Beach House for rent in Placencia, Belize

Carol

May 25, 2011

George,

I can't thank you enough for your help on the camera, and that was our fault, we left it somewhere - a learning experience.. It's sad to lose all our pictures but we do have a few on our cell phones and video camera. My son also took some underwater shots while snorkeling and they turned out okay. I can't think of one suggestion for you except a grill somehow. We caught some beautiful fish and would have liked to grill them. I do understand your concerns about fire though. If you could absolutely trust people to do things right and be sure there are no flames that could get to your home, it would be wonderful. Your home was extremely comfortable and welcoming. My husband and I walked in and said it was exactly what we need when we retire. I loved the floor plan and the size of the rooms. It's perfect! As for Jean, she's wonderful and everything was spotless. I hope we left things okay for her. Staying at your home made our wonderful trip absolutely perfect. Once again, thank you for everything. Sorry I don't have much to suggest but we just didn't find anything missing from our stay, this was the best vacation we've ever had. You are a very lucky man to have your own paradise in Placencia.

Carol

Tim

March 16, 2011

George,

I was meaning to write as soon as we got back, but I guess I must be in denial that we had to come back. In 15 years of travel to Mexico and the Caribbean, Easy Street 2 and Placencia are the closest we have come to perfection. The home and location is everything anyone could hope for. I hope that any report from Jean regarding our group were positive as it is our hope to return. My congratulations on finding such a great location and constructing what is obviously a home of exceptional features and quality. Thanks again

Tim

Sara

March 8, 2011

Hi George,

Hope everything is all right with you. I arrived home on the 5th … flights on time and with no problems. Thank you again for sharing Easy Street with us. We had a fine time in Placencia. There were many changes from last year … to be expected. Everything was good at the house … we nested right in and relaxed. You do have the best shower in Placencia! Also the best verandah! We hope to return … Best Wishes to You Always,

Sara

Samie

February 24, 2011

Well George,

We are back from an amazing time in Belize. As first times I must say EVERYTHING was wonderful, and your home, well I can't say enough about how great it was. I was already looking at next years calendar for next trip to Belize. Brian at Sea Horse Dive took care of all our trips and he was so kind and helpful. (diving, snorkling, monkey river, ruins, cave swimming) Ate some of Brenda's cooking right there on the beach by the dive shop. Well actually ate at many of the places in town. George I could say so many nice things about this trip but I mostly want to say thank you for sharing a piece of what you have found with us. Looking forward to another adventure in Belize real soon. (10 days was just not long enough) Thanks again

Samie and Bob Ledyard-Michigan and a thank you from our Canadian friends Randy and Elaine

Dennis

December 19, 2010

George,

We had an AMAZING time in Belize. The directions you gave to the house were spot-on. We had to figure out pretty quickly that road signs in Belize will tell you the destination of the highway. But not necessarily the name of the highway you're on. Regardless, we never got lost. We met Jean right away. She was very polite and gave us a quick tour of the house. It had all the amenities that we needed: linens, pots, pans, hammocks. Also, you are correct, there was no need to use the A/C. We tried it the first night and were freezing. By the third night, we didn't even use the bedroom fans. The ocean breeze pretty much cooled us off. We were amazed by your use of the various Belizian hardwood. We were joking how expensive it would be in the States to have that approach to our houses. One thing I can not stress enough is the perfect location of your house. It's a bit secluded. Yet a 5 minute walk to the bars/restaurants in town. Also, the beach right in front of the house was amazing. It's very clean and tranquil. We used Eagle Ray tours for Monkey River and Sea Horse to go snorkeling/diving. Both were great experiences. Our guides were very patient, well-informed, and comical. We patronized Da Thatch, Tutti Frutti, Secret Garden (for massages), and Cozy Corner quite a bit. But our favorite place to eat was Omar's Creole Grub. We loved the mom & pop feel to it. It was there that we were introduced to Snook. I think I had it like four times that week. Overall our stay at your house was FANTASTIC. Our goal was a relaxing vacation. Your house and Placencia hit the spot. I definitely would recommend your house to family/friends. Thank You Very Much!!!

