Category: Tried & Tested

Just a 45-minute flight from Fort Lauderdale, there’s a sliver of land that divides the teal Caribbean and the deep blue Atlantic; it’s lined with 135 beaches, coral cliffs, 8,000 locals and a handful of tourists…the majestic Eleuthera, Bahamas. We landed at the Governor’s Harbour airport and within minutes arrived at the island’s prestigious Sky Beach Club. It could be called a hotel but it is more is a like a cluster of luxury vacation homes with tons of privacy and staff just when you need them. There is a main pool but most villas have their own. There is a fabulous restaurant but the villas’ fully equipped kitchens and ocean-view terraces often inspire a night in. It’s a special place where life slows down and relaxation comes easy.

The 22-acre property has four villas perched on the hillside and two bungalows down by the rare and fabulous pink sand beach. The Atlantic is always in view, and from the top of the Sky Beach Club, you can get 360-degree dual ocean panorama.

The villas are modern while embracing the natural setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows and ample outdoor space. A spacious sunken living room, state-of-the-art kitchen, and room to sleep eight…it’s perfect for families or a few couples. Stock up on groceries in nearby Gregory Town or have the staff fill your fridge prior to arrival. Don’t feel like cooking? Sky Beach Club can arrange a private chef.

Just outside the thatch-roof bungalows is the infinity pool and swim-up cocktail bar. We spent our time sunbathing on the chaise lounges by day or sitting by the conch-shell fire pit by night.

Sammy’s Swim Up bar is renowned on Eleuthera. This local character has been bartending on the island for 19 years and is famous for his gift of gab and Goombay Smash. We chitchatted while he created masterful cocktails. Lounging on their chic patio under the swaying palms, sipping Smashes, and watching the teal sea break was nothing shy of heaven.

The Sky Beach Club lured one of Eleuthera’s top chefs and restauranteurs to their property, Pascal Burrows. He previously owned three restaurants but is now focusing his efforts on Pascal’s Oceanfront Seafood Restaurant. In addition to seating by the pool, the dining room offers sumptuous views that complement every meal.

For lunch, we started with fresh cracked conch and a pair of Kaliks (the national beer of the Bahamas), followed by a blackened grouper sandwich and bountiful salad of romaine, apple, walnut, cranberries and blue cheese. Delish!

Pascal has also secured a beach bar along the coral sand. Grab yourself a Rum Punch as you pass through and lounge under the thatch umbrellas on this secluded stretch of beach. The hotel manager CC leads nature walks along the shore, pointing out the flora and fauna like hog plums and kamalame trees. Follow the scenic and original Banks Road and it will lead you to Governor’s Harbour, a charming British colonial village and home of the famous Friday Night Fish Fry.

Sky Beach Club is the kind of place you’ll want to stay a week or a month. If you’ve ever wanted a second home on tropical island (without the commitment), check into the Sky Beach Club.

It’s late October and I’m peering out the front of a tightly rooted thick canvas tent staring straight up into the milky star-filled sky. This, I think to myself after a wild and work-filled summer, is living. After a few minutes of allowing my imagination to drift off into the big sky abyss, I reel my mind back to earth and carefully zip my tired and happy body in for the night. I was three days in on my cycling and glamping adventure with TerraVelo Tours in remote Southern Utah about to slink into the tightly tucked sheets and starfish in my cozy Tempur-pedic bed for another dreamy nights rest.

When I arrived at our first site without any expectations, it was easy to pick out my tent with my name beautifully etched in white chalk on a small sign just out my front door. Details from the Turkish towels and soft bed linens to the luxury bath and body products in a basket atop the full size dresser next to the bed were on point. After unpacking and meeting the on site staff, we headed out for a lesson to get comfortable riding our road bikes. I had never ridden a road bike before (you can also get a hybrid) so this was very helpful before setting out.

For that week, I felt the wind in my hair as I raced down the steep hillsides after exerting myself to the max to make it to the top of each insane vantage point. I was an active participant in nature riding anywhere from fifteen to twenty miles a day. I love that the sprinter van followed along the entire way in case I wanted to opt out of a portion and take a break and just enjoy the scenic view.

Though cycling was the focus on the trip menu, there were many other activities to partake in in the diverse landscapes. We hiked Bryce Canyon and part of Zion National Park and explored toward the end of the trip on horseback. Watching the sun set and the moon rise from the top of Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park as we listened to dune buggies whip around from a distance was a special treat. Another completely unique and off the beaten path gem we explored just after sunset was Goblin Valley. I’m not normally a guided group kind of traveler, but what I loved about TerraVelo was that the trip was flexible and accommodating to some spur of the moment things.

TerraVelo did a great job of packing our itinerary with adventure but still allowing time to slow down with yoga, massage, time to watch sun set from the outdoor luxury lounge, roast s’mores, tell stories around the campfire, and wake up and walk/run down the road in one of our three off the beaten path camp locations.

One of the things that makes TerraVelo Tours completely unique is their mobility. They actually move the campsite for you so you get to experience staying in different locations. You don’t even have to pack up any of your things. Just leave them in your dresser and they do it all for you.

It was nice coming home, or to a new home, after each experience to a warm perfectly prepared meal accompanied by a glass of wine in the dining tent, and even under the stars with hot soup one of the evenings. Dining together gave it a real family style feel and an opportunity to engage and get to know other guests.

I did a lot of listening that week in Utah. I unplugged and listened to the sound of nothing at all, to sounds of the campfire crackling after dark, and listened to my own inner voice reminding me that I need very few things in life to make me happy: my camera, a delicious meal, the great outdoors, and family. TerraVelo fulfilled all of these in their own way and then some. A balance of incredible food, wellness, and wanderlust, made it a truly one of a kind experience. At the end of the day, a growing catalogue of experiences is one of my most treasured things I own. Being able to flip through this chapter in my life is more fulfilling that any possession I could ever buy.

Enjoy the film I produced and be immersed in my journey.

SOUTHERN UTAH GLAMPING from Border Free Productions on Vimeo.

It’s been great to watch TerraVelo evolve and grown into other destinations like Wyoming, the California Coast, and the Adirondacks. There aren’t many places where you can have an experience quite this wild and special.

Photography Credit: Justin Hackworth