|
Feedback.
Here's what some of our previous
guests have had to say about their stay at
CASA ROSA
Hi there! Back home again and the UK seems cold and boring!
We just wanted to say "Thank You" for giving us such a wonderful time during our stay at "Casa Rosa"! The place, grounds, pool and apartment were immaculate, as was the weather, not to forget your meals! We saw 147 birds with 39 lifers, which speaks for itself.
Many, many thanks for a truly great holiday destination and we hope to see you again next year!
Thanks to you both from Will & Priscilla!
Our first time to Portugal and the Algarve, and we could not have picked a better or more friendly place to stay. Thanks to Jan-Ketil and Kjersti for being such attentive and helpful hosts, it makes everything else so easy! There has not been one single thing that we have not enjoyed during our stay and we have fallen in love with the people, the birding and Casa Rosa! Over 120 birds seen and 37 were lifers, i.e. seen for the first time!
Lots of lovely walks, empty beaches, traditional fishing villages and boat trips to do, on top of some of the best birdwatching in Europe. Makes us wonder what May would be like?
Many thanks Will and Priscilla, Oxford, UK.
We have had a lovely holiday at CASA ROSA. Kjersti and Jan have been so helpful and the meals on the terrace have been lovely and convivial. Good food and just the right atmosphere. Of course we’ve also enjoyed the perfect weather and the pool before dinging!
We’ve enjoyed the best bird watching triops and the fantastic fish meals in Olhao.
Stephen and Gillian, Auckland, New Zealand
I had a very nice stay at Casa Rosa, the apartment well equipped and clean, lovely surroundings, the weather great and a nice dinner with you. I made a lot of trips on the bicycle, with which I was very happy, although the estimated times to go back and forth to Fuzeta were a bit on the positive side… Most of the time I spent bird-watching and although I did not see the rarer species I was very happy with it – there’s a list of some of the birds I saw;
Around the house and Moncarapacho Ria Formosa
Azure winged magpie Dunkin Golden Oriole
Sardinian warbler Sanderling Stonechat
Blackbird Knot Yello wagtail
Nighting gale Bare-tailed goowhit Magpie
Yellow hammer Curlew Turnstone
Goldfinch Redshank House Martin
Gold finch Avocat Swallow
Green finch Black winged stilt
Jay Little tern
Hoopoo Yellow legged Gull
Bee-eater Oyster catcher
Stork Spoonbill
Little egret Bee eater
Cuckoo Hoopoo
Suzanne Crommelin
Kjersti and Jan-Ketil
Our third visit in 18 months… that says it all. Had a fantastic time as usual. Thank you both for the hospitality and the beautiful meals. Very sad to be leaving. Hope to see you in October.
Thanks again Jane and Ger Griffin, Ireland
We have had an excellent week of birding around the local area and at Donana. Highly recommended for all Birdwatchers. We really enjoyed your wonderful meal and you made us feel very welcome. Love to visit again sometime in the future during Autumn time.
All the best from Geoff and Mark Hunt, UK
8 DAYS IN ALGARVE DAYS 9-16 (see previous)
As expected the "free ash" from Iceland halted our departure but luckily we were able to remain at Casa Rosa - thanks again to Jan-Ketil and Kjersti. After the hectic schedule of the original week life was at gentler pace and we took the enforced opportunity to venture both to the Coto Donana in Spain and Nundar Castle near Barrancas as well as revisiting our favorite sites of Quinta do Lago and Pera Marsh while we also visited Rocha Brava lighthouse near Portimao, got lost and ended up at the cliffs at Praia de Marina nearby and were rewarded with stunning views of Alpine Swifts.
The last couple of days saw the weather remember it was the Algarve not the UK and the final day - take 2 - spent around Casa Rosa saw a stunning display of flying by the Bee Eaters that lasted most of the day, an outstanding way to end our stay.