Dennis

Michael

July 12, 2010

George,

Your house is a wonderful place to get away from the rat race, the guys doing the demo work on the small house to the North could be a little loud but otherwise very friendly. You have everything labeled and all the items you would expect to have, even some that are very thoughtful. I hope Jean let you know we left the house as we found it, we pride ourselves on being good house guests. Since we have stayed in Placencia before, we ended up using Avadon Diving they are a fantastic operation and would suggest you add them to your references. Sea Horse looked to be closed and out of business just an FYI. I need to send you a check for $60 as we ended up needing the air conditioner a few nights. Overall we would recommend your house and Jean as one of the better places we have stayed, I wouldn’t change a thing. Best Regards,

Michael

Mona

April 5, 2010

Hi George,

We enjoyed your home as our favorite part of our trip. It was just lovely & so clean. I hope we left it as clean for the next guests. I can't think of anything I would change ( except for a clothes washer), there were plenty of supplies & lots of breezes! The neighbor's radio was a bit loud but could have been worse. We did the Monkey River tour with the people you recommended & they we great. Gene also did some snorkeling & kayaking & enjoyed it very much. Everyone we met was so friendly. We posted our comments in your guest book. Thank you so much for helping make our vacation enjoyable, Sincerely,

Mona

Sara

March 3, 2010

Hi George,

Well, we are back in Minnesota. We had a great time in Placencia (again) – and enjoyed life at Easy Street II. Thank you for sharing this comfortable place with us. Our friend, Judy did not make it – so it was Bev & I. All was good at the house – we talked with your neighbor, Victor … met Ringer, the raccoon … got to know Rasputin the cat, too. Everything was in good working order and we had no problems. I did notice that on the “back” deck (facing Lydia’s) – a hive of hornets or wasps was trying to move in behind the siding. They seemed to have an entrance right in the corner – to the left of the window over the kitchen range. If the colony grows, they might be a problem. I thought you would want to know.

When Judy returns from her sailing adventure – the three of us plan to get together and discuss plans for next year. You can bet that Placencia and Easy Street are on the list.

I will keep in touch … My Best Wishes to You Always …

Sara

David

February 20, 2010

Thanks for sharing your house with us. We had a great time!! It was great to stay in a place that feels like a lived in house, rather than a vacation rental. The neighbors were no problem, everyone was very friendly. I really cannot think of a single thing that could improve your place, it is perfect.

Thanks again - we hope to be able to stay at Easy Street again.

David

Lynn & John

November 17, 2009

Hi George. Thank you so much for renting us your lovely home. The attention to detail and craftsmanship was a pleasure to experience and the location was ideal for the laid back time we were looking for on this trip. Your place is well equipped which made cooking easy. It might be useful to provide some instruction on how to purchase fresh local fish from the co-op.

We used Brian for a dive tour and were very impressed with the attention to safety and the friendly professionalism of Dorian as the dive master. A neighbor showed Lynn how to get to the coconuts. I understand your concern about a grill and fire hazard. But maybe a small propane grill as a compromise to enable great preparation of the snapper and lobster. Oh, a lobster cracker would be handy. Your generous provision of linens and beach towels was also thoughtful. We've already recommended the house to friends. Let me close by saying that we hope to return to your home in Placencia in the future.

Thanks again, John W.

Hi George and Jean, your house and our vacation exceeded our expectations in every way. We absolutely loved your home away from home, Placencia and Belize, and we'd love to return. We were impressed by so many features of your home but the use of the native woods and the craftsmanship was especially impressive and it was sooooooo comfortable. The well designed floor plan, use of space and the fantastic cabinets in the kitchen and all of the rooms was impressive-not to mention you have the best location in town! One of our traveling companions, had never been to the tropics and she could not have enjoyed herself more-thanks in part to the dolphins who greeted us with a show on our first day as we swam in front of your house. We enjoyed sea kayaking, a Monkey River tour, the incredible seafood and fruits, and naturally the local folks and scenes. And the weather was great. Thank you for the tip on buying duty-free liquor in Belize City, and your mighty blender. I became an expert at making fresh fruit, frozen rum drinks.

