We have traveled to dozens of islands all over the world. Mongoose is one of the few places my wife and I keep coming back to. It is restful, relaxing and real. The apartments are large and comfortable. They are simple and open to the outdoors. The lanai is a great spot to drink coffee, eat, read or do nothing. The grounds are lush and well tended. The apartments are thoughtfully furnished with all the necessities for a vacation. The owners, Sandra and Ellie, are there when you need them, while being non–intrusive and respectful of their guests’ privacy. The office has a great library and Wi-Fi. Mongoose is set back a few hundred yards from the beach behind dense vegetation. At the beach, the owners keep chairs, floats, kayaks etc. for guests’ use.

At Mongoose, we can cook or grill our meals, or eat out as we please. We simply stroll down the beach for meals, drinks, live music and maybe some dancing We’ve found we don’t need a car unless we want to do some exploring. All the essentials are available in Cane Garden Bay. For a wider selection of groceries or gifts, we’ve either rented a car for the day to shop in Roadtown, or asked Sandra to arrange a taxi to pick us up when we arrive and stop on the way to pick up groceries.

The only serpent in the garden though, is the cruise ships, whose passengers plague Cane Garden Bay and every island that allows them. Cane Garden Bay can become crowded from 11 to 3 on the days when the ships are in. Sandra will advise of the schedule, and recommend places to explore during these times. Otherwise, Cane Garden Bay has more pelicans than people. As an independent traveller couple, we think this the best place to stay in the Virgin Islands and a great value. We are always happy to arrive at Mongoose and never feel ready to leave.

I have stayed here several times, usually a week at a time.

Mongoose is at the best (quieter) end of a beautiful Bay. Access to the beach is via a trail through what I think is an old coconut plantation. Note there can be there can be bugs en route to the beach as on land in many places in the BVI and Caribbean generally.

The service by Sandra and Elroy at Mongoose has always been great for me. They are always there if you need them but never intrusive. I got great help and advice during an impending Tropical storm / hurricane last year. However don't let the thought major storms bother you - they rarely hit Tortola.

Mongoose apartments have pretty much all the facilities you need and the pretty well stocked grocery store is close by. I find the rooms very Caribbean and most suitable for the indoor / outdoor life close to the sea. (I am glad there are no carpets). I understand another review's comment about the a/c but I have not experienced problems in the past. In fact I do not usually run it even in summer, especially if you have a high room. I have stayed in quite a few hotels in Tortola (as well as boats) and can honestly say that for the price it is amongst the best values. As part of my escape from the storm mentioned above I did (due to airport and airline closures) stay for two nights at one of the better hotels around Road Town last year but wished I was back in C.G.B.

Cane Garden Bay is a wonderful place to decompress from the outside world but at Mongoose you still have some of the civilized trappings such as Cable TV and WiFi if you need them. Note cruise ship tours do not come to the bay that often. Anyway they tend to stay at the other end near the restaurant bars and are not there for very long. The water in CGB is beautiful, very calm clear.

My wife and I recently spent 10 days around Thanksgiving staying at the Mongoose Apartments. This marked our 8th or 9th time staying with Sandra. It's hard to keep track. The apartments have everything we need, and give us the ability to eat in if we desire. Breakfast on the balcony enjoying the scenery, and yes listening to the roosters, makes you feel part of the island experience you don't get at some mega-resort. We have thought about other vacation spots, but are always drawn back to Mongoose. There is just this relaxed vibe about the place, and the proximity to the beach is fantastic. A 3 minute walk down the road and you are at one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean with a half dozen bars and restaurants within walking distance. A 2 hour lunch with some conch fritters and a few cold ones at Stanleys makes for a good afternoon break. We even found "rum glazed turkey" on Thanksgiving @ Bananakeet. I agree with the other reviewers about renting a vehicle while you are there. Sandra is great about listing when the cruise ships will be in port, and the approximate size of the ships. Cane Garden Bay is a big attraction for cruise ship shore excursions, so we would usually take the vehicle and go to Brewers Bay, Josiahs Bay, or Smugglers Cove for a more relaxed beach experience. We have nothing against cruises. We just took one in May, 2011 which happened to stop @ Tortola. We rented a cab and took our friends to meet Sandra and to see Mongoose. When we think about future vacations, Tortola and the Mongoose Apartments are never far from our thoughts.

My wife and I really wanted a different vacation, somewhere that we felt like we could explore. The BVI is great for that and you are able to escape the commercialism of some of the other islands in the Caribbean. The mongoose apartments are a very nice alternative to a big hotel but the lack in amenities are very obvious. The room was great, double doors that you could open and experience the island air, and plenty of room. The kitchen was well stocked with cooking necessities as well as the bathroom. Our bed was comfy, however if sleep is a problem for you this may not be the place to stay. The roosters are cute for the first and maybe second day but after that get rather annoying. We did opt to pay for ac because it was quite warm when we were there in march and that ac didn't blow cold air. These are probably the biggest two problems that I noticed but I am super picky about room climate and noise because of insomnia. There were some bugs in the room, but this is somewhat to be expected with the openness that is desired.

The location is only a few hundred yards from the beach which happens to be a great spot. There were virtually no people on the beach for most of the days that we were on the island, except for the day the "cruisers" were docked. Sandra was very helpful with information about when we should do our exploring to avoid the masses.

If you go, do yourself a favor and rent a 4x4 vehicle and drive around the island. Some of the best beaches that we found took a bit of exploration. Driving isn't that hard, don't read to much into the reviews about it. Also make sure you go to Banana Keet for dinner at sunset. Definitely a sunset I will never forget and probably never duplicate.

Overall I think the Mongoose apartments are pretty darn good, however, for what you did actually get in relation to other properties I think they are a bit overpriced. If you are looking for that place off the beaten path this might be the place for you.