Little Palm Island
lots of relaxation spots everywhere at Little Palm Island
guest arriving via helicopter
Shot of our room taken from the kayak
Which way do I go??? see the no cell phone sign?
Tame Key Deer on early morning walk around the grounds.
White heron flying by
busy, busy day ahead!
We love going to Florida on vacation because it's such a short flight, they have great malls to shop at, the people are so relaxed and nice like here and the water just couldn't get any prettier! Of course we like to come back to St. Thomas after all of that relaxing to.... well...relax some more but it's such a nice trip to get away every once and a while.
After our mall madