For a colourful Caribbean island party try the annual Grenada Carnival on 11 and 12 August. The event takes place all over the Carenage (the oldest, harbour area of the capital, St Georges), where steel drum tournaments, calypso competitions and the Beauty Queen Pageant bring thousands onto the streets for an exceptional Caribbean party. It’s a perfect time to get to know the island and its people as they all join together with street theatre, music and dancing, which culminates in the wild Parade of the Bands where masqueraders and costumed revelers enjoy a “Las Lap” through the streets of St George’s.

Whilst there are many excellent hotels in Grenada, I thoroughly enjoyed the Grenada Grand Beach Resort which is located on the infamous Grand Anse Beach, just ten minutes drive from St Georges. Set in luscious landscaped gardens, the resort offers 240 luxurious rooms and suites, each with their own private terrace or balcony, and views of either the gardens or Grand Anse Beach. During the day, a fun place to hang out with the kids is by the Fantasy Pool which is a 300 foot freshwater pool complete with its own sunken bar, waterfalls and open air Jacuzzi. But for a more serious swim, you can’t beat the Sunset Pool, which at 60 foot long is perfect for a few laps, especially at the end of the day as the sun is going down.

We wanted the WOW factor on our honeymoon and the five-star Banyan Tree Resort in the Seychelles was the perfect choice. It is a stunning place with breathtaking tree top and beach front villas, great food and a perfect, un-crowded, white beach – the ultimate honeymoon destination!

We stayed in a hillside villa, with complete privacy throughout the private pool, jacuzzi, outdoor double bed and garden area. The service was perfect and room service was excellent. Staff always left flowers on our bed with a greeting and then come again in the evening to check on things and prepare our room for a romantic evening, leaving a little gift and lighting the incense and candles. This southern end of the island of Mahe was much nicer and quieter than the northern end where many of the other hotels are found.

We got a hire car to explore the island. A little bit of haggling with the car hire girl and got the price down to 35 euro a day – half the price we were meant to pay! There was so much to see with the mountainous interior, forests and miles of beautiful white sand that it was difficult to believe Mahe was so small at 28km by 8km! Even so, it is the largest of the islands

Mahe and Praslin are the main two islands but there are 115 in total! Every island offered something different and was easily accessible and we made sure we went island hopping during our stay. Every island had its own unique flora and fauna (some carnivorous!) and the scuba diving and snorkeling were great with hundreds of species of Tropical Fish.

To sum up the hotel and service was excellent. The beach had pure white sand and was perfect for strolling along hand in hand. We couldn’t have asked for more!

As well as some of the most varied wildlife and best safari locations in the world, Africa is a continent that also has some truly stunning beaches.

Combining a beach extension to your African safari holiday is the perfect way to round off a wildlife tour, and we have put together a few resorts perfect for enjoying pristine beaches and luxurious accommodation.

Kenya
With pristine waters and powder-white sandy beaches, Mombasa on Kenya’s southwest coast is an ideal location for a beach holiday. There are a number of resorts which take full advantage of the surroundings:

Pinewood Village
Located on Galu Beach just south of Mombasa, the multi-award winning Pinewood Village Hotel is a stunning boutique resort with 56 luxuriously-appointed guest rooms, all featuring private balconies or verandahs and canopied four-poster beds.

The resort has a wide range of facilities including a watersports centre, tennis and an 18-hole golf course located near the resort as well as a large free-form swimming pool with swim-up bar.

Guests to Pinewood Village can dine in the informal Bahari Restaurant which serves breakfast and dinner, while lunch can be had at the poolside bar or Jahazi bistro next to the beach. Guests staying in the exclusive suites have their very own private chefs.

Whitesands
On the Mombasa Bamburi coast the Whitesands Hotel is a beautiful resort with 340 rooms ranging from standard right up to presidential suites. All feature wireless internet connections, balconies or verandahs and satellite television.

A great range of activities are on offer at Whitesands, from catamaran sailing, scuba diving and tennis to a well-equipped fitness room and beauty salon.

There are five free-form swimming pools with waterslides, diving boards and inter-linking channels.

The hotel boasts three restaurants – the Pavillion buffet restaurant, Lido’s ‘Fish on the Beach’ and the Minazi pizzeria and trattoria, which is open to guests 24 hours a day.

Mauritius
Mauritius is a small island located east of Madagascar in the beautifully warm Indian Ocean. With unspoilt beaches and lush tropical surroundings, these resorts are sure to wet your appetite:

Movenpick Resort & Spa
The Movenpick Resort & Spa is located in Bel Ombre on the beautiful south coast of Mauritius among sugar cane fields. It features modern luxurious guestrooms, suites and villas – all beautifully appointed with thatched roofs and terraces or balconies overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Children are well catered for with separate rooms, offering both privacy and practicality.

A Zen-inspired spa offers relaxation and rejuvenation – 1,800 square metres of pure tranquillity. The swimming pools, fitness centre, tennis cours and other facilities cater perfectly for the more active person, and there are a whole host of watersports on offer.

Beau Rivage
Located at Belle Mare on the east of Mauritius, the Beau Rivage is a luxurious resort with wonderfully appointed, modern suites that feature views of beautiful tropical gardens and of the beautiful ocean beyond.

A massive 2,000 square metre free-form swimming pool offers a shallow area for young children and a separate area for splashing around and having fun.
A range of complimentary watersports are also on offer, including windsurfing, snorkelling and waterskiing.

A fantastic range of dining options means that there is something for every taste. Choose from seafood at the Le Langoustier or local Mauritian dishes at La Méditerranée. For the romantic at heart, there is also a private dining option available at the resort.

If you would like to enquire about any of the above resorts or discuss your options further, call Tropical Sky on 0870 9097 605.