Bequia Hotels in Town
Jun 20th, 2007, 05:40 PM
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Bequia Hotels in Town
Calling all Bequia experts!
Does anyone know of a good Bequia map that shows where the different hotels/guesthouses are located in relation to town (Port Elizabeth)?
We're looking to stay either in town or within easy walking distance. The thought of conquering "heart attack hill" does not appeal. My hubby will thank you for not having to hear me whine going uphill. ;-) It seems that Frangi & Gingerbread are the main choices? Frangi unfortunately is closed in September, so I'm looking for other choices. We're only staying for 2 nights so don't want to wander off too far as we don't plan to have a car.
Thanks much!
Does anyone know of a good Bequia map that shows where the different hotels/guesthouses are located in relation to town (Port Elizabeth)?
We're looking to stay either in town or within easy walking distance. The thought of conquering "heart attack hill" does not appeal. My hubby will thank you for not having to hear me whine going uphill. ;-) It seems that Frangi & Gingerbread are the main choices? Frangi unfortunately is closed in September, so I'm looking for other choices. We're only staying for 2 nights so don't want to wander off too far as we don't plan to have a car.
Thanks much!
Jun 21st, 2007, 06:23 AM
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Only two nights on Bequia? That's really too bad, or do you mean two nights in town and more time elsewhere on the island?
If you don't want to walk up hills to get from hotel into town, that leaves pretty much either Gingerbread or the Plantation House, which might also be closed in September if the Frangi is. Gingerbread is pleasant and right on the water. Easy walking to the market, shops, and lots of restaurants.
If you want to be on the beach and still have restaurant options, staying at Lower Bay would be a good choice. The beach is nice and you have the choice of Keegan's, De Reef and Dawn's Creole for food choices and beach bars,possibly others as I'm sure we didn't try them all!
Where are you going before or after Bequia? It sounds exciting!
If you don't want to walk up hills to get from hotel into town, that leaves pretty much either Gingerbread or the Plantation House, which might also be closed in September if the Frangi is. Gingerbread is pleasant and right on the water. Easy walking to the market, shops, and lots of restaurants.
If you want to be on the beach and still have restaurant options, staying at Lower Bay would be a good choice. The beach is nice and you have the choice of Keegan's, De Reef and Dawn's Creole for food choices and beach bars,possibly others as I'm sure we didn't try them all!
Where are you going before or after Bequia? It sounds exciting!
Jun 21st, 2007, 05:30 PM
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Hi ejcrowe,
Yes, only 2 nights in Bequia. It's another one of our island-hopping trips. I'm going to need a vacation right after the vacation. LOL. But hubby insists on seeing Port Elizabeth (Thanks a lot CT&L article!). Everytime he sees a new island he proclaims that's where he wants to live.
For such a short stay I don't need to be on the beach, me thinks... After Bequia we're off to 2 nights in Union Island, then back to Grenada.
Looks like Gingerbreead it will be. The Plantation House is only open Dec-Apr.
Yes, only 2 nights in Bequia. It's another one of our island-hopping trips. I'm going to need a vacation right after the vacation. LOL. But hubby insists on seeing Port Elizabeth (Thanks a lot CT&L article!). Everytime he sees a new island he proclaims that's where he wants to live.
For such a short stay I don't need to be on the beach, me thinks... After Bequia we're off to 2 nights in Union Island, then back to Grenada.
Looks like Gingerbreead it will be. The Plantation House is only open Dec-Apr.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 07:25 AM
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Oh, mymoosie, the thought of that much packing and unpacking makes me tired! You're right--you'll need a vacation from your vacation.
Maybe you could make it 3 nights on Bequia and only 1 on Union? How long will you be in Grenada? Do you know where you're staying there?
Maybe you could make it 3 nights on Bequia and only 1 on Union? How long will you be in Grenada? Do you know where you're staying there?
Jun 23rd, 2007, 02:25 PM
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Hi owa,
We are staying at Bigsand in Union. When did you visit Union and where did you stay? I'm hoping to make it our base to taking a trip to the Tobago Cays.
Hi ejcrowe,
This trip will be just a quick taste of Bequia unfortunately. We'll be in Grenada for a week. We are primarily staying at LAE Cottages. I'm still trying to figure where we will stay our first night before we fly off to St. Vincent to get to Bequia. We plan to leave our luggage in Grenada and travel with just backpacks & a small dufflebag. So I'll need to find a hotel that will store our luggage, else I may end up finding something inexpensive and booking it for that overnight + the days we will be gone. In a sense our luggage will be vacationing. Can you think of any suggestions? Thanks.
We are staying at Bigsand in Union. When did you visit Union and where did you stay? I'm hoping to make it our base to taking a trip to the Tobago Cays.
Hi ejcrowe,
This trip will be just a quick taste of Bequia unfortunately. We'll be in Grenada for a week. We are primarily staying at LAE Cottages. I'm still trying to figure where we will stay our first night before we fly off to St. Vincent to get to Bequia. We plan to leave our luggage in Grenada and travel with just backpacks & a small dufflebag. So I'll need to find a hotel that will store our luggage, else I may end up finding something inexpensive and booking it for that overnight + the days we will be gone. In a sense our luggage will be vacationing. Can you think of any suggestions? Thanks.
Jun 23rd, 2007, 02:42 PM
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mymoosie, We stayed at Bigsand!! I have copied part of my trip report from that trip. Please let us know how it goes. Also, if you have any questions, just ask. I envy you. Owa
We flew to Barbados on Liat and used Grenadine Airlines for the flights to and from Union Island. On time for all three flights. I used Heather at Erika's Marine Service to book our flights, our two boat trips and Bigsand. She is fantastic. No problems with any of the arrangements she made for us and I was pleased to meet her while we were on Union. We were met at the airport by Bigsand Hotel staff.
Bigsand Hotel--There aren't many choices on Union. I choose the one with A/C. They have eight units and are building more. Our unit consisted of a small kitchen area, a living room, bedroom, and bathroom with bath and shower. There was only A/C in the bedroom, but it cooled the living room as well. It would have been a problem without it. At least for us. Bigsand served our purposes very well for $112/night with breakfast. I knew we wouldn't be sending much time there. It needs some help in the bed and bedsheet area. Chairs on the deck and on the beach were not all in one piece. The beach had pieces of glass that should have been cleaned away. Cows wandered freely on the beach and around the hotel. The cows chips were not wasted on one local gentleman. Every morning he would ride his bike to the beach with a large plastic bag. First he would swim, rest at the beach tables, and then walk around picking up cow chips. My husband and I made a guess he was using them for his garden. He confirmed our theory. He is European and owns an art store--most shops were owned by Europeans, Back to Bigsand. There was one other guest there so it was very quiet. The cook and assistant manager were very friendly and helpful. Sherry, the cook, made fantastic omlets for us the three mornings we were there. On our early morning walks, we would meet extremely friendly Union Island born workers. We actually liked Union Island very much. It is so much more interesting than some other islands that are too much like America. I would stay at Bigsand again. It certainly isn't for anyone that wants luxury.
Tobago Cays--Oh my!!! What a beautiful spot on this earth!! And the islands that are scattered all around the Cays. We absolutely loved the whole area. Since we only had two full days on Union, we decided to go to the Cays twice. The first day we went out with Yannis with a crew of three. We stopped at Palm Island to pick up a British couple. We couldn't have asked for better companions. The crew cooked us a wonderful lunch of fresh fish, salads, rice and fruit. The crew was also great. The whole day was magic. The water is clear, warm and beautiful in color. We left about ten and arrived back about four. It went all too fast. The next day we went on a schooner called Scaramouche. We were joined by nine people who flew in from another island for the day. Same routine as the day before, but we stopped at different places. More time in paradise!
Snorkeling--snorkeling varied at each stop. We stopped both days to swim with the turtles, but the first day I saw many more turtles. At one stop, we swam with the largest school of fish we had ever seen. Another location provided colorful fans and more soft coral. The reason we had different stops the second day is because the schooner had trouble anchoring. Both days were unbelievable and ended too soon. We are so lucky and feel extremely grateful for the privilege to enjoy the caribbean. We are going to see if we can get some friends together to rent a boat and a crew and do a repeat of the islands for a few nights.
We flew to Barbados on Liat and used Grenadine Airlines for the flights to and from Union Island. On time for all three flights. I used Heather at Erika's Marine Service to book our flights, our two boat trips and Bigsand. She is fantastic. No problems with any of the arrangements she made for us and I was pleased to meet her while we were on Union. We were met at the airport by Bigsand Hotel staff.
Bigsand Hotel--There aren't many choices on Union. I choose the one with A/C. They have eight units and are building more. Our unit consisted of a small kitchen area, a living room, bedroom, and bathroom with bath and shower. There was only A/C in the bedroom, but it cooled the living room as well. It would have been a problem without it. At least for us. Bigsand served our purposes very well for $112/night with breakfast. I knew we wouldn't be sending much time there. It needs some help in the bed and bedsheet area. Chairs on the deck and on the beach were not all in one piece. The beach had pieces of glass that should have been cleaned away. Cows wandered freely on the beach and around the hotel. The cows chips were not wasted on one local gentleman. Every morning he would ride his bike to the beach with a large plastic bag. First he would swim, rest at the beach tables, and then walk around picking up cow chips. My husband and I made a guess he was using them for his garden. He confirmed our theory. He is European and owns an art store--most shops were owned by Europeans, Back to Bigsand. There was one other guest there so it was very quiet. The cook and assistant manager were very friendly and helpful. Sherry, the cook, made fantastic omlets for us the three mornings we were there. On our early morning walks, we would meet extremely friendly Union Island born workers. We actually liked Union Island very much. It is so much more interesting than some other islands that are too much like America. I would stay at Bigsand again. It certainly isn't for anyone that wants luxury.
Tobago Cays--Oh my!!! What a beautiful spot on this earth!! And the islands that are scattered all around the Cays. We absolutely loved the whole area. Since we only had two full days on Union, we decided to go to the Cays twice. The first day we went out with Yannis with a crew of three. We stopped at Palm Island to pick up a British couple. We couldn't have asked for better companions. The crew cooked us a wonderful lunch of fresh fish, salads, rice and fruit. The crew was also great. The whole day was magic. The water is clear, warm and beautiful in color. We left about ten and arrived back about four. It went all too fast. The next day we went on a schooner called Scaramouche. We were joined by nine people who flew in from another island for the day. Same routine as the day before, but we stopped at different places. More time in paradise!
Snorkeling--snorkeling varied at each stop. We stopped both days to swim with the turtles, but the first day I saw many more turtles. At one stop, we swam with the largest school of fish we had ever seen. Another location provided colorful fans and more soft coral. The reason we had different stops the second day is because the schooner had trouble anchoring. Both days were unbelievable and ended too soon. We are so lucky and feel extremely grateful for the privilege to enjoy the caribbean. We are going to see if we can get some friends together to rent a boat and a crew and do a repeat of the islands for a few nights.
Jun 23rd, 2007, 04:12 PM
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owa, I love the enthusiastic way you describe your snorkeling experiences! I wish my husband enjoyed it as much as I do, but at least next month my granddaughter will be along to be my snorkling buddy!
mymoosie, I'd bet that LAE cottages will let you leave your stuff there if you arrange ahead of time. Did you get a skyauction package for them? They've been running lots of them lately and it's oh-so-tempting for me to lock in another trip to Grenada by bidding on one!
It seems from your post on other forum that you might bypass Bequia altogether now. Not a bad idea, really. It might make sense for you to concentrate your Grenadines time down near Union Island and see as much of the Tobago Cays as possible. You won't find a great deal of snorkeling on Grenada, so that would be a good way to get your fix. Save Bequia for another time when you can see more of it--if you can drag DH away from Port Elizabeth, that is!
mymoosie, I'd bet that LAE cottages will let you leave your stuff there if you arrange ahead of time. Did you get a skyauction package for them? They've been running lots of them lately and it's oh-so-tempting for me to lock in another trip to Grenada by bidding on one!
