Some might say Vinda (Vinny) and Vishesh (Vishy) RamSingh are romantics and visionaries. Having spent their youth in the heart of Port-of-Spain, on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad, Vinny and Vishy left the island to pursue an education in Canada. Upon completion of their studies the brothers returned home and began planning ways of realising their dream of turning their humble one and a half-acre family property into a small slice of paradise. At the age of 21 and 20 respectively, they sat down over a drink and began sketching designs for the Chintamanie Resort and Residences.

Work began in earnest in 2000 and is scheduled for completion in 2011, when the Chintamanie Resort & Residences – which translates as ‘wish-fulfilling jewel’ – will be opened, setting a new standard in private luxury retreats. In a nutshell, the development will comprise six 4,500 sq ft units, each comprising four master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. The resort offers over 17,500 sq ft of common areas, including a private beach, swimming pool and individual jetties for mooring yachts and opportunities include a mix of sales, long-term leases and time-share options, with two of the seven units gone already.

Location is key
It is worth taking a moment though to set the scene for the development. The Chintamanie Resort and Residences are situated within Chaguaramas, a 14,572-acre region that includes a peninsula with five offshore islands, and Chintamanie Resort & Residences is located on the most sought after of these islands, Monos.

It is situated at the north-west corner of Trinidad, a peninsula that is characterised by 3,000 acres of flat land, with five scenic beachfront areas, dominated by mountainous slopes and extensive foothills separated by two wide valleys. The peninsula is a 15 minute drive from Port of Spain and its sheltered, natural harbours are well below and very outside the hurricane belt.

The underlying philosophy of the Chintamanie development is that the Chaguaramas area is one of unsurpassed natural beauty and its amenities add social value to the country. As such, the entire peninsula and offshore islands are being developed and managed sustainably, with other compatible forms of development and economic activity under the umbrella of the National Park.

Excellence in design
In an effort to minimise changes to the natural topography of the land, Vinny and Vishy – working in conjunction with a design team at Architecture Tomorrow – have implemented a design that sees the units blend seamlessly into the hillside but without compromising the quality of the final development.

To maximise the use of space, the Chintamanie resort has a fully-functional rooftop which also serves to enhance the aesthetic quality of the development. The development has also incorporated hillside elevators which are at the same time practical, contemporary and unique.

Green credentials
i) Light The whole development will be furnished with LED light bulbs throughout, as presently LED light technology is the most efficient and effective in the marketplace. Vinny and Vishy are determined to encourage the future owners to continue the use of these products until a better energy-efficient technology can be sourced.

ii) Heat As you would expect, the Caribbean has no shortage of sunshine, and its benefits include much more than achieving that perfect tan. Vinny and Vishy appreciate the importance of solar technology and the resort employs solar panels to assist in the areas of air-conditioning and water-heating, but installed at strategic locations so as not to interfere with the
landscape or aesthetic quality.

iii) Water Desalination technology is being employed so as to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water.
A dual flush toilet system is employed throughout the development. This method uses one button for liquid waste and another for solid waste denoted by two easy-to-read tabs affixed to each button. As water is an even more precious commodity on Monos Island, this technology serves to reduce water consumption exponentially when compared to that of the use of regular toilets.

iv) Conservation To minimise the impact of the construction on the environment, the units have been built into the natural topography of the land. The little earth that has been carved out at the back of each unit, has been re-deployed in strengthening and enhancing the natural water-breaking rocks that line the perimeter of the peninsula where the development is situated. This not only contributes to the longevity and sustainability of the development but, in essence, ensures that not one ounce of dirt has been wasted.

Further, a Canadian Hillside Cliff Crawler Technology will be favoured over the traditional elevator system as a mode of transport on the development when getting from the docks to the units, utilizing the grade of the land.

Getting there
Aside from these attributes, all of which are so important in modern society, there are many other reasons to a look at the Chintamanie resort. When taking a well-earned vacation, a stress-free journey is  paramount, and it will be comforting to know for those intending to stay at the resort that direct flights to Trinidad and Tobago are available from most of the major US, South American and European airports. Those who own or have hired a helicopter can simply land on the heli-pad.

Arrival by boat or private yacht couldn’t be easier, as Chintamanie has just completed the construction of its own jetty. Also, being just a ten minute sail away from the coastguard headquarters, and knowing that the eastern area of the Caribbean is free from piracy, will put many minds at ease.

Tee time
If golf is a favoured pastime, one couldn’t be better situated. A five-minute drive away, nestled between the hills of Chaguaramas amidst tropical vegetation in the scenic Tucker Valley is the Chaguaramas public golf course, a par 67, 5,646 yard course comprising nine holes and 18T Boxes tucked away in alcoves of towering bamboo and bush.

The greens are generally small, well protected and can be tricky targets, but they are exceptionally well-maintained. The course also includes the only 250ft driving range in Trinidad.

High handicappers can take heart from generous fairways and an absence of a punishing rough. Even if nature intervenes – as it often does in the Caribbean – because of its excellent drainage system, play can be resumed within a short while after heavy rainfall. Finally, for the avid golfer, plans are underway to upgrade the course to a 27-hole Championship facility, with completion scheduled for latter half of 2010.

Underwater adventure
Finally, as would be expected from a Caribbean island, marine exploration is constantly available. Coral reefs are best known for their breath-taking variety of colourful marine life which they harbour. Trinidad & Tobago’s Buccoo reef, noted for its submarine gardens, has long been a popular tourist attraction; boasting an array of brightly-coloured fish including, among others, parrot fish, wrasses, spot-fin and other butterfly fish, trumpet fish, toadfish and angel fish. It is noteworthy that the property has a natural coral reef that runs the length of the resort.

When the doors to the Chintamanie Resort and Residencies are opened late next year  – Christmas 2011, the development will stand as an enduring gesture of love and devotion to Vinny and Vishy’s  mother and father – the property was gifted to their mother from their father as an anniversary gift to make up for not being able to afford the engagement ring that he wanted to give to her when they eloped many years before. The stonework and accents used throughout the resort replicates the theme of the seven precious gems and the chakras (energy centres of the body) to which they relate, with each unit named accordingly; Diamond, Ruby, Imperial Sapphire, Royal Sapphire, Emerald, Topaz and Emethyst. The brothers are of Hindu tradition and coincidently, the land upon which the development sits is shaped like India, their country of lineage.

Those who decide to go to the Chintamanie Resort and Residences will discover a beautiful, natural, ethical and above all spiritual place, borne out of a dream and vision of two brothers stemming from their parents love. They will discover that, in fact, Paradise does indeed have an address; 1 Monos Island, Trinidad, West Indies, or found on Facebook: Paramita International Limited.