Thank you for referring us to Seahorse Diving. They were amazing, very friendly, professional and safety-minded. When we went out to Silk Caye I had a great experience (hadn't been diving in over 25 years) and loved it. They grilled a huge snapper for lunch which impressed us all.

I couldn't think of a better way to spend my 50th birthday. My husband was so in love with your home and Placencia that when we arrived in Caye Caulker, he complained and sulked for an entire day. And our friends are still calling to rave about the trip.

Thank you for sharing your amazing home. We really do want to return one day.

Best, Lynn W.

Floy

July 22, 2009

Hi George! Sorry to take so long to get back to you - we didn't actually get back until a few days ago and we've been trying to catch up with everything here. We loved your house and we had an absolutely wonderful time. By the time the girls got to Placencia they had been traveling for several days and really needed the R & R. They had a little bit of a tricky time getting out of Honduras - buses weren't running in parts of the country due to roadblocks, but they caught a ride with some people they knew of in San Marcos. The ride entailed going a round about way through the campo. They were also slowed up due to the imposed curfew. But they made it out - an experience to tell their future children. Tom and I were so glad to see them! They actually arrived about an hour before Tom and I, and Jean was very gracious and let them have the key. You must have mentioned them to Jean. Thank you!

You have such a beautiful home. We all enjoyed relaxing on the deck, watching the ocean, the sunsets and the weather. We also enjoyed exploring Placencia and eating out at some of the many restaurants.

We did take a day trip with Tony and it was a great day. He picked us up at the house and took us to Laughing Bird Caye. While the four of us were snorkeling in the morning, Tony was busy fixing us a wonderful lobster lunch. He made us a fresh salad that was delicious. I enjoyed talking to him during lunch - he's an engaging, interesting man. After lunch we all snorkeled and Tony showed us more things in the water.

We also did the Monkey River trip booked through Donna. It was an interesting trip, seeing a different part of Belize. I can't say that we enjoyed the mile walk through the forest - good grief, how did people ever live in such an environment, with the heat, humidity and mosquitoes? But it was very interesting, seeing blue crabs that climb trees, howler monkeys, etc. We ate lunch at the village and it was good.

We did not do the Cockscomb tour as Hailey had already done this one.

Things that we appreciated:
1. Information about the beer in the storage shed and how to save money by exchanging the bottles. There was cold beer in the frig when we arrived, wonderful after a long trip.
2. Beach towels
3. Condiments and extras like coffee filters in the house

Suggestions:
1. My husband would have liked to have a machete in the house. It is very difficult to crack open a coconut without one. But we understand why you might not want your guests running around with a machete. :)

Jean was wonderful both when we arrived and when we were leaving. Gracious lady. Your caretaker Jose also did a good job taking care of the property. He's very conscientious.

Thanks again for letting us stay in your lovely home, it was the best place we stayed at on our trip. We tried to take care of it like it was ours.

Floy

Raegen

April 23, 2009

George, We had such a wonderful time in Placencia. Your house is terrific. We spent a fantastic week lying on the beach, playing Scrabble and Monopoly, and managing occasionally to walk over to the market for beer and other necessary supplies or up to Da Tatch for breakfast or dinner. We managed to get some coconuts, and the guy who came to rake the leaves took pity on us and showed us how to open them. I was stunned by the size of the papayas. My mom surprised me by having a birthday cake made by a local woman named Merlene, I think the name was; who has a cafe/bakery across from Yolia's bar. It was an incredible cake. I spent my 40th snorkeling at Laughingbird Caye, thanks to Donna and the NiteWind crew, who were great. We came home with a couple of nice wood carvings courtesy of Tyrone and the guys at the wood carving shop. We were grateful for Margie's assistance. I left it to my stepfather to settle up with her since he had been the point of contact, and I hope he did so in a generous manner.

When I said goodbye to Margie at the Belize City airport I was dealing with a very tired three year-old who had decided she was ready to go home right away, no more waiting, so I'm afraid I wasn't able to adequately convey to Margie how glad we were for her help. All was well at the house. We were without power and water for about a half-day midweek, which we took in stride. Jean came over and made the water come back on, after the power returned and we figured there must be a glitch somewhere. We never were able to locate the pump for the air mattresses, but didn't end up needing them. I was very taken with Placencia. Everyone there was so genuinely kind. I completely understand how it is that Americans end up moving there permanently. I will probably pass on your contact information to friends, as I find I'm getting asked a lot of questions about the house. I wouldn't send anyone irresponsible your way. We hope to be able to return. Thanks again.

Raegen

Jason

April 21, 2009

Every thing was perfect George. Jean was great, weather was good. I went with Avadon divers, they were good. The house was perfect, you didn't need the air conditioner. at all. Kitchen was great and every one that came by said it was the nicest shower that they had ever seen. All in all probably the closest to heaven that a guy like me will get. Thank you very much for the opportunity to stay at your house.

Jason

Chrystal

January 08, 2009

We've been back in Chicago for a week and are already wishing we could return to Placencia. Your beautiful house offered so much tranquility. It was clearly the nicest place to stay & sits on the best piece of beach around. We loved listening to the waves and feeling the constant sea breeze. The village was full of character and the people were very friendly. We had a most memorable, fun day- trip through the Jaguar Preserve, led by Doyle. Our Monkey River jungle trip, led by Percy, was also exciting. Thank you for recommending these tours. Relaxing all week on the beach & on your veranda allowed us to come home stress-free. Thank you for sharing your home. Without it, our vacation would not have been so perfect. We look forward to returning a third time.

Thanks again! Chrystal

Cathy and family

May 09, 2008

Hi George, After our visit to Placencia, we went to Ambergris Caye for 4 days - we just arrived home this morning. We LOVED your house and we LOVED Placencia! We could think of no improvements that would make it more comfortable - you had everything we needed and more! The towels were plentiful as well as all the paper products-paper towels, and toilet paper (with 3 girls and myself, this was a big plus!) We cooked breakfast every morning and used the blender for pina coladas almost every afternoon. We really appreciated the little things - salt and pepper, a little butter, coffee, coffee filters, sugar - things we would not use much of, so it was great not to have to buy them... Thanks so much for the welcome bottle of wine - it made us feel very welcome and happy to be there! Michael was waiting for us at the airport and got us directly to the house - thank you for arranging that!

The hammocks were well used by all my girls!! They LOVED your house, but unfortunately this lead to disappointment with our accommodations at a hotel in Ambergris Caye - even though it had a pool, restaurant, etc. it did not compare in their eyes! They missed the privacy, hammocks, spaciousness, tranquility, hometown feel, etc. of your house and Placencia. We used Splash Dive for the Whale Shark Tour - we saw a whale shark, so what more can we say??!! That made the day for us! It was quite an experience to be out in the deep ocean - food was yummy and plentiful. Tour left an hour late, but the captain and guides watched over us quite well. Looks like a new house was being built next door to you while we were there...it was going up quick! On our last day, someone had put out a water basin at the bottom of the steps for us to wash off our feet - not sure if that was supposed to be there every day - it was nice. We found the locals to be very friendly and we felt pretty safe - my daughter "lost" a pair of sandals that she believes she left on the front deck. Not sure what happened with that...we often left multiple pairs of sandals on the front deck, so it would have been odd to have only one pair wander off... That's all for now - we miss it already! Hope to visit again! Thanks so much for everything!!

Cathy

Steve Lamb

February 27, 2008

Hi George, First, We had a wonderful time. The house is beautiful. Extra touches like the labeled wood and photos really helped us connect. Your 'welcome packet' was very useful as well. I don't believe we had any issues whatsoever. However, I did break a lamp in the main bedroom when the wind blew the curtains across it, and I offered to pay for it to Jean, but she told me it was old and not to worry about it. The guys pointed out a hinge screw that needed to be redrilled to her as well. As far as constructive criticism goes, I guess I can offer the following. You might want to include a checklist of things you would like guests to do on their way out. I.E., Put towels in X, wash dishes, turn out lights etc. (Check out time? repair issues?) We did everything that seemed 'normal' (Dishes, clean counters etc.,) to us as we left, but that might save Jean some trouble and insure that things are as you like it.

