Caribbean Luxe, Asian FlairBy Suna Kanga
The 35-minute flight from Barbados was the last leg of our journey from Singapore to the Caribbean via the United States. Canouan is located within St. Vincent & the Grenadines, an archipelago within the West Indies (Antilles). Airport formalities at this Commonwealth outpost are casual but cautious. Having arrived from a world of stringent screening and security, it feels good to be welcomed with smiles.
Canouan Island is a special place for suppliants of luxury and splendid isolation – a place to own a villa on a championship golf course or sip a $300 martini with an olive impaled on a 24-karat souvenir sword. PHOTO CREDITS: Kanga Concepts, Raffles Resorts and Trump International For more information, email: reservations.canouanisland@raffles.com, or call 1 (784) 458 8000. Website: www.raffles-canouanisland.com Copyright Suna Kanga Kanga Concepts |
|
TM
Sky. Earth. Ocean. The illusion of endless space vanishes with touchdown on the exclusive Caribbean island. As Raffles International’s private seven-seater jet swoops to a stop, the pilots turn to the passengers and announce, “Welcome to Canouan Island.”
Our getaway place is Raffles Resort Canouan Island, "the grandest new resort in the region” as noted by Travel & Leisure. The island promises sweet seclusion with enviable assets: breathtaking natural beauty, ribbons of pristine beaches, large coral reef, 18-hole golf course with stunning water views from every hole and the sprawling resort with a heavenly spa, fine dining, hilltop casino, charter yachts, eye-popping bar list (with $300 martinis!) and an Olympic-size boxing ring.
Pampering commences with cold towels offered by a smartly uniformed Canouan girl on board the Mercedes van with Raffles International’s insignia. The lush, small island, (3.5 x 1.5 miles), appears relatively untouched by tourism. The van cuts through the village of multi-hued homes clustered upon a ridge sloping toward the ocean. From a corner bar painted bright yellow music pulsates to counter end-of-the day ennui. We swerve to avoid a large turtle and we step out for a closer look. “Canouan means Turtle Island in our language. They usually come out at dusk,” says the chauffeur.
Palm trees welcome us into the exclusive world of Raffles Resort Canouan Island. From a vantage point, we get a full view of the 300-acre hillside resort within a sheltered amphitheatre that unwinds into a bay. Hugging the protective hills at staggered levels are ochre-toned villas capped with green roofs.
Italian-Swiss financier Antonio Saladino first opened the 300-acre resort in 1999 as Carenage Bay. Developing the $200 million Sardinia-style property was an uphill task. “I took this island and changed it visibly… Everything had to be brought in. There was a stage when the change in culture was too much too soon but the people now realize that life is changing for the better,” says Saladino whose venture now employs 1,000 islanders.
The property was re-launched in 2004 as the Raffles Resort Canouan Island. 
At the heart of the resort is a 17th-century church shipped from England and reconstructed in the 19th century. Skirting a reflecting pool is the airy Reception area decorated with gauzy, white Balinese-style hangings. Guests are welcomed with Singapore Slings and lilting Caribbean accents. With the room card comes a key to one’s personal golf cart – and the freedom to roam the vast hilly terrain.
The resort’s highly-rated Trump International Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72, championship course with gorgeous ocean views. Designed by Jim Fazio, it offers an enthralling view of surrounding islands from the signature Hole 13. The golf course is a good reason to travel halfway around the world!
Luxury is a 560 square-foot ocean-facing oasis with extras such as an espresso machine, stove and two mini bars. Luxury is unseen service, no knocks on the door, RafflesAmrita Spa toiletries, a newspaper of choice, pillow preferences, laptop computer, (Internet access is fast and complimentary at the Business Center), and room service champagne and Raffles caviar.
RafflesAmrita Spa is a seductive experience from start. A hillside timber deck leads us into a serene, seaside world where spa director Shirley Meerson offers Caribbean and Asian treatments. An open funicular conveys us to the thatched-roofed palapas (treatment suites) on three levels and an open “breathing space” for morning yoga and chi sessions. Two Grand Palapas rise from the ocean and feature glass floors with reef views. Indulgence is sinking into the bubbling oblivion of a private Jacuzzi with an ocean view before submitting to the gentle touch of a silent masseur.
Canouan is the sailing capital of The Grenadines and has some of the best diving waters. With a world renowned yachting company, Moorings, based here island-hopping is popular and celebrities often slip into Canouan on private yachts. To explore the coral reef we board a sleek, 30-foot motor boat and zips to a cluster of hilly islands where the Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Music signals the emergence of a wicker picnic basket with smoked salmon sandwiches, seafood and avocado wraps and fruit. Rum punch completes our Caribbean caper.
At the restaurants, Raffles’ input is seen in the seamless Asian-style service offered with sunny Caribbean friendliness. Stylish La Piazza, acclaimed for the best Italian cuisine in the Caribbean, has an impressive collection of Italian wines. At spectacularly located hilltop La Varenne (within Trump Club Privee casino) gourmet evenings begin with Raffles caviar and champagne. Poolside Jambu’s lavish breakfast buffet sets the mood for the day. 
“Asian food is what pleases many guests,” observed Balinese executive chef Suardi Nyoman Nio. Our favourite is the beach bar and grill, Godahl’s, where flames rise from spherical, mosaic-studded “kamados” (barbecues) on a barbecue night. Jumbo prawns, fish, octopus, local sausages, chicken (in satay sauce), beef and venison, (the best!), are enjoyed with blue potatoes, noodles, crab claws and salads as a steel band livens the tempo. 
A destination resort creates its own psychology be it golfing, yachting, spa treatments or fine living. The ultimate indulgence is to own a piece of paradise -- a Trump Island Villa. Being developed within a prestigious enclave are 135 villas and custom-designed residences on 1,000 acres of lush mountainous terrain. Prices range from U.S. $1.4 million for Golf Villas to U.S. $2.7 million for Estate properties.