Change of pace
Wow, what a cool destination to visit. I know a lot of people in the backpacking scene always talk about places with good community, but I think moonrise may be one of those places. I wonder how long it can stay hidden in plain view?
The Moonhole community at Bequia
Staying in an all-natural, sustainable accommodation on an isolated island paradise.
If you, like me, are one of those people that go on vacation in order to get away from the crowds of people that inhabit your everyday life, then check out the destination I've stumbled across. It’s a community by the name of Moonhole, located on the Caribbean
Moonhole itself is a natural rock arch, so named because of the fact that the moon shines through it during a certain time of night. According to the history, the community of Moonhole came about as the brainchild of a couple who loved the island so much that they decided to purchase a 30-acre tract on the Western Peninsula and build their home there. Building began in the 1960s, a simple construction made of stone and all sorts of found materials. Eventually, friends of the couple would express their own interests in living on Bequia, and so the same natural building techniques were used again and again.
One of the major appeals of Moonhole is the fact that it does, in many ways, seem like an extension of the natural landscape. All stone used in construction was found on the island and no trees were removed when building. This has lead to some interesting structures, many of them with trees sharing living space with the occupants. These homes are also solar powered, use natural water collection and a variety of windows and doors facing the south, southeast and northeast to prevent rain from entering inside.
While most of the buildings are occupied, some of them can be rented out as vacation accommodations, allowing a visitor to both stay on this wonderfully isolated island and occupy one of these amazing structures. There are even hotel-like services provided, such as cooking and housekeeping.
Nearby, one can enjoy the remote beaches or take a trip into the city of
Moonhole photo courtesy of Amilcar Fierro via Wikicommons
Read more on The Long Strange Trip blog: Touring the wondrous and strange places of the world
Add comment
Comments
hidden
I'd imagine the limited amount of rentals plus expense will probably keep most people away. Plus the island is pretty small and there's plenty of other better-known attractions nearby to keep people distracted.
Moonhole
Jason, this article gives the wrong impression. Moonrise is but one home among 17 in the MOONHOLE community! Rental pricing is not negotiable, nor do we wish this kind of publicity. Who authorized you to post this false information?Carroll RoothMoonhole Company Limited
Moonrise
Nice that "Moonhole" in Bequia is getting a little publicity. Please note, Moonrise is the name of one of the rental properties. The community itself is known as Moonhole - for more information please visit their site http://moonholecompany.com/.
False information
This article is full of mistakes & false assumptions. You did not even get the name right! Moonrise is but one home among 17 within the MOONHOLE compound. Very irresponsible reporting. Please do some research & correct or remove this from public view. Carroll RoothMoonhole CTo. Ltd.http://www.moonholecompany.com
Sounds like a setting for a James Bond movie
Wow, this place sounds like a setting for a James Bond movie. Is Francisco Scaramanga home? Yes? Knick-Knack, champange!
Seriously, this looks like a cool place to visit.
cool place
It's like an archaeological find, but made in the modern day. More people should design cool buildings like this and maybe we can replace the suburban copycat sprawl with something more visually interesting.
Another correction
Jason, Tom Johnston didn't build Moonhole by himself. He hired very talented Bequia masons & carpenters who did the actual labor. Tom was the genius behind the concept of Moonhole, but he relied on the craftsmanship & knowledge of men from the nearby village of Paget Farm. May I ask where you got the idea to write this article? We're you just in the area & decided the place needed publicity?
Sorry about the lack of clarity
My idea to write about Moonhole came about when I saw a picture of Moonrise and thought that people might be interested. I like to write about beautiful and obscure places and it seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, doing research on the Internet is sometimes like playing the telephone game. If one person writes something incorrect and then 5 others write the same thing, it's harder to find the reality behind it.
The impression I got from what I read was that he was that Johnston was the main architect. I did provide a link to the expanded history and the website, however, for those interested in reading more.
Again, apologies if some of the information was misunderstood (by me) or vague. I've tried to clean up what you've pointed out. If there are any other corrections/clarifications you'd like, feel free to contact me.
9 comments