In tourism terms St Vincent and the Grenadines has tended to fly under the radar, especially when compared with its neighbour Saint Lucia. To be sure, some of its 32 islands have long had their fans.
Royals and rock stars have relished the exclusivity of Mustique, and the Canouan Resort has been a luxury mainstay, along with private resort islands such as Palm, Young and Union Island. But right now the local tourism offering is entering something of a purple patch.
St Vincent’s new Argyle airport, set to open mid-2012, will pave the way for direct international flights, and leaps are also being made on the accommodation front.
The luxurious new Bequia Beach Hotel opened last year on Bequia Island, and major investments have been announced for the islands of Petit St Vincent and Canouan.
Buccament Bay
The most exciting development, however, is on the main island of St Vincent. Buccament Bay Resort is the island’s first five-star property and the first opening by Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, which is also building new resorts in the Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia and Barbados.
Kuoni, Caribtours, Virgin Holidays and other major operators feature the resort in their 2011-12 brochures. Shamira Kaumaya, commercial director at Sunset Faraway Holidays, says the resort is probably its most popular all-round five-star Caribbean all-inclusive resort this year. “Buccament Bay has truly broken the mould,” she says. “It has put the Grenadines securely on the map.”
The first phase of Buccament Bay Resort officially opens on April 3 with a collection of 70 one, two and four-bed villas – the former starting at 850 square feet, the latter at a very roomy 2,448sq ft. More capacity will be added with a view to having 360 rooms by the end of phase one.
Other future developments include a Trader Vic’s and Jack’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, set to open on July 1; a fine dining restaurant, Arlecchino (December); and a replica of the Black Pearl ship used in Pirates of the Caribbean, parts of which were filmed close to the resort, will drop anchor in Buccament’s marina in 2012 to be a restaurant and wedding venue.
In the pipeline
Longer-term additions include a 200-room Pat Cash tennis hotel, set to be completed in 2013, and a casino. Moreover, with more Harlequin properties under way in the Caribbean, and talk of the company chartering its own planes, agents may in future have the option of selling multi-centre holidays.
Currently most UK clients will fly via Saint Lucia or Barbados, from where they are offered free connecting flights, along with complimentary lounge access at the airport.
First impressions
The first thing that hit me when landing in St Vincent was the lush greenery covering the mountainous terrain, reminiscent of neighbouring Saint Lucia.
Such a scene provides the beguiling backdrop for Buccament Bay, particularly charming when viewed from the deck of a sunset catamaran cruise, rum punch in hand, with steel-drum music drifting over the water and the flames from lit torches flickering in the fading light.
The pleasant beachfront has been remodelled and extended using sand imported from Guyana. Beyond this the waterfront village is home to two main swimming pools, a children’s pool and decked areas covered with loungers and edged by a coffee shop, various retail outlets and a watersports centre offering everything from diving and snorkelling to boat trips and equipment hire.
Another key focus of the resort is the spa and wellness village. Designed by eSpa, it offers an island of calm within the resort and includes a beauty salon, medical centre and healthy-eating cafe. Guests can opt to have treatments inside, on the outdoor Thai-style pavilions, at the pavilions on the beach or in their villas.
Active options
Buccament Bay’s major selling point, though, is its activity programme, centred on its Liverpool FC Football Academy, Pat Cash Tennis Academy and Performing Arts Academy, all of which offer top-level tuition.
The academies, a major selling point for agents, are augmented by a packed programme of excursions, like daily sunset cruises and a trip to see St Vincent’s Dark View Falls, both included in the cost of an all-inclusive stay.
Chargeable options include guided hikes to the crater of the Souffriere volcano (eight hour trip, $100) and along the nearby Vermont Nature Trail (three hour trip, $25).
With so many beautiful islands nearby, island-hopping is de rigeur, and Buccament Bay is a good base for exploring the region. Featured options range from short hops, such as to the turtle sanctuary on nearby Bequia (six hour trip, $50), to my personal favourite, a flight and catamaran excursion to the idyllic Tobago Cays (full-day trip, including flight to Union Island, $195). Here you can snorkel the reefs and swim with turtles, and the excursion really helps you to get your bearings as you fly over or sail past a whole host of other islands and lunch on Mayreau.
Verdict
On the accommodation front I was impressed by the standard of the fixtures and fittings in my one-bed beachfront villa. It was nice and roomy, with quality fittings and soft furnishings, and dark wood slatted doors opened on to a dark-wood terrace with a small plunge pool, complete with a couple of loungers.
Items such as Nespresso coffee machines, large flatscreen TVs and Bose iPod docks are complemented by a very comfortable bed, quality furniture and soft furnishings. Other aspects include free wireless internet.
The resort is very family-friendly. Aside from the academies it has great childcare services, such as the Little Harlequins club. For me, though, the standout aspects of the resort were the quality of the food and beverage outlets, with options ranging from fine dining to all-day casual dining at the Bay Beach Club to the branded offerings that will appeal to families, and the overall friendliness and high level of service offered by the well-trained staff, who really couldn’t do enough for guests.
As mentioned, April 3 will only see the opening of the first phase of Buccament Bay, and a lot of work still remains to be done. However, the major building
blocks are in place, and very nice they are too. harlequinhotelsandresorts.com, buccamentbay.com
The lowdown: St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Getting there: Virgin Atlantic and BA fly to Barbados and Saint Lucia, where guests switch to complimentary charter flights for the final leg to St Vincent’s ET Joshua airport, which is about a 30-minute transfer from Buccament Bay. Other hubs include Grenada and Antigua.
- Time difference: GMT -4.
- Money: Eastern Caribbean dollar. US dollars are widely accepted too.
- Climate: Tropical, with little seasonal variation in temperature and an average of 27C. Rain falls between May and November.
Sample package
Virgin Holidays has a seven-night all-inclusive honeymoon package at Buccament Bay, including Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick and transfers, from £1,589, based on two adults sharing a junior suite. The price is for departures leaving on June 6 and includes a complimentary massage for two, some sparkling wine and a fruit basket. vhols4agents.co.uk, 0844 557 3859
