seats 12) and living room. The cathedral ceiling and light fixtures are beautiful. Beyond that is the outdoor living area, equipped with a table for 10 and more outdoor seating. The pool area/hot tub is equipped with plenty of lounges and umbrellas and has a most spectacular view of the ocean.
The kitchen is fantastic and has everything you would need to cook a gourmet meal. It is equipped with topnotch appliances and has plenty of pots, utensils, drinking glasses, etc. It even has two dishwashers. Simply amazing.
The bedrooms were airy, comfortable, and clean, as was the entire Villa. The screened plantation shutters allowed refreshing airflow throughout the Villa, and the sound of the waves and starry nights were very relaxing.
Shambhala had everything you could want on a family vacation. It is magnificent, clean, and had plenty of recreational activities: tennis/basketball courts, kayaking, paddle boards, beach volleyball, etc. The beach is beautiful, and the grounds are well maintained. You never had to leave the Villa unless you wanted to eat out, go sailing, jet skiing, or just shop around the Island.
Our entire family enjoyed Shambhala and, God willing, will return again. For us, it was a once in a lifetime experience that we hope to repeat.
Working with Andrew was a pleasure. He was very responsive to our questions and concerns, and extremely patient.
Posted by Bob V
Fantastic Shambhala - dream vacation
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
Our group of 5 couples enjoyed every aspect of Shambhala. The big, open family and dining room has captivating views of the pool and ocean. We cooked, dined, and lounged in this awesome space every day, and it never got old! Our best times on the trip happened in this room - with music and ocean breezes to accentuate the view.
The kitchen was well stocked and perfect for our needs - having two refrigerators was critical for our large group! The infinity pool and hot tub were even better than the pictures on the website. All the seating areas gave our group plenty of options for downtime or togetherness. We loved the beach! It was clean and clear, with walking and wading areas in both directions. We walked to the Shore Club a couple of times for drinks and lunch, we rented jet skis and visited the shipwreck, and we spent a ton of time under the umbrellas taking it all in.
The comfortable bedrooms had good airflow, but I would recommend bringing sleep aids. Anyone who stays up late will permeate the vented bedroom windows. Everything was clean and bug free, and housekeeping in the middle of our stay helped a lot.
We felt safe in the house and on the beach, there were no solicitors or unwanted visitors. Horse riding access to the beach beside Shambhala was pretty cool. We didn't ride, but we watched them wade through the ocean.
We enjoyed WhereToStay’s recommendations for boat charters (Okeanos), restaurants (Caicos Cafe, Hemingways, da Crab Shack, Sharkbite and more), and golf at Provo. Shambhala was a fabulous villa rental - I highly recommend it, and hope to visit again!
Posted by Curtis S
Relaxing, Spacious and Private
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
Villa Shambhala is as great as it looks in the pictures. It was perfect for our family -- 7 adults and one grandbaby. Great kitchen and outdoor grill area. Several living areas inside. The home is very spacious and private, both in the interior of the home as well as in its location on the island. We only saw two or three other people on "our" beach the entire time we were there. We noticed there was a stronger breeze on the Long Bay Beach side (where Shambhala is located) than on the Grace Bay side of the island when we visited that side for snorkeling. We also liked that the sun set behind us, so it was not blazing hot as the afternoon progressed. The water in front of the villa is very calm and shallow quite far out. The kayaks that come with the house were fun to use. The property management company is very responsive to problems. There is a backup generator which kicked on immediately when the power went out during a thunderstorm, so we were not affected at all as were some other homes in the area. The pool is so relaxing (and the hot tub is so spacious) that we didn't spend as much time playing in the surf as we should have. There are lots of conch shells on the beach. We highly recommend Villa Shambhala.
Posted by
Beautiful location
Shambhala Villa, Turks and Caicos villa review
We had a great time during our visit at Shambhala. We had several issues with the house but Faye quickly addressed them. The location is easy to get to the grocery store and area restaurants. Virgil’s taxi service took good care of us while we were there. Loved the beach and pool!
Andrew was very responsive to all questions we had when preparing for our trip.
Posted by Robin S
