Guests Who Hold Record for Longest Stay Explain why Secret Bay is their Favourite Caribbean Retreat

The first time Cliff and Irene came to stay with us, they came for an entire month. They told us their cottage was “a work of art which provided ‘luxury without pretentiousness,'” adding that they felt they were being held by a loving family. As retirees who love a long holiday abroad, the fact that they could choose to cook in their villa, or have us prepare meals and deliver to them, gave them the perfect balance of home comforts with the luxury service and treatment we all look forward to when we want to retreat from everyday life.

At the end of their first stay, they gave us a five star review, writing that, “Secret Bay is absolutely the most unique and wonderful resort we have visited in our 46 winters in the Caribbean.”

Considering Cliff and Irene have spent 46 years “researching” the best the Caribbean has to offer, we were humbled by that praise. And even more so by the fact that the following year they chose not continue their research, but instead to return to Secret Bay, and once again to come for a month.

During their second trip, Cliff and Irene made a point of exploring the island, which they said was “absolutely gorgeous.” They met with many of our islanders and got involved in everything, from excursions looking for Sisserou parrots with Dr. Birdie, to spending two days exploring parts of the island with Christine, a Swiss woman who has lived on Dominica for many years.

This was no ordinary tour, they said, but a real insight into our culture and people. “Through Christine we met other people and got a real sense of their warmth, hospitality and love of their island,” said Christine. She and Cliff even visited the house of one of Christine’s local friends, who prepared a delicious island lunch and introduced them to her mother, daughter and granddaughter.

Just as Cliff and Irene fell even more in love with Dominica, so too did locals grow increasingly fond of them; so much so that the night before they left for the second time, several of the people they had met during their stays drove from far and wide across our island all the way to Secret Bay just to say goodbye. Irene says she was “delighted and moved.”

How many stars did they give their second stay? “After our month this year,” wrote Irene, “we wish it were possible to give it 10 stars.”