On this page you'll find several reviews of the families that rented an on-Sicily holiday home, apartment or villa. The holiday pictures on this page were all taken by these families.
Click on one of the following links if you'd like to read the reviews about a particular accommodation:
"Kaat (10) and Amber (7) about the trip: "What we remember of our trip to Sicily? The burning sun on the large cacti, playing in the sea, many small towns and certainly the dolls in a museum in Palermo... and finally, Martijn and Laura's sweet dog. Oh yes, and we also learned how to bake a pizza in Sicily and we learned how to snorkel. Actually, it was our best trip ever!"
"A comfortable house with all comforts. Two lovely terraces with great views of the sea and Balestrate's countryside. The sunrise and sunset provide the most beautiful images.
The hospitality, service and helpfulness of the friendly couple Martijn and Laura who live nearby are unprecedented.
According to us (family with teenagers and a son of 6 years) a holiday home not to miss."
"When we booked the flight to Trapani, we still had to find a holiday home in Sicily, so we started searching the internet. After having seen many homes (most were rejected because they were too small), we arrived at on-Sicily.com and found the phone number. We chose Casita DeLuca and after several phone calls and e-mails we booked ourselves a holiday home.
Arriving at the Casita we were received by Martijn and Laura with fresh coffee and a delicious coffee roll. Our (first) experience in Italy was an excellent one, the temperatures could have been a little bit higher, but what do you expect in early March! Martijn's excellent tips about restaurants, attractions and other useful things to know, have certainly contributed to a lovely holiday, but what surprised us was the beautiful nature. The archeological sites are fascinating, and the Sicilian cuisine was also a wonderful part of the holiday, especially in restaurant La Batia in Alcamo. In short, Sicily is worth another visit!"
"We spent two wonderful weeks in Casita DeLuca. It is a beautiful house with a nice terrace on the ground floor and a beautiful roof terrace, where we enjoyed the view in the evening. The beach was perfect and the view of the mountains surrounding the gulf was romantic. We were surprised that Balestrate has not yet been discovered by foreign tourists, but we enjoyed it, because now it was just for us and the Italians. We recently have recommended Casita De Luca to friends of ours.
We paid a good good price for Casita DeLuca. In these financially difficult times one is hesitant to spent more than 800 or 900 Euros a week. The breakfast with bread and coffee Martijn prepared for us upon arrival was very much appreciated. These are the little things that make a difference!
A little tip for improvement: the shower was too small (*). That could be better. Besides this, it was perfect! Arrivederci."
(*) In the mean time we have renovated the bathroom and now you'll find that this problem has been resolved.
Tanti saluti, Laura e Martijn
"Ciao Martijn and Laura!
Our stay in apartment Ciliegio was fantastic! The picture shows that this apartment is not very large, but definitely big enough for 2 people. The great wardrobe allowed us to empty our suitcases completely. The large terrace (8 x 4 m!) with the phenomenal view makes this apartment quite special! You have magnificent panoramic views in three directions!
For us it was great that we could walk to Balestrate's center (20 minutes with "young legs") and that the owners were extremely nice people. We are overloaded with tomatoes, figs, cherries, olives, lemons and so on, all from their garden! The fresh pasta was delicious! Talking about food: the tips we got from Martijn in the beginning of the holiday were all worth it! In particular, the pizzas are fantastic and in Palermo the gourmet restaurant "Lubiè" is a real must: here we had a wonderful evening with excellent food!
For us the holiday in Sicily was ideal. We saw many, many cultural and natural places of interest (Mount Etna!) but you could also find us on the beach and in the blue sea! In the evening we dined at a restaurant or had a beer or wine on the square in Balestrate! We really enjoyed this relaxing vacation!
Arrivederci in Sicilia!
Jose and Jan "
"What a wonderful vacation in the fall it was! We still think about all the good times in Sicily and we thank you for the pleasant and welcoming reception on your island. We had already heard many positive things about you from a colleague, but it really exceeded our expectations.
The apartment Ciliegio was perfect for us, little and quiet with wonderful views and a sunny terrace. The landlords did absolutely everything to communicate with us, even using hands and feet, and thanks to them we got know the Sicilian cuisine well. The Sicilians are clearly very hospitable!
Balestrate is an excellent starting point for exploring the western part of Sicily. Segesta, Erice, Monreale and the salt pans are not to be missed.
Because it was a short holiday we were very pleased with the comprehensive information we've got on arrival so we didn't lose time finding interesting places.
Thank you very much for your hospitality and see you next time in Sicily.
Jacques and Anne-mie"
"Apartment Ciliegio: It was so quiet there because it has such a large roof terrace. You will only go inside to sleep and the rest of the time you'll spend on this terrace. The views are breathtaking. At night you hear the shepherd with his sheep and in the morning you wake up to birds singing.
The apartment is nice, small but beautiful, fully equipped and very nicely furnished. The owners who became our "Sicilian parents" live on the ground floor and they were great! We were treated to real Sicilian food, fruits and vegetables from their own garden. They made our vacation a perfect one!
Martijn and Laura also contributed to the fun we had during our holiday. All the information they give on arrival make you immediately feel like "home". We also had some wonderful evenings with them, dining and laughing. We will definitely return!
A holiday to remember!
Ciao Remco and Myrthe"
"Buongiorno Laura e Martijn!
It took a while to write something for your guestbook, but we want to you to know that we had a wonderful holiday in Sicily!
We enjoyed the beautiful house and the street where we "lived"! The holiday home was cozy and homely furnished and we cooked in the kitchen more than we planned to. With all the delicious fresh vegetables and pasta, you will automatically become a kitchen expert!
The girls have had a great time playing on the stairs, together with our neighbor's granddaughters. Children make friends no matter what language they speak. Thanks to the neighbors, who could speak English and French, we felt at home and that was really special!
The town Castellammare del Golfo was very cozy, especially during the "Madonna" festivities with wonderful fireworks! We were one of the few foreign tourists. The atmosphere in the town was really not made for large amounts of tourists. That gave us the feeling that we were not on vacation but that we were living in another country!
With two small children (1 and 5 years old) we did not do much, but what we did was fun! We spent a day in Erice, where the temperature was very pleasant (about 27 degrees Celsius), then drove to San Vito lo Capo, which had a beautiful beach, but full of Italian tourists. Another day we spent in Parlermo, where we visited fun marketplaces and saw beautiful buildings. We did some shopping in Castellammare and Alcamo and drank delicious ice coffee.
We spent a lot of time on the beach. By recommendation of our neighbors, we found a beautiful quiet beach between Alcamo Marina and Balestrate. Because there was a small lido (Lido Greg) the beach was cleaned every day and it was wonderfully peaceful, with all conveniences, such as food, drinks, showers and toilets.
Overall a great holiday! Choosing a photo for your guest book was a difficult task, since our street was a very photogenic one, not to mention the rest of our trips (we made almost 1000 pictures!).
Thanks for all the tips and information and the real personal touch!
CIAO e GRAZIE
Evert, Miriam, Sterre and Roos"
"The stay was perfect. We have enjoyed our Italian neighbors. Nice way to experience living among the Italians. We strolled through the streets and drank cappuccino in the harbor and had delicious meals.
Highly recommended!"
"We rented Casa Geraci for two weeks and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Laura and Martijn welcomed us and showed us the house. They gave us information about the environment and the Sicilian cuisine. The house is beautifully restored. There is a kitchen and living room and under the stairs you will find a washing machine. On the first floor is the beautiful first bedroom with bathroom and balcony. We slept on the second floor, where we had access to a terrace overlooking the sea and the harbor of Castellammare.
In the morning we had breakfast and we had a nice chat with the friendly neighbors. Bars, shops, restaurants and the harbor are all within walking distance. From the town we made several day trips and we've seen many wonderful places, like Erice and Segesta.
The service provided by on-Sicily was also excellent. So we had a fantastic holiday!"
"Dear Martijn and Laura,
We have had a great holiday in Sicily. The things we loved the most were your hospitality, helpfulness and the fact that you really feel that you want all of your guests to have a great holiday. Really unique!
The first week we stayed in the Baglio: a real Sicilian experience. Fresh vegetables from the garden, a genuine pizza (wood burning) oven, wine and a friendly Italian neighbor in a very authentic and spacious house (part of a traditional farmhouse), in the middle of the countryside but not far from the sea.
