There’s something so invigorating about the Tropics. All my senses are awakened. Every natural phenomenon is more extreme and dramatic. The downpours are sudden and torrential to which the lush vegetation responds eagerly in its fight for light and growth. The stars are stark, the sunsets stun and the water catches the eye as it glints and glistens.
Boats tingle in the breeze and semi-sculpted weathered wood juts out from virgin sand as do rocks from turquoise water. The rainbow’s full spectrum of colors is reflected in the green vegetation, the reds, yellows, and oranges of flowers, the hues of tropical fruit, the black of volcanic beaches, the pink of coral and Madagascar periwinkles and the many jolly primary-colored houses.
St. Vincent and The Grenadines (‘SVG’) is an archipelago of 32 islands. 9 are inhabited of which some are private. They stretch some 44 miles like beads in a rosary, like a chain of divine jewels. And they’re a paradise for yachties they’re perfectly spaced with land forever in sight and no island over 3 hours away, with trade winds blowing at a steady 15 knots, and harbors home to great restaurants and bars.
SVG is on its own crest of a wave with new flights and hotels. A Sandals resort has just opened in St Vincent, Mandarin Oriental, and a Soho House is in Canouan and, of course, there’s the mystique of Mustique. The high season is from November to April. My favorite guidebooks on the archipelago are a handbook by Chris Doyle and one by Lesley Sutty.
The island of St Vincent has its own dense rainforest, its own Sunset Rum and Hairoun beer, and no traffic lights. Dogs enjoy the heated tarmac, chickens literally cross the road and goats nibble on the playing fields. There are banana plantations, coconut groves, and a bamboo forest. Gingerbread houses stand on stilts and customarily get repainted at Christmas.
Up in the north, where the Caribs still live, there are mountain trails, waterfalls, and wildlife along with heliconias, giant ferns, palms, and blue mahoes. I loved the bustle of Kingstown’s fruit market and the heritage of the Botanical Gardens. At the Wallilabou Heritage Park, all is vibrant and brimming with abundance. Tarzan-swinging ropes make way here for the film set of Pirates of the Caribbean with a museum containing its props and backdrops.
For the perfect place to adjust from a flight to a very different climate, and only 20 minutes drive from the airport and 10 minutes from the capital, I loved Beachcombers Hotel. “Fish of the day: Barracuda,” said the waitress and I knew I had truly arrived! 10 of its delightful cozy cottagey 57 rooms (with prices from $120 in low season) have ocean views. Down past the gardeners I went in their Hawaiian shirts, through lush tropical gardens enlivened by birds, lizards, and bees and besprinkled with frangipani, hibiscus, and bougainvillea. I reached Ada restaurant where there’s broad decking below the high white rafters of this vast ambient open space yards from the shore. It has Anatolian fused with Caribbean flavors. Indeed the wonderfully contemporary menu is sourced from the local volcanic soil.
Directly opposite I took a short boat ride across to Young Island. Up from the whitest of sands, amongst a lush tropical garden and beneath the seven-tiered ‘vetiver’ thatched huts reminiscent of the South Pacific was the garden gazebo restaurant. Here with my fruit punch and hibiscus flower, I watched kids swimming safely in the shallow turquoise water. Just behind lies the miniature island of Fort Duvernette which I climbed up its 255-step zenith to survey snorkellers from transparent kayaks exploring the gorgeous water before I took the ferry to Bequia.
What divine inspiration dreamt up the island of Bequia?
Pronounced ‘Bekwey’ and meaning ‘island of the clouds’ in ancient Arawak, it’s a seven-mile expanse that developed less from sugar as from sea-island cotton and indigo, from boat building (especially schooners), whaling and merchant seamen. Nowadays 70% of the economy comes from tourists the more adventurous of whom are blessed with fantastic conditions for sailing and wonderful snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking.
Right in the heart of the island’s action is Bequia Plantation Hotel. Dating from the 1950s and on the site of the island’s first hotel, the central building has broad verandas decked with old mahogany tables, rattan sofas, and plantation chairs. A traditional, cultured feel for the discerning guest.
It’s set back from a lovely stretch of beach and water with gorgeous grounds with mango, guava, and breadfruit trees and the spongiest of grass. The tranquil, duck-egg blue gingerbread-style square cottages are beautifully spaced. Their exteriors have pretty fretwork. In their fresh, airy interiors blue-and-white contemporary decor mirrors the central plantation house. From it, I loved my daylight trail around the headland to Princess Margaret Beach, and my evening wander along the well-lit Belmont Walkway, past restaurants to the stalls and the harbor in Admiralty Bay.
At ‘D Harbor’ (the locals’ name for Port Elizabeth) there’s all the exuberance of locals with heads balancing fruit walking past street vendors and blaring reggae. Wooden houses climb up steep hillsides, in shades of blue, orange, and lime, with picket-fence porches with frangipani and paths lined with tamarind and croton plants.
Even on a small island, it’s worth going the extra mile. Discretely tucked away on the island’s edge and truly sublime is The Liming. With the word being local lingo for ‘hanging around, usually in a public place with friends, enjoying the scene’ the hotel certainly encourages its own motto of “the art of doing nothing”. It’s a boutique hotel and a perfect treat for honeymooners. Creams and whites blend with tree-trunk tables, wicker mats, and vast rustic gourds. It’s so nourishing as all is in harmony with nature. Spread across well-kept gardens that include silver Bismarck Palms are the 9 soft yellow villas (to become 23 by September). Their solid square interiors reminded me of David Hockney’s with his white furnishings, still ferns, open white shutters, and plunge pools.
The incredibly spacious restaurant, under its vast dodecahedral roof, is the ultimate indoor-outdoor pavilion and has views of the surrounding islands. The cuisine is fresh and delicious and the rum punches are quite a knock-out!
It all conjured up James Bond and Ursula Andress as the odd twin otter descends excitingly low over the pavilion roof to the airstrip beyond allowing celebrities to land for lunch as do passing yachties that moor on the jetty. Often luxury requires space. It never felt crowded and I even had the beach to myself as I came back with a day pass that gave me lunch and use of the beach.
As the islands get smaller their charm intensifies. I arrived at night via the Jaden Express ferry. I changed at Union Island from whose jagged peaks, as I neared, I couldn’t take my eyes. They forever changed shape just like the dramatic approach to Mo‘orea in the South Pacific. I reached the spectacular Petit St Vincent. As I stepped onto the resort’s powerful speedboat I knew instantly that I was in the lap of luxury. With all the stars shining bright there was all the joyful expectation of the morning’s discoveries to come as dawn unwrapped the island like a glorious present.
The resort has as its mantra “relaxed Caribbean charm with a touch of elegance”. For its utter seclusion … total privacy … a chance completely to unwind. All the elements were combined: rock and wood, Atlantic air, seawater and rain, and fiery heat from the sun.
Each of the 22 stone beach cottages looks out to an island. They blend with nature with their neutral earthy tones, their vaulted ceilings, their teak furnishings, and sliding doors. The daytime Beach restaurant menu is effortlessly enticing with its chunky organic-shaped wooden tables under its swaying palms and almond trees. The Main Pavilion restaurant, perched up high offers a different menu every night using its organic produce from its extensive garden.
Courtesy of the resort I spent the day out sailing in a boat called Beauty. Past Mopion, the famous sandbank used for the rum advert, I reached Tobago Cays Marine Park to swim with turtles and snorkel for bright pretty fish. ‘We returned to PSV (as they abbreviate the resort island). Back to the hammocks and swings. No TV sets. Instead birdsong and croaking frogs with the clearest crystalline seawater, white powdered sands, and tropical woodlands. PSV really is enchanting and magical. It truly is a treasure island.
I must go back to SVG not to mention PSV whenever but soon!
