This holiday is probably the one I will always hold closest to my heart. I went away for just over a week with my parents to finally see the Caribbean and to visit where my dad is from, St. Kitts.

Not only did I get to experience where my dad grew up and to understand a bit more about my background (which is priceless), I also got to visit all of the beautiful surrounding islands.

This trip also had quite a few ‘firsts’ which made it even more memorable:

1. First time on a catamaran and snorkelling in the Caribbean.
2. First time on a cruise.
3. First time horseback riding (and to do this on the beach was a dream).
4. First time swimming with turtles.
5. And of course, first time visiting my dad’s country.

So, I thought I would pull this all together in one post and to share what I loved most about each island. For once, I rarely used my phone while away so there are only a few photos for each island but hopefully I will explain in enough detail for you to realise how amazing each place is.

Tortola

Tortola was our first stop on the cruise, which really set the standard of all of the islands we were about to visit. As soon as we arrived at the Port I had my whole day planned.

By 9 am I was on the boat heading out to get in to the beautiful blue water and snorkel. There were some beautiful fish and coral and for me this is what I always love to do while away and a perfect way to start the day. After taking in the underwater views, we were taken to a secluded beach to chill out and get some cocktails in.

After heading back, I went straight on to a bike tour of Tortola which allowed me to get to experience the real hustle and bustle of life over there. They were hit pretty badly by the hurricane, but the spirit was still shining through the community and were so welcoming when cycling through their towns.

St. Marten

After a pretty busy first day of snorkelling and bike riding through Tortola, I decided to take a relaxing beach day at St. Marten. The water was so blue, with light waves coming in which was perfect for a chill day.

I love to sightsee and keep active while away, but I think it’s also important to remember to rest and let yourself recharge for at least one of the days :).

St. Kitts

Next stop was St. Kitts, the place I have wanted to visit for so long and it was everything I imagined and more. From seeing Independent Square (where imported slaves were sold) to Brimstone Hill (where the British fought off invaders). Not only was there incredible history here, but also some of the most naturally beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Black Rock was the first we visited, which you could sit and watch all day with the waves crashing against them. Then, the next natural view was Timothy Hill which allowed you to see the island positioned between both the Caribbean and the Atlantic ocean. Just stunning.

While sightseeing beautiful parts of the island, we were also able to see where my dad grew up and even meet some of his old friends along the way. Priceless. This made me realise how small the island actually is and how it’s more of a community than most of the places I have visited.

Antigua

After a full day of touring St. Kitts and seeing old friends of my Dad’s, we went on to Antigua.

I started my day off ticking off one of the things on my bucket list, horseback riding along the beach which was incredible and definitely recommend. The tour guide’s name was ‘Fire’ who was lovely to be around and made sure everything went as planned.

After that, we headed down to Valley Church beach and it was absolutely stunning, I’ve never seen such beautiful pale blue waters until I visited here. This stretched out for miles, before noticing small boats in the distance. Picturesque is probably the best way to describe this place.

St. Vincent

The final stop on our quick trip around the Caribbean was St. Vincent. Again, as soon as I got off I had my whole day planned, which kicked off with sightseeing the Island from a Catamaran and jumping in to the sea for another bit of snorkelling. Snorkelling here for me was slightly different as the waters were actually quite rough and as it’s a volcanic island a lot of the beaches had black sand (which is amazing for your skin by the way) but this made the waters a bit darker than usual and the fishes/coral were different to any other places I’ve seen so far.

After this, we took a trip down to Chateaubelair waterfalls which was stunning to see and to get a few pictures!

Then we took a drive back through the island to the port, which is where we could see the locals while having lunch and it does really hit you how different it is over there. You realise the simple life can sometimes really be more appealing than a fast paced life we live here. Majority are relying on an income from tourism and I would encourage you all to visit, but to respect each place along the way.

 At the end of my posts, I like to end it with the beautiful memory I have made while away and this picture is it.

Finally, seeing my dad back in the caribbean after 50+ years and to see my parents start to get the travel bug just like me is priceless.

Hope you enjoyed the post and please like, comment and share if you did.

TMF