Traveller Reviews

 

happy, happy memories

Words cannot describe my great feeling of having arrived when we docked at Friendly Island. The island's gracious owner who rents her glorious place to allow others to share and experience pure joy and solitude whille breathing deeply and loving all the amenities fit for a king or queen, as they say. I loved relaxing, barbequing, swimming and having fun offering the "Queen's Wave" to the touring boat passengers and one night, listening to a rich, baritone voice singing Irish ditties, wafting over from Alexandria Bay. There was always a cool breeze at night and my stay here on Friendly Island has given me an experience with only positive vibes remaining and which I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you, Ellen for making Friendly Island not just a label but a reality. We appreciated all the labour and love that went into the creation of your island for all four seasons to boot.
  • Stayed: July 2014
  • Submitted: 
  • Source: VRBO

Date of Stay: 06/22/2012

Dear Ellen and Family,

This island was beautiful. The houses had everything modern you could possibly want or need and the grounds were kept up very nicely. Ellen is an awsome person who stays in touch with you throughout the entire process. My family and I have rented many vacation properties and went through private agencies. This vacation rental is very different. Ellen and Steve made us ( 12 total ) feel very welcome and treated all of us like we were old friends. The surrounding islands and Bay are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. All of the vacations we have been on don't even compare to this time we had on Friendly Island. Sitting out on the deck at night and looking at the town lit up was just amazing. Ellen and Steve work very hard to make the stay as wonderful as can possibly be expected and then some. I can't say enough about this vacation paradise to give it the justice it fully deserves. The fishing, boating, tubing and just relaxing time spent was the best. The pool, hot tub, sauna, houses, grounds, boat docks and everything else on this island are very well kept up and just a pleasure for every person no matter if you are 5 or 105. I would rate this a 10 out of 10 for anyone looking for a true vacation paradise. Ellen, My family and I can't thank you enough for your hard work and friendship to make this the vacation of a lifetime. We all look forward to returning to the island this year. Your friendship and hospitality is truly amazing.

Thank you again.. Scott, Cheryl, Amanda, Justin, Morgan, Justin, Trista,( the lawyer, lol ), Rob, Josh, Alex, Jimmy and Jake...You are the BEST.. 

 

Relaxing family time on private Friendly Islad My family and I were lucky to get a last minute cancellation on Friendly Island for Pirate week in Alexandria Bay. We had always talked about visiting the Thousand Islands after passing though one previous year and jumped at the chance to rent our own private island when we saw Friendly Island was available. I can’t say enough about what a picturesque location this is, but just minutes by boat from in town dining. Every direction is another great view. We took turns picking the spot on the island to set up our chairs for our evening wine and cheese and watching the world go by. My two children thanked me many times for picking such a great vacation spot. They enjoyed the fishing, swimming from the docks and in the pool, relaxing in the hammocks, and exploring around the island by foot and boat. If your kids are older and adventurous ask Ellen to tell you about the cliff diving, that was a highlight for my two, but too daring for me. My 23 year old son had great fun during breakfast on the porch waving at the tour boats as they passed by on the St. Lawrence River. We had to wave and smile because we were on “Friendly Island”. It was a great change from our usual over planned vacation, there was plenty to do here, but in a more relaxed family bonding atmosphere. Steve and Ellen were very helpful on making sure we felt at home and answering any questions we had. The listing was accurate and the house was freshly cleaned when we arrived. I would highly recommend this house to friends and family. Stayed: August 2011 Submitted: August 30, 2011 Source: VRBO

 

 

