From exploring St Kitts’s rugged scenery, to snorkelling in Antigua and enjoying a luxurious week in Barbados, find out the best places to travel to in the Caribbean here, in my Caribbean travel blogs.
Beautiful landscapes, delicious food and romantic resorts. Say hello to the best hotels in St Kitts
While there are plenty of options to suit the biggest of bank accounts, St Kitts can also fit the budget-conscious of you out there.
One of the best things – even if you can’t afford to stay at one of the top hotels, you can always visit one of the restaurants as a treat! A girl’s got to eat, right?
Get a flavour of St Kitts in my video and scroll down to find out some of the top hotels in St Kitts.
Ok, I’m starting with the most expensive… just because I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. The magical Belle Mont Farm is located in Kittitian Hill – a 400 acre estate of organic tropical farmland which is home to hotels, villas and one of the world’s top edible golf courses. Yes, you can eat as you swing.
Wondering what St Kitts is like for a holiday? From rainforests to beaches, find out what it’s like to visit this Caribbean island.
Yes, it’s true. After a week in St Martin in March, I returned to one of my favourite parts of the world – the Caribbean, for another week of adventures. This time I flew to neighbouring island St Kitts. Firstly – despite being just a short hop from one another, you couldn’t get two more different islands. Secondly – what a gem of a place St Kitts is!
I knew very little about the island before visiting. I wanted to keep it that way in order to soak up the atmosphere, understand the people, take in the culture and as always, make my own adventures.
So what is St Kitts like?
St Kitts is beautifully untouched. People say “quick, go to Cuba before it’s too late”… well after visiting both islands, I’d say St Kitts feels less commercial; tourism hasn’t invaded or destroyed it. Somehow, it’s retained its own character. Other than a Marriott and a KFC, every restaurant and hotel was ‘local’. It’s quite an achievement considering the number of enormous cruise ships that dock each week.
We started our week at Ocean Terrace Inn, a smart hotel overlooking the bay of Basseterre – the island’s lively and colourful capital.
A photo posted by Chloe Gunning wanderlustchloe (@wanderlustchloe) on
As with neighbouring islands, St Kitts is mountainous with Mount Liamuiga standing tall at 3,792 feet. Beaches, mountains, volcanoes, and rainforests – a photographer’s dream!
The island’s past is deeply rooted in the sugar production industry. It’s a dark history, but one it’s important to hear in order to get to know the place. You can’t travel far without passing an old plantation, estate or sugar mill, and Ottley’s Plantation Inn – an 18th century sugar plantation with 35 lush acres of gardens, rainforest and beautiful accommodation was a highlight.
Hitting the beach in Saint Martin for SXMusic Festival.
Oh hey… look where I am?
Just when I thought I was heading home from an incredible month in South America, I took a slight detour. I’ve popped over to the paradise Caribbean island of Saint Martin for a week of sunshine, rum and beach parties. The occasion? The brand new boutique music festival SXMusic.
From 9th – 13th March, the world’s top DJs are flying in to perform at some of the island’s coolest venues. From the perfect white sands of Palm Beach on Orient Beach, to the island’s top nightclubs Tantra and Le Shore. Jamie Jones , Patrick Topping and Maceo Plex head up a top line up for the Caribbean’s newest music festival.
What’s it really like to go for afternoon tea at Sandy Lane in Barbados?
This guest post was written by Sarah Connolly
Some hotels are known globally, be it for the guests they host, a long standing reputation as a leading hotel, impeccable service, the destination of a high profile wedding, or just as somewhere people aspire to go to. I’m thinking of places like The Ritz, George V, Beverly Wilshire, or in my case Sandy Lane.
The word luxury is thrown around a lot and used far too often when it comes to hotels. Luxury to one person may not be luxury to another but having been to Sandy Lane I am 100% confident that this hotel wholeheartedly deserves to be deemed a luxury property, and that all those who have stepped through its doors would agree.
I was in Barbados for a week staying at a nearby hotel and booked to have afternoon tea at Sandy Lane. From the gated entrance to the long and winding driveway, everything plays a role in creating a really exclusive and beautiful setting. On arrival we were led to the lower level of Bajan Blue; an alfresco restaurant looking out to the beach, scattered with the famous pink sun loungers and even more famous guests.
My stay at the Barcelo Solymar in Varadero, Cuba was a real ‘Fawlty Towers’ experience. Find out why in my review of the hotel, restaurants and facilities.
“The best resort in Varadero, Cuba”… Unfortunately wasn’t where I stayed last week. Instead, I booked into the budget equivalent of Fawlty Towers. With a Trip Advisor rating of 3.5 out if 5 I wasn’t expecting pure luxury. Reviewers had complained about the food, service and state of accommodation. Needless to say, my expectations were relatively low, particularly when paying £50 a night for my own room and all-inclusive board. It was one of the only affordable options after spending months travelling around Central America.