Chris and Phil, UK
We stayed at Casa Rosa for 1 week during our tour of Spain and Portugal and we wished we had booked for longer. Casa Rosa is a "real find". The apartment, pool and garden were clean and comfortable. This is an area away from the busy Algarve but plenty to see and do. Bird watching, walking, lovely beaches, interesting historical areas.
Thank you to Jan-Ketil and Kjersti for their hospitality, good food and information.
Hope to be back soon.
Denise and Tony, Lytham, UK
We have had a very good holiday here. Casa Rosa is just right for a restful and relaxing holiday, and Jan-Ketil and Kjersti have been most helpful and friendly. They have made us feel very welcome, and our apartment was comfortable with everything we needed.
We have enjoyed the birding very much, walking on the tracks round here, seeing bee-eaters, azure-winged magpies, Sardinean warblers and many other birds - delightful!
The weather has been mixed, and we did get very wet after one long walk! But the food cooked by Kjersti was excellent. The restaurant just down the road is also good value if more basic. We would be happy to come back for another holiday.
Thank you - Sandra and Ann, UK
Enjoyed our stay at Casa Rosa, picked for central location and bird watching and not disappointing. Azure Magpies every morning from kitchen window. We visited Castro Verde (twice), Ria Formosa, Castro Marim, Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura and would recommend all to bird watchers. Jan and Kjersti very helpful and look forward to returning at some point. Vulcano erupting in Iceland may make it sooner than anyone might expect!
Chris and Phil, UK
Thank you Kjersti and Jan for making our week so comfortable and enjoyable. Apartment 6 with its dual aspect and big windows is ideal for indoor bird watching (yes it did rain for some of our time here!). Casa Rosa is an ideal base for bird watching giving day trip access to sites along the coast and inland on the plains. Within our 6 days we managed to record 132 species. Highlights include the flocks of migrating bee-eaters passing overhead all day when we were in Coto Donana and at Castro Verde; The close views (scoped at 300 m) of 6 male great bustards (some displaying) near Everreiro; the short-toed eagle that joined us for premium lunch close by; the very close views of a golden eagle close to Everreiro, the thriving house martin colonies in many of the towns and villages (sadly no longer in GB!), the palm tree nesting swifts in Tavira, the 12 caspian terns at Castro Marim, the collored pratincoles whizzing about in Coto Donana and of course the Barn owl in the well (owl at home need nest boxes 4 m up in the air!).
Memorable meal in your beautiful dining room - the pork fillet was superb - and as for the chocolate cake (- (can you send the recipe please). The recently opened "Mesa de chefe" tapas restaurant in Moncarapacho is highly recommended - a warm welcome and excellent food - looks like it will become very popular so best to book a table.
Back to get more rain and wind do doubt tomorrow.
Fred and Muriel Currie, Cornwall, UK
Jan and Kjersti
Thank you for a wonderful stay and a perfect, for me, ‘birthday week’, bird watching. Lovely meals and warm hospitality. We shall recommend Casa Rosa to our bird watching friend’s.
All the best for your future here.
Jane and Mike Bridge, Gloucestershire, UK
This was a super base for bird watching with Azure-winged Magpie, Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, Cukoo and Bee-eater all in the grounds. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and our hosts were very helpful and informative. Meals on the terrace – breakfast and dinner – were delightful and the apartment very comfortable. We shall write a longer piece on our bird watching activities for the reports page.
Paul and Lesley Langston, UK
To Jan and Kjersti
Thanks very much for making our stay here pleasant. The room was comfortable, clean, and ideal for our needs. The location of Casa Rosa, for birdwatchers like us, is perfect for us, the wetlands of the Algarve, and to the plains of Alentejo, and so, the Coko Dainana in Spain. In fact we couldn’t have had a better week, so thanks to you both.
Eddie Valentine and Dave Hardaker, Liverpool, UK.
Dear Jan and Kjersti
We had a lovely week at Casa Rosa. The warm and friendly greeting continued with the warm and friendly duvets, making it hard to get up for early bird watching. The setting for Casa Rosa is very peaceful, ideal for a relaxing time. For us the location is ideally placed for bird watching as it is within easy reach of four major sites and 1,5 hour drive from the fantastic Alentejo region. Of course Casa Rosa comes with its own resident Hoopoe, Woodchat shrike, Iberian Magpie and the only sub-terranian Barn Owl we have ever heard of. The only unfortunate thing is not being able to sample Kjesti’s cooking (chocolate cake, especially), maybe next time. We wish you alle the best for the future.
Clive and Sharon, Hampshire, UK.
Dear Kjersti and Jan
We had a wonderful stay at Casa Rosa. Your hospitality was extraordinary. Kjersti’s dinners were excellent. Casa Rosa with its garden and surroundings was an ideal base for us to go birdwatching in the Algarve and the Alentejo.
We’ll come back in spring to look for those birds that are in Africa now.
Es waren wunderschône Tage! All the best for you!
Anne und Manfred Schleuning, Sontra, Germany
We’ve had a wonderful week at Casa Rosa and have thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to the Algarve. Thanks for the great dinner and all the help and information for getting around (without a car!).
The birding has been excellent. We’ve seen the famous purple gallinule in Quinta de Marim. The boat excursion through Ria Formosa from Faro was also really good; many b irds to be seen and a nice visit to Ilha Deserta. Good luck with learning Portuguese!
Rashim and Alex, Holland
It is like coming home coming to Casa Rosa. You have made it so comfortable – especially the beds! – and the garden is blossoming. We shall think of you at Christmas in your beautiful dining room. Thank you for your care. We have had a lovely holiday and hopefully we will be back again next year. Good luck to your both.
Best wishes from Rachel and Rustom Patel, Surrey, UK
PS – a wonderful addition to all the charms of Casa Rosa is the lovely young lady who comes for massage, pedicure, reflexology, etc. Everyone should try it. Ds
Thank you Kjersti and Jan for a lovely week. It has been very relaxing and enjoyable. Casa Rosa is peaceful but also has a friendly atmosphere and we have had a good time with the other guests.
The location has been superb for birdwatching, according to my husband and son, and we have visited the Natural Park of Ria Formosa, Castro Verde and Castro Marim.
We enjoyed the fish marked in Olhao in the morning and Tavira is well worth visiting. We’ve had nice dinners here on the patio at ‘Kjersti Bistro’ and we also appreciated the restaurants on the square in Fuzeta.
Sagres is a great day trip and we also went on fishing and dolphin trips from Vilamoura. Our children loved the pool, deep clean.
We’re sad to leave and hope we will come back.
Lena and Greg McIvor, Skanør, Sweden
Thank you for your kind hospitality. We have had the good rest we needed and enjoyed watching the birds and butterflies etc. in the garden and round about the area. The food was excellent, especially Kjersti’s chocolate cake and leasurely breakfasts on the terrace. Tusen takk!
Judith and Neil, Naltand, England
Thank you Jan-Ketil and Kjersti for a wonderful holiday. Nothing has been too much trouble for you, the apartment was clean and comfortable and Kjersti’s cooking excellent. We hope to return next year for more of your hospitality.
Alan and Pauline Pegden, Lancaster, England
Kjersti and Jan-Ketil. We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 weeks here at Casa Rosa. Thank you for all your helpful information and for your warm welcome and cheerful daily greetings. The apartment was perfect – especially the Norwegian duvets! The birding was excellent too!
John and Sharron Blaney, Ontario, Canada
PS - delicious food at the Bistro too.
I've stayed in many nice places around the world, but this
has to be one of the best. Lovely people, great house, comfortable and
well-equipped apartment, refreshing pool, tranquility, delicious food and
convenient to the rest of the Algarve and southern Spain. Last but not least,
lots of top spots to go birding! There are still a few that I didn't catch on
camera, so I'll have to come back again sometime! Ian Montgomery, North
Queensland. Australia. (The birds will appear on
http://birdway.com.au )
The "Casa Rosa" seemed to be dream on the
internet and lived up to expectations for our stay. The food is first class and
the hospitality which goes with it - superb. Our first excursion to Portugal has
been enthralling - not quite knowing what might be around the next bend.
Sometimes a horse and cart, or a cyclist or a dog - all going at their own pace
of life. It helped to slow us down so that we would unwind. The weather kept us
on our toes - we were never too sure what was coming next - however it
warmed up nicely for the end of the holiday . Birding was very good with 15
firsts recorded. It's difficult to get used to "if it's a track, you can
walk/drive down it , no one seems to mind" - completely different to the UK,
where even in East Anglia, you still have to be careful to keep to the
footpaths. Many thanks for making our first stay in Portugal a rewarding and
memorable one.
Pearl and Tony Davies. Wisbech February
2007.
This is a great
place to stay – great hosts, great food, great birding! Birding is all around
you and so is the chance to do nothing but chill out – not that a ‘birder’ could
ever do that! Lovely holidays – now planning fourth visit.
Graham and Judith
Watson
We originally booked for 3 nights, but after only 5 hours
here we decided to stay for a whole week. As a professional Bird Tour Guide in
the Donana, I was particularly impressed with the vast array of birding sites,
the ease of access and the number of birds present. Even in the height of
summer, birding for only an hour a day on only four days, we recorded over 90
species. The Casa Rosa is an ideal base for birders and nature
lovers. We look
forward to our return next year. John Butler.
We have both really enjoyed our first visit to the Eastern
side of the Algarve, and have certainly appreciated two weeks of sunny weather.
It was good to be able to watch the hoopoes bringing food to their nest while
the sky was full of bee-eaters, and to see all the flowers in the surrounding
fields. Olhao and Tavira were also great places to visit. Good Swimming pool,
excellent apartment and a very warm welcome. Ken and Moren Balkow
When we're sitting in traffic on the M25,
we will remember the IP1 with pleasure! When we're trying to get some peace and
quiet while our student neighbours are playing football in the kitchen to loud
music, we will think of the peace and tranquillity of Casa Rosa! While the
London traffic warden is trying to book us, we will cast our minds back to the
ease with which we parked in Olhao and Travira. The same for comparing
English weather with Portugal's clear blues and sunshine - no contest! And when
we go about the daily grind, listening to people bemoaning their lot and the way
things are declining we will re-visit (in thought anyway) our considerate hosts
at Casa Rosa. Linda and Ian. Hatfield, Herts.
This is our third year in succession staying at Casa Rosa, the
ideal base for those birding holidays with its close proximity to the top
Algarve sites, and the not so well known ones if you know where to go.
Five
minutes by car and you are in the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, 10 minutes to
Fuzeta salt pans, within 30 minutes you have Qinta da Largo, Castro Marim and in
an hour and a half you can be at Cota Donana in Spain or up in Bustard country
at Castro Verde, so you can see what an ideal centrally placed base is Casa
Rosa. Don't forget the garden, had Crested Tit this year, plus 6 other lifers
including Pintailed Sandgrouse and Imperial Eagle in a total of 87 species
(probably more if I knew all my warblers). I can thoroughly recommend Casa Rosa, nice, quiet, relaxed, chill
out place. David & Jean, Nottingham UK.
We wanted to find the "Old Algarve" and
looked on the internet - Casa Rosa stood out. We've been around the world, but
now wanted a relaxing and peaceful holiday retreat. On all counts our
expectations have been exceededl. We
have found our "place in the sun" and plan to spend much more than a week here
next year. All in all Casa Rosa sets the standard for others to match! Max and
Sally Weir. Manchester.
. Please feel free to contact us at any time.
Visit to our other Web Sites:
www.casarosa.eu.com &
www.casarosa.com.pt
E-Mail.
casarosa@sapo.pt
Postal address:
Casa Rosa, Apartado 209, 8700
Moncarapacho. Algarve, Portugal.
Telephone: 00351 289 794400.
Fax:
00351 289 792952.
|
