The Seasoned Traveler offers travel insights on the Caribbean and other sun-kissed destinations.
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So, farewell to Barbados, home of crystal clear waters, soft breezes, elegant, genteel resorts and Banks Beer (Hey Tyra!) - and the spiritual birthplace of the Seasoned Traveler. À bientôt. It's been a great but, for me, tiring trip. Back to Toronto today, where I plan to sleep for three days😴, check to see if our basement was flooded during the big storm of 16th July ⛈️ and water the plants 🪴 - in that order.😅
Enjoying some local flavour at the oft-recommended Fisherman’s Pub in Speightstown, Barbados🇧🇧. It’s a casual, affordable, friendly and busy place, equally popular with locals and tourists - and especially jumping at lunchtime. A word of warning: don’t order food here unless you are really (really) hungry. Servings are delicious and huge.😋
Here I am back where the whole thing started - Barbados🇧🇧 - the first Caribbean nation I ever visited, almost 40 years ago. This is where my passion for island travel was born. My next visit to this beautiful island was with my wife, also her first trip to the Caribbean. Luckily for me, she instantly embraced my love of the islands. So, it’s great to be back, this time staying at the elegant Cobblers Cove, but now with more than 40 other islands under our belts.😎 Having said that, we are really only here due to some terrible circumstances. Our original plans had us simply transferring in Barbados to spend time in the Grenadines. Sadly, the Grenadines were devastated by Hurricane Beryl, from Bequia down to Carriacou, forcing a change in plans. So, while we are fortunate enough to be enjoying the beauty and tranquility of Barbados, let’s spare some thoughts and, perhaps, consider supporting relief efforts in these lovely islands🇬🇩🇻🇨.
How's this for a view to wake up to? Early morning in Grand Case, St. Martin with Anguilla sparkling in the background just a few kilometers away. Taken from the balcony of our delightful little hotel - Le Temps Des Cerise. .company
Quick few nights stop in St. Martin before beginning final phase of this makeshift trip. Enough time to find another great beach bar to add to my list - Bikini Beach Bikinisxm on the now bustling Orient Bay. Great views, nice people that great FWI vibe and a Spicy Margarita that really lives up to it's name🌶. Willreview this one for sure
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Been to Anguilla many times over the past few years and this is, by far, the best car rental service I’ve ever had. Nice car (with a working radio - hard to come by in the islands these days) and great service. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bryans Car Rentals.
Finished my brief time in Anguilla at the weekly moonlight beach BBQ at Aurora Resort. Had an excellent time, with good food, lovely people and great music from . Off to St. Martin today. .company
Even a rainy day in Anguilla just adds a sparkle to this absolute jewel of an island. Early dusk at the stylish and always welcoming Aurora Beach Resort & Golf Club. .company
Was lucky enough to catch Olaide Banks at a pop up show at the Anguilla Great House. If you ever get the chance to hear Olaide sing, whether in his native Anguilla🇦🇮 or elsewhere, don’t miss it. Or check him out on Spotify. A super talented, genuine and gracious guy, carrying on the remarkable Anguillian family musical legacy that includes his father Bankie and brother Omari. Special thanks to the fun and funky DJ Chu Chu for hosting. .company
The sun will rise over better days in the Grenadines. Anyone who travels in and/or loves these islands can help make that happen. We were scheduled to visit Palm Island for the first time later this month. Sadly, that trip will not be happening at this time. The resort was badly hit and will take some time to recover. In spite of that, Palm Island Resort is leading a fundraising effort in aide of Union Island, which was devastated by Hurricane Beryl. Union is the gateway to the resort and home to most of its staff. The storm destroyed more than 90% of the buildings, leaving the majority of residents homeless. Please consider joining us and supporting the relief efforts through (the GoFundMe link is in their profile), or help one of the many reputable organizations assisting recovery efforts in the Grenadines islands, which have suffered badly. We look forward to returning to these beautiful islands when it is appropriate to do so.
This idyllic scene is Paradise Beach in Carriacou, a beautiful small island that is part of Grenada.🇬🇩This was taken several years ago during a great few days spent on this friendly little island, and we always planned to return. Sadly, Carriacou, its sister island, Petite Martinique, and other islands in the Grenadines (part of St. Vincent 🇻🇨)were in the direct path of Hurricane Beryl over the weekend and suffered a truly devastating hit. Homes and businesses have been totally destroyed and the islands’ infrastructure crippled. Please spare a thought and consider contributing towards helping these islands to recover. There are several agencies working towards relief, both internationally and locally. For example, in Grenada, I know that has a matching donation program. In Canada, the Consulate General of Granada (on Facebook) is in the process of establishing a relief fund and similar efforts are likely underway in other countries for both Grenada and SVG. The local Red Cross may also be a place to start. Look for organizations geared to get essential supplies directly to the islands as quickly as possible. The Caribbean travel community can - and must, in my opinion - step up during these difficult times.
Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Will be celebrating with our annual family BBQ. This year with an added bonus - a welcome touch of my beloved Caribbean. Here's to living in a great place, sharing with family and friends and enjoying a nice cold beer on a sunny summer day. Cheers and blessings to all! 🇨🇦
Beer and beach bars go together like, well, sun and sand. The Nevis Peak Brewery is expanding that symbiotic relationship by offering its customers a range of fresh brewed-on-premises microbrews.🍺 A first on the lovely island of Nevis🇰🇳. The initial taps feature a Vienna lager, an IPA and a stout, with others to follow, including a Pilsner and a mango beer, brewed in honour of the island’s famous annual Mango Festival in early July. Really enjoyed our visit and meeting the charming owners (a bit of a Canadian connection there🇨🇦). Check out my newly posted review on the website (link in profile).
I’ve been working on this ‘piece’ (not sure if I’d call it art) for the last few months. Well, when you get right down to it, I guess I’ve actually been working on it for the past 28 years, collecting stickers and great memories. I’m proud (and a bit mortified 😅) to say that I’ve visited each and every one of the beach bars featured on this 20”x20” (50cmx50cm) picture, many multiple times. That’s a lot of bottles of Carib, Kalik, Balashi, Red Stripe, Piton, Hairoun, Turks Head, Kubuli, Caybrew, Wadali, Sands, Banks, Corona, Stag, Presidente, etc., along the way - not to mention a sip or two of rum🥃. There are more than a few legendary bars here, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet many of the legends behind them. Sure, I have my favourites, but I can honestly say, I’d go back to ANY of these - anytime. I can also say that I hope I’m not done yet, and there are a few more stickers to be added. 😎 Cheers!
Trying to start a new style trend. Only drinking cocktails that match the colour of my shirt.😎 Don’t think it’s catching on…🤔 Anyway, the drink - double Captain Morgan Original Spiced with pineapple juice 🍍 and a dash of bitters - was pretty darn good. And you certainly can’t beat the setting, the laid-back Frigate’s Bar & Grill in Eleuthera, Bahamas 🇧🇸.
What a great endeavour!
A salute to from the elegant 🇰🇳. Not sure why I look so serious? It’s a beautiful day, I’m wearing a cool shirt and hat, and enjoying a delicious margarita after a (very rare for me) swim at one of my all-time favourite places. Anyway, cheers! .official #
For the beach bar enthusiast, the Bitter End Yacht Club is a ‘love at first sight’ kind of place. That’s assuming you get to see it at all. Located in Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands🇻🇬 and accessible only by boat, it’s not an easy place to get But if you make the effort, you certainly won’t be disappointed. The storied club was totally destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but with the support of the local community and fans from around the world, the BEYC rose from the ruins, reopening in 2021. You can check out my newly posted review on the website - link in profile.
On our recent trip to Nevis, we visited the remains of Cottle Church on Round Hill Estate. Built at the direction of John Cottle in 1824, it was the first known church in the Caribbean constructed with the goal of providing a place where blacks and whites, slaves and owners, would be able to worship together. It was constructed by hand by men, women and children enslaved on the plantation. With abolition still being hotly debated in Britain, it was naturally controversial. Following Cottle’s death, the Church fell into disuse, and years of hurricanes and neglect turned it into a ruin. While there we were privileged to chat with Loraine Chaderton, the driving force behind the current restoration of the site - a restoration that saw an ecumenical service held at the Church on May 5th, the first such service in 200 years. While we obviously couldn’t attend, we were able to watch the event via streaming on YouTube. The goal is to restore the Church to its original condition. Naturally, this is a pricey venture, and donations are welcome (a website is currently under development). It’s a beautiful, spiritual place, that is a vital part of the surprisingly rich history of Nevis and its people.🇰🇳
Happy to say that the future of bartending in the Caribbean appears to be in excellent hands with a new generation of enthusiastic and creative mixologists like Brandon (‘Brandy the bartender’) at Mount Nevis Hotel. We sipped original cocktails, while discussing various drinks and enjoying the amazing views from this lovely hotel. My wife had the 3 Nut Espresso Martini, while I went with the Patronizer (Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, mango, lime and more than a few dashes of island hot sauce). Both were excellent! Would love to know what brand hot sauce Brandon used - it added heat and flavour. 🌶 Mount Nevis Hotel
