Shocking news from a safari trip where the helicopter malfunctioned and crashed. I always avoid helicopter options even if they save me time because they seem to be the most unreliable option and if there are issues, it’s almost always fatal https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/us-journalist-among-7-killed-when-helicopter-on-safari-crashes-in-remote-part-of-northern-kenya/

Over the last three years, I’ve stayed with my family at The Landings in St. Lucia, Calabash in Grenada, and Carlisle Bay in Antigua.

They often get lumped into the same general “luxury Caribbean resort” category, but having actually stayed at all three, I think they offer very different experiences. I thought it might be helpful to compare them from a family perspective.

For transparency, I’m a travel advisor, but these were personal family trips and I paid for all three stays. Some were booked at discounted industry rates, but none were hosted.

My boys were also at different ages on each trip: roughly 2½ and 8 at The Landings, 3½ and 9 at Calabash, and 4 and 10 at Carlisle Bay. So I’ve experienced these properties with both a very young child and an older one.

If a friend asked me which one to book, I actually wouldn’t start with “Which is the best hotel?”

I’d ask: How important is the beach? How much space do you need? Do you want a small boutique hotel or a larger resort? How much do you care about design and updated rooms? And what does “luxury” mean to you?

Here’s how I’d break them down.

The Landings, St. Lucia

Of the three, this is the one I’d look at first for a family that wants space, a great beach and good value for the amount of room you’re getting.

We had a true two-bedroom residence with a living room, kitchen and dining area. It really felt like having an apartment in the Caribbean rather than trying to fit a family into a traditional hotel room.

And of these three resorts, The Landings gets my vote for the best beach.

The property itself is quite large. Depending on where your unit is located, you may find yourself using golf carts to get around. Personally, I’d opt for one of the beachfront units if the budget allows.

One important thing to know is that the residences aren’t all identical. There are timeshare units within the property, and décor and condition can vary. That makes the exact unit you book more important here than it might be at a traditional hotel.

I wouldn’t put The Landings in quite the same luxury category as Calabash. To me, it feels more like an upscale Caribbean resort than a true luxury boutique hotel.

But that’s not necessarily a negative.

If I were traveling with young children and wanted two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a fantastic beach and plenty of space, The Landings could easily make more sense than spending significantly more for a higher-end boutique property.

I’d choose The Landings for: families with younger kids, anyone who needs a lot of space, and people who put a beautiful beach high on their priority list.

Calabash, Grenada

This is the one I would personally go back to in a heartbeat.

It’s the smallest of the three, and to me it felt the most genuinely luxurious. Not because it was flashy, but because everything felt personal.

The resort is only about 15 minutes from the airport, which is wonderful after a flight with kids.

The staff got to know our boys. One evening we had cocktails with the owners of the hotel. There was this feeling that you were being welcomed into someone’s home rather than simply staying at a resort.

And the food was outstanding. Not just “good for a Caribbean resort.” It was some of the most memorable food I’ve had anywhere.

The beach experience was also completely different from staying at a large resort. At any given point, there might have been seven people on the beach.

There were times when it honestly felt like we had our own little private island.

The trade-off is space and price. Our accommodations at Calabash were smaller than what we had at The Landings, and Calabash is the more expensive experience.

But if all three properties cost exactly the same tomorrow, this is the one I’d choose for my own family.

I’d choose Calabash for: travelers who value exceptional food, personal service, intimacy and a true boutique luxury experience more than having the largest room or the biggest resort.

Carlisle Bay, Antigua

Carlisle Bay is probably the most nuanced of the three for me.

The setting is beautiful and we had some genuinely memorable experiences there. We also had the resident cats who became extremely interested in our food, which my children found much more entertaining than I did. 😂

But this is an older property, and I think that’s important to know when comparing it with other Caribbean resorts at this price point.

Some of the common areas felt quite dated to me and were in need of renovation when we stayed.

However, there’s a big exception: the new adults-only beachfront suites are gorgeous.

Those feel like a completely different experience.

If I were planning a romantic Caribbean trip as a couple and could book one of those new beachfront suites, Carlisle Bay would absolutely be on my list.

That’s also why I’d pay close attention to room category here. Your impression of Carlisle Bay could be quite different depending on exactly where you’re staying.

I’d choose Carlisle Bay for: a couple looking for a romantic Antigua stay, particularly if they can book one of the beautiful new beachfront suites.

So which would I choose?

Best for a young family wanting space/value: The Landings
Best beach: The Landings
Best overall luxury experience: Calabash
Best food: Calabash
Best intimate/boutique feeling: Calabash
Best for a romantic stay in a brand-new beachfront suite: Carlisle Bay
The one I’d personally return to tomorrow: Calabash

For me, this is why questions like “What’s the best luxury family resort in the Caribbean?” are so difficult to answer without knowing the family.

The Landings gave us substantially more space and my favorite beach of the three.

Calabash gave us the most personal service, best food and strongest overall luxury experience.

Carlisle Bay has a gorgeous setting and those beautiful new beachfront suites, but some of the older parts of the property felt dated when we visited.

Three good hotels, but I’d recommend them to three very different travelers.

Happy to answer questions about any of them, especially if you’re trying to decide between these or similar Caribbean properties. I’ve stayed at all three with my own kids, so I’m happy to get specific about rooms, beaches, food or the family experience.

We stayed one night here with 2 children/2 adults during a recent Japan trip. Husband booked directly as a Diamond Elite Member, 2 twin classic with Advance Saver Member Exclusive With Breakfast.

The hotel is beautiful, newly opened in October 2025! Very modern inside. Lovely lobby but they use an odd musty perfume, and this odor pervades the entire property and was really not our thing!

The room is great, we had two double beds (they call it twin classic but the twins are fairly spacious) and a small sitting area. The view is amazing. Bathroom was great - the tub is so comfortable and water fills at a fast rate, shower is also very spacious.

We used the pool in the morning - beautiful space and view, heated water, no complaints here. There's not a lot of room for sitting as the pool takes up most of the space. Also note they have morning poolside yoga so we had to leave after 30 minutes, but we were given warning ahead of time. No hot tub but the pool is quite warm!

Breakfast was stellar! Again, beautiful space. Many many options (classic Japanese options like chirashi & make your own udon/ramen, eggs to order, pastries, small fruit selection).

Location - next to Nakajima Park and along riverbank. We were only here one night so not much to say but everything was quite convenient for us.

All in all, happy with the stay here before we flew out of CTS and would definitely come again!

TLDR: Anantara Kihavah on the Baa Atoll in the Maldives is phenomenal in terms of service, top notch & varied food, eco-lux aesthetics, house reef, and diving options situated in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Hanifaru Bay.

I am home one week from a 7 night stay at Anantara Kihavah where I stayed in an over water sunset villa…bear with me, at 44 I am still trying to surface from the jet lag of a 9 hour time zone change from my home on the US east coast.

u/mayisayhitoyourdog booked this trip for me and my 15 year old son, and before I get into how amazing Anantara Kihavah is, I have to mention that I’d have been lost without Joe’s hands-on coordination in the months before I traveled all the way up to moment-to-moment while I travelled from Malé via seaplane to AK.

I flew business class on Etihad from Boston to Malé with an 11 hour layover in Abu Dhabi. Etihad was great, their lounges made the layovers a breeze (though next time I’d take the option for a 2 night layover in AUH), but I have some auto-immune conditions, many food sensitivities that vary in severity, I work a high stress job with few days off & work far too many hours a week…..so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that I wasn’t in the best shape by the time I got to Malé. I reached out to Joe and told him I was feeling miserable - honestly, a 2 hour delay on the tarmac in AUH meant I missed my original AK seaplane and the Manta Air plane I was being ushered onto would get me to the resort a couple hours sooner, but meant I’d additionally have to take a 20 minute speedboat to AK…..I reached out to Joe in moderate mental/exhaustion breakdown to (I think literally) sob about my “horrific” situation and horrible travel luck. Bless you Joe for dealing with my infinite questions, very specific villa requests, multi property comprehensive packages, that was then capped off with having to deal with me on little sleep, poor food choices, and mentally and physically breaking down upon arrival to a resort half a world away.

I did not get better in the seaplane, in fact, I puked/dry heaved in a vomit bag and sweated profusely )and embarrassingly) through my outfit for the entire 40 minute flight. I am sorry to anyone else on the flight with me; I tried to deteriorate with grace, but fear i may not have been pretty.