Your communication level was great in terms of booking and other info we really had zero complaints or issues. Your house is wonderful and Placencia is a fantastic place. The quicktime movie on your site is a brilliant idea and accurately portrayed everything. Tipping? We tipped Jean when we left, not knowing if it was expected or not, but she had a lot of laundry to do and we were glad to do it. We used Nitewinds for all of our trips and loved them. The owner's (Donna, She was a hoot.) son took us on our Cockscomb trip and he was FANTASTIC! He had a blend of showmanship, knowledge and confidence that helped shape an exceptional experience. That was the trip we met Ed on. I showed him and his wife the house on the day we left. We had Ian for our Monkey River trip and requested him for our fishing and snorkeling trip. A solid professional guide with a good sense of humor and passion for his job. I would not hesitate to recommend Nitewinds to anyone. Feel free to use any of this e-mail as a reference and to give out my e-mail as a reference. If you wish, I'll send you links to some pictures. Feel free to use them. In closing, thank you. I consider it a privilege to have stayed in your home. I earned major cool points with my friends when they saw it. I found Placencia to be warm and comfortable, no bad vibes at all. I'm already thinking about going back.

Cheers, Steve Lamb Washington, DC

Erin

December 15, 2007

Hi George, I think I finally have a moment. Things can be a little hectic after returning from holidays. We had a great time in Placencia. We fell in love with your home. It is absolutly beautiful. I'm not sure if there is anything we would change about it. We thought some lay down beach chairs would be nice. Other than that we loved everything about it. Jean is a very sweet lady. We only had to call her once to get into the safe. WD40 trick.... This was a second time to Placencia so we had kept in touch with some of the locals there, who we used for all of our excursions. Thanks again for everything and we will definitly be staying in your home again.

Erin

Wendy

November 02, 2007

Hi George...we had a great time..your house is amazing..it is so beautiful...I hope we cleaned up after ourselves well when we left. Jean was really nice.....was it Margie from the travel service..anyway we found her at Belize airport when we arrived and she booked our return flight from Placencia to Belize city...plus her daughter met us at the Belize city airport when we arrived on our return home..how nice was that...these types of gestures don't occur here at home. We met Victor....he was very friendly. George ,we had an amazing time in Placencia and if we should return we would rent from you again if you would have us. We did the monkey river and mannatee watch plus a morning snorkeling with Ocean motion......Bernard was really good to us.....we had a great time..he went out of his way to show us things. Everyone in Placencia was very friendly and helpful. No problem with the ATM machines.....ate seafood every night...Mmmm! We got you a blender as we required afternoon pina coladas while we lounged in the hammocks! We rented bikes from Daisey ice cream place and rode to Seine Bight......we watched dolphins play in the bay twice......we walked along the beach in the morning in our p.j.'s with our coffee. We have now returned home well rested...tanned and happy! Thanks again George and we would surely recommend your home to others should they be interested in going to Placencia. We also left you a small gift to show you part of our culture here on the west coast of B.C. I hope you like it.

Wendy

Evelyn & John

April 09, 2007

Hi George Your home is wonderful, absolutely awesome!!. immediately upon seeing just the outside we all realized we'd lucked into something special. We travel alot, have been disappointed alot ,so our expectations are guarded. We hope for the best and expect the worst. Easy Street is easily a 10 star accommodation in our eyes, We loved the privacy, quiet, cleanliness serenity and the beauty It was much more than we ever hoped for. One of the reasons we traveled during spring break is that my neice was with us. She has never had much and doesn't expect much. John and I felt we needed a quiet relaxed safe place to take her with limited outside access. We were hoping some isolation from phones, cars and other everyday stimulation could start some healing, bonding and trust. The minute Jean left my niece announced this was her new home and she never wanted to leave, She set up her side of the double bedroom with her few things and kept it immaculate all 7 days. Her and John went fishing and she cooked us the barracuda she caught in your wonderful kitchen. She sat for hours in front of easy street digging for shells and enjoying the sound of the waves. She told us she never felt safer or happier her whole life. It was wonderful to see this child so happy and finally able to open up a little.

Your front porch was the perfect therapy tool for sharing, talking and bonding. It was very hard to get her to leave the house, she wanted to always stay in "her favorite place in the world" She swept the floors, did the dishes and tidied up everyday without me ever asking, this was her heaven.(she is 15, this is not usual for a teenage) My son in college at UT Austin also requested a quiet place since he studies hard even on vacation. He is not much for shopping or going constantly and was elated at the endless study spots available, hammock, beach, leaning up against a coconut tree. We were all very pleased with Easy Street. John and I own some properties in popular vacation spots and quit allowing other people to stay there because they do not care for things the same way owners do. We felt incredibly lucky you allowed us into your paradise. I will give you some input because you have asked for it, not because it is a complaint. Your home was perfect. We enjoyed the wood the wood the wood, thank you for marking it, we all picked out our favorites We enjoyed the stocked kitchen and the way food was shared from the last guests. I wished a couple times I'd known how expensive food was. With two teen-agers with endless hunger I could have easily packed the empty duffel bag we take to bring home cultural goodies with snack bars, jerky, can of dried gator aide, tuna, etc. Another water tub to get sand off feet at the top of the stairs might be good. It seemed one was good w/ the adults but the kids needed the second run.

I took along all the games you already thoughtfully provided. Where do you want the dirty laundry put? I didn't like putting wet stuff in the big bathroom drawers Working with Margie and her son was nice treat for some Belize city culture. Emilio is a character and shares alot of fun history, My son is a linguistics major and they had alot of fun with the Creel .Emilio helped him find some books at a out of the way bookstore. Also my niece is Crystal and he helped us find her a Crystal Water sign to take home with her. he helped us look for manatees. He also lived in Placencia a couple years so has alot of information about there also. Margie is the only way to go at the airport, this was one of the best tips you gave us. Your rental is PERFECT, anyone who complains doesn't deserve to stay there. Easy street does exist!!!! Please remember us, we would love to visit again.

Evelyn

Marcia and family

April 04, 2007

Dear George, We all truly felt that we had the nicest accommodation in all of Placencia. Just the right distance from the village. And the location right on the water was ideal. We appreciated that the grounds were kept nicely groomed and clean as well (yes, we did see iguanas - green and brown). The house was a joy to be in - completely and beautifully furnished and exquisitly designed - with the wood so gloriously displayed.

We certainly had everything we needed down to the smallest detail. Margie was a great help to us, as we missed our connection to the flight leaving for Placencia at 3:20. When she realized we would not make the flight, she immediately ran and signed us up for the last remaining one leaving at 5:00. If she hadn't done that and the flight had filled, we would have had to spend the night in Belize City. So she saved the day. And Jean saved the day for us when we were about to depart. We tried and tried to get a taxi that would get us to the Placencia airport on time. Finally we called Jean who took care of things in no time. Again, she saved the day. She also answered several questions we had about the village and other things that came up during the week.

Both Margie and Jean were very pleasant to work with, aside from being so helpful. We appreciated having the brooms and dustpan. As much as we tried to keep sand off the beautiful floors, we found ourselves sweeping 2 or 3 times a day! We certainly told all our friends about the house and will recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Placencia. Thank you very much for the thoughtful way you put the house together and the instructions you gave. We had a wonderful time!

Marcia

Scott Nicolarsen

January 24, 2007

George, All went well- thank you so much for the use of your house. I hope we did not wear your hammocks out- we sat in them sooooo much. You truly have the finest place of its kind in Placencia. If you ever need a reference for people interested in staying don't hesitate in giving them my number. I will vouch for you and the quality of the house. First class.

Thanks again. Scott

Chrystal

October 05, 2006

George, We really enjoyed our last stay at your place. It really was a "piece of paradise". We look forward to the next time.

Thanks, Chrystal

Sue

October 04, 2006

I was here the beginning of September and it is truly an absolute piece of paradise. The home is very welcoming and well equipped and the hammocks are just a special touch! I will return here soon.

Sue