In Pictures: The Eastern Caribbean Islands

Sometimes even the most esteemed motor-mouths and wordsmiths must bury the desire to decorate a travel experience with an abundance of words and descriptions, and simply allow the visual captures to speak for themselves.

Through my 2 week exploration of 9 tropical islands, my senses were consistently bombarded by all things quintessentially Caribbean and representative of Caribbean life.

Here is a summary of my sensory overload, in pictures.

Sight

As a lover of all things bright and colourful, my eyes relished the vibrant colours which blanketed the houses, vehicles, beach bars and public buildings in the Caribbean. Single buildings hosted a palette of primary colours, while others showcased strong, bold colours which both contrasted and complimented that of their neighbours. I believe this is referred to in the fashion industry as ‘colour-blocking’. Even the shabbiest of buildings carried a certain charm thanks to their rainbow facade.

Sound

Naturally the most influential or affecting sound which can be enjoyed by our human ears is that of music. Music harnesses a great power in its ability to alter moods and emotions, to enhance experiences and to serve as a permanent reminder of a place, person, time or feeling.

So, what Caribbean experience would be complete without some essential reggae sounds to supplement the surroundings?

Luckily, the local musicians were like tourist magnets and were always waiting on the beaches or even in the port terminals to supply the soundtrack to our island visit. Usually revolving around a set of world recognised Bob Marley tunes, the live music in the Caribbean injected an irreversible dose of happiness into every situation, something which was apparent from the smiles on people’s faces.

The most memorable part of my day in St Vincent? THE PARTY IN THE PORT! The band above were infectiously upbeat and talented, spoiling us with Caribbean-style covers of Santana and classic Bob Marley anthems, while we sipped on bottles of cold local beer.

Plus their festively dressed groupie entertained us all afternoon with his hilarious dance moves and random lunges in time to the music.

That said, the sounds of the Caribbean are not limited to those provided by music. Nature itself supplies a selection of soothing sounds to aid your holiday relaxation.

What about the tranquil trickle of a rainforest waterfall?

Or the onomatopoeic swoosh of the waves as they greet the sandy shore?

Smell

Many of the Eastern Caribbean islands boast lush green areas of tropical rainforest. And from each one of natures pores, perspiration of the botanical variety is fragrant in the air. Being from a cold climate, where such warm, moist smells can only be found in the greenhouses at Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens, I found this to be a particular novelty.

With your sense of smell being so closely correlated with your sense of taste, my second favourite Caribbean smell links straight in to the next section. It is of course…

Taste

… Jerk Chicken.

The tempting aroma of barbecued bird had already invaded my nasal passages, and kickstarted my saliva production, moments before I had even caught sight of the menu or of the source! Doused in the famous jerk sauce and cooked over an open flame, the chicken was so good that I indulged almost daily.

For those who like it HOT there is always a bottle of local hot sauce at hand, but I would advise taking precautionary measures – try a wee bit first to test your taste endurance.

Also, if chicken doesn’t tickle your pickle there’s a variety of traditional non-meat options available.

Plantain, banana and other fruits which I can’t really remember, spell or pronounce are eaten alongside savoury items.

They sure know how to prepare a fishy for your little dishy. One of my favourite meals while I was there was cajun mahi-mahi (also known as dorado). The deep fried plantain was DELICIOUS (you can take the lassie out of Scotland…).

Touch

When you’re a whiter-shade-of-pale and vitamin D deprived like me, having the sun smooch your skin all day long is a real treat (just not when you don’t replenish your sun cream regularly enough and end up with asymmetric sunburn lines!). There was no lack of sunshine, or shortage beautiful locations to bask in it. Tis a sun worshipper’s paradise!

On my favourite island, Dominica, I crossed a rainforest river over stepping stones and spied a faint wisp of steam rising from the surface of the water. This could only mean one thing… HOT SPRINGS! Indeed we had stumbled across some naturally heated water, straight from the island’s volcanic core. Some of the group climbed in to the warm pools for a natural bath, while I settled for a wee foot spa (only because I didn’t have my bikini on!)

Finally, as the keenest of beans when it comes to putting my earphones in, zoning out and going for long walks, there is no trail I’d rather take than that of an idyllic beach in my bare feet. The powdery sand acting as an exfoliant for my feet with a sporadic foot splash in the wee waves to cool me down. MAGIC!

My trip around the Eastern Caribbean was aboard the P&O Ventura cruise ship (you can read about my experience here), which meant I got a wee bite-sized sample of each of the islands’ unique offerings.

Collectively they delivered a Caribbean experience full of colour, character, heat and tropical perfection. Twas a wee slice of paradise!

What appeals to you most about travelling to the Caribbean?

Where would be your first port of call?

I was lucky to have been offered this opportunity, courtesy of London based Cruise gurus Iglu Cruise.

You can view the full itinerary and prices here.

All of my opinions and random ramblings, as always, are completely my own.