A photo speaks a thousand words. No wonder we used to make the most beautiful photo albums from family vacations and other memorable happenings in our lives. But things have changed. Those photos still say more than words can ever do, but films got replaced by digital cameras, time became more limited, and in the end photo, albums are just something our parents used to make…
I was one of those people who printed films, made photo albums, and send post cards from tropical destinations. Nowadays I upload photos to two different group apps on my phone so that our families know what we are up to, I carry around a digital camera too to make sure every “moment” is captured, but those photo albums remain unfinished.
Then thefashionguitar.com came, and my travels became part of it. It’s an online photo album where I share things I would love you to know about places I went – with and without my kids. Our most recent trip went to Saint Lucia, where we stayed at The Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina. As a big Caribbean-lover I was extremely excited to try the island and the recently renovated Resort. So on an early weekday morning, the four of us got on a plane, flew a couple of hours, and set foot on this green Caribbean island…
What did we love most about the island and the resort? And what not?
First of all St. Lucia is a super green island, and being surrounded by nature but still with all the luxury you want within arm reach is an absolute bliss. There are several buildings around the resort, some build on the hills with an incredible view over the bay and Marina, and others in the resort gardens. We had a penthouse suite with two bedrooms – great when traveling with kids – and a beautiful view on the bay. In-between the two bedrooms we had a living room/kitchen where you can prepare your own breakfast or dinner, or have someone come in to do that for you. This is honestly really great with kids, but the resort offered so many lovely places to eat, we didn’t make use of it.
Our favorite restaurant was the Rum Cave where I had the best Jerk Chicken – on of my favorite foods in the whole world – and the kids literally could eat whatever we asked for. They do have special kids menus in all restaurants, but since James is a little bit of a picky eater, we asked for specific things and they always made it work. Big plus!
For breakfast the best location would be at the Bayside Cafe – you get there when you walk the boardwalk from the resort to the Marina, BEST and BIGGEST cappuccino ever. You sit literally at the Marina-side, overlooking beautiful boats, and there’s a cute local market in the weekends. Food-wise we found The Grill best for breakfast. Especially when you are with toddlers, because there’s all sorts of bread and fruit at the buffet, and great a la carte breakfast dishes for the parents.
Another thing worth mentioning is the impeccable level of attention from the staff and the great service. We felt very well treated and nothing we asked for was too much. It took them sometimes a little long to bring a drink up to the room, but other than that, nothing. And I can’t really blame them, to get to some of the rooms – our room – you have to take quite a few stairs… Which brings me to one of the things that might be an issue when traveling with little kids – nothing that isn’t good, just not 100% great when they are still small, like ours.
First is the level on which some of the rooms are located, the balconies, and number of stairs. I found it a bit scary at first, but we made sure all doors were looked ALL THE TIME so that they could not ever get out on one of the balconies without us. And I definitely trained my butt by walked all those stairs with one, sometimes two, kids on arm! Again, it sounds more dramatic than it really is, but just be careful and you will be fine! Also the beds were quite high, so to make sure none of the tods would roll out in the middle of the night, we put chairs around their beds for extra safety. No biggy, and we had no kids falling out. James and Stella loved their beds because of this, especially when the mosquito nets were put down after nightfall. It gave them the feeling of sleeping a castle, or princess bed, and this made them extra happy to go to bed after swimming all day! Big plus for the parents!
So, if you are looking for sun and friendly faces, incredible jerk chicken and delicious cocktails at the poolside – my favorite was the Marigot Basil – make sure to check out The Capella Bay Resort and Marina for your next family vacation! I can 100% recommend it for those traveling with babies and bigger kids, and when traveling with toddlers, just make sure to kid-proof whatever is needed when you arrive so that you and your little explorers can have the best time ever!
A big thanks to the staff of this lovely resort for having us, and all the little extra’s – sunset sailing trip was the best! We look forward to come back!!