The second week we went to Castellammare del Golfo and stayed in Casa Geraci: a unique but totally different experience, in an old fisherman's village, surrounded by Italians. The holiday home is on the outskirts of the town center with restaurants, cafes and shops within walking distance.
In those two weeks we have enjoyed plenty of culture, great food and of course the beach! Highlights for us were: visiting Mount Etna, and some of its craters, the historic town of Erice (on the top of a mountain above Trapani), the visit to the historic park Selinunte (with remains of the town Selinous, founded in 500 BC) and our boat trip to Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo. The beautiful rocky coastline with its small beaches was really nice.
Again thanks for the many tips that we have received about authentic restaurants and several places of interest.
Peter, Cara, Sicilia and Juliette (9 and 6 years old)"
"This year we've been to Sicily for the first time and it was a fantastic experience! When we found on-Sicily.com, we fell in love with Casa nell'antico Baglio.
The Baglio is a fantastic location, immersed in green and with a small access road. The baglio has one entrance gate and a spacious courtyard. The house is nice: it has a beautiful fireplace, a kitchen and a spiral staircase to the bedrooms. On the terrace we've enjoyed the sunshine and read many books.
We made a couple of day trips, and visited Erice, where we had a great view and saw several islands.
We were particularly surprised by the nice welcome we had in Balestrate. Martijn and Laura gave us a lot of information about the region and we got a clear map of the town and indications to good restaurants.
We enjoyed our holiday a lot and will definitely return to this special location!
Greetings, Elise and Johan"
"Dear Martijn and Laura,
We have had a really pleasant and wonderful holiday in Sicily. We stayed for two weeks in Casa nell'antico baglio and it was wonderful. We really fell in love with the baglio. The holiday home is located just outside the town of Balestrateand we thought it was a lot bigger in real life than what we imagined by seeing the pictures on the website. Casa nell'antico baglio is spacious, clean and cozy and has a large terrace with both a sun and a shadow area, surrounded by olive and lemon trees.
From our neighbor, we received fresh vegetables from his garden and
even though we were only in two, we received vegetables for ten persons. What a sweet man!
On arrival we received (beside the delicious Sicilian sandwiches in your
home) lots of information about restaurants, excursions and a map of Balestrate. We have used them many many times. With the map, supermarkets and bakeries and stores are easy to find and that saved so much time!
We made a lot of trips including to Erice (small village on a mountain with a beautiful view), we saw the salt museum and had a wine tasting in Marsala.
The tips about the restaurants (and the discount vouchers) were great. On one evening we went to Palermo with you and another Dutch couple where, after a drink on a terrace somewhere in the great city, we dined together in "Lubiè". A real Sicilian evening with a delicious fish menu, tasty Sicilian wine and funny stories from Laura and Martijn. Thanks again for this evening!
You also took us to a street festival in Castellammare del Golfo and we really had lots of fun.
We can go on for hours talking about Sicily and Martijn and Laura, but you should just book an accommodation, go to Sicily and see everything for yourself!
Martijn and Laura, thanks again for the nice Sicilian evenings, we will not forget them.
Love, Dave and Wijnanda Sterk"
"Dear Martijn and Laura,
We had a wonderful holiday in Appartamento Rosa! We found the apartment very clean and luxury, but also super nice. We spent a lot of time at the large wooden table and enjoyed reading in the beautiful garden.
We have seen many wonderful places and walked in Nature reserve Lo Zingaro. We also enjoyed the boat trip to Favignana and Levanzo you organized for us.
We found the vouchers very useful and we have used them very often. In Palermo, we went to the restaurant "Lubiè" and it was fantastic!
Unfortunately, one week was way too short and we had an early Thursday morning flight back to the Netherlands ... However, we had a great time and we would like to return someday.
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Jaap and Linda"
"Appartamento Rosa is a beautiful (new) place with a lovely garden. From there we made many trips, including to Mount Etna, the temple valley of Agrigento and the Scala dei Turchi. This is a beautiful piece of nature combined with a lovely quiet beach and blue sea. Recommended!
Although in Sicily only a few people speak English, they do everything to help you, great!
We still have lovely memories of this holiday!
Greetings & Yorick Maaike"
"Hi Martijn and Laura,
This morning it was a little too hectic for me to call you and to thank you once again. Now back in the Netherlands and thinking about our holiday we wish we could stayed a little bit longer in Sicily! We will certainly return.
