Gwen’s Reggae Grill, Anguilla

Due to erosion, Gwen’s Reggae Grill moved to the other end of Shoal Bay. Be sure to stop by and visit her at the new location!

On a prime beachfront spot on the exquisitely beautiful Upper Shoal Bay in Anguilla sits a brightly colored beach bar called Gwen’s Reggae Grill.

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Gwen’s has been through some adversity – a fire that nearly burned the building to the ground and severe beach erosion which has caused the loss of some of the beautiful palms in the area. Regardless, the owner’s, have re-built and continue to offer good beverages & food, a friendly atmosphere and great parties with live music on Sundays.

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Due to the erosion of the beach, the deck of the bar sits right at the edge of the ocean which, when we were there, made it a great place to sit and sip Gwen’s tasty and potent rum punch and look out over the stunning beauty of Shoal Bay.

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We worked up a thirst while walking down the gorgeous beach and headed back for another round, but this time we enjoyed our cocktail while lounging in Gwen’s great hammocks on the beach.

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There’s parking in the back of Gwen’s but it can get crowded, so we’d recommend getting there early. After all, you’ll want to get the hammock with the best view too :)

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Find Gwen’s Reggae Grill on our Anguilla Map

To see more posts on Anguilla and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

 

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10 Best Tropical Rum Drinks

Why is it that the taste of a tropical rum drink can sometimes transport us right back to a hammock on a beautiful beach or a great time with friends at one of our favorite beach bars? Still, whenever I taste a Piña Colada, I can close my eyes and almost feel a light sea breeze blowing while lounging on our boat in the evening during our first BVI sail….

We’ve put together a list of 10 Best Tropical Rum Drinks – those that we remember fondly from our past vacations in the sun. What tropical rum drinks would make your list?

1. Piña Colada


Can’t remember the first one I tried, but this is one frozen concoction of pineapple, coconut and rum is one that brings us right back to the islands…This one was enjoyed at The Top Of The Baths, Virgin Gorda.
Piña Colada Recipe
You may also like: The Best Piña Colada Recipe

2. The Painkiller

We sampled out first Painkiller when there was a Pusser’s in Cruz Bay on St. John many years ago… It has become one of our favorites and is available nearly everywhere in the Caribbean now – especially anywhere in the Virgin Islands. And it has a pretty tasty cousin too – The Nilla Killa!
Painkiller Recipe

3. Caribbean Rum Punch

We’ve enjoyed SO many rum punches from tropical locales far and wide that we should be some kind of Rum Punch experts by now. Every place seems to have their own “secret” recipe, but can’t seem to find too many we don’t care for. The difference? The type of rum used and the different fruit juices. One word? YUM!
Caribbean Rum Punch Recipe

4. Frozen Rum Runners


Just plain awesome. Nothing quite cools ya off as well as a Frozen Rum Runner on a hot tropical day. The non frozen variety are great as well, but the frozen ones, well, they’re kinda like a slushee with a REALLY good kick!
Frozen Rum Runners Recipe

5. Bushwhacker

Bushwackers’s. Oh. my. I got a taste of my first Bushwacker atop Paradise Point in St. Thomas many, many years ago and was pretty much hooked. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Chocolate, rum and the amazing overlook of Charlotte Amalie – wow, paradise.
Bushwacker Recipe

6. Bahama Mama

Pretty much tastes like a tropical paradise! Rum, rum and more rum, lemon juice, pineapple juice AND Kahlua. Careful – this one packs one large tropical kick!
Bahama Mama Recipe

7. Mojito


Well, if you’ve been following us long, you already know that we are nuts for mojitos. Pictured here is the Perfect Mojito (our favorite) although we’ve posted a ton of fruity variations that are all quite tasty! Check our post: 10 Mojito Variations for other delicious Mojito Recipes!
Perfect Mojito Recipe

8. Banana Daiquiri

Creamy banana goodness mixed with rum? Ahhh… yes. Here’s one that we really enjoyed at Saba Rock Resort in the BVI (pre-Irma). Maybe the great view had something to do with it??
Banana Daiquiri Recipe

9. Mai Tai

Aloha! First enjoyed on a dinner cruise in Hawaii, this wonderful concoction brings back memories of swaying palm trees and the sound of the ukelele … Requires a few more ingredients than some of the other tropical rum drinks listed, but well worth it!
Mai Tai Recipe

10. Dirty Banana


One of the most searched for recipes on our website, this Jamaican delight must be a favorite with many of you. Dark rum, Tia Maria and rum cream liqueur all mixed in with a tasty banana. Ya mon!
Dirty Banana Recipe

Cheers!


Find more rum recipes here:

Rum Recipe Picture Directory

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Happy Island, The Grenadines

How can you not be happy at Happy Island? A work in progress built in a shallow area in Clifton Harbour, Union Island – part of the Grenadines chain, this colorful oasis is challenging to reach – but well worth it.

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The owner/builder, Janti Ramage, built this unique place, which is also his residence, out of conch shells found in the area.

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A shallow bottomed boat is needed to get to Happy Island as it sits on a reef in just a few feet of water.

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Visitors arriving from Palm Island

We visited Happy Island during a sail on the Daimant (Island Windjammers) which made a stop in Clifton Harbour during our sail and dinghied guests to Happy Island for an afternoon of fun.

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Sand, Palms and the Happy Island Bar

Janti is quite the host and loves to visit with and show guests the entire compound which now includes a separate apartment which he resides in.

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Janti giving a tour of Happy Island

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View of Clifton Harbour and Union Island from Happy Island

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We ordered the Happy Island Rum Punch

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Rum with a view of Clifton Harbour

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Such a unique experience and good rum punch topped off with a show by kiteboarders in Clifton Harbour sailing right over Happy Island.
Awesome.

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Have you been to Happy Island?

To find out more, connect with Janti and Happy Island:

Facebook – Happy Island, The Grenadines
Or by email: [email protected]

Find Happy Island on our St. Vincent and the Grenadines Map

To see more posts on The Grenadines and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

 

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Karakter Beach Bar, St. Maarten

Ever been to a beach bar that’s a bus? A beach bar bus? As we were planning our recent trip to St. Maarten, a friend mentioned a beach bar on beautiful Simpson Bay Beach that we needed to visit. We asked the name of it and set out to find it one sunny afternoon.

We were staying on the other side of the Dutch Bridge from this bar so we took a hike down Front Street past the Dutch Bridge and turned back in to Simpson Bay Beach. The beach has gorgeous soft sand and turquoise blue water.

We stopped for a quick beverage at Mary’s Boon Resort and Spa and then wandered a short way over looking for a bar called Karakter.

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Karakter Beach Bar Bus

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Sure enough! The main part of the bar IS actually a bus and the drinks are mixed inside the bus. There are covered picnic tables, beach chairs and umbrellas in the ultra soft sand and it was a fantastic place to lime away the afternoon.

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The bar is in close proximity to the airport, but the beach ambiance, beautiful sand and great drinks far outweighed the occasional roar of an airplane taking off or landing.

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This table was reserved for some Rum Therapy!

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Beach in front of Karakter

The Rum Punch is highly recommended – strong and fruity just like we like it.
Want to find out more? Check out their website here: 
Karakter Beach Bar

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Cheers!

Find Karakter Beach Bar on our St. Maarten/St. Martin Map

To see more posts on St. Maarten and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

 

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC