Comfortable, private cottage; fabulous view; authentic village setting; swimming beach below. For couples/solo travelers looking for simple accommodation in a great location. Fully equipped kitchen (no oven); hot shower; high speed wi-fi; dual voltage plugs; security door. NO AC. Mosquito net, mosquito screens on windows, fans, constant breeze. Free parking. Washing machine; private garden area; outdoor shower. 2 minute walk to beach below, 10-15 minute walk to village center (1 km). Wake up to the sound of ocean waves in Ti Kay Alèze, a breezy, comfortable small house ("ti kay") with a stunning view, ideally located on the outskirts of a charming, thriving, traditional fishing village. The balcony overlooks the ocean. You will be a stone's throw from the swimming beach, and within easy walking distance to the center of Laborie. Don, your host (Neti is co-host), is a professional diver/ kayak instructor. He is available to answer any questions and show you around. If you want to rent a kayak, or want diving recommendations, talk to him before or after you arrive. Ti Kay Alèze is a separate cottage located on the same property as Don's larger house. The balcony side of the house has fabulous view of the Caribbean ocean, including spectacular sunrises, gorgeous sunset colors, and a view of St. Vincent in the distance. The swimming beach at Rudy John Beach Park is just down the driveway, across the road, and down another driveway, or via some stairs through the Papel Art Center (where there is a good restaurant, a massage studio, and a small crafts store). True to its' name, which means "small relaxed house," the house is compact. However, it does have a roomy kitchen, fully equipped with pots and pans, utensils, cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, glasses, toaster, electric kettle, coffee maker, microwave, upright fridge, and plenty of counter space including a counter peninsula. There is a four burner propane cook-top. We provide cooking oil, salt, pepper, and spices, as well as enough coffee, tea, evaporated milk, and bottled water for your first several days; and some local bread and butter for your first breakfast. The private bathroom is en-suite, with an on-demand hot water shower. There is a washing machine for your use just outside the entry door, and a washing line in the garden area. Most homes in St. Lucia do not have running hot water in the kitchen sink, and Ti Kay Alèze is no exception. If you want to heat water for doing dishes, there is an electric kettle. Ti Kay Alèze has a comfortable full-size bed with a mosquito net, two chests of drawers, a table and two chairs, plus a stool for seating at the kitchen counter, a television (no cable, but it has an HDMI port) with remote, a ceiling fan, and standing fan. The switches for the lights are located near the bed, and there are both US style outlets (110v), and UK style outlets (220v). You will most likely spend a lot of time on the balcony, where there are two deck chairs and a table. Eating dinner on the balcony by the light of the moon, seeing the lights of Laborie reflected in the water across the bay, with the expanse of the ocean spread before you, and with the Caribbean night-time chorus of insect noises and the sound of ocean waves below... that is something we hope you will enjoy very much. Mosquitos are part of life in St. Lucia, but we do our best to minimize their effect on daily life. There are mosquito screens on all the windows, as well as a screen door on the entrance door (from garden). There is a sliding glass door to the balcony, which we suggest you close at sunset and sunrise; the rest of the time there is a constant breeze so that keeps the mosquitos at bay, and you will have the mosquito net at night. There is a security door so you can safely leave the sliding door open at night for the breeze. Your private garden area comes complete with a picnic table and hammock (it needs to be put away at night in case of rain). A large mango tree provides welcome shade, as well as fruit when in season (summer). The large deck area beside the cottage is a shared space with Don, and is a great place to hang out if you have visitors; there are several lounge chairs. There is also an outdoor shower for when you return from the beach. You will have access to your private garden area and private balcony, as well as a large patio to the side of the studio. The patio has lounging chairs. Your will have the use of a barbecue, washing machine, laundry line, hammock, and outdoor shower. The washing machine is right outside the cottage and is for your exclusive use. You may park in the driveway. Don, the owner of the property, lives downstairs in the big house that is next to Ti Kay Aleze, with his daughter, Kerissa, year round. Neti lives upstairs in the big house with her partner Lafayette, but not year round. Between us we will be able to greet you, answer any questions, and help you in any way that you need within our power, just ask. Ti Kay Aleze is located in a residential neighborhood at the edge of the small seaside village of Laborie. It is situated just across the street and up a hill from Rudy John Beach Park; the beach there is great for relaxing in the shade of palm trees, and is considered to be one of the safest spots for swimming in the country due to the protective reef; you can enjoy snorkeling inside and outside the reef, not extremely spectacular but still a lot of fun, so bring your water shoes or fins and swim goggles! At the Art Center above the beach there is an excellent restaurant/snack bar called Aquarius on the Bay, that is open for lunch every day but Sunday, and open for dinner by reservation. On the beach itself is a small bar where you can get a drink, and sometimes they have music. Across the street from the beach is a friendly, quiet bar run by Miss Best, and just up the road is Miss Karen's convenience store. It's a 10 or 15 minute walk to the center of the village where there are several other restaurants. At times there is loud music (sometimes Karaoki, which is very popular in St. Lucia) played at the bar on the beach, or by people who bring their personal loudspeakers to the beach. We have no control over that, and the sound carries, so at times it can be noisy (or musical, depending your taste in music) at the house. You will also hear passing traffic, barking dogs, and roosters crowing in the morning. Such is life in St. Lucia! Our goal is to provide quality affordable accommodation for those travelers wishing to experience life in a non-resort St. Lucian village. It is a short walk along the road to the center of the village where there are several small grocery stores, and a Saturday early morning vegetable market. There are a couple of Creole restaurants in the village: Mama Rose by the square, Big Bamboo by the square, and Mama Tilly opposite the Police Station. There is also a café, at the bottom of the road leading up to the Catholic Church, that does espresso drinks as well as breakfast and snacks. You will need cash for the restaurants. You can usually pay with US dollars, but the exchange rate won't be as good as at the bank; such is the cost for convenience. Besides Rudy John beach right near the house, there are a few other beaches you can walk to: Titou at the other end of the village on the other side of the headland, the beach by the playing field, and Saphire beach, which is a short walk up the road in the direction of Choiseul. You can do a hike up to Morne Le Blanc lookout point if you don't mind hiking up a steep hill, or drive up - the view is spectacular. We are located about 20 minutes drive from Hewanorra airport (UVF), 10 minutes drive from a large grocery store (Massy) at La Tourney, 15 minutes from the town of Vieux Fort (where there are many shops including another Massy, and several banks with ATMs). In the opposite direction it's about 40 minutes drive to Soufriere, where you can visit the Sulphur Springs and other attractions. About 10 minutes drive on the way to Choiseul, in Lafargue, is a bank, and another Massy supermarket. You can reach Castries and further north going either via Vieux Fort (faster), or via Soufriere (very scenic, but the road is more windy so it takes longer). There is a driveway going up to the house. If you have a vehicle you can park in the driveway very close to the house. You can walk down to the beach in about 2 minutes, or to the village in about 10 minutes. There is a convenience store just up the road, a very pleasant and quiet bar next door, and a restaurant, Aquarius on the Bay, across the street. There are frequent mini buses from Laborie to Vieux Fort. You can catch a bus to Vieux Fort either on the road below the house, or from the bus stop next to the Laborie Credit Union in the middle of the village. To go to Choiseul or Soufriere, it's often best to take a mini bus to Vieux Fort and then backtrack. St. Lucian mini bus drivers wait at their origin point for the bus to be full before leaving, and only stop along the road if they have space. You can wait for the Choiseul/Soufriere mini bus at the bus shanty across the street if you want to, but it just might take awhile for one to stop. From Vieux Fort, at the roundabout, you can catch a mini bus to Castries for a very low cost (about $9ec/less than $4us). To get to the beach you simply walk down the driveway (it is steep but not long, and has steps along the side), cross the street, and then walk either through the Papel Art Center gates (if they are open), and down some stairs from the restaurant, or down another short steep driveway (on the left) alongside the Papel Art Center. There are other beaches a short walk away in either direction. A rental car is not a necessity, but if you do want to get one we can recommend several local companies that will deliver the car to the house, and pick it up when you are done, so you don't need to get one at the airport. The best price we have seen recently for a rental car is about $55US a day including insurance (one day free if you rent