A ROLLERCOASTER LAST 6 MONTHS ON THE ROCK

Following our last newsletter in April we fully expected a fairly quiet and event-free transition, from hosting our last guests of the 23/24 season into our annual summer maintenance program. 

How wrong we were!

Without doubt, there have been some challenges to overcome in recent months.

But wherever you may live in the world, life is always going to be full of ups & downs.  It’s how you react & bounce back that defines and shapes your world.  It’s best to take the bad moments as opportunities to learn & grow, and embrace the good moments when they come along. 

Battling through & overcoming tough times simply means that the beautiful moments feel so much sweeter.  We are pleased to report there have been plenty of sweet moments too.

 

Party time!

Let’s start with a beautiful moment back in April, where we joined a large and enthusiastic crowd of party goers at the award-winning Sail House. 

This was simply an “any excuse for a party, party”!  Lots of rum, fun, & sun, a band on stage next to the pool, and even a special guest appearance from “Charlie’s Angels”.

FUN TIMES AT "THE SAIL HOUSE"

 

Man’s best friend

A big part of The Sail House family, is our Sassy.  She is the bravest, strongest doggy we've ever known.  

In her early life she was a single mum, raising her puppies as a stray in the jungles of Spring. The second half of her life has seen her and daughter Sox being integrated into a loving home up on Mount Pleasant.  However, life for island dogs can still be tricky.

At the start of this year, she had a lump cut out her shoulder that was as big as her tiny head. Incredibly, she bounced back within 24 hours. 

Then in late April, she relapsed and her mobility had become so poor that she could hardly put one paw in front of the other. So off we went to St Vincent to see the vet again, hoping for the best, yet preparing for the worst.

After sedation for x-rays, blood tests & treatment, she bounced back yet again.  Truly a miracle considering her advancing years. Just a matter of hours into her recovery, she was off down the mountain sniffing for scraps and bombing down the beach once again!

Go Sassy girl, you're a bloody inspiration.

GORGEOUS SASSY GIRL

 

The Lookout family

At The Lookout, we find it so rewarding to meet wonderful, like-minded people from all over the world who have chosen to travel far & wide to visit our little piece of paradise.  Last season, we hosted guests who smashed the record for just how far they were prepared to travel to experience Bequia paradise & The Lookout. 

A full 16,000km to be exact (!), jetting off from their home in Burliegh Heads in Queensland on the east coast of Australia.

As an extra reward for us, our guests genuinely love what they experience at our apartments, and kindly provide such encouraging feedback and positive reviews! 

Given the headline of the review above, we encourage you to experience The Lookout in the flesh.  However, to get a decent flavour of what to expect you can always browse our guest testimonials on the link below;

https://thelookoutbequia.com/reviews.php

 

A well-deserved break

So, just like that The Lookout season seven (yes 7!) was complete. 

We fully understand that, if you follow our social media accounts, you may be fooled to think that we spend most of our days sipping pina coladas at the beach!  However, we actually do spend most of our waking hours putting a huge effort into providing the best possible experience for our guests. 

By the time summer begins, we are generally quite drained after a busy winter sun season out here in the Caribbean (pray for us!)  

So at the end of May we took some time out to reflect & recharge, although we don’t do “relaxing” very well.  But as they say, a change is as good as rest.

The first stop was the UK, with Chris swapping the heat & hills of Bequia for the grey, drizzly skies of Manchester to tackle a very special run.

May 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of his mum's passing. She had cancer and was just 46 years old.

In a bid to do something positive, he ran the Great Manchester Run over the half marathon distance, alongside his brother Andy, cousin Lynn, and friend Ian.  All fundraising went to The Christie Charity who provided wonderful care during his mum's last few months.

THE GREAT MANCHESTER HALF MARATHON AT THE END OF MAY 2024

 

We didn’t hang around in the Manchester drizzle for too long, opting to jet off to Italy & Croatia for some much needed downtime.

Over a few weeks we covered beautiful Lake Garda, Treviso & the Prosecco Hills, the breath-taking mountain scenery of the Dolomites, and Venice and its lagoon.  Then we hopped across the border into Croatia’s Istria peninsula. It was a packed itinerary.

 

 

THE BEST WAY TO VIEW LAKE GARDA IS TO JUMP OFF A MOUNTAIN!

As we have said, we don’t do relaxing.  We paraglided, hiked up 9,000 ft mountains, travelled on buses & trains, and took to the water on ferries & gondolas.  But we also found time to sip prosecco, and indulge in culinary delights such as pizza, gelato, and tiramisu – yum!

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME TRAVELLING AROUND NORTHERN ITALY & CROATIA

 

SVG hits the international stage

St. Vincent & the Grenadines has been making some great strides as a nation in recent years.  In 2017, the international airport opened and accommodation options on the mainland have followed, including the opening of Sandal’s impressive hotel in Buccament Bay earlier this year.

Big improvements in sporting facilities have also been evident.  Around $40 million EC dollars was invested into to the Arnos Vale cricket ground.  This has an idyllic location on the St. Vincent coast, with beautiful Bequia island clearly visible on the horizon.

THE NEW & IMPROVED ARNOS VALE CRICKET GROUND ON ST. VINCENT

 

In June 2024, several matches of the cricket T20 world cup were hosted at this venue which now boasts four swimming pools, bars, restaurants, and floodlights too.

Get ready to see many more cricket tournaments hosted here, with a global TV audience wondering what that beautiful island is across the Caribbean Sea behind the batsman!

 

Back to Bequia with a bump!

We returned to Bequia from our European adventure on a calm & sunny Thursday morning in late June.  We had been tracking a tropical storm moving from the coast of Cape Verde towards the Leeward Islands.  This kind of weather pattern was not unusual for the summer months, where the warmer sea temperatures encourage the development of increased rainfall and wind.

However, this storm developed in a way that has not been experienced in St. Vincent & the Grenadines since 1898!

Within 48 hours, Tropical Storm Beryl had accelerated rapidly into a Category 4/5 hurricane with gusting winds exceeding 150 mph.  We battened down the hatches as best as we could and awaited her arrival on Monday 1^st July 2024.  She hit pretty hard.

We finally emerged from our temporary “panic room” with the three doggies after a long & scary eight hours or so.  After such an event, we were simply grateful to be alive.

Naturally, there was significant damage to the island but Bequia did largely “dodge a bullet”.  It remains an incredibly blessed little spot.

Recovery work across the island has been swift and impressive. The community here is so fantastic.  It’s full of good-hearted, hard-working folks who grafted tirelessly to clean up, fix, restore & even improve on what went before.  Some bars & restaurants re-opened within a matter of days, which was frankly quite incredible.

When it came to the moment that we inspected The Lookout, we were hoping & praying that the roof was still intact.  Thankfully it was.  We had completed some extensive roof work back in May and that turned out to be a very wise move indeed. 

However, we didn’t get away without incident.  Our solar hot water system had been ripped from the roof, smashing through and demolishing our side gate.  Well, we had already been discussing the purchase of a new & improved system as part of our maintenance program for this summer and clearly Beryl agreed that was a good idea!

OUR BRAND NEW SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEM 

 

The hard work is paying off and Bequia island & The Lookout are now looking pretty good and ready for the season ahead.

The southern Grenadines were hit hardest by the hurricane.  Recovery here will take a little longer, but massive progress has been made in a relatively short amount of time. 

In terms of the tourist product, the most popular boat trip destinations from Bequia, namely Mustique & the Tobago Cays, escaped relatively unscathed.  Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau island is often touted as one of the world’s best beaches and extensive work has been done here to restore it to its former glory.

BEAUTIFUL SALT WHISTLE BAY ON MAYREAU ISLAND, NEAR THE TOBAGO CAYS

 

We fully expect a very busy winter sun season ahead and bookings at The Lookout reflect that optimism.  However, there are a few slots available for winter 24/25 if you move decisively & quickly.  Remember, as the winter starts to bite across the UK, US, and Canada, there is a surge of interest in sunny & warm destinations.  Bequia provides the perfect “secret escape”.

Check out our availability and rates on the link below;

https://thelookoutbequia.com/rates-and-reservations.php

 

Some much-needed sweeter moments

It was important for us to lift our spirits from time to time with some more positive distractions. 

The England football team did their best by reaching the European final, but ultimately fell short at the last hurdle, losing to Spain who were the tournament’s best team.  However, we did find a local rum shop tucked away in Hamilton that was new to us.  We were welcomed with open arms and had a fun afternoon watching the game. 

In July, we celebrated our 21^st wedding anniversary and Lou’s birthday too.  This turned into a wider celebration at our friend Pete’s 70^th birthday party under the palms behind Friendship beach. 

He happens to share the same birthday as Louise and provided a hog roast, DJ, and large coolers full of drinks.  How could we turn down such an invite?!

As the sun went down and darkness descended, the full moon rose above the beach.  A magical moment that was a welcome reminder of why we moved out here. 

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS (& ISLAND LIFE) UNDER THE PALMS AT FRIENDSHIP BAY

 

It’s taken us nine years, but at the end of July we finally got to see a game of cricket at one of the world's most idyllic cricket grounds at Cumberland Bay, St. Vincent.

We sipped Hairoun beer in the sun,and watched the up & coming talent of Barbados U-19's give the Leeward Islands a cricketing lesson.

Louise also now knows her "Yorkers" from her "Googlys"!

ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST IDYLLIC CRICKET GROUNDS AT CUMBERLAND BAY, ST. VINCENT

 

Half a century – not out!

Throughout August, we continued the annual maintenance at The Lookout and clear-up work at The Sail House.  Our Italy & Croatia trip had been quickly forgotten thanks to Beryl’s arrival, but luckily for us we had already planned a late summer trip to New York. 

What an incredible city to celebrate Chris’ big birthday – half a century on the planet! 

During our week, we were busy exploring the delights of the “Big Apple” and made memories that will last a lifetime. 

WE HAD A TRULY AMAZING WEEK IN NEW YORK

NYC WE LOVE YOU - WE'LL BE BACK!

 

From here, we jetted into the UK for the 80^th birthday of Lou’s dad and to pack a shipment of supplies to Bequia.  Every year we send barrels on a container ship packed full of goodies for us as well as items to improve The Lookout.  When the shipment arrives in SVG this October, we will make the final touches to The Lookout, ready for our first guests in November.

 

Sad Farewells

Sadly, each time we do a newsletter update we also seem to have to say farewell to wonderful people.

Two Bequia icons passed away in August.

Judy Simmons co-founded the institution that is Mac’s Pizza with her husband (Mac), but her island legacy goes way beyond this establishment.  She arrived on island “for a year” in 1977 and never left!

If you didn’t know Judy, then the best way to get a flavour of her personality & wonderful life on island is to read her popular stories on the link below.  There are literally hundreds of informative & entertaining short stories that include special moments when she met the Queen & Mick Jagger on island.

https://islandlifestories.com/

We also had to say goodbye to Liston Williams who lived on the Bequia waterfront and owned the “Green Boley” bar next to his home.  This green shack has been up & running for decades and periodically hosts the amazing live music events known as the "Boley Bash”.

He was also a Justice of the Peace and has signed important documents for us on several occasions over the years.  We did this once again only recently and we found him in excellent spirits.  The thing that was most striking for us was the fact that he read & signed documents with a tiny font without glasses.  There we were (decades younger) squinting and reliant on our glasses when we read & signed! 

Guess a simple life on island without a smart phone & laptop is the way to go, both for ones' vision and stress levels.

R.I.P. JUDY & LISTON

 

Reasons to be cheerful

We end with new season optimism.

There are several new flight options coming soon and increased frequency of existing routes to SVG paradise.

In season, Virgin Atlantic have direct flights for London Heathrow into St. Vincent on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Sundays.

From October, Jet Blue will be the newest carrier to the country, with direct flights from JFK New York into St. Vincent.

From December 7^th 2024, American Airlines have two new routes.  From JFK New York & Charlotte, North Carolina direct to St. Vincent. They already serve SVG direct from Miami 6 days per week in season.

From October 28^th 2024, Air Canada will increase from once a week to 3x per week on Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays.  Direct from Toronto Pearson into St. Vincent.

ARRIVING ON THE FERRY INTO ADMIRALTY BAY ON BEQUIA IS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE

 

As you probably know, Bequia paradise is a simple 1 hour hop across the channel from the mainland of St. Vincent.  See our helpful “How to get to Bequia” link below or get in touch and we would be happy to help.

https://thelookoutbequia.com/how-to-get-to-bequia.php

 

Despite the challenges over the summer, we are expecting our busiest season to date. 

If you are considering a dream trip to Bequia this winter, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.  As you can see below, getting hold of us can be done in quite a number of ways, so there’s no excuse!

Follow us on social media and share our beautiful island content.

 

Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/The-Lookout-Villa-Bequia-284750105603349/

Twitter 

https://twitter.com/lookoutbequia

Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/thelookoutbequia/

 

You can message us using these platforms or simply drop us an e-mail or WhatsApp or fill in the contact form on our website.

 

E-mail: louise@thelookoutbequia.com

WhatsApp:  +1 784 527 2377

Contact Form:  https://thelookoutbequia.com/contact-us.php

 

Sending sunshine & warm wishes,

Chris & Louise