According to legend, a Dutch missionary gave nutmeg seeds from the Moluccan islands of Indonesia to a Grenadian sea captain in the late 1700s – nutmeg trees thrived in the volcanic soil and tropical climate, as did cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, lemongrass, turmeric and ginger, earning Grenada its reputation as the Spice Island.
The nutmeg is ubiquitous, even featuring on the national flag - as we tour the island and its glorious gardens we walk through spice plantations, watch the processing at a Nutmeg Station, and enjoy rum punches Grenada-style, dusted with freshly grated nutmeg.
We stay in one excellent hotel throughout, mahogany-built villas set on a private bay, visiting the superb private gardens on the island; walking in the tropical rainforests in the National Parks; exploring the Forts, market and museum of the picturesque capital, St. George’s; and taking a dolphin watching and snorkelling trip by catamaran. We island hop to the neighbouring island of Carriacou for a walk with marvellous views of the Grenadine island chain; and savour Grenadian cuisine based on fresh seafood and tropical fruit and vegetables with subtly spiced sauces.
HIGHLIGHTS of our Grenada tour include:
Guests’ comments on this trip:
‘You gave us an in-depth view of Grenada and we loved meeting all the gardeners in their gardens - it was a really well-balanced holiday.’
‘Thank you very much for organising such a wonderful holiday - a very interesting itinerary and excellent accommodation - it was all very special.’
DAY 1
D included
After meeting in the afternoon at Grenada’s small airport, we have a short drive along the south coast to our Swiss-run hotel, very comfortable and very well-equipped villas (mahogany-built) set in tropical gardens (with airconditioning plus fans, as preferred) and individual wooden verandahs facing the sea. We have a Grenadian rum punch at the poolside bar before dinner overlooking the yachts in the private bay.
Day 2
B, L, D included
We have a leisurely start to the day before beginning our explorations with a guided walking tour of a spice farmer’s co-operative, gaining an excellent introduction to the island’s plants, including learning about the medicinal uses of many of the trees and spices. After an al fresco lunch we return to our hotel for an afternoon relaxing on the private beach, in the gardens, or by the pool. We dine this evening on board a restored Swedish lightship, an unusual and very picturesque setting for a renowned gourmet restaurant.
Day 3
B, L, D included
This morning we travel up the Atlantic coast of the island, pausing for a short walk to the Royal Mount Carmel waterfalls, where we admire the plants supported by the spray. We visit the Nutmeg Station in Grenville where a major part of the world’s supply of nutmeg and mace is traditionally processed by hand, then stroll through the beautiful heliconia plantations of the Balthazar estate, source of Grenada’s Gold medal-winning displays at the Chelsea Flower Show. High in the mountains of the island’s interior we see the Grand Etang lake, an extinct volcanic crater, and follow a short trail through dense rainforest, with many tropical ferns & orchids. Broad-winged hawks are common and with luck we may encounter African Mona monkeys.
Day 4
B, L, D included
We begin the day with a visit to a private garden, famed for its orchid, cycad and palm collections, then explore the 18C Fort which protects St. George’s harbour and the Pre-Columbian collections of the National Museum. Lunch overlooking the Carenage is a gastronomic delight with dishes such as crabback baked with brandy and nutmeg and flying fish in a saffron and coconut sauce. A large, stable catamaran takes us on a dolphin watching trip along the coast, hoping to see spotted and spinner dolphins, and with the option of snorkelling or swimming in a marine reserve.
Day 5
B, L, D included
This morning we travel up into the hills to explore another delightful private garden, set amongst the ruins of a sugar mill, boasting over 5,000 varieties of plants and with a particularly engaging owner who has been closely associated with Grenada’s 10 Gold medals at Chelsea. After a rustic lunch of traditional island cuisine and home made juices (soursop, grenadilla and sorrel) we are shown round a private garden with a collection of agaves, cacti and palms leading down to the sea.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
This morning we are welcomed to the home of one of the island’s best known families and shown round their private garden - set at an airy 1,000 ft with fruit trees, an award-winning orchid collection, ferns and bromeliads, the garden is always alive with the sound of Antillean crested hummingbirds and the ubiquitous bananaquits. We descend to sea level for lunch at a well-known restaurant and an afternoon relaxing on a pink sand beach with snorkelling on the coral reef offshore and shady seats under trees for reading.
Day 7
B, L, D included
After a leisurely start to the morning we visit a hidden bay on the east coast for lunch in a delightful setting, then travel by fast speedboat to an offshore island for some informal ‘liming’ with the yachties and locals - time for a cold Caribbean beer, a swim and relaxing with a book in the shade on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Day 8
B, L, D included
We island-hop by ferry to Grenada’s small sister island of Carriacou, looking out for flying fish, brown pelicans and rare red-footed boobies en route. Landing at the ramshackle jetty in Hillsborough, we drive across to the fishing village of Windward to commence our walk on a track round the top of the island – the views of Petite Martinique, Union island and the Grenadines stretching north are superb. After a grilled fish lunch we relax on the aptly named Paradise beach before returning to Grenada on the late afternoon ferry. (Another private garden visit and lunch on Grenada’s Grande Anse beach are on offer for those dubious about their ‘sea legs’).
Day 9
B, L, D included
A walk on an old estate road, with spice, banana and citrus trees planted alongside a small river, precedes a visit to one of Grenada’s most celebrated private gardens (owned by an old island family) where century-old mahogany trees shade hibiscus hybrids and bromeliads and Cuban Royal palms grace the lawns. We have lunch and spend the afternoon at a private beach with good swimming in calm, gently shelving sand.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
Today we drive to the north of the island to walk along the magnificent beach and look for herons, stilts and waders by the mangrove lake of the Levera National Park. We visit the River Antoine Rum Distillery, still powered by its 1785 waterwheel, and can taste their startling rums before a traditional West Indian buffet lunch. On a tour
of the 18C Belmont Estate, originally planted for sugarcane but now devoted to cocoa and nutmeg, we follow the old-fashioned processing of the cocoa beans and can purchase the organic chocolate bars of the Grenada Chocolate Company before walking round the estate gardens.
Day 11
B, L included
Our final garden is the delightful St. Rose Nursery and Garden, hidden away in the hills, known for its rarities from all over the tropics and described by the American Horticultural Society as ‘the most extensive nursery in the Caribbean’. After a visit to the West Indian Cricket Museum and a late lunch we have time for a last leisurely swim before we transfer to the airport for flights home.
TBC per person sharing
TBC deposit per person
TBC double for single room supplement
Double for single use rooms only are available on this trip.
Price includes
Price does not include
VALUE FOR MONEY - SO MUCH IS INCLUDED
On Kudu trips you will only need money for postcards, presents to take home, the odd G & T or an irresistible ice cream. Festival and opera tickets, museum and gallery entrances, National Park fees, all meals (with a very few exceptions specified in individual itineraries), wine with lunch and dinner, access to specialist books carried by the guides, gratuities for porters and hotel and restaurant staff, boat rides, train trips, internal flights, wine tastings, 4WDs with drivers, the services of skilled local guides and trackers etc are ALL INCLUDED in the cost of your holiday.
We are confident that, like previous very satisfied guests, you will discover that our tours give you excellent value for money.
10 nights in 1 hotel, very comfortable and well-equipped mahogany-built villas set in tropical gardens on a private bay
Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Grenada. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Grenada.
At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Grenada. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.
Size of party
This trip will run with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 14 guests.
