Koko Villas

Koko Villa is good value, with a kitchen and all the facilities you need. It sits among greenery near the beach. Aline, the host who lives in the same compound, was very helpful.

The villas have spacious layouts, with bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, living area, terrace, and greenery around them. Having a washing machine in the unit was useful. Our villa, though, had a strong moldy smell, like an attic left unattended for ages. The pillowcases looked clean, but the pillows underneath were badly stained and smelled awful. Some towels also smelled damp, as if they hadn't dried properly. The kitchen equipment wasn't well cleaned either, especially the fridge and glassware. There was no free Wi-Fi. We found a router in the villa, but were told we'd need to buy a local SIM card and internet credit to get online. Aline, the key contact for the villa, needs to be more attentive to booking details and more helpful. Our arrival got off to a bad start: instead of greeting us, she said, "You did not arrive yesterday. I waited for you!" She had confused us with guests who hadn't arrived the day before and reprimanded us by mistake. When we asked to add two nights, Aline immediately blocked the property on Expedia/Hotels.com, leaving us to arrange the extension directly with her. She said she didn't want someone else booking our villa, but many villas were empty, and she could have put a new booking in another one if there was one. She was quick to get in touch when she needed something from us, such as collecting payment, but often unavailable when we needed help with things like taxi rates. She often said, "I will check on that; and get back to you." She never did.

Koko Villa has its flaws, but the people there are the heart of the place and are here for you.

The apartment was perfectly fine for the price, and the women looking after us were lovely, kind, and service-minded. Everything was clean, too, so I don't understand the negative comments. You don't meet the owner, but that was fine with us. It wasn't essential, and someone was always reachable if we had questions. The one downside is the location, high up in the mountains. The drive there is always an emotional rollercoaster. I had been a little put off by the negative reviews, but our experience was good.