I’ll be honest, the next 24hrs are fairly blurry. I know I was deplaned first - for potentially obvious reasons. Because my TA got in touch with the resort and informed them that I was unwell, the team of people who met my son and I knew I was sick and all but carried me onto the boat that was waiting for us. I laid with my head on someone who was not my son’s shoulder for the full boat ride which felt like lasted about 3 minutes as I think I fell asleep…on someone.

There was the traditional Maldivian drum line greeting at the dock, who I drooled by while being helped to the golf cart; cringe. We were given fresh cut young coconuts to sip on, which I promptly threw up after diving out golf cart and onto my hands and knees while my lovely villa host rubbed my back and I wished for the tropical path we were stopped on to open up and swallow me whole to end my misery and embarrassment - if you suffer any of the sudden low blood pressures and/or sodium & sugar drop conditions you know the horrific affiliated nausea and blackout dizziness I’m talking about.

When I got to my villa I was met with electrolytes, prescription anti-nausea meds (compazine or zofran), numerous allergy sensitive in-villa dining dishes, an assortment of desserts and fresh fruits, and fresh brewed herbal ginger tea from their herb garden. I was offered a visit by the clinic’s physician, and declined in lieu of a nap. You’ll notice in the video of the villa we stayed in (I’ll put it in the comments) that the pretty bed decoration is scattered, that’s because I arrived and essentially got in bed. My villa host ordered my son a burger to his very specific specifications (he’s on the spectrum) and showed him how the TV worked and I slept the entire morning. I woke up feeling like a new human in the early afternoon and enjoyed lunch from the in-villa dining menu. That evening at dinner the house physician stopped by my table to ensure I was improved. The following morning at breakfast the house nutritionist went over specific wellness smoothies and shots she felt would be good for boosting my apparently now fragile constitution……lol, I wasn’t always like this. Could I have booked this trip myself and navigated being miserably ill upon arrival without the full court press of support upon arrival? Sure. But, it was really nice to have a bubble of support to float in while I was on a trip so far away in such a vulnerable state. Between Joe & AK, I didn’t think a single thought the entire week I was on the Baa Atoll; everything just appeared or was waiting for me…

Over water villa vs beach villa:
I stayed in a sunset overwater villa and specifically requested to be as far down the boardwalk as possible, with the most privacy, and access to snorkeling from the villa pool deck. The day I checked out I was given a beach villa to use for the day. I’ll put videos of both in the comments. I can’t vacation with bugs, and even though the resort sprays and there are many awesome wildlife that help maintain the mosquitoes, I got bitten a couple times while reading on the garden swing while waiting for my 5:30pm seaplane departure - not to say it was swarms, a few here and there. But there are zero bugs or mosquitoes on OWV areas, and I always prefer zero bugs. Also, the beach villa I was in had exclusively outdoor bathrooms and showers - I feel confident that in the typical beach villas there are indoor toilet and shower options, but I didn’t ask and wouldn’t be able to shower or use the toilet after dark…again, bugs.

Snorkeling & Excursions
The house reef is unreal - eagle rays, lemon sharks, black tip reef sharks, moray eels, giant clams, big fishes, sting rays, etc.
We did 3 manta excursions, 1 nurse shark excursion, and one night dive on the house reef. We went to snorkel; AK’s house reef and dive team helped knock off numerous bucket list dive items from our list. I’m still in a daze trying to fathom everything we saw.

We went during the monsoon/rainy season and knew what to expect from the weather. We went to chase the giant manta migration that annually passes through Hanifaru Bay as the priority of the trip - come hell or (literal) high water. That said, these were not the “catamaran and float with a drift bar and have lunch on the sail back” type snorkel excursions we’ve done in Hawaii and Mexico many times over the years…..this felt more like we were smuggling cocaine in a fast boat through the Caribbean 😂😂

The currents were no joke, the boats are small and fast, the water is rough, and the waves are big. Lots of people were seasick on each excursion we went on. My villa host went to the clinic every morning we had a dive and brought both my son and I anti-nausea medications. I grew up on boats and weathered a few nor’easters with my stubborn father on the Sakonnet Bay…I have able sea legs; I was very grateful for the medications each trip 😂

The dive team are world class and are both from the Maldives and know the waters, and are from international places and came to study the ocean.

