My husband and I have just returned from a holiday at Elsewhere and were delighted! It’s hard to know where to start as it was all so nice and relaxing. I have never written a review before but was so impressed decided I would share our experience although I did feel like keeping this little bit of paradise to myself!
The staff were great, nothing was too much trouble. When we arrived men were ready and waiting to carry our bags all the way over what turned out to be a very stable bridge; I thought it would be swaying all over the place but is in fact very firm. They carried the bags all the way to our tent and showed us where everything was. Although we didn’t need to contact the staff after hours there were staff in the grounds at all times, in addition to the security guards who were there, not for reasons of possible crime but rather to keep any non residents away so as to ensure our complete privacy.
We divided our stay between a house and a tent to get a flavour of both. Overall perhaps we preferred the tent but actually it would be hard to decide. The tent was luxurious – how many tents have a very comfy 4 poster bed! The bed clothes and pillow cases were spotlessly clean. These were changed completely every other day. There was a large cupboard in which to hang our clothes, which was lockable so we could keep our valuables in there safely.
A normal UK type WC and washbasin is installed along with a shower, which when we did bother to heat the water a few mornings, gave ample shower time for both my partner and I. We lived out of a suitcase in the tent but when you are only pulling out a bikini, t-shirt and shorts each day that really is no hardship.
Food. All I can say is delicious and lovely. Try everything once. Wine was also good and reasonably priced. In the evening I suggest you prebook a time to eat as it is very popular. The kitchen is not huge but is kept spotlessly clean by the kitchen staff and guests are welcome in there to speak to the staff if needed On one occasion we did wait 30 minutes for our food which was no hardship at all. On the evening in question we had not availed ourselves of the pre-booking service.
The House was also lovely – with the added advantage of air conditioning and a fridge. Again this was cleaned daily and was spotlessly clean. My husband kindly informed me that it was cleaner than our home – so he is going to get a duster for Christmas!
One occasion a moth flew in to say hello and a lovely little gecko peered through the window at me changing before scurrying back home into the bushes, doubtless frightened by what he saw!! Apart from that the wildlife stayed outside.
The windows were glazed, fitted and secured well and we also had indoor shutters for night time privacy.
The intercom from our house to the office was always answered promptly, although we only used it three times to book our evening meals times on days when we were going out and to book a taxi via reception. Be warned tho that the taxi will arrive on time (or at least it did for us) and we kept them waiting due to the slow pace of life we quickly settled in to, but they didn’t seem to mind at all that we were slow. The head waiter called round most late afternoon with menus for us to choose.
We found the strings of light over the estate quite romantic and you are provided with a torch per tent or house for seeing the path clearly at night. I would advise taking a torch for each other person tho if you all want to see clearer.
After paying for the accommodation on line when we booked we did not pay anything else until the morning that we left and that was settled by Visa. All the meals and drinks are signed for and they give you those receipts when you finally pay so that you can check the bill if you want to.
The beach was the quietest one I have ever seen, clean, warm and the swimming seemed very safe. One day it got very busy tho; six people over a half mile stretch!! Go dolphin watching early one morning with the fisherman and there’s a good chance you will see some dolphins but not guaranteed of course. We saw a shoal of six.
So all I can say is go to Goa and you will not be disappointed by Elsewhere - unless of course you want noisy night life complete with discos and clubs!!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC