MARCH 2020 PAGE 23 DESTINATION SVG


hosts a carnival and also has a museum dedicated to its boating and now controversial


whaling


history. Next to Mustique - an island name which con- jures up images of exotic wildness and freedom. In fact, Mustique seems well manicured and man- aged, a kind of gated island for the very rich and famous. Tommy Hil- figer, Tom Ford and Mick Jagger are amongst the celebrities with homes here while British royals William and Kate just holidayed there. It’s no surprise that the island’s social scene is legendary. The Cotton House seventeen


– with just


rooms across five cat- egories - is the only hotel on Mustique and has an intimate charm that will entice you to stay on a while longer. While away the hours in a beach-side hammock or sip cocktails at Basil’s bar where it’s traditional for guests and villa-owners to gather for pre-dinner cocktails and an occasional feast of pork cooked in sand pits. Take your lead from turtles wandering


the


around the grounds and move slowly – the pace of life is one of the best things about the island. Relax in your private cot- tage before fine dining on the restaurant terrace.


M


ustique is known for its lavish


Fanshaw, Canouan patio villa en suite bathroom


days. Villas sell for up to $20million on the island but you can rent ‘Clon- silla’ for between 20,000 and 33.500 US dollars a week.


villas,


one of the oldest being ‘Clonsilla’. Owned by Georgia


a


member of the Guin- ness family, it’s named after the Dublin suburb from its more genteel


For the movie-makers among you, Coccoloba, a villa owned by Chi- cago billionaire William Doyle, boasts a private cinema. Reece Wither- spoon is amongst the guests who have stayed there. Of course, sailing is central to any holiday in St Vincent & the Grena- dines. If you don’t sail yourself, there are many other ways to enjoy life on the Caribbean sea. Charter a private catama- ran to take you to your next island or at the other extreme, take a small water taxi for day visits to some of the islands. Hiring a private char- ter via ‘Wind & Sea’ to reach idyllic Petit St Vin- cent costs around $1,800.


n SVG likes its national symbols including the parrot (national bird) and Soufriere tree (national tree). Its national dish is fried jack fish and roasted breadfruit. So named because of its texture, bread- fruit was historically used to feed slaves because it was cheap and plentiful but remains a firm favourite on the islands today. n Conch (seafood) is also popular as are tuna and mahi-mahi which feature strongly on menus. Popu- lar fruit juices include mango and papaya with lime


EAT SVG


On landing at PSV you’re greeted with a cold fruit drink and refreshing towel, and welcomed by Matt Semark who man- ages the resort with his Balinese wife. This tiny private island is owned by a US lawyer who worked with Bill Clinton and George Bush but Semark has put his stamp on it since taking on the role of resort man- ager.


Fruit juices and


rum punches are the order of the day in the Carib- bean but UK native Matt has developed an excel- lent wine cellar, a must for European visitors and a draw for wine experts who travel from around the globe for seminars and tastings.


Importantly for diving


fans, the island is home to a dive school owned by Jean Michel Cous- teau, son of the legend- ary Jacques Cousteau. The 68-year-old owns just two dive schools, the other being on Fiji.


P


etit St Vincent feel wonderfully nat- ural and safe (there


are no room keys). Think barefoot relaxation and Balinese massages at the hill-top spa. There’s no wifi in rooms so visitors


can enjoy a digital detox. Although there’s no swimming pool, the is- land feels perfect for families with turtles and sheep wandering around. There are plans to install private swimming pools in some of the island cot- tages and you’re planning a wedding, you can buy out the island with prices more competitive in our summer months. Intriguingly, PSV sits


on a narrow channel of water that forms an inter- national border with Petit Martinique, belonging to Grenada. From PSV, make the


final stop of your trip on Palm Island Resort & Spa, near the southern tip of the Grenadines. Like the rest of St Vincent & the Grenadines, this island needs no fake in- stagram features – nature


has generously provided beautiful backdrops to keep your insta fans happy. Palm Island has one unique selling points. It’s adult-only – no children under the age of 16 dur- ing winter and no under- 12s during summer. Here, iguanas wander


around and there’s a tur- tle sanctuary. You can cycle or walk around the island in around half an hour and there are regular events to entertain guests – movie nights on the beach, rum tastings and steel pan bands. There are five beaches and with no more than 80 people on the island at any time, you’ll feel as if you have it to yourself. We loved the secluded hammocks and picnic spots.


P


alm Island is owned by British gaming millionaire


James Lane and is run by his son, also James, who bears more than a pass- ing resemblance to Brit- ish royal Prince Harry. James Jnr is hands-on and tells us that bottom-line fishing is popular here along with boat trips to miniscule Mapion island for picnic lunches. He also explains that


the southern Grenadines are great for improving sailors as land is often in sight when sailing between islands, giving confidence to those in control.


Stay at one of the is- land’s newly renovated beachside rooms– just ten metres from the water, they’re delightful oases of brightness and colour with exterior day beds and great views of the water.


If you insist on insta- gramming, the views from the island’s spa are jaw-droppingly good. One must-do from


Palm Island is a boat trip to Tobago Cays. Johnny Depp and Kiera Knightly filmed a scene from Pir- ates of the Caribbean on one of the tiny islands but you’ll be far more in- terested in experiencing what every snorkelling fan wants to do here – swimming with sea tur- tles.


If your boat drops you


off on one of the islands, you’ll need to be able to swim a hundred metres or more with fins to reach the turtle’s feeding spots. Alternatively, ask your boat man to stop near their feeding area.


n Catherine Murphy travelled to SVG courtesy of the SVG Tourist Board www. discoversvg.com n Fly Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick to Barbados then onwards to ST Vincent with Liat Air (flight takes around 45 minutes). n You can fly from Canouan to Mustique via private charter with Mustique Air. Departing SVG to Barbados incurs a $40 departure tax which must be paid in cash in ECB (eastern Caribbean dollars) or US dollars. Three ECB is around one euro and 1.6 US dollars. n Irish tour operators Caribtours and Hayes & Jarvis both feature a number of SVG islands.


palmislandresortgrenadines.com youngisland.com ique-island.com petitstvincent.com


If you plan on island-hopping, it’s worth using a tour operator or travel agent’s expertise to plan your island transfers. n For further information on individual resorts, go to mandarinoriental.com quiabeachhotel.com


be- must-


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