We have been looking for somewhere new and different for
quite a time now. Somewhere one can be away from it all but able to enjoy good
company and excellent service. Somewhere that is visually stunning yet not to vicious
on flying time or money. I am glad to say we have now got as close to this
perfection as we will ever get so allow me to explain why.
I chose the holiday so I am glad I got it right as, being an
ex-travel professional it is surprising often I fail in this respect! Holiday
choices are very subjective but this one seemed to offer the perfect compromise
between my taste and that of my wife Judith. You see I like plenty to occupy
myself and I am a social animal that enjoys good food, a wide range of drinks –
and plenty of it. Judith on the other hand likes relaxation, British cuisine
and tends to drink wine only. Palm Island had the lot! Some of such up market
resorts like Palm Island tend to bring out folk that seem more inclined to
dress up and pose a lot but thankfully this place, although having a sensible
dress code, was pretty much free of such displays!
Palm Island is located just off the coast of Union Island in
the Grenadines which are about 40 minutes flight from Barbados and a little
less from St Lucia. In the old days it used to be called Prune Island and
consisted of swamps, mosquitos and scrubland. It featured heavily, in its
original name, in the old days of piracy but thankfully that is well in the
past too!
Many major long-haul tour operators offer Palm Island in
their brochures but I booked it online and probably saved
a little in doing so by using discounts and air miles (Avios). We flew BA to
Barbados from Gatwick and this got us into Bridgetown Barbados around 1535 in
the afternoon. I then contacted Palm Island through Elite Resorts who market
them in the UK and USA.
As we had booked for
more than 10 days the resort included the cost of the connecting service in
their hotel fee and made the booking locally for us. Anyone can do this or get
in touch with the SVG website themselves. They really do try and make it as
easy as possible and they meet you off your arriving aircraft and transfer you
onto theirs pretty seamlessly. As the connection is reasonably short I suggest
you mark your bag clearly (ribbons?) and ensure you have the coupons ready to
hand over as well as possibly a photo of the bags. If the worst happens, your
flight is late, and there is no time for the bag transfer then they will send
them on the next morning. This is rare but I recommend you carry a change of
clothing in your cabin baggage.
The plane you connect onto is small. Most seat around 20
people, have two propeller engines and are not ‘God’s gift’ in comfort however
they are sturdy, reliable an fun…..in a noisy sort of way. Large cabin bags are
put in the front hatch so keep your eyes open to ensure they are offloaded at
Union as the aircraft often flies on to other places. When you approach Union
Island (around 40 minutes later) you will fly directly around Palm Island on
your approach and you can usually see it through the right hand window. You
then descend onto the runway. Do not be concerned by the occasional bumpiness on the final descent which can be
caused by nearby mountain peaks as this is usual and the pilots know it
intimately!
You land, watch them remove ALL your bags and go into this
tiny building to clear immigration and customs. The airport is ‘quaint’ but
they take their job very seriously. They are lovely people and will help you if
needed but they are serious so don’t be put off. Also be warned that every time
you land anywhere in this part of the Caribbean you will need a separate
landing and departure form, even for the short hops so make sure you are given
one. Fill them out as soon as you can as there is not much room on the plane!
If the airline does not give you one then be ready to get one as soon as
possible on arrival. For example, in Barbados there are forms and pens at a
desk on the right just inside the arrivals building.
Having cleared customs you will be met by a very genial
gentleman with an enormous golf style buggy. Climb aboard and he will take you
on a 7 minute drive to the local yacht club where the transfer launch is
waiting. The resort has at least two of these launches and they are big and
powerful so do not worry about getting queasy on board as they rush through the
waves. They give you water and cool towels and in 10 minutes you are at the
Palm Island dock where there are more smiling people holding a tray of rum
punches!
So now the ‘Palm Island experience’ begins. The people
meeting you are usually the resort G.M. (Katy), a selection of available
managers, some porters and the barman. You get offered your drink and a mini
briefing on the resort. They take you straight to your room and suggest you
formally check in the next day which I think is awfully civilised. The setting
of resort is brilliant but quite widespread. You do not feel on top of people here.
We unpacked, went on a short walk around and then into the bar and restaurant
which are next to each other.
So, after this rather
lengthy, but hopefully useful, preamble let’s get onto the resort itself.
As you may have gathered it is the only resort on a not very
big island. There are a few private villas around its small coastline and a
couple belonging to the resort itself but, apart from that you are cut off from
the rigours of this world. There are little ‘dirt roads’ going around and
through the island and they provide bikes for those who do not feel like
walking. These are great and you can circuit the island in about 20 minutes.
Some parts are on the Atlantic side, some have rocky parts good for snorkelling
and some are very well groomed around the resort itself. The resort itself
faces Union Island and is kind of triangular in shape. The main beach covers
both sides of the point with all the amenities (pool, library, reception etc)
behind it within a lawned area.
There are quite a few different types of accommodation so
make your choice well. We stayed in a ‘Superior Beachfront’ which was just
that. These rooms are recently built in a modern style and replace some of the
original ‘Beachfront’ rooms. They are bigger and more modern with some added
amenities inside and out like large draped outdoor beds etc. The room contains
what you would expect in the way of fridges, ironing boards, umbrellas. Inside
the fridge you get soft drinks and local beer but no wine or spirits. We bought
our own local rum for pre-dinner aperitifs. The ‘bathroom’ does not have a bath as it is replaced by a large glass screened shower area with
complementary soaps and shampoo. These rooms face the main beach although set
back a little.
The standard ‘Beachfront’ rooms are mainly closer to the
sea, older, smaller and with a traditional decor but very attractive and we
would have been equally happy staying in them. the rooms have 2 pin American plug sockets. These rooms have a small but lovely
outdoor area with two comfortable sunbeds with mattresses and a grass umbrella.
Great for sundowners!
The ‘Garden View’ rooms are just that i.e. they face inland
towards the lawns and pool. They seemed identical to the Beachfront rooms but
without the seafront and sunset to look at. Other than that they looked great.
Then they had the suites. I did not see many as they were
occupied but they too looked very comfortable. The ‘Sea Grape’ suites are on
one side of the resort next to the Sunset restaurant on a small stretch of
beach close to the main jetties. Externally they looked great and did not seem
to be troubled by noise from the surrounding activities. The resorts ‘Loft’
suites were spread around the place and were built on two levels. I liked what
I saw but thought that there were perhaps too many variations of accommodation
and prices. I was however very impressed with the range of rooms.
So what about the
public areas?
These can be split into a number of sections. The main block
contains an open sided traditional Reception area with attached office and
shop. Any briefings are made in the lounge furnished reception area. It is not
always manned but the adjoining office always has someone on duty. I have been
told that this area is one of the few places where you can get a WIFI signal but
my 4G Vodafone worked everywhere including by the pool or in our room. The shop
stocks most things but at Caribbean prices which are a little higher than ours.
Strangely the shop seems the only place where you can buy crisps or nuts to eat
in your room. You can reserve your bikes from Reception
Just down a path from the shop is the Sunset restaurant. I
am not sure where the name came from as when we were there it was only open
lunchtimes apart from the very occasional evening. The seating is both indoor
and outdoor under grass umbrellas and the food and ambiance a delight. There
are plenty of fish specials, tacos, fajitas, lobster (in season) and meat
alternatives. The staff are laid back and very helpful.
My second section is on the main beach and mainly comprises
of bar and main restaurant. Again the restaurant is very well organised with
excellent service and good food. Breakfast can be as extensive as you want it
to be. There is a buffet section for all sorts of self-service items including
cereals and toast, and a waiter who gets your hot items. There is very little
missing for both European and North American tastes. Dinner is special in both range and quality. We did not have one bad meal (except perhaps for the
baked shark!) and the staff were super-attentive without being pushy.
Next to the restaurant is the bar which is almost as large
in size. It has a main square stone island where the barman has his drinks
which is surrounded by stools. Most premium drinks were offered here. There are
loads of easy chairs dotted around the rest which is great but DON’T try to
move them as they weigh a ton! One tends to find different types of folk
gravitate towards each other and we ended up with some great people from
Canada, Mexico and Germany to while away the evenings with. Like most places
smoking can be an issue but the resort is pragmatic about it i.e. they don’t try
and stop you if you sit around the edges of the lounge area. They even provide
ashtrays! Musical entertainment was provided nightly which I thought was of a
high standard…..especially as the evening wore on!
My third section is the grounds and what is in them. The
pool is freeform and long. There are further grass umbrellas and plenty of sun
loungers around. My only gripe was the sun loungers as they are canvas covered
and have no mattresses so you can end up with a numb behind! There is no
lifeguard but also no children, so it seemed reasonably safe especially as it
is not very deep (4ft)! There is a little covered area at one end and there you
can find towels and a fridge with cold drinks. If you want anything different
to drink you need to accost the occasional passing barman or wander down to the
main facility. The pool was rarely used (apart from us) as it gets quite windy
there in certain seasons.
Like most parts of the hotel the pool area is very open and
surrounded by well-kept lawns. It is on these lawns and surrounding sand and
paths you see most of the wildlife including birds, iguanas and tortoises.
Looking across and beyond the lawn is a line of low rise buildings which house
the gym, games area (including tennis and ping pong) as well as the library and
TV room (there is no in-room TV). The library has an enormous selection of
books that are stacked three deep. There are little screened off shower areas if you need them for washing or costume changes!
The final section is the beaches. There are quite a few of
them and I did not see them all as I was too lazy to cycle much. Each beach is
a little different and four have hammock areas built by the resort. If you book
and pay a little extra you can enjoy these hammocks for a day with a champagne
lunch provided. The main beach is very white, very sandy and with plenty of sun
umbrellas with those ‘comfortable’ sunbeds. There is a water sport section
quite close to the main bar area. The guys there are very helpful and are happy
to get you drinks either from their store or the bar. Towels are available here
too.
A visitor!
We enjoyed the beach greatly although it does shelve quite
steeply in parts and some might need to take care about this. Again, the water
level also shelves in places so be aware. Sometimes you get day trippers on the
beach but thankfully not as much as other islands. Some guests complain but
there is very little that the resort can do as all beaches in the Caribbean are
‘open to all’. The resort does take lunch booking from day visitors but I think
this is fair as why have a half empty restaurant if people want to eat there!
For a quiet laid back place there is surprisingly a lot to do if you have time or enthusiasm for it. They run regular boat trips to great snorkelling places like Tobago Cays where you are almost guaranteed to swim with turtles and rays. Union Island next door can be toured by taxi but I have to admit most people were glad to lounge around the island or sail.
Looking back at what I have written I am thinking a) it’s a
bit huge and b) have I forgotten anything important. As far as size is
concerned, I’m sorry! And secondly? Yes. I have not mentioned the management
and staff which can make or break resorts so I will put the latter right, now.
It is all about management style or lack of it and this team have a lot of
style. This style is slightly different to some as they are very friendly, very
relaxed and are seen as very…..familiar to some. They really do believe in being efficient
but at the same time like to put guests at their ease by using first names and
wanting to talk. To a number of people I saw it was not expected but, by the
end of their stay, they all seemed happy enough. Katy, the GM runs a tight ship
and others of her senior team follow her lead well. Cyril, the restaurant
manager, is hugely friendly but cannot be faulted for it in any way. I even enjoyed being called Mikey by the end of our stay!
The
rest?
WE WILL MISS THEM!