Service
Phenomenal. We had the same villa host from the moment we arrived until the moment we left, 24/7. Same for the gentleman who cleaned our villa each morning and did turndown service in the evening. Every staff were aware of my allergy needs and my son’s very limited palate. The director of dining’s favorite expression is, “why not?” to requests that I personally felt were insane….a hamburger at a fine dining prefix caviar lunch, that I was also modifying for my weird food needs.
I’ll spare furthering my gab, but above speaks to the “whatever, whenever, if ever” you need it, it will be done or anticipated. I had expected there being some sort of “medical/health wellness” charge on my final folio for all the numerous extra touch points and medical and nutritional services provided my first 24hrs and then in medications throughout the stay for both me and my son, but there were no charges. In fact, since we didn’t do breakfast our arrival morning and rather numerous options were brought from the in-villa dining, AK covered our lunch that we ordered that arrival day as part of our half board package.

Every member of the team at AK endeavors to create as close to perfection as is possible for all guests.

Restaurants & In-Villa Dining
There are five restaurants:
Fire: Hibatchi & Asian; very fun and interactive and delicious.
Spice: Thai & Japanese; my favorite (we ate here 3 nights) best pad Thai I’ve ever had in my life
Manzaru: Mediterranean & rotating theme cultural nights; very good, don’t sleep on the risottos
Plates: Breakfast buffet and to-order table side; the number of options is staggering and mouth watering. So much of the fruit served, juiced, and put into smoothies is grown by Prem (master of the orchids, omg) in the greenhouse. Rose apples, snake fruit, lychee, passion fruit, longan fruits, etc. I didn’t love the varietal of pineapple served and juiced…more fiberous and less juicy.
Sea: Underwater fine dining & pre-fix caviar lunch and dinner options; an experience not to be missed, and the food excellent.
In-Villa Dining: 24/7 & a lengthy and varied menu. We ordered lunch in every day, and I can argue that nothing tastes better than a meal eaten while gently swaying on a hanging bed over the Indian Ocean.

Nearly everything is scratch made on island. All the breads, jams, juices, smoothies, sauces, gelatos, soups, etc. are made in-house and there isn’t a menu item that can’t be modified. Beverages are not included in the half board package - I spent $60 on 2 bottles of still and 2 bottles of sparking Aqua Panna at dinner more than one evening. In the villas, and at plates (and maybe Manzaru for lunch) you can order complementary as much of the “Kihavah Still” or “Kihavah Sparkling” waters that are bottled on island, but at dinner $15/bottle is the only water offered. I don’t drink alcohol, but mocktails were in the $15-$20 range (and worth it, it’s vacation)…I think we spent about $1,100.00 on lunches, beverages, and my son’s sneaky finger in the minibar that I discovered on our last day.

The food was excellent and ranged from approachable to true fine dining with master chefs.

The Property
Beautiful. It’s the Maldives. Everything is very clean, and the aesthetic upscale but eco and representative of Maldivian culture. I found everywhere to be pristine, tasteful, elegant, and designed to invite relaxation and environmental beauty.
The beach is maintained every morning for the coral and flip flops (☹️) that wash up overnight from the tides and currents that travel between islands. I circumnavigated the island every morning just after sunrise (I don’t sleep well or much anywhere) and couldn’t believe the undertaking completed every morning before (most) guests wake up.

Spa
I skipped spa days for snorkel days. I heard it’s lovely though. All treatment villas are overwater and have the option for full ocean view with sliding doors open toward the water.

You’re Still Here?
Thanks for reading. I love living vicariously through other peoples trips and hearing honest reviews of properties….I found Anantara Kihavah mentioned on this sub I think. I’ve more than once been accused of being pedantic - I can’t help myself, I love the details of all things everywhere. It makes me very good in my career, but I can be a tricky traveler. Anantara Kihavah and u/mayisayhitoyourdog gave me the most beautiful, breathtaking, awe inducing week of my life….it didn’t feel real; it was like stepping into a dream where time stopped and every wish immediately came true.

It was a heck of an adventure to get there, and if you can I cannot recommend it enough. Sorry for typos/wordiness I am still on an 8pm-3am circadian rhythm 😂

Hi friends! I just got home from a stay at Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, and I thought I'd write up a review. I'm not 100% sure this qualifies as "chubby" based on the market for hotel rooms in Jackson/GTNP, but I would have loved to see a write up like this when we were exploring our options.

Where: Jenny Lake Lodge, GTNP

When: June 2026

Photos: Here!. So sorry - I didn't get any of the room (duh whoops!). Attached are the views from the dining room, our room, and the corrals.

