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{Lexington’s Finest}
slmag.net
Jan/Feb 2013
five dollars
Petite Paradise
Written by Bridget Williams
The 115-acre island boasts
nearly two-miles of white
sand beaches.
A diminutive private isle in the Grenadines is big on luxury
Outside of its 115-acres of secluded, jaw-dropping natural
beauty, arguably what is most notable about Petite St. Vincent
(PSV), a private island located in the Grenadine Island chain in
the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is what
is lacking: in-room phones, internet and televisions, a formal
check-in and even room keys!
Being happily positioned off the tourist mainstream means
that there are no direct flights to PSV, but the adventure in
getting there is part of the fun. Barbados is the major gateway
for most travelers and offers the chance to stay a few days to
gradually settle into the Caribbean’s lenitive mores. For the
50-minute connecting flight to Union Island, guests are met
by a representative of PSV and escorted through immigration
formalities. The lower flying altitude mandated by the small
twin-engine aircraft affords breathtaking vistas of crystal clear
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blue-green waters dotted with tiny islands. After landing at one
of the tiniest airports you will likely ever visit, PSV’s jovial ferry
boat captain and his crew collect your bags and escort you to the
dock for a 25-minute ride to PSV.
As the island slowly comes into view, signs of habitation are
limited: thatched roofs of the beach bar restaurant main pavilion,
private palapas scattered along the West End beach and a few
generously spaced hillside cottages. Thanks to an outlying coral
reef, calm water waves gently lap at the beach on this side of the
island, which faces Petite Martinique. After quenching our thirst
with a fruity tropical beverage offered after disembarking from
the ferry, we loaded into one of the island’s iconic powder blue
mini-moke vehicles for transport to our cottage.
Operated as a resort since the late 1960s, its first three
decades were under the careful direction and ownership of
Open air living room of a
two-bedroom cottage.
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Petite Paradise
the late Hazen “Haze” K. Richardson II. After Richardson’s
death following a swimming accident in Costa Rica in 2008,
his widow continued operating the resort for two years before
selling it to friends and business partners Robin Paterson and
Philip Stephenson, whose company, Freedom Resorts, Ltd.,
immediately set into motion a plan to upgrade the existing
infrastructure and add amenities focused on luxury travel, but
without mitigating the natural beauty, privacy and casual
elegance that has kept guests returning (often to the same cottage
on the same dates) for decades.
Also the same is the number and location of the 16 onebedroom and six two-bedroom cottages spread amongst the
two-miles of white sand beaches and on the bluffs. Those seeking
maximum privacy should opt for one of five bluff cottages that
overlook Conch Bay.
As we crested a small hill en route to our two-bedroom
oceanfront cottage, we were entranced by a vibrant streak of
blue water visible under the heavy canopy of palm trees and
tropical vegetation. Separated from the beach by a short sea
wall lined with impressive conch shells collected and left for
all to admire by prior guests, a pair of spacious bedroom suites
were conjoined by a covered open air living and dining area
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with Balinese-inspired furnishings. The same blue bitch stone
quarried on-island and used for the exterior walls also features
predominantly as an interior design feature as well. Vaulted
ceilings are defined by handsome Purple Heart hardwood. At
the edge of the covered outdoor living area, limestone tile
floors give way to teak decking with a dining table for four
at one end and a double day bed at the other. Thoughtful
design touches include hand painted stoneware tissue holders
and soap dishes by Earthworks pottery in Barbados, natural
shell and braided jute drapery tiebacks and driftwood table
lamps and pendant lighting. There are no locks on the doors,
another poignant reminder of the island’s exclusivity, but
there are in-room safes if you are not ready to let your guard
down completely.
Interestingly, long-time guests, often reluctant to
change the things etched in their collective memories, were
initially up in arms about the addition of air conditioning in
the bedrooms when the cottages were refurbished in 2011.
General Manager Matt Semark pointed out that in the heat
of summer even the most ardent opponents of change were
thankful to retreat to the cool confines of their room after a
day in the sun. Walls of sliding glass doors on the bedrooms
Dining at the
beach restaurant
The beach restaurant
Two bedroom
oceanfront cottage.
are screened to take advantage of the constant cooling trade
winds should you opt to forgo the A/C.
One of the most endearing and enduring forms of
communication on the island centers around two flags and a
bamboo “tube” on a driftwood pole at the head of the path
leading to each cottage. If you need a pillow, want to order
afternoon tea, breakfast or the like, simply write your request
on the provided forms, place it in the tube and run up the
yellow flag where it will be retrieved by staff who constantly
monitor the cottages via bicycle, foot or mini-moke. Conversely,
should you wish complete privacy, simply run up the red flag
and you are on your own. Wanting to test the efficiency of the
system, we put in an early-afternoon request for late afternoon
tea shortly after our arrival and were pleasantly surprised when
a proper high tea service was delivered exactly as indicated.
After exploring our accommodations, we raced to lay claim
to an oversized hammock strung between a pair of palm trees at
the water’s edge. Those of us too slow happily settled into a plush
lounge chair positioned under a thatched roof cabana. While other
cottages were visible, generous spacing and lush tropical foliage
ensures a feeling of secluded euphoria – there was nary a footprint
on the powdery white sands as far as we could see in either direction.
Room service is delivered
via mini-moke.
A short walk down the beach, a wooden pier with a
covered seating area over the water serves as a perfect jumping
off point for exploring the snorkeling trail that encircles the
island (those adverse to choppier waters will want to snorkel
near the beach restaurant or the West End beaches on the other
side of the island).
PSV’s all-inclusive format, with the exception of alcohol,
allows food and beverages to be taken at any location on the
island. Each morning we reveled in a king’s feast of lobster
omelets and pastries among other delights served al fresco just
outside our room. Taking a break from snorkeling, lunch was
had at the beachfront restaurant where we dined with our feet
in the sand at tables fashioned from tree trunks and driftwood
while admiring the colorful houses of Petite Martinique in the
offing. Each week a bountiful surf and turf beach barbeque is
hosted at the site, accompanied by a steel drum band. During
the day many guests opt to have lunch or tea delivered to a
private beach palapas on the secluded West End, which also
employs the flag system of communication.
Perched on a hill above the beach restaurant, dinner at
the main pavilion is one of the few instances where you will
be reminded that there are actually other guests on the island
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Petite Paradise
A hillside treatment room
for the PSV spa
(and the only place where you can get a WiFi connection
should you not be able to undergo a complete technology
detox). The bar is the site of a weekly manager’s cocktail
reception, and the three-course dinner menu changes nightly
and always features meat, seafood and vegetarian options.
I found the service to be friendly, prompt (by Caribbean
standards) and accommodating to specific dietary requests.
Entrees ran the gamut from grilled swordfish with balsamic
pickled vegetables and mango salsa to vegetable potato cakes
with roma tomato and goat cheese. As part of continuing
upgrades, a citrus plantation is planned as part of the
existing chef ’s garden, located in a verdant valley protected
by a natural seagrape fence.
One of the island’s newest amenities is a hillside
spa constructed as a series of tree house-like buildings
that traverse up steep Marni Hill. The husband and wife
management team of Matt Semark and Anie Ardiani most
recently directed properties in Bali, and they have infused
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the spa with discernable Indonesian influence, from the staff
to the proprietary blend of PSV aromatherapy oils and body
scrubs. One of the most indulgent experiences offered is a
150-minute head-to-toe couples treatment. A yoga pavilion
facing Conch Bay is ideal for those seeking harmony of mind,
body and spirit.
A comprehensive water sports program takes full advantage
of PSV’s warm, clear waters to satiate guests seeking more active
pursuits. Arranging snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing,
scuba diving, fishing and boat charters is as easy as the short walk
to the water sports building near the boat dock. Complimentary
equipment is available for those interested in utilizing the floodlit
tennis court near the main pavilion. A fitness and running trail
with 20 stations winds around the island, and hiking the trail to
the top of Marni Hill takes your breath away for multiple reasons
(those with runner’s knees like me will want to descend via the
trail near the water tower to be kindest to your joints). Do not
forget your camera to capture the panoramic views!
Captain Jeff Stevens'
wooden sloop 'Beauty' is
available for full and halfday charters.
Experience an afternoon of amour by arranging to be dropped
off for a few hours with a picnic lunch and snorkeling gear at
nearby Mopion Island, an idyllic white sand bar that has been the
subject of countless magazine covers. A seemingly celluloid version
of Caribbean perfection, the thin sliver of white sand, interrupted
only by a thatch umbrella, seems to float on the transparent sea.
For adventure further afield, book a day charter aboard
Captain Jeff Stevens’ wooden sloop “Beauty,” a handsome ship
he built by hand with his crewmates using indigenous woods
from Petite Martinique. Our half-day’s journey to Tobago
Cays marine park, an archipelago comprised of five small
uninhabited islands and one of the filming locales for Pirates of
the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, took us to some of
the most postcard perfect waters I have ever seen. Though the
calm-water snorkeling was outstanding, I will have to admit
that I was more than relieved to set foot on dry land in pursuit
of gargantuan iguanas on Baradel Island in order to gain respite
from the seasickness that seemed to plague only me throughout
the afternoon. Also available for day or fishing charters are
“Black Pearl,” a 38’ Vedette Seminole, “Hera,” a 43’ Tiara, and
“Zeus II,” a 41’ Sports Fisherman.
Prodded by the encouragement of the general manager, an
accomplished dive master who remarked that the diving in the
Grenadines is far superior to the much touted Maldives, we
signed on for a half-day, two-tank scuba course. After a brief
introduction to make us comfortable with the equipment and
procedures, we descended to depths of 32 feet around the resort
to explore the diversity of marine life from a new perspective.
The one-on-one instruction provided for each of us ensured our
complete safety and hooked us on the scuba experience.
On the morning of our departure we took one final walk
down the deserted beach where we spied the tip of a conch shell
peeking out from the sand. After digging out the unblemished
specimen, we returned and placed it on the wall outside our cottage
alongside the others, thereby joining an exclusive club of those privy
to the simple pleasures of this private island escape. sl
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