Thanks a lot for all the help, for picking us up when we were lost and helping us solve the credit card issue. Without your help it would not have been as nice as it was. We had a lot of fun dining at Lo Sperone and La Lampara in Castellammare and our days on the beach in Lo Zingaro.
Greetings and see you soon,
Mihaela, Sterre and Seb"
"Cari Laura e Martijn,
Holiday! But where should we go? It clearly had to be somewhere in Italy and after we saw pictures of Sicily it was quickly decided that this island would be our 2009 holiday destination. After we booked our flight we soon found Appartamento Florio in Balestrate. Our first introduction was by mail, but still very inviting and personal. The countdown had begun!
Our stay in Sicily would be exactly one year prior to our wedding in Tuscany. That gave Simone the idea to ask Martijn for help and organize a surprise romantic evening only for the two of us. Due to Martijn's close contacts, it was all very well organized and we had a memorable and romantic evening in restaurant "Il Ghiottone raffinato" in Palermo.
Laura and Martijn welcomed us in Sicily with a breakfast on their porch: lovely Sicilian pastries and cappuccino. Then they gave us detailed information about all the do's and dont's in Sicily and we were introduced to Ans and Nicolaas, two other Dutch guests. We twice had a wonderful time together in great restaurants with unforgettable authentic Sicilian meals.
To be able to visit all the beautiful places in Sicily, we rented a car from a big international company, but we had lots of problems and had to change cars twice during our holiday. We want to thank you again for all your help in solving this problem and we really enjoyed ourselves during dining with you in a Sicilian restaurant.
Due to the information and the help we received from Laura and Martijn, we felt less like tourists and more in contact with the Sicilian people during our 10 day stay in Balestrate in Sicily.
Thanks again for a great holiday and we'll come back for sure!
Simone and Maarten"
"In May 2008 we went to Sicily with the six of us. Through Martijn and Laura we rented the wonderful "Villa Duchessa" in Castellamare del Golfo. The villa was surrounded by a large garden with olive and lemon trees, and less than a minute away was a friendly baker and a pizzeria with delicious food. Nearby we tried our first ice-cream in a bun!
We had not rented a car because we wanted to do everything by public transportation, even if Martijn had warned us that the Sicilian public transportation system is not as efficient as the Dutch version. Nonetheless we saw Palermo, Erice, Segesta, Zingaro and we spent a nice day with Martijn and Laura in Cefalu. They have brought us also to the wonderful city of Alcamo where we had a great dinner in a restaurant impossible to reach by bus.
In short: we had a wonderful holiday and met great people, something we will never forget!
Maartje, Woutje, Hennie, Miranda, Linda and Carin"
"Dear Laura and Martijn,
When we were making plans for our 2008 holiday and we were thinking about going to Sicily, we received comments from several people telling us Sicily is a dangerous place and that we'd find Mafiosi on every street corner.
We are glad that we put these comments aside, because we had a short but very pleasant holiday, with a hospitality (especially from you) that we had seldom experienced anywhere else. And we've really been in many European places. The island's great history was also very interesting and also something you will miss if you haven't visited Sicily. The "natives" are reluctant at first sight but once you make contact, they turn into very warm people and provide valuable tips and help.
We made a lot of pictures so the choice was not easy, but eventually we choose an image of the Basilica in Cefalù. Here we had a nice afternoon walking through the small streets, with many churches and terraces.
Count on us for a second stay on your beautiful island."
"We very much enjoyed our holiday in Sicily and we will definitely come back to this wonderful part of Italy. The sun, the friendliness of the people and the delicious food, the love of this island for us made us realize that there's more in this world then the hectic life in the Netherlands and it is good to see how much you can enjoy the best things that Sicily has to offer.
We want to thank you again and we hope you'll let us know when you have news. We herewith send you some of the many photos we have made. In particular the beautiful drive to Corleone, high in the mountains was very special. The roads were very good and you can drive for hours without seeing anybody. The beautiful churches and cathedrals are definitely worth a visit. And of course the ruins are a real must, so big and impressive. We wonder how many people understand the force that must have been required to accomplish this.
Thanks again and see you soon in Sicily!"
"We went to Sicily for a holiday in April, mainly because we had the good fortune to attend a real Italian wedding. Really great! As true Italy fans we therefore took the change and added one week before and one week after the wedding extend our holiday.