Property/Location: 10/10

I'm starting with this because this is the selling point - Jenny Lake Lodge is inside the park. This is the place to stay if you are going to GTNP to hike.

At only .25 miles away from the Jenny Lake & String Lake trailheads, JLL is on the doorstep of some of the most popular locations in the park (ex. Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, Moose Ponds, and hikes to Delta Lake & Leigh Lake). While everyone staying in Jackson has to drive 45 minutes, wait in line for park entry, and find parking, we were able to have an easy breakfast at 7:30am and be at the trailhead by 8:30am.

Because JLL is in the park, the property is also protected. We saw deer, elk, and foxes onsite!

The Rooms: 8/10

JLL is made up of a number of log cabins. Some are freestanding & some are duplexes, but there are never more than two rooms to a cabin. Because this was a hiking trip and we did not plan to be in the room much, we took one of the (less expensive) duplex rooms. I'm happy to say that we barely noticed our neighbors, except when they were having a glass of beer in the afternoon on our shared porch. This was private enough for us, although someone who is more privacy focused may want a stand-alone cabin.

The rooms did not have air conditioning, but that's not a problem because it was like 40 degrees F at night. They did, however, have central heating and we were given a fan & space heater. The beds were comfy and firm in the way that feels great after a long day of walking. Not too firm, though. All other standard amenities were included, except a TV.

Each room has a parking space at the cabin itself, so you don't have to walk to the main lodge for your car.

This is nature! There were some spiders & I killed a single mosquito. This would be a complaint in any other hotel, but I don't think I'm allowed to for this one haha.

Service: 6.5/10

My understanding is that the Grand Teton Lodge Company hires hospitality students & other college students to work in the service positions every summer. I think this is great experience for them & I don't mind, but there was definitely a lack of experienced service staff.

Everyone was very nice, but you could tell they were all new. There was information that I think would be standard, but I had to ask for (ex. Horseback riding sign-up details, etc.). I'm curious how this might change throughout the summer - we came in the 3rd week of opening for the season, but it might look different for a September stay when they have some months under their belt.

The main thing is that, because the staff is young and changes every year, there is going to be a range of quality from year to year. Again, I didn't mind and I already knew this going into the stay, but this is not a 10/10 part of the experience.

Food: 7.5/10

Each stay includes a seated breakfast & 5-course dinner, excluding alcohol & gratuity. The dining room is open for lunch, or you can request a packed lunch one day in advance if you plan to eat on a hike.

Breakfast was standard - some sweet, some savory, solid but not unique. Lunch was hit and miss - we loved our Bison French Dip, but hated the chicken tacos. Dinner was nice casual, and we were pretty happy.

The food was good! Better than fine, but I was not blown away. I don't think those in this sub would be blown away either, but I was pleased and felt that it was worth it.

It's also worth noting that this was where we had more fun with the hotel staff because we were able to interact with the same people over multiple meals. It was fun to hear about where they came from - some of them leaving their home state for the first time - etc. They're also excited to working in GTNP, so they gave us some good hiking tips/trails.

Extras: 8/10

I'm ranking 8 because, while there aren't too many of them, all activities are complimentary.

Biggest one - horseback riding is included. This is huge, since horseback outfitters in this part of Wyoming can/will charge $150-200 for an hour or so. JLL trail rides last about an hour & 45 minutes and are complimentary. There is no limit to how many trail rides you can take, but they ask that each guest only signs up for one at a time (ex. if you do one on Thursday at 10am, you can't sign up for another until after you get back).

There are also some JLL-specific activities that are nice, including stargazing w/ someone from the Snow King Observatory, classical guitar in the lobby, etc. We had a lovely time listening to the guitarist while playing chess by the fire.

Staff can also help set up rafting, kayaking, canoeing, etc. We did not do any of these, since I get very seasick.

Overall: 9/10 for us, but actually it's totally subjective based on your needs (more than most places).

Note: JLL is not open during the winter.

Jenny Lake Lodge is one of those places where the value is 1000% based on one's subjective desires.

We wanted to hike, horseback ride, swim, have an amazing view, and chill out in nature. For that - 9/10, with the deduction being the student-level service and food. Debating between 8.5 & 9, but I'm giving it a 9 because I wouldn't stay anywhere else if I wanted a hiking/park-centered trip.

If you are here for a luxury experience, want to spend most of your time in Jackson, etc. - I will not give a number, but this is not for you.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!!