Volunteers Berthold and Hen. Views from the cottages. New Hammocks and poolside pillows. Here are just some extra pictures to show how nice everything looks. Precipation 1997 - 2007. Troy's half-brother Beau visits. Tom's vegetable garden. Improved solar shower system. Tree Frog gets a facelift. Volunteers stay another half year. News from the Garden. Man's Best Friend... Natural swimming pool. Steve McDougall from Sauna Kits in Canada and his friend David Pillon visited us in mid-June to install the new sauna. They were, as you can expect from professionals, done in a day and a half and it looks lovely. Now you can enjoy the sauna, alternate between the cold tub or the swimming pool and the hot tub, and start all over again. And all of that in the middle of nature at the edge of the rainforest! Steve, Dave and Mardji. As promised the hot tub for the Blue Tang is now available. Only the cover still needs to be decorated, but Tom and Mardji did a marvelous job building the stone wall and the deck. When the Heliconias and Ginger plants are fully grown it will be very private, and that won't take long. Volunteers Berthold and Hen. Berthold and Hen are back for annual maintenance and the greenery of the ecolodge gets a badly needed trim, resulting in more light and sun and less humidity in the cottages. Great job again Berthold and Hen! Views from the cottages. Our guests are often inquiring about the view from the cottages when they are making a reservation. Berthold and Hen created some extra views and here are the results: View from the Blue Tang. View from the Anolis. View from Tropic Bird. View from the Tree Frog. View from the Mt. Scenery Cottage. New Hammocks and poolside pillows. We bought some extra hammocks and new chaise cushions for the lounge chairs at the pool deck. Just to make our guests even happier. Here are just some extra pictures to show how nice everything looks. Herb garden Entrance covered with Passion Fruit. Heliconia with Red Heliconias. Hot tub at the Blue Tang cottage. Precipation 1997 - 2007. Tom has been monitoring rainfall for the last 10 years and this will give our guests a better idea about the dry and wet season. Just bear in mind that these figures are averages and that there is a lot of variation from one year to the next. Our cleaning ladies. Doris and Lina are doing a great job and they look very good too. Due to the great interest in the cottages with a hot tub, we decided to add a hot tub to the Hummingbird Cottage. Also the decorations of the cottage were refreshed. The cottage looks now even more lovely and the first guests sleeping there, Lawrence Roy and his wife, told us that they really enjoyed the hot tub at night while watching the stars. At this moment Tom is working on a hot tub for the Blue Tang cottage. This hot tub will not be on the deck but just in front of the cottage in the middle of nature. We will let you know as soon as the project is accomplished. New signs were installed because some guests were still having trouble finding the Ecolodge. And with Heleen's artistic touch they look good too! They include signs along the main road, so that even dummies should be able to find the Ecolodge now. Troy's half-brother Beau visits. Troy's half-brother Beau visited the Ecolodge today for the first time. It was great fun, greeting the guests, running around the garden and, of course, swimming in the fish pond. Beau just needs a little help getting out of the pond again. Since Beau's fur looks a bit fuzzy, you don't really notice that he's wet and dirty while checking out the vegetable garden. We can always clean him up in Dylan's bath in the evening. Tom's vegetable garden becomes more and more professional. The nursery includes several lettuce varieties and the cooperation with the Cuban expert who has set up an organic farming project is inspiring. Seeds and products are compared or exchanged. The two new volunteers get along well with each other and with the other staff. You can see them during their coffee break on the back porch of the restaurant. Alicia is volunteering for the second time. She is Tom's faithful help at breakfast. Michel has been on Saba for just two weeks and already feels completely at home. He just started his diving course and expects to remain on Saba for many years, just like some of the other Ecolodge volunteers. Almost all cottages at the ecolodge now have a warm water system consisting of a series of PVC pipes attached to the roof. The pipes are painted black to absorb the solar heat. They replace the solar bags that were used up till now. Advantages are that the water has more pressure and there is more warm water available. And the fixed showerhead allows you to wash your hair without having to stoop down. The water has cooled down by morning but in the afternoon it can be pretty hot. Our friend and volunteer Berthold Raadsen has visited us again. He did a lot of maintenance and painted several cottages. It's getting better all the time at the Ecolodge! He also decorated the island with his land art. A nice piece of land art was left on the Ecolodge property. Thank you so much Berthold! Our grandson and son of Bernt and Dana is already one year old. You will find him regularly at the ecolodge where he charms everyone with his good nature. He is of course very good friends with Troy. Want a little more luxury with your rainforest retreat? then try our new cottages with private hot tubs. Bird of Paradise- rates $75 low season $89 