It seems from your post on other forum that you might bypass Bequia altogether now. Not a bad idea, really. It might make sense for you to concentrate your Grenadines time down near Union Island and see as much of the Tobago Cays as possible. You won't find a great deal of snorkeling on Grenada, so that would be a good way to get your fix. Save Bequia for another time when you can see more of it--if you can drag DH away from Port Elizabeth, that is!
Jun 23rd, 2007, 05:02 PM
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owa, Thank you so much for re-posting your Bigsand and Tobago Cays report. I'm soooo looking forward to the snorkeling. You mentioned the bedsheets needing a little help... uh-oh. We don't expect luxury, but that made me nervous? Do I need to bring my own sheets? We just want clean, not picky on the threadcount.
ejcrowe, my DH has latched on to seeing Port Elizabeth and there's no tearing him away from that idea. So off to Bequia we go. I will give LAE a call and see if they will be kind enough to store our luggage.
I did get LAE thru skyauction, last year actually. Bigsand too. The price that I got both was so ridiculously low. And LAE was awfully nice and accommodating. They let me change our dates from June to Sept without any penalties. I didn't think I could even change my dates with a skyauction package. Definitely would not have been able to do it if I tried to go thru skyauction instead of directly with LAE. The LAE folks have been very nice and responsive to my queries. I'm looking forward to meeting the them.
Did you write your recent Grenada trip report? I don't think I saw it over at the Grenada forum or I missed it. Where are you headed next?
ejcrowe, my DH has latched on to seeing Port Elizabeth and there's no tearing him away from that idea. So off to Bequia we go. I will give LAE a call and see if they will be kind enough to store our luggage.
I did get LAE thru skyauction, last year actually. Bigsand too. The price that I got both was so ridiculously low. And LAE was awfully nice and accommodating. They let me change our dates from June to Sept without any penalties. I didn't think I could even change my dates with a skyauction package. Definitely would not have been able to do it if I tried to go thru skyauction instead of directly with LAE. The LAE folks have been very nice and responsive to my queries. I'm looking forward to meeting the them.
Did you write your recent Grenada trip report? I don't think I saw it over at the Grenada forum or I missed it. Where are you headed next?
Jun 24th, 2007, 03:10 AM
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No, the sheets were clean. I don't need high thread count either, but these felt horrible on the skin. Maybe you will get lucky, or they will have new ones.
They were building more rooms when we were there last year, but it doesn't mention that on the web site. I've never used skyauction. Have you had good luck with them? I'm glad you were able to get a good price with Bigsand Have fun. Owa
They were building more rooms when we were there last year, but it doesn't mention that on the web site. I've never used skyauction. Have you had good luck with them? I'm glad you were able to get a good price with Bigsand Have fun. Owa
Jun 24th, 2007, 04:26 AM
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Alas, you will be exhausted but thrilled to see everything you're trying to see. And maybe this trip will entice you to come back to the Grenadines and/or Grenada to spend more time in one location!
No, I've not written my full Grenada trip report yet. I'll definitely post here when I do. I'm heading to Virgin Gorda next month, and then no more traveling until next year.
No, I've not written my full Grenada trip report yet. I'll definitely post here when I do. I'm heading to Virgin Gorda next month, and then no more traveling until next year.
Jun 25th, 2007, 04:00 PM
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Hi owa,
We've had good luck with skyauction. We used them for a local place out here, and our Antigua hotel last year with no complaints. One time I won the auction but they couldn't meet my dates even though they were within the specified available periods so they didn't charge me for not booking.
Btw, I just read with interest that Bigsand may have a new owner. The latest Islands magazine mentioned a guy who moved from Calif. to Union 7 months ago now owns the hotel. Hopefully this means some stuff have been "ugraded".
We've had good luck with skyauction. We used them for a local place out here, and our Antigua hotel last year with no complaints. One time I won the auction but they couldn't meet my dates even though they were within the specified available periods so they didn't charge me for not booking.
Btw, I just read with interest that Bigsand may have a new owner. The latest Islands magazine mentioned a guy who moved from Calif. to Union 7 months ago now owns the hotel. Hopefully this means some stuff have been "ugraded".
