Journeying to the Caribbean in the Peak of Hurricane Season

The Caribbean is like a second home to me. I’ve been coming to this glorious stretch of islands for decades and obtained nothing but fond, lasting memories.
Lewis, in contrast, had never been to the Caribbean and it had been high on his bucket-list since we met.
Therefore, I was keen to show him what this wonderful chain of islands had to offer.
We lapped up favourable deals for a trip in the low-season. I remembered I used to visit in late-October and experience glorious weather so surely coming a month earlier would be just as good… right?
Wrong.
I was to later learn that September is the peak of hurricane season for the Caribbean, AKA the worst possible time to visit.
I was about to experience the Caribbean as I’d never known it before.
Below is a chronological list of all my blog posts from this trip.
Unwinding in Paradise at Little Arches Boutique Hotel, Barbados
Barbados has a special place in my heart. It’s somewhere where I know I can relax, giving in to island bliss. It’s an island bordered by golden-sand beaches which seem to stretch on forever and perched upon those idyllic beaches are an array of restaurants and hotels. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit this paradise… Read More
Thursday, 3 October 2019
Delicious Food and Roof-Top Views at Café Luna
Imagine a restaurant that serves high-quality local food. A restaurant with gorgeous views of the cyan ocean with lazy palms swaying in the foreground. A restaurant lit up by dozens of fairy lights turning it into a magical little hideout. Now imagine this restaurant is on top of your hotel. That’s Café Luna! A Bajan… Read More
Saturday, 12 October 2019
Visiting Barbados Again After 7 Years
Barbados has changed. Confused and dismayed, these were the words that thrummed through my head as I stood in a dusty carpark. Behind me were the beautiful coloured cottages known as the ‘Chattle village’, a quaint array of houses in traditional Bajan architecture known as the ‘chattle’ house. This was a spot that always filled… Read More
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Lunch at The Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados (and Nearly Drowning in the Caribbean Sea)
Our khaki-coloured jeep trundled down the winding path to the notorious Sandy Lane Hotel. Vibrant green grass and tall trees surrounded the path, giving the place a relaxing feel. The gardens looked like they had been carefully tended to daily in order to keep them in this immaculate condition and the canopy of trees was… Read More
Friday, 3 April 2020
Glimpsing Another Side of Barbados: The Calm Before the Storm
“We need to pull-over. I have so much sand in my pants.” Lewis complained. After being dragged around in the Caribbean sea by a huge wave, Lewis was left dishevelled and apparently with a mountain of sand in his pants. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how uncomfortable that was. We were currently trundling along… Read More
Saturday, 4 April 2020
Stranded in a Tropical Storm in Barbados
The departures board flashed red and I stifled a sigh. Delayed. Even worse, it didn’t say how long the flight was delayed for. The departure board was an array of red now with a cluster of flights delayed. Well, they don’t say Liat is an acronym for ‘leave islands any time’ for nothing. Outside the… Read More
Sunday, 5 April 2020
The Start of the Most Ridiculous Travel Day I’ve Ever Experienced
We trundled along the smooth tarmac and I stared hopefully out of the rear minivan window at the dark clouds that engulfed the sky around us. It was our second attempt at leaving Barbados. Yesterday a tropical storm had struck the windward islands, journeying to the south of Barbados. Despite not hitting the island directly,… Read More
Sunday, 12 April 2020
The Road to Nowhere: Driving into the Unknown in Dominica
I felt a knot of excitement develop in my stomach as land came into view outside my round plane window. I could see a roughed coastline which consisted of a mixture of black boulders and valiant cliff-faces. The shoreline was wild and remote. I couldn’t see a single hint of development. In-between rocky outcrops lay… Read More
Monday, 13 April 2020
Racing around Roseau with No Money: The Curious Case of the Taxi we Never Booked
I stared back at the minivan with a look of startled horror. The silver bus which had carried myself and Lewis for over an hour jiggled around as its ancient engine worked away under the hood. Surely they couldn’t just leave us here? I looked at the barbed-wire fence behind the van, the pile of… Read More
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
Journeying Off The Beaten Track into the Wild Dominican Jungle
This is a continuation (part 4) to the most ridiculous travel day in my history of travelling. You may wish to read the previous entries: – The Start of the Most Ridiculous Travel Day I’ve Ever Experienced – The Road to Nowhere: Driving into the Unknown in Dominica – Racing around Roseau with No Money:… Read More
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
The Time We Had to Zipline Over Raging Rivers to Reach Our Accommodation in Dominica
This is a continuation (part 5) to the most ridiculous travel day in my history of travelling. You may wish to read the previous entries: – The Start of the Most Ridiculous Travel Day I’ve Ever Experienced – The Road to Nowhere: Driving into the Unknown in Dominica – Racing around Roseau with No Money:… Read More
Thursday, 23 April 2020
Finding Paradise in Banana Lama Eco-Villas, Dominica
Through the slatted cedar panels, light filtered into our villa. Birdsong was all around us, muffled slightly by the splashing of fresh spring water against rock as the river raged on in the near-distance. I watched a green scaled head as it bobbed slightly, perched between two wooden slats in the door. With a sharp… Read More
Friday, 24 April 2020
The Time The Biggest Moth in the World Tried to Get into my Bed Whilst I Slept
Evening had set in after a peaceful day exploring the lush tropical gardens which surrounded our Dominican eco-villa. A day of kicking my feet up and allowing myself time to breath was much-needed after the eventful few days we’d had prior. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel serenity. It had felt good… Read More
Saturday, 25 April 2020
The Road from Rosalie to Calibishie
I awoke to the peaceful chorus of hundreds of forest birds. It was a blessed relief to see sunlight filtering through the wooden slatted doors of our eco-villa. Morning at last! What a night it had been. The hugest moth in the world had tried to force its way through our mosquito net and given… Read More
Sunday, 26 April 2020
Pristine Beaches and Fresh Fish in Calibishie
I slammed shut the door to our black 4×4 and gazed at the quaint little cottage that stood before me. The sunlight dazzled me for a moment before I took in the brilliant white walls and orange roof of our bungalow. It stood surrounded by beautiful gardens which sloped gently down until they reached a… Read More
Friday, 1 May 2020
I Drove For 2 Hours on my Final day in Dominica Just to Rescue my Sandals
When I realised I had left my sandals behind at my previous accommodation, which was over an hour away from where I was currently staying, there was only one resolution in my head. I had to rescue them. It seemed like a perfectly normal thing to do – like it was the only thing to… Read More
Saturday, 2 May 2020
Hodges Beach in Calibishie Cove: A Caribbean Gem in Dominica
My sandals slapped against the rough tarmac as I made my way down the little side-road outside our sea-cliff cottage. I had spent the entirety of my morning rescuing these sandals from the spot which I had sadly forgotten them. And I regretted nothing. Mission complete, it was time for Lewis and I to explore… Read More
Monday, 4 May 2020