high season- includes modern hot shower with private hot tub on spacious balcony overlooking plunge pool. Mt Scenery cottage-rates $85 low $99 high, includes queen sized canopy bed, modern hot shower, kitchenette with small refrigerator and hot tub on secluded balcony hidden amongst the rainforests lush vegetation. Dylan Reece Groenendijk. Welcome Dylan! Daddy Bernt and Mum Dana, Opa Tom and Oma Heleen, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Ron, Wim and Johanna, the staff of the ecolodge (Kathy, Doris, Elizabeth) and many friends are all here to support you to get a fantastic life. Sad news. Tristan the hummingbird died. We are so sorry, as he did so well! At this moment we are busy renovating the Tree Frog Cottage. The cottage got a new toilet as the waterless composting toilet has been replaced by a flush water toilet with an outdoor composter. Also the colors have been changed as the light colors seemed to attract a lot of mildew. The neon lights are being replace with 12V 4 Watt lights that lasts longer than the old ones and give more light. We are recycling juice bottles for lampshades. The results will be stunning! The Flight of the hummingbird. Hummingbird Tristan did make his first flight. He is still drinking sugar-water and saves what he can;t use right away in pockets in his throat. We really have to be careful not to feed him too much because his little necks really swells and gets transparent. he's a brave little guy and is so tame that he regularly keeps our guests company in the restaurant. Huib, Sanna and Tijl decided to stay another half year as volunteers at the ecolodge. You will notice that they are as happy as we are about this extension when you have a look at their website http://huibsannatijl.blogspot.com/. Saint Eustatius archeologist Tristan Abbott found a deserted hummingbird- baby on the Mountainroad. He took the bird to his cottage at the ecolodge and started to feed the little critter sugar-water every half hour. As Tristan had to head back to Statia he left his baby to the care of the staff of the ecolodge. We can inform you that little Tristan is very much alive. On the picture you can see Tom feeding him some sugar-water from a teaspoon. News from the Garden. Finally Tom and Mardji, in cooperation with Kathy have been successful in growing a lot of tomatoes. They taste lovely and they look very pretty. Yellow and red cherry tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes are producing at the moment. Kathy and Heleen decided tha...

Quelle tranguilite, quel repos! Le vent et la temperature etaient parfaits. Refraichissant comparativement a St. Martin… Merci a vous tous, nous allons revenir tres bientot. Bravo pour vortre part a la preservation de l'environnement. Ian, Cynthia, Alixe. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Voila un WeekEnd que je ne suis pas pres d'oublier. D'un cote une nature qui m'a eblouie et les gens d'une sympathie remarcable. Que de merveilles. Merci encore pour tout : le sourire, l'acceuil et surtout pour ce petit coin de paradis ou j'ai passe la nuit, ne changez rien! Everything is so nice here, see you soon!!!! Franz. This place is so cute! Thanks for the good food and excellent service. Joe and Karly Steenholdt (Zeeland, Michigan). Thank you so much for everything! We absolutely enjoyed our stay here! It gave us a new and refreshing look on how to go on a holiday. It's amazing to be here, to enjoy the nature of Saba and your cooking. It was amazing! Again think you so much and keep up the good work. It is really special. Vera en Mark. Amersfoort. Holland. Dear Tom, Heleen, Bernt and Dana. Thank you for all you have shown and given us. Being here has been a tremendous inspiration, not the least to give the promises we made in Ladder Labyrinth Saba, you, and the ecolodge will now be part of our story, just as we hope we have contributed a small part of ours, if nothing else than at least by the many smiles and warm feelings we have exchanged. We very much hope to return and hope to find you here many times in the future. Our stay at the Ecolodge and Saba was very special and it will be engraved in our memories. The perfect stay, th great food by Bernt and explanation of our favorite marine expert Tom. The charm of Dana and unique paintings of Heleen give an impression of Paradise to the place. We will be back to this island protected from the crowd. The dives are the best I have done. All the best to your great family. Cristine and Peter. Thank you for educating us on you beautiful island. Dinner Delicious. We will return - stay well! Stan and Pam Dickerson. Belleville. Il USA. Scuba World. Never forget me. I am Alissa and this is a very cool restaurant and great quality of food, all natural! This place is environmentally friendly!!! Youpi! I'm glad you use candle instead of lights. Keep it up!! Thanks from my family and me. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This was our first time to the island and we've had a wonderful time. The food was wonderful, everyone has been so friendly and it's been a very relaxing and excellent experience. Thank you so much for all your hospitality - hopefully we can make it back soon! Laura Simpson Saba and Ecolodge both have so much to offer - from the friendly staff, the great food, the diving and hiking, our vacation was exactly what we hoped it would be, both relaxing and somewhat of an adventure. We hope to return someday! Ellen Simpson Richmond, VA. USA. Lawrene Denkers, Canadian (Bruce Trail) Volunteer Trailworker, 3 - 17 Feb. 2007. Thank you so much for a wonderful two weeks in Turtle. Harry and I were most impressed. We love the idea of the place and how you make it all work. Thanks, too, for the Wednesday night talk. It was good to know a bit about what we were seeing every day. Everyone was friendly and helpful; we were treated like kings. Your food is fantastic! We just wanted you to know. What a lovely spot, and what a great premise.. Drew Gollan Chief Officer, Sailing Yacht Felicita West, 21-25 January 2007. Just a quick note to say a very big thank you to you and all of the staff at the Ecolodge. Alena and I had a great time in Saba, and the Ecolodge was fantastic. We work extremely hard when we are on charter, and the environment we found at the Ecolodge was exactly what we needed to get away from it all. Katie Skibinski and Jesse Dosher, January 2007. To all at the Ecolodge, Just wanted to write and convey our huge thanks for making our short visit to Saba such a memorable one! We loved our lodge, had a great time hiking all over the island, ate fantastic food at a couple of Windwardside's restaurants, and were constantly amazed at Saba's beauty. And, as someone on your testimonials page wrote, we were totally amazed that local celebrity Tom made us breakfast (and served us dinner)! Wow! You have built something really special, so keep up the great work. We have already recommended the Ecolodge to friends and we hope to visit again soon. Thanks again. Sophie Le Guellaff, Anguilla, September 2006. I have to write to thank you and your team, for the peace and the magic of ecolodge!! We had a great time, we felt totally spoiled by all the intentions and the treats and the excellent food, the welcoming of your team!! We will be back, soon enough. Andy Nicole Baker, NY, NY. August 2006. Let's see... Tom, the owner, founded the marine parks in Bonaire, Curacao and Saba, has written several naturalist tomes on Saban flora and fauna, is a renowned authority on marine and topside ecosystems, AND HE COOKED US BREAKFAST!!! We're not worthy! Thanks for an excellent stay! Sandra Purchase, Canada, March 2006. Once again I had a delightful time staying at your lovely Ecolodge. Your thoughtful additions have made it an even more enjoyable place to be. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful view out to the ocean from the new deck. Thank you for your kind hospitality and please send my thanks to Bernt and Dana for the delicious meals and friendly atmosphere. David Maggi Bennett, Feb. 2006. Just to say how much we enjoyed our stay in Turtle Ecolodge last month. You were all so friendly and helpful. We had a great time on Saba - what a contrast (pleasant) to Sint Maarten! Scott Cameron and family. (Canada) January 2006. We've taken the boys to California for a month to the west coast of Canada the Pacific Northwest several times and I can safely say, even though we always had a great time on our holidays, the trip to Saba was the best holiday we've ever had. My friends at work grilled me about Saba for the 4 evenings I worked this week. One of the guys I work with has a sister who has wanted to go to Saba for a long time our trip has re energized her for it. Carole et Frederique (Guadeloupe) November 2004. Quatre journees merveilleuses et hors du temps. La simplicite a bon gout et nous en avons profite a 100%. Repos, sport et gastromonic. Nous gardons un merveilleux souvenir qui nous ferons partager a nos amis tres bientot. Merci de votre gentillesse toute en discretion. James Bauckman (California/Sint Maarten) November 2004. It is so refreshing to know people care about the human spirit and the environment and the health of the world I've been more relaxed and motivated in the last 24 hours than I have been for my entire 3 month experience in the Caribbean. Thank you so much for our stay here. We will most definatly be back soon. Peter en Rudy Vossen Vrenken (Nederland.) September, 2004. Een oase van rust, mooie natuur (prachtig) Hele mooie wandelroutes en het eten was uitmuntend goed. Kan ik alleen iedereen aanraden. Patrick Raemaekers. (Limbo oet Statia), John, Gies, Nick, Lana Allertz. (Limburg Nederland ) August 2004. V'r hobbe heerlijk genoote van de sjoon plentjes, beesjes en palmbuimkes. De wanjeling gans nao baove, de Mt. Scenery op waas wonjersjoon. In ein woard magnifique. Maar wie v'r op zaoterdig aovond rondj 7 oer truuk kwoome mit de taxi oet Windwardside en vreselijke dors haddewoar d'r nieks te kloeke. Mao 5 minute ergere, waerde del al sjnel vette lol. Vaol sjips en dus nog meer dors. Oeteindelijk hubbe v'r de sistern gans loeg gekloek. Toet de volgende keer. (zeker weituh!). J and D Alvan. New Jersey, (USA) July 2004. Wonderful place - decided we had to stay here when visiting last year. It was all we expected and more. Bernt's cooking is better than any we've had anywhere. I look forward to a return visit soon. Al Tims Kathy Hansen, Twin Cities, March, 2004. Quite honestly, our dinner at the Eco...

 Baby chairs and cots are provided
 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Central situation
 Playground for children
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Jacuzzi tub
 Kitchen
 Pets are accepted
 Restaurant
 Around-the-clock room service
 Sauna
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Animation, entertainment
 Swimming pool
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Patio, summer terrace