Our Private Piece of Paradise

Guest: 2 Romantics(Caledon Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/04/10 Review Submitted: 04/26/11
My husband surprised me by booking us a 10 day getaway on this private island to celebrate our 10th anniversary. At first I was unsure as my husband has never booked anything by himself before, but my fears were soon laid to rest. We had a wonderfully romantic escape. The views are truly second to none. It was blissful lounging on the front deck, you feel as if you are sitting at the top of the world. My husband played a lot of golf on our getaway as there were several courses that he wanted to try out. I relaxed in the sun and by the pool and read about four books over the ten days (definitely a luxury for me). Although we did enjoy a few romantic dinners at some of the finer restaurants in the area, we preferred to dine under the stars on the island listening to the water lapping against the rocks, watching the boats carry people to and from town. A real treat was a midnight dip in the pool and enjoying a cocktail before bed in the hot tub at the top of the island. Very romantic, very private... We did a little bit of sight seeing and shopping in the nearby towns. A must see is the Clayton boat museum where they have wonderful old wooden boats. You are even able to arrange a ride on one. A truly worthwhile experience. The accommodations on the island were perfect. The place is kept very clean and very well equipped. My husband enjoyed having the large screen televisions for watching golf (of course) and I enjoyed having a full kitchen especially because we ate most of our meals on the island. We actually ended up sleeping in the second house because it is closer to the hot tub. We did rent the whole island because we wanted our privacy but it would have easily accommodated us in the front house. We have stayed at many summer residences before and have been to many islands in the past. We have spent much more for much less in the past. This is by far the most romantic vacation we have taken to date and we hope to be able to visit again soon. It was worth every penny!
Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.


Memorable Vacation
Guest: Bob(Syracuse, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/09/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/11
I have been vacationing in the Thousand Islands since 1971, and this vacation was the best! The owners were most gracious and very accommodating. The view from the deck was unbelievable - with ships passing right by your doorstep. I brought by own boat, and was pleased by the protection offered by the slip on the backside of the island. While we love to eat out, we had most of our meals at the island because the view was second to none. There are plenty of things to do, and my two teenage daughters can not wait to return for our next vacation. While the photos on this website do accurately reflect the appearance of the island, they can not do it justice. You have to see it for yourself. I would recommend this dream island to friends or relatives!
Owner response: Our joy is in making our tenants happy, and we are gratified that we were able to provide their best holiday in 40 years! We look forward to their return, so we can exceed their expectations, as we constantly strive to do. We will try to provide better photos to more accurately display the spaciousness of the rooms and property, cathedral ceilings, spectacular views, etc. (we have lots of pictures to e-mail to potential renters), but the reviewer is accurate when he says, ".....photos.....can not do it justice. You have to see it for yourself".
Recommended for: Age 55+, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, romantic getaway. 


PRIVATE PARADISE
Guest: T I LOVE(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 04/09/11
My family has stayed here twice over the past two years and are planning a return trip for this summer as well. This is a wonderful location right on the river very close to the town of Alexandria Bay. It only took us about 5 minutes by boat from the dock on the island to get to the town dock in Alexandria Bay. The island was perfect for our family. We rented the main house and the "bunkie" for our kids to sleep in. They thought that having their own place was a blast! The main house was very spacious. The upstairs bedroom was perfect for my husband and I and there is a beautiful breeze that flows through that level. The living room was large enough that we could all hang out in there to watch a movie and play some board games but to be honest we did not stay inside too often. The kitchen was well equipped and the dining room table expands so you can seat at least 10 very comfortably. Also, it was perfect having the two washrooms... no lineups! By far the most outstanding part of this vacation home is the outdoor space. The deck that stretches across the entire front of the house and wraps around the other house and down to the pool deck is fabulous! Views galore!!! We pretty much ate every meal on the deck and spent most evenings enjoying a glass of wine overlooking the water watching the sun go down. The pool was a real bonus forour family and extremely private and there is a lovely gazebo with a hot tub. The property is large so our boys had a lot of space to roam, play friz-bee and throw the ball around. We have a boat so we spent a great deal of time on the water and there is ample docking space at the island even if you are entertaining. I would absolutely recommend this vacation home to anyone.
Owner response: We are delighted to be welcoming back this wonderful family who shares our passion for the island and area. We aim to not only provide the best vacation ever, but also, memories to last a lifetime.
Recommended for: Age 55+, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

 

Make a free website with Yola