Originally Posted by
evergrn
Trying to find out more about Grand Water Villa.
All the GWV with jacuzzi are on the even-numbered side, correct?
Yup, That's upthread:
DBVs & GWVs - Villa Numbers & Type.
Pic is below for reference.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
I'm considering GWV, but would love to be able to just walk down into the sea and snorkel right off the villa just like we did at SWV... without worrying about current or choppy water since we have kids.
How're the current and waves on that side, and are there a lot of fish swimming around just like along SWV?
When we stayed last fall, the sea was too rough at the House Reefs and so we mainly ended up snorkeling around SWV where the water was almost still.
During the Eastern Monsoon (high season), the winds are pretty strong and the waves around the GWVs can get a bit too big to make it comfortable for snorkelling. However, if the wind and waves are at medium strength (or lower) and you are on the sunset side (odd numbers except for 401) the supports of the even numbered GWVs and your own GWV break up the waves considerably so it's much more conducive to snorkelling on that side. Note that there's not a lot to see on either the sunrise or sunset side but anyway, that's another subject for discussion. However if you go too far laterally (northwest) it gets too wavy. For example, I went sorkelling from 419 past 421 and to the black rock formations that you can see on the map (directly to the west of 421) and it started to get deep enough that your feet wouldn't be able to touch the bottom and waves about 30-40cm high I guess. Back at 419 the waves were only a quarter or third of that height so the difference is very noticible.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
Also, is there anything we should know as far as the views from the even-numbered GWV?
And is there a particular section of the row of GWV's that's recommended location-wise?
As you can see from the pic
because the formation of villas curves to the left as you go further out and due to the angle of the slats in the privacy walls, from 419 (which the photo was taken from) you can see into the pool of 417, and from 417 you can see into the pool of 415, and so on. It get's better at 413 and 411.
FEI, I have now revised my opinion of 421 as the best GWV. Having snorkelled out in front of 420 I would rather have that one as it's the only one where you get a proper sunset view and aren't able to see 349 and 350, i.e; have a completely unobstructed view of the ocean. And on its right 418 is also further away than any other villa (this is the largest gap between GWVs), giving it another advantage.