Birthday Trip to Canouan

For my birthday this year, I only wanted to be able to wake up and go to the beach. After seeing a previous post on Instagram by Stephanie Yeboah about how she regularly books a trip away for her birthday, I decided to take a leaf out of her book.

I have travelled extensively by myself over the last 13 years to all sorts of destinations, but I have never been on a beach holiday by myself and I was quite apprehensive about it.  I was concerned that I might be around lots of couples and people on their honeymoon and it might just be awkward for me.  Despite this, I knew that if I didn’t do this for myself, I would be disappointed, so I set about finding a location and I decided on Canouan, a small island off St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  When I say small, I mean really small – it’s only 4 miles across the island, has around 2000 people and traffic is generated when you have to stop for turtles.  I stayed at Soho Beach House Canouan 

Getting There

I flew from London to Barbados with BA.  It’s just over an 8 hour flight, and in my case, the flight was a little delayed, meaning that I had a rush when I got to Barbados.  I took a connecting flight to Canouan using SVG Air.  Someone from Soho House was waiting for me when I landed, and they were an amazing guide through the airport and security.  Because the flight from Barbados was delayed, my checked luggage didn’t make it with me on the connecting flight, but it came the next day.  I packed a hand luggage with supplies for a few days in case such an event happened, so it wasn’t too bad that my luggage didn’t make it with me. 

The flight to Canouan stopped off at Bequir and Union Island, and it was such a cool experience to get on a flight that was a bit like a commuter flight.  I spoke to the other ‘commuters’ and we were in close proximity to the pilots who were happy to joke with us in-between stops.

Where I Stayed

I stayed at Soho House in Canouan which is a dream destination.  It is open to non-members of Soho House through Soho Friends membership.  I can’t recommend Soho House Canouan highly enough.  From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, the service was impeccable.  The staff go out of their way to ensure you have a great time.  They knew it was my birthday and organised for me to join the ‘Dinner under the Stars’ event they hold on Tuesday nights.  

Things to Do

Mount Royal

This is the highest point on Canouan and is about a 30-40min hike to the top.  Depending on your fitness, it could be quite challenging as it is a steep climb, but it is worth the journey. At the peak, you’re greeted with stunning views of Mayreau, Union Island, Petit St. Vincent and Carriacou.  I went with a guide from Soho House 

Tobago Cays, Mayreau and Union Island

It was easy to organise a boat for the afternoon to go snorkelling and visit the neighbouring islands of Tobago Cays and Mayreux.  There are some wonderful spots to go swimming with turtles which is magical.  I’ve never swam with turtles before so it was wonderful to see them playing with each other and the other sea life including stingrays and starfish.  In Mayreau I had food on the beach which was great and where the chef prepared separately as I informed them I was coeliac.  I didn’t go to Union Island, but I understand that is is possible to go there is requested when booking the boat 

Soho Beach House

Soho House has a list of events to keep you entertained.  I think they are only open to people staying at the house, but it is worth checking with the team if you are there for the day.  I tried coconut husking (with the amazing Floyd) which reminded me of when I did similar things as a child on visits to Ghana; cocktail making (with the lovely Carlotta). 

We made 3/4 signature Soho House cocktails and this session also came with some small plates.  There was also a lovely movie night and dinner under the stars – both of which I recommend.  There are also daily yoga classes, a spa and a gym at the House.

Eating Gluten Free

On my first morning at Soho House, the kitchen manager spoke to me and told me about all the things on the menu I could have which are gluten free.  He mentioned that they had gluten free bread, and pizza bases which would be cooked separately if I wanted to have either of those things.  He also mentioned that they would be happy to make any adaptations I might need on the menu, and also to not be afraid to ask for anything that wasn’t on the menu and that they would accommodate it if they could.  There are quite a few gluten free options on the menu at Soho House, so it is very easy to eat there.  My only criticism is that the only gluten free dessert option is ice cream – it would be nice to have more options – though this is a criticism of most Soho Houses in London too. 

Outside of Soho House, Shenanigans has a menu where gluten free options are available and clearly indicated on the menu.  When I spoke to the kitchen, they also mentioned that they would make gluten free options separately.  I didn’t eat loads here, but what I did have was nice, and around the same price as Soho House.

Scurry’s

This is a cool bar by the Marina,  They don’t have many gluten free options or a separate frier, so best to just go for drinks rather than food.  For non-coeliacs, everyone who did it there said the food was really good. 

The whole trip was a truly wonderful experience for me.  The staff at Soho House went above and beyond to make sure that I had a great time.  Every single member of staff was amazing without exception; I honestly cannot praise them enough.  This was not a cheap holiday; because everything is imported the prices are very high so that is worth remembering, especially if you are coming from Europe.  All the prices at Soho House are in USD, but elsewhere on the island, you can pay with ECD.