for a week). You will need an International Driving Permit (good for a year, you can get it at AAA for example), or a St. Lucian Driving Permit (about $20, good for a month, and you can ask the rental car company to arrange it for you). There is no air conditioning as it's not really needed, plus it would raise the price considerably. There is a constant breeze from the sea, a ceiling fan, and a standing fan. If AC is a must, please look elsewhere; there are great places in Laborie that offer AC, they are just a bit more expensive. Our price is also lower than most because the space is a "tiny house" of less than 200 square feet, and only has space for either a couple, two very close friends/family, or a single person. Ti Kay Aleze is situated a stone's throw from the beach, and above a main road. At times the beach pulses with energy; at other times the serenity is breath taking. However, we have no control over music played by the bar at Rudy John Beach Park, or by people playing their car stereos at the beach or elsewhere. St. Lucian villages tend to be noisy, with dogs barking, roosters crowing, traffic passing by, and at times, neighbors playing amplified music. Most often you will hear reggae, country or soca music, so it's not necessarily a problem. Most of the time we find it is very peaceful. At times, especially after a strong rain fall, all of Laborie (and elsewhere) will have the municipal tap water cut, so it's important to have a large water storage tank, which we do have, and it is high up enough to give good water pressure...so no worries about that! The large deck to the side of the house is for the shared use of guests and landlord, however we will do our very best to respect your privacy. The yard area, where the picnic table and laundry are located, is for your exclusive use, and there is a privacy screen. Check-out time is at noon, but can be flexible with prior arrangement, and depending how late you stay there may be a small extra charge ($10us); or we can store your luggage for you if we need access to the house to clean it. Likewise, you can check-in early, and there may be a small extra fee ($10) depending how early and how much extra work is involved. Be sure to give us plenty of notice if you are planning to arrive early or leave late. We will do our best to work with you. A ride to and/or from Hewanorra airport can usually be arranged with Don; there is an extra charge ($20 each way). Otherwise there are taxis from the airport (current rate is $30, and if needed we can book one for you). It is a good idea to stop at an ATM in Vieux Fort on the way to Laborie, as there is no ATM in Laborie, nor can you exchange currency in Laborie. You can also stop at the grocery store on the way from the airport, but if you arrive on a Sunday afternoon, most stores will be closed. We will provide some necessities so you don't need to forage for your first breakfast. We provide (at least) coffee, tea, milk, bread, butter, filtered water, and a few adult beverages (maybe those are better not for breakfast, but it's your choice). We also provide cooking oil, salt, pepper, and some other spices. If there is any additional shopping you would like us to do, please let us know, and we will be glad to do so; you can pay the bill when you arrive. The Massy grocery store accepts US dollars in bills smaller than $100, at the same exchange rate as the bank ($2.67EC/$1US). If you use US dollars in the village, the exchange rate might be lower ($2.5EC/$1US). You can change money at the Bank of St. Lucia, the closest branches are in Vieux Fort and Choiseul. There are ATMs in Vieux Fort and Soufriere. If arriving by ferry or to SLU airport in Castries, you will have to arrange transport by bus and/or taxi. We can help you find a taxi at a competitive rate, but it will still be in the neighborhood of $100us. The bus from Castries to Vieux Fort costs about $4us. A rental car is not a necessity, but does really help in getting to tourist destinations outside Laborie. If you do want to get one we can recommend several local companies that will deliver the car to the house, and pick it up when you are done, so you don't need to get one at the airport your very first day. Some companies (Drive-a-Matic for example) allow pick-up in Laborie and drop-off in the north or vice versa. Don has a double seater kayak available for rent (for experienced kayakers only, use at your own risk). You will need to ask him about it before or after you arrive if you would like to rent it. It can be stored at the beach near the playing field in the village. The cost is $100US a week or $20US a day. There is a very small studio apartment underneath the guest house that is occasionally rented out. Any guest staying there will not be coming upstairs unless Don invites them. If you have a guest coming for a night or two and you would like to see the space and possibly use it, you can speak to Don about it after you arrive. We welcome musicians, no worries about practicing and disturbing anyone.