The second week we booked through Martijn and Laura. We really enjoyed the beautiful apartment, the wonderful surroundings and especially the great tips we got about the beautiful places and the good restaurants in the area. We have walked a lot, seeing beautiful natural parks and the snow at 2000 m altitude and of course in the evening we had delicious meals.
When we arrived in Balestrate the apartment was being cleaned and we were very welcomed with a drink, by Martijn and Laura on their porch: a very good start! Also when something went wrong with our credit card, Martijn helped us to solve the problem. That obviously gave us a very good feeling! In short: welcoming and friendly people, a nice apartment in a beautiful environment and good tips.... Well, what do want more during your holiday? Thank you! "
"We have had a wonderful holiday in Sicily. The apartment we had rented through Martijn and Laura in Balestrate is really a must. The location is perfect, the apartment is very clean and well furnished and the town Balestrate has stolen our hearts. You can find peace but also crowded places.
Furthermore the apartment is centrally located and you can easily go by bus, car or train to Palermo. We really liked the fact that there is no mass tourism. The service is very good and it is nice that you have no communication problems if you want to book or have questions.
All in all, we will certainly return to this address and we will strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Sicily!"
"Balestrate is a rustic village, with its small square where in the summer evenings there's always something to do. The place is nice and quiet and the apartment is located perfectly. During the day it's warm and at night you can relax on the terrace with a glass of rosé and a cool breeze from the sea.
In the morning you can enjoy your breakfast under the big umbrella on the terrace and then start exploring Sicily ... Balestrate is an ideal place for visiting the west side of the island.
The nature reserve Lo Zingaro is about a 30 minute drive away and it is highly recommended for those who love snorkeling. From the quiet bustle of the city of Monreale you can go to the chaotic Palermo, or see the antique Selinunte. It will take about an hour by car to get to the old town of Cefalù where you can relive the ancient times of a harbor town.
When we arrived we were led to our apartment by Martijn and Laura. The large amount of information we got from them was great. We used many of these tips and did lots of the mentioned activities. Thanks again for that!
Our holiday in Sicily was one we will not forget! See Naples and die...? Certainly not before you've seen Sicily!
Remon, Eelkje e Janna"
"Our holiday in Villa Ponzini was one of complete relax. It is a beautiful spacious house. It has a huge veranda where there is always a cool place to find. Within walking distance we found a quiet beach with a nice warm sea. We have built a lot of sandcastles with our son, Jano.
The small beach restaurant had some delicious pasta and pizza so that was great for lunch. The outdoor shower in our garden was really a blessing after a morning sea bath. The fig tree smelled delicious.
We ate lots of figs, tomatoes and basil from the garden. The area was luckily not full with tourists (but it was already September). And with Martijn's restaurant tips and discounts we always had a delicious dinner. And that's tremendously important to us! Especially eating at the Agriturismo Tarantola was sublime. And the bar near Alcamo had such delicious cakes and ice cream ...
Martijn had arranged for us to go and swim in a pool in Balestrate and we also visited a couple of towns when the weather was cooler. Trapani was very nice!
Ciao ! Bern, Peter & Jano (2.5)"
"Ciao Laura and Martijn,
We are back again in the cold Netherlands and look back with pleasure at our holiday on your beautiful island. A few months ago while surfing on your site we were looking for a spacious house with a private pool.
We are pleased that we had contacted you, although at that time we weren't able to find the kind of house with a pool we were looking for on your website. When we received your mail with pictures of Villa Veneziano we knew it was exactly what we were looking for!
We had nine days to relax and made frequent use of the pool. We made some trips and enjoyed dining in restaurants, all great!
Good luck and have fun in Sicily!
Mike, Sylvia, Sandra and Marco"
Ciao Mike, Sylvia, Sandra e Marco,
Thank you for your contribution to our guestbook. As you can see, Villa Veneziano is now mentioned on our website.
Tanti saluti dalla bella Sicilia, Laura e Martijn
"Dear Martijn and Laura,
We are now back home again and with pleasure we think about our stay in Sicily.
Also on behalf of our children and their partners, we want to thank you for your contribution to a lovely holiday.
Sincerely,
Gerard and Nelly Toonen"
information page Appartamento Gelsomino
