54. Saint Vincent & The Grenadines

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines is a marvelous island with a mountainous interior and hilly corners for a weekend trip. The population is approximately 104,332. The average daily temperature is 27 celsius. It’s rather hot and humid. Try the local beer, Harouin to cool off. Note that the conversion rate is USD $1.00 to $2.70 Eastern Caribbean Dollar. It’s good to take cash as not everyone takes card when getting around.

Our knowledgable tour guide, Rafic drove us around as we enjoyed the lush landscape. We stopped for coconuts to get a taste of the local vibe. Then we went to our hotel, Sunset Shores Beach Hotel. It was laid back and welcoming. The staff were wonderful including Ronald, Chimi, Linda, John and Hudson. While in the heat, the lobster salad is refreshing at the hotel pool bar. Afterwards, take a dip at Villa Beach. When ready to dine, there are plenty of vegetarian and meat options for dinner.

On Saturday, we ventured into Kingstown. There were loads of local artisanal shops selling everything from fruit to sandals. For lunch, a fun spot is Veejay’s where they have a variety of rotis including vegetable, chicken, beef, lamb and even more to explore.

During the afternoon, we made a pit stop by Layou en route to Wallilabou Bay where the Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

Later, Ada Restaurant was great for dinner. Mum had the potato mash, vegetables and barracuda while I ate the chicken wings with salad. The atmosphere was chill. In the end,. it was a relaxing evening.

On Sunday, we went from Kingstown to Bequia. The ferry lasted an hour. Arriving at Port Elizabeth, taxi driver Phil introduced the town to us. Jack’s Beach Bar was the lunch destination. I would recommend the SVG & Tonic which has a dash of ginger. The lobster money bags are delicious as well as the jerk chicken wrap.

The customer service from Colette, Vanel, Aissa and Dimitri was excellent. We loved swimming at. Princess Margaret Beach. Then there was a sensational sunset on the way home.

The last adventure was a visit to the Botanical Garden which opened in. 1765. Our tour guide named Cornelius Richardson was exceptional since he grew up on the gorgeous grounds. Upon arrival, he gave us a piece of the ylang ylang plant. It totally reminded me of the smell of perfume. This led to the amazing allamanda tree, a magnificent mahogany tree, patreus flowers similar to lilac and wisteria, Brazilian para rubber tree, Philodendron ~ tree of love and a 200 year old eucalyptus tree.

My favourite was the cannon ball tree where the flowers bloom for one day and then explode. It was so magical to see the beginning of the process and end result. The best bit were the tropical water lillies. It definitely transported me to a different place in nature.