The 64k square feet resort is made up of dozens of luxurious Mediterranean tailored villas with white walls and red tiled roofs lining the hillside of Labrelotte Bay. The accommodations range from 1 to 5 bedroom villas with luxurious options for estate type villas perched high up on the hillside or beachfront modern north point villas. I had stayed in a 2-bedroom estate villa with a fully equipped kitchen, large deck which is perfect view for the morning coffee from the villa balcony with our infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Once you settle into the villa, you can call onto the operator to call the hotel shuttle to pick you up and take you to the beach front property. The All Inclusive option is perfect for couples as the warm, friendly and attentive staff take care of you at each of the lovely 4 restaurants – Jammers, Papa Dons, Upper Deck and the DragonFly. My favourite restaurant was the Dragonfly as it was situated right along the beachfront with its picturesque French windows opening up onto the clear waters, white sandy beach and lush coconut trees.

Windjammer offers a selection of complimentary activities such Hobie Cat sailing, paddle boarding, snorkeling at its watersports facility just a few metres away from the main resort. Along the beachside, you can swim out to the wooden pontoon/ dock or relax in the water on the lounging nets or sip on cocktails at the 96 degrees in the shade tiki hut bar. After partaking in a long day of fun endeavors, you can make your way to the resort’s Spa, book a classic massage and restore your energy just in time for sunset cocktails at Jammers bar.

Luxurious villas, charming restaurants and entertaining watersports are just a few of the features that brand Windjammer Landing as one of the most admired St. Lucian resorts.

THE TRINI TRAVELLER IN TOBAGO

My name is Gabrielle Agostini and I have a Caribbean Travel Blog known as The Trini Traveller, “Trini” being the nickname of a person from Trinidad and Tobago.I am based in Trinidad but decided to pack up my amazing FunBoy floats and make a quick trip to our country’s sister isle of Tobago for my Birthday Weekend….

To read the Full Article Feature, click here: Funboy

Friday  

Lunch – Tides Restaurant

After arriving on an early morning flight, you can unpack your bags then head to a delightful lunch at Tides Restaurant. It’s bright, cozy and stunning coral stone walls makes for the ideal island getaway ambience. Its blue and white caribbean theme can be found throughout the bar and restaurant with its main dining room opening out onto the crystal clear waters of the island’s west coast. The staff are excellent and food is exquisite. A great first activity for your trip!

Surfing – Boosy’s Surf School

Book an afternoon surf lesson from 3-5pm at freights Bay with Boosy Surf School. Christian Boos is a superb teacher, as he guides through the process, from being on your first board to standing on top the board while you are surfing along the coastline. During the first part of the lesson, you are taught the basics on top of the Freights Bay hill. You then proceed to slowly walk down the side of the hill towards the small break of beach. Once you are in the ocean, Christian ensures you are looked after and he gives quick feedback on improvements that can be made to your new surfing style. It is quite the fun afternoon and that water is stunning!

Dinner – Champers restaurant

This is one of the most popular restaurants in Barbados and is usually always booked up so call-in ahead of time and reserve a table out on the patio! I always have a great experience at Champers with its fabulous customer service and laidback ambience perfect for an intimate dinner. The seafood and wine options make it a top choice in my books. You can even go early to watch the sunset with some lovely cocktails.

Bar/ Nightclub – Harbour Lights

The ultimate tourist bar/ nightclub in Barbados is the infamous Harbour Lights! I do not think I have ever visited Barbados without making a pit-stop at this awesome beach side club! It is an outdoor venue located right on the beach so wear comfy shoes and prepare yourself for a Free Drinks, all night-long party with a mix of international and local music.

Saturday

Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruise

As you board the yacht, the warm and friendly crew welcomes you and prepares you for an all packed day of entertainment and relaxation. The cruise takes its passengers to many stops along the west coast of Barbados where you can snorkel, swim with sea turtles and sun tan on the catamaran’s large nets at the front of the yacht. The cruise offers a scrumptious, local lunch to help soak up all that rum punch that you will have on your way back down the coast. Music will start playing a little louder and some of you may decide to join in the festive dancing sessions that the crew will most definitely want you to be a part of. I have done this cruise twice and looking forward to my third booking!

Dinner –Buzo

As I am from Trinidad and Tobago, I have eaten at Buzo T&T enough times to know that I had to visit the new location in Barbados. It was a dream. Outstanding customer service and I loved the décor. It is an Italian restaurant situated on the south-west side of the island and it is a must-visit during your stay. The appetizers, pastas, desserts and wines are undeniably mouthwatering and even if all the tables are full, you can still find a sweet spot at the Bar and have a romantic dinner for two!

Sunday

Beach – Ju Ju’s Beach Bar

Ju Ju’s is a charming beach where the locals love to enjoy a chill Sunday by the water. You can rent umbrellas or lounge chairs and spend your day sun tanning or sipping on some yummy rum punch from Ju Ju’s beach bar. If you are up for some more adventure, you can partake in the many water sporting activities offered on the beach.

Early dinner – The Lone Star

I unfortunately have not been to the Lone Star but I am including this restaurant as it is a must do of mine on my next visit and hopefully on yours, especially if you are planning on spending your day at Ju Ju’s beach. A few minutes’ stroll from Ju Ju’s beach bar is this attractive and elegant restaurant. It is open-air fine dining at its best. There is also a boutique hotel on top the restaurant, where you can spend your amazing weekend at!

Other Key Tips:

Spend the Day at Accra Beach

Stroll along South Coast Boardwalk

Visit the 50th Anniversary Mural

Check out my Instagram Page @thetrinitraveller for details on my Barbados and Trinidad fashion pieces

Visiting Rio in only 3 days is quite the tight squeeze, but on my recent trip to Brazil, that is all the days I had set for Rio, based on my fab yet intense Brazilian itinerary. I suggest at least 5 days to really enjoy and see all the sights! However if you only have a short stint in Rio, here is a quick guide to make sure you get in the best activities and must-dos!

Day 1

Jardim Botânico – Botanical Gardens

Known as one of loveliest tropical gardens in the world, this park is situated right in the middle of the city. We caught a bus to the Botanical Gardens, got off a tad bit too early but enjoyed the stroll to the grand entrance of the park. We grabbed a map and made our way through the lush gardens where we eventually stumbled upon a striking pond full of massive lily pads and of course the famous walkway of magnificent palm trees. Taking photos around lunch time is quite the difficult task, as the park is busy busy -even on a Monday, so try and make it as early as you can. This amazing walkway leads to the park’s superb fountain, where we came across little monkeys that my friends were totally obsessed with. After about the 50^th photo op, I had to put a stop to it and move on, but they are very adorable! Make sure and pack water bottles as it can get quite hot! Even though I took hundreds of photos, I made sure to spend a few minutes on one of the park benches and admire the nature. The beauty around is unreal and you may not see a park like this again so take it in! More information click here.

Parque Lage

As you exit the Botanical Gardens, you can walk a few blocks north along the main street to a venue called Parque Lage, where you will find another small yet beautiful park looking out onto the Corcovado. Making your way through the park, you will discover a quaint and well-kept colonial building. As you climb the stairs, you will come across one of the chic-est cafés in Rio called Plage cafe. The bohemian vibe of this café and art school allows artists to freely roam the grounds and express their views on beautifully painted canvases spread out across the ground floor of this open air café. A wide selection of lunch items can be uncovered on their menu with a relaxed and friendly staff. Sit back, enjoy you meal and embrace the café’s scenery.

Day 2

Corcovado – Cristo Redentor – Christ the Redeemer

We unfortunately did not book the train in advance and decided to take a very long bus ride to the entrance at Cosme Velho train station to catch the train, only to find out that the train was full for the next 4 hours. So we decided to trust the advice of the locals/ tourism officials around us and ended up booking a mini bus to take us up to the Cristo Redento statue. I highly do not recommend this option! 3 mini buses and 1.5 hours of lines later we finally arrived at the statue! Partially drenched in sweat with leg cramps. The area surrounding the statue was absolutely packed with tourists- trying to capture that special yet unique photo – this proved to be the impossible for us that day. So we spent a total of 15 minutes at the statue but after the trek and the endless heat from the blazing sun, we could not handle a minute more. It is an amazing sight and views of the city from the statue are breathtaking. Key tips – for a crowd free and care free experience – go early and book the train here!

Sugar Loaf Mountain or de Pão de Açúcar

After an intense but once in a lifetime morning visit to the Cristo Redentor Statue, we headed over to the Sugar Loaf Mountain for some more unforgettable sightseeing. We arrived at the cable car station just

before sunset and luckily there was barely a soul in the line to buy tickets. Except we randomly bounced up one of our Trini friends from back home whom was visiting Rio at the same time! I am actually insanely afraid of heights so I thought that I had to prepare myself for this outing. However once you start moving up the cable car, you feel at ease, especially in a packed cable car a lot of people moving around and trying to get a good view out the glass. The first hill that you will arrive at is called Urca Hill; it has lots of space to roam but the best views are at the Sugar Loaf Mountain or second hill, that you have to take a second cable car to get to. It is small space on the second hill, so make sure and get a peek near the ledge of the cable car entrance to capture a breathtaking 360 degree view of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay and the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The sunset was incredible and relaxing! We were lucky enough to have sunny weather and a perfect and clear view of the city. I will definitely do this adventure again on my next visit! For more information on the Sugar Loaf Mountain click here.

This was an intense day of sightseeing, so I would recommend spreading these activities over a two day period.

Day 3

Copacabana Fort

One morning was dedicated to having brunch at a lovely restaurant located inside the Copacabana Fort, which is situated between the neighbourhoods of Ipanema and Copacabana. You have to pay a small fee to enter the fort, but as you make you way along the cobble stone road, you will find this chic restaurant called Confeitaria Colombo. It served a delicious breakfast; I had ordered the full breakfast package which I was unable to finish and thoroughly loved. The views from the restaurant are spectacular as you have an amazing view of the Copacabana beach while sitting along the water.

Lounge by a Copacabana Pool

We had originally wanted to stay in a hotel along the Copacabana beach front, but we opted to stay at an amazing apartment in Ipanema (which was for sure the better option). So one afternoon, while walking along the Copacabana beach, we stumbled across one of the hotels we had done research on, Being very naughty girls, we decided to walk into the hotel as if we were guests and somehow sneaked into the elevator. Of course, we had no idea which floor the pool was on, so we literally pressed every button to every floor possible. We assumed it would be on the top floor so slightly panicked when it would not work but 2 floors down from the top floor, the doors magically opened out onto one of the most wonderful hotel pools. We bought some Caipirinhas and lounged by the pool for the afternoon.

Santa Teresa

We had only visited Santa Teresa after dusk for a lovely dinner up on the hill. But I truly wished we had taken a stroll in this charming neighborhood during the afternoon or even taken a ride on the antique tram. Our taxi ride down the hill after dinner was perfectly safe until we somehow managed to freak ourselves out. After all the scary and unwanted rumours of visiting Rio, we became very wary of the city and unfortunately clouded our judgment. We has asked our driver to stop at the famous Escadaria Selaron for a quick photo op, but he told us to keep our bags close as it can be dangerous area at night. (that’s what we could sort of understand from his hand gestures, given our embarrassingly low level of knowledge of Portuguese). So we quickly ran to take photos and all of sudden – what appeared to be a stranger – started asking if he could take our photo. We politely said no and hastily ran back to the taxi, only to see it completely empty. Half panicking, we turned around to find our sweet taxi driver standing behind us! He was the kind sir whom was trying us to take our photo. We apologized profusely and made sure to give him an extra tip! Tip – Be aware but be kind!

Nightlife

We visited Rio Scenarium in Lapa on our last night after dining at Aprazivel restaurant in Santa Teresa. It was a Wednesday so not the most happening night was still so much fun! We danced to the local music and admired the professional samba dancers glide across the dance floor. We also sat next to some Argentinian celebrities who also seemed to be doing the same trip as us as we saw them a few days later in Buzios. Locals and tourist alike visit this club and hopefully next time we will be back on during the weekend!

Where to Stay?

We booked an apartment on airbnb in Ipanema, even though we had originally wanted to stay in a fancy hotel in Copacabana. Not only was this best option, as we had a phenomenal view of the Morro Dois Irmaos or Two brothers mountains but we were in a totally safe area with lots of restaurants and bars around. We also had an amazing and helpful host. Philippe! This is actually also the name of my father, my boyfriend, two of my uncles, the name of our driver in Rio and of course our close friend we had met up with in Rio and his new friend he met the week before. Oh how my life is surrounded by Phils! J We also randomly booked our apartment on the same street as a friend of my sisters whom was very generous and showed us around one night where we came across a trendy local restaurant that I mention below!

Where to eat?

Breakfast – Cafeina (located in Ipanema for amazing acai bowls), Confeitaria Colombo (located at the Copacabana fort for a brunch with a view)

Lunch – Plage cafe (located near to the Botanical gardens with great views of the Christ redeemer and relaxing atmosphere in nature), Aprazivel (located in Santa Teresa for delicious food and amazing views of the city)

Dinner – Fogo de Chao (all you can eat Brazilian steak house in Botafogo), Esquina 111 (trendy local bar with food in Ipanema)

Brazil travel Tips

1 – Caipirinhas, which are Brazil’s national cocktail made from cachaça, come in a number of flavours – not just your typical lime. You can get kiwi, strawberry, pineapple, passionfruit and many more!

2 – In the airport, check on your gate number as often as you can (even up to 10 mins before the gate opens) as the gate number changes constantly and I mean constantly! It switched 3 times in one hour for us in Sao Paulo!

3- Taxis – use registered taxis – app EasyTaxi – as unfortunately we got ripped off by a gentleman who seemed pretty nice and helpful but charged us twice as much as he originally stated.

4 – Buses – get familiar fast with the bus system. Saves you tons of money and easy to use once you get it! More information click here.

5- For the Christ the Redeemer Trip, book the train here

6 – Be wary of ATMs as I had quite a lot of money stolen on my trip so try to take out as much cash or USD before your trip.

7 – Local Brazilian airline is convenient and reliable GOL airlines. Direct flights using GOL from Tobago to Sao Paulo.

The Basque Country is located in the western pyrenees spanning across the south western border of France and northern western border of Spain along the Atlantic coast. It is also one of my favourite places to visit especially Le Pays Basque (the French Northern Basque Country in the Aquitaine region of France). Le Pays Basque is where I have spent many summers as a child and I have many fond memories of my father’s family house in the quaint and beautiful town of Castets. My sister and I were given the opportunity or possibly forced into spending our summers at the local summer camp to learn French; many years later I can proudly say that those strenuous and never-ending French summer camps have enabled us to easily find our way to any toilet in any public space in France. Merci maman et papa!

Nowadays I aim to make it an annual summer trip. Of course this is highly dependent on whether I have the available funds to make it across the pond or how many pairs of shoes I had decided to purchase the year before! The region is known for cities like Bordeaux (wine country), Bilbao (home to the infamous Guggenheim museum) and Bayonne (Fete du Bayonne). However my last few stays have been in St Jean de Luz and Biarritz with special visits to Castets and Dax with an ever so often Tapas night out across the border in San Sebastian. So I will take you through each of these special towns that I know quite well and give you a taste on why you ought to make it an annual summer visit and even give me your opinion on why the Spanish side is perhaps better?

St Jean de Luz

This charming and picturesque sea-side town is approximately a half an hour drive from Biarritz and pretty near to the Spanish border. The past few summers spent in St Jean de Luz were perfect for a relaxing family vacation with the town’s wide sandy beaches, striking traditional Basque architecture (white façades marked by dark accents) and my favourite, its chic shopping areas. The shopping side of town is where you can find the best and most affordable Espadrilles and leather flats in the World! I have too many pairs, it is ridiculous. You can also buy some fashionable beach towels, whose style originated form Northern Africa. St Jean de Luz is also known as fishing port hence there is where we partook in a once in a lifetime event, “La Fete du Thon” i.e. the Tuna festival. The streets were filled with Basque music and dancing and best of all, tons of hot tuna steaks to go around.

Biarritz

Biarritz is a popular and luxurious seaside town and has become a prime destination for surfers from around the globe. This town hosts the annual Roxy pro event; a tournament that is a part of the ASP Women’s World Tour. Must see sights include La Grande Plage, Hotel du Palais and Sainte-Eugeine. One of my picks for restaurants is “le Surfing”; some of the best ceviche I have ever devoured. You can either tan all day on the beach (like the average frenchie) or buy some delicious ice-cream and chill near the beach (like the average me) or even take a stroll along the stunning coastline. This city has quite a lot to offer with its yummy restaurants, vibrant nightlife and surf based culture.

San Sebastian or Donostia

Tapas! Tapas! Tapas!

Oh how I do love the Tapas from San Sebastian. San Sebastian is known to have the most Michelin stars per square foot in the world. Its tapas called pintxos, which were originally from Andalucía, became perfected in San Sebastian. You can go any night of the week or weekend to the bars of the Old Quarter of the city and have a great and memorable experience with friends, family or a random you met on the streets of this classic Basque Spanish city.  Make sure get a spot at these bustling bars, grab some pintxos and order as much sangria as your heart desires. The town has mile long beaches for any enticed surfer surround by beautiful and historic renaissance architecture and occupied with stylish outfits walking past you in every direction. The people, oh the people are very much fashionistas and absolutely gorgeous! No wonder this place is a fashion surfing haven.

Great food, Great Wine and Absolutely Great Shopping! This what you will find in the Basque Country!