My husband and I have been vacationing in Antigua for 15 years sometimes staying at a resort that overlooks Dian Bay, a slender inlet that I love to snorkel for its clear water and abundance of sea life. Scrambling every morning to secure beach-front chairs, we often looked longingly at an elegant wooden house across the bay, lovely in its simplicity and harmony with the land. So we were delighted to discover the house on VRBO one day. Upon arrival, we fell in love; within three days, we had booked the place for the following year. The house is everything we need – a king bed, a well stocked kitchen, 2 hammocks on the generous front porch, plenty of areas of sun and shade, a spacious open-air bathroom, and two private lounge chairs on the water. No glass windows and due to two incredibly effective mosquito-eating machines, no mosquitos either. Living there is a bit like living shipboard. Open shutters allow for a steady breeze, and we were immersed in the natural rhythms of the island beginning with sunrise, which we saw each morning from the bed as we woke. Given that we had booked 3 weeks, we had expected to walk often to nearby Long Bay, arguably the best snorkeling beach on the island. But why leave paradise? We used a rental car to shop at either of two supermarkets, 10-15 minutes away, but otherwise toggled contentedly between the hammocks, the water, and the lounge chairs. Arno, who lives up the hill, is an outstanding host: professional (he has a degree from a Swiss hotel school), enthusiastic, and attentive to our needs as well as our privacy. We hired him and his boat for a glorious day out on the water, snorkeling and sightseeing. Among other things, he booked taxis and helped expedite covid tests upon our leaving. And best of all, with only one very good Italian restaurant within walking distance, he will provide – with enough notice and to the extent that he is available – a small menu of excellent home-cooked dinners (as an erstwhile regional New York Times restaurant reviewer, I feel qualified to attest to the quality of the food). We count the months until our return!