The ferry crossing from Bequia to St Vincent is one hour. The crossing I took was quite choppy as the sea was rough that day. Read on for more Caribbean island hopping adventures with Karen from Travel Matters…

I learnt from a very informative gentleman about the new international airport being built,  which is due to open in 2013. The existing airport will close and accommodate a new hospital. Over 120 families have been displaced, one mountain has been excavated, three valleys and a river have had to be re directed to house the 9000 foot runway. It will indeed boost the economy’s tourism and accessibility to neighbouring islands will benefit also.

Next stop – Young Island, St Vincent

 

On arrival at Kingstown, we took a short taxi drive to the quayside opposite Young Island. A call to the Young Island ferry transfer and we were on the island 5 minutes later.

The lovely Biana Porter is the general manager of this Robinson Crusoe Hideaway. The accommodation is rustic, set on a beach and has rooms which are elevated around the island with spectacular views.  It is perfect for couples looking to get away from it all. The food here is very good.

St Vincent to Grenada – more Caribbean island hopping

 

Caribbean island hopping is very easy and straight forward. The next island hop is to Grenada. My first impressions of Grenada were a very warm and friendly bunch of people. The airport is very clean, air conditioned and very well laid out. It seemed that customs and immigration staff were very keen to identify us visitors but on no occasion did they make one feel like a criminal (unlike the jobs worth on Bequia at the arrivals gate!)

It is a 10 minute taxi transfer from the airport to the hotel Calabash & Villas. This property is understated elegance. On arrival you walk through the reception area to the restaurant and gardens. It is horseshoe shaped, lawned and flat with palm trees, manicured paths and shrubs. Each of the thirty rooms are named after flowers “Angels Trumpet, Cup of Gold, Ixora, Turks Cap to name a few.

The rooms have a generous sized terrace or outside space, where you are served breakfast each morning. You can complete a breakfast menu requesting your desired breakfast and at which time you wish to be served it. There is a small kitchen area used by the house maids to prepare the breakfast for you. As well as complimentary afternoon tea each day, served in the bar area, at 6pm a knock at your door and you will be delivered some canapés to keep you going before dinner. Nice touch!

Lunches are served down at the beach bar, which overlooks a very calm, sandy beach with its own jetty. It was fun to listen to the sounds of a group of young boys chattering and laughing as they did somersaults and threw themselves off the jetty. It was highly entertaining to watch too.

The Rhodes Restaurant has an a la carte menu designed by  Gary Rhodes using locally available and seasonal produce and our chefs Dexter and Dandy (Rhodes trained) did not disappoint. My calalou and shrimp tart as a starter followed by the Dorado fish with christophene and broccoli was absolutely delicious.

I was interested to see that the Calabash has an environmental policy and is a member of CAST – the Caribbean Action for Sustainable Tourism, which is dedicated to protect and preserve the beautiful environment of the Caribbean.

 

And on to Barbados

 

The Caribbean island hopping adventure reached its last island.  Our LIAT – leave in anytime flight to Barbados left earlier than scheduled, so we arrived on Barbados earlier than planned. A 45 minute transfer North on the West coast, Cobblers Cove driveway, which was quite tucked away, was suddenly upon us.

This gorgeous small Relais Chateaux property boasts just 40 rooms. It has a real colonial style reminiscent of by gone elegance. Some suites can overlook the stunning gardens. It is such a delight to watch a humming bird come for nectar from the comfort of your balcony.

The beaches on the coast of Barbados can change with the seasons, so currently the beach is quite narrow, but despite its size Cobblers Cove beach is beautifully clear and perfect for swimming.

The Terrace restaurant is the place to dine in. The current chef, Bryan Porteus has created an outstanding menu and his dishes are so delicious – your taste buds will be blown away in this gourmets paradise!

Rooms are very spacious with an adjoining living area, separate bathroom and kitchenette area to make hot and cold drinks. The hotel is within close proximity to Speightstown, a small town community with old port, a few shops and restaurants.

Our purpose of this time in Barbados was to visit Andrew Warden’s properties and a 15 minute drive took us to the Little Good Harbour.

This is a perfect retreat for those independent minded travellers to Barbados, keen to have their own self catering facilities yet in the grounds of beautiful gardens, two pools and a spa. The vineyard villas are super for larger groups or families travelling together.

The very charming Graham Dear hosted an exquisite lunch at the infamous Fish Pot restaurant. It is a popular choice on the island. Booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

After lunch we headed to the East coast, over the Northern interior part of the island. The coast line resembled wild Scottish countryside (believe it or not).

 

Our final hotel night was spent in Atlantis hotel. The building was built formerly along the railway track and had a restaurant there. Patrica and Andew Warden have laboured to create a dynamic characterful 8 bedroom hotel with a large restaurant also.

 

A few nights on the East coast of Barbados is a must. The raw and rugged coastline is such a contrast to the polished West coast. The waves crashing against the shore, wind in your hair, it is a great base to place yourself for discovery the real Barbados. There are some stunning coastal walks and world class surfing at the Soup Bowl beach. The rooms are very characterful, spacious and each has been named after an area of the island. Cattlewash and Soup Bowl are a couple I can remember. The lovely Diane, front of house, will look after all you well.

 

So end of trip. What have I learnt about Caribbean island hopping?

 

Well I can sincerely say, hand on heart, I feel I know the Caribbean much more extensively. I have learnt the people are extremely friendly. They are proud to be members of the West Indies. They are blessed to live in a beautiful part of the world they have. The islands are rich in diversity and are beautiful in so many aspects. The Caribbean offers so much more than just a beach holiday, the islands interiors are diverse and rich in flora and fauna with ample birdlife. The restaurants I visited during this trip were of a very high standard and offered some of the best fine dining I have ever experienced.

Would I go back?

 

Yes – absolutely. I would probably island hop and stay on two or three islands over the entire visit.  Island hopping in the Caribbean is very straight forward and not a drag at all. I think that is what surprised me the most – the ease of travelling from one island to the other.