An Exciting Arrival

Well-travelled people of "a certain age" may remember arriving by plane at the old Hong Kong airport. The steep descent over the mountains plunged between the tall blocks of flats and at any moment it looked like someone's washing might end up adorning the wingtips. It was undoubtedly an exciting way to arrive in an exciting city.

For anyone who laments having missed that opportunity, there is still a way to experience a similar landing. An arrival at Union Island in the Grenadines involves an even steeper descent passing over the village of Clifton before touching down on the short single runway. Just like the old Hong Kong, the final roll-out heads straight for the sea before swivelling around and returning to the tiny building that passes for the terminal.

The usual way to travel to Union Island from anywhere in Europe is to start with a flight to Barbados. Then there is a transfer to a small propeller aircraft of from 8 to 16 seats for the onward flight. That flight may go direct or may make stops at Mustique, Bequia and Canouan on the way. Either way, it will be an astonishing experience for anyone who has only ever travelled on big aircraft between big airports. When we went to Union Island we were the only passengers on an 8-seater, so it was just us and the pilot. He even took a small diversion for us so we could get a better view down on the Tobago Cays.

A stay on Union Island takes you back to a gentler age; a time when there were few cars, not much tarmac and everyone greets you with a smile. Two of the biggest smiles belong to Clyde and Sandra, the hosts at The Islander's Inn. The hotel sits right on the water’s edge, with sea views across the coral reefs to Mayreau and the Tobago Cays. All rooms are tastefully decorated, clean and airy, with a sea view and either a private balcony or a garden terrace. The terrace and verandah of the restaurant and bar blend seamlessly onto the beach, surrounded by palm trees and tropical verdure. The restaurant naturally specialises in Caribbean cuisine prepared from local produce, including fresh fruit from the hotel’s own garden and seafood from the waters around the island.

Clifton harbour is unbelievably beautiful, and Clifton is also the place for shops and restaurants. Further along the coast is Ashton fronted by a coral reef and a marina-that-never-was. On the other side of the island is Chatham Bay, with a long sandy beach backed by hills and tropical forest. That’s it; that’s Union Island, yet you could spend a lifetime strolling around the shore and beaches, diving, fishing and snorkelling on the reefs. And if you do run out of ideas, it’s easy to take a boat trip to other islands; Petit St Vincent, Mayreau, Carriacou or the microscopic Mopion.

For a bigger, livelier Caribbean island, Little Hotels also has hotels on Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia and the Dominican Republic.

Aerial photo of Union Island airport by Jimmykreislauf - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65379605

13 Oct 2022, 13:27