When I think of choosing a villa for a Caribbean vacation, the first thing
that comes to my mind is the view. Yes, each house may have the latest DVD,
satellite TV and gorgeous French fabrics in the sunroom, but what I want to
know is, is there a special place where I can sit and watch the world go by?
I had a chance to visit more than 50 villas and hotels this summer on
Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barts and the ones that stood out to me were
the ones with a view – more specifically my view. It seemed they all had a
view of either gardens bursting with color or rolling surf, distant islands
and the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea. But on St. Barts there was one spot
in particular where I stepped out onto the terrace and spied a bright yellow
fishing boat bumping out of the harbor, heading out to sea. I could see
passengers scampering off the ferry and merchants hawking their wares on the
street. Someone else may choose to watch the waves break on Anses des Cayes
or track an island schooner sailing north to St. Martin, but watching the
hustle and bustle of the harbor would be my choice.
WIMCO clients have tastes as varied as the dozens of villas I visited in the
islands. My job here is to match those who enjoy the hustle of the port with
the harbor view and to place those seeking solitude in front of an endless
stretch of ocean. Let me rewind and tell you that I officially started with
WIMCO in September. Unofficially I began with WIMCO in early August when I
accompanied WIMCO reps Lidy Schalekamp and Alison Hentley on a three-island,
10-day Caribbean whirlwind. Before joining WIMCO I worked for 14 years with
one of the first walking tour companies, the Wayfarers. The Wayfarers is a
20-year-old British company that organizes exclusive walking tours in the
U.K., Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and the
United States. I worked hard to develop personal relationships with my
clients in order to find just the right “view” for each and every one.
Finding that secluded curve of sand, or, depending on my client, that
hopping penthouse in the thick of it all is now my job at WIMCO.
Alison (from our London office) Barbara and Lidy (whose taking the picture)