Just back from beautiful Nevis, where I had a chance to check out the burgeoning bar/restaurant scene on Pinneys Beach. Certainly a lot going on, with new ‘landscaping’, expansions, reopenings and several brand new players, including the island’s first microbrewery. Many locals have mixed emotions, and I can understand - it’s a tough one, balancing the need for economic growth and new opportunity with preserving that special vibe and aesthetic of Pinneys. A common story in many places. But, thankfully, tucked away at the far end of the strip, there is still the one true ‘King of the Beach’, the legendary and always welcoming Sunshine - and his infamous Killer Bee🐝🍹! It’s been 20 years since we first met Sunshine, on our first visit to Nevis via a day sail from St. Kitts. We’ve been totally hooked ever since.😎
Just back from beautiful Nevis, where I had a chance to check out the burgeoning bar/restaurant scene on Pinneys Beach. Certainly a lot going on, with new ‘landscaping’, expansions, reopenings and several ‘new’ players, including the island’s first microbrewery. Many locals have mixed emotions, and I can understand - it’s a tough one, balancing the need for economic growth and new opportunity with preserving that special vibe and aesthetic of Pinneys. But, thankfully, tucked away at the far end of the strip, there is still the one true ‘King of the Beach’, the legendary and always welcoming Sunshine - and his infamous Killer Bee🐝🍹! It’s been 20 years since we first met Sunshine, on our first visit to Nevis via a day sail from St. Kitts. We’ve been totally hooked ever since.😎
We have been regular, if not terribly frequent, visitors to Nevis over the last 20 years. But each time we discover something new and exciting (to us anyway). Among the great finds on our recent trip were: the tranquility and sense of history at the Nevis Heritage Village, sunset cocktails at L'Escale, the amazing selection of local art and crafts at The Olive Tree (picked up a few pieces) and the shiny, newly installed equipment at the island’s first microbrewery, Nevis Peak Brewery Pub & Trattoria.
The excitement is brewing!
I’ve always found Nevis to be the perfect Caribbean island to get out and explore. It’s a beautiful compact island with a deceptively rich history - friendly, safe, affordable and easy to navigate, whether you rent a car (as we did) or hire a local guide or taxi for the day (surprisingly affordable). Those who do venture away from the beach will be rewarded with amazingly lush scenery (complete with monkeys), a handful of sublime traditional small hotels - some dating back hundreds of years - and welcoming local eateries like Passion Bar and Grill Nevis in Cox Village, which serves a delicious coconut-crusted grouper with macaroni pie😋.
Just home from a wonderful stay at Montpelier Beach & Plantation in Nevis🇰🇳. Many thanks to the nice - no, terrific - people (and one ever-faithful dog) at Montpelier. It’s an amazing blend of modern comfort, traditional charm and impressive history, dating back to naval hero Horatio Nelson. From the elegant tranquility and beauty of its hillside location, to the newly enhanced Beach Club, we had a great time. Kudos to my wife, for ‘discovering’ this special place some 20 years ago.
For those who like their beach bars - let’s just say - on the simple side, thankfully, there are still a few cool ones around. Like Ganzie’s Bar (also known as Rock and Come On In) on Pinneys Beach in Nevis🇰🇳. Personally, I love the authenticity of these places, even though you might not get your Espresso Martini😅. The perfect antidote to the row of shiny new places popping up directly behind them (more about that in an upcoming post). Rock on guys! 😎
Just back from beautiful Nevis, where I had a chance to check out the burgeoning bar scene on Pinneys Beach. A lot going on, with expansions, reopenings and several ‘new’ players, icluding the island’s first microbrewery. But tucked away at the far end of the strip, there is still (thankfully) the one true ‘King of the Beach’, the legendary Sunshine - and his infamous Killer Bee🐝🍹! Sunshine's Beach Bar & Grill
Enjoying a delicious island barbecue at the recently reimagined Beach Club at Montpelier Plantation & Beach on Nevis. With the new covered bar and seating area, a perfect secluded swimming beach and those killer views across the Narrows to St. Kitts, can’t think of a better way to spend a gorgeous sunny Nevisian day.🇰🇳
Enjoying the Nevis Sail & Snorkel trip on Leeward Island Charters🇰🇳. The company was kind enough to gift me this cool hat. Not sure if it’s because I’m the Seasoned Traveler, or if it’s because this is my fifth sail with Leeward Islands, or maybe it’s because I laugh at all of Captain Lennox’s jokes!😅 Whatever the reason, I can honestly say, as someone who’s done sailing excursions from Aruba🇦🇼 to Bermuda🇧🇲, that you won’t find a more fun, caring and attentive crew anywhere than the folks at ⛵️.
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The Seasoned Traveler Magazine is an independent site offering travel reviews, insights and news to Canadians and international travelers. Based in Toronto, our focus is the Caribbean and other sun-kissed destinations, but we will occasionally, and gleefully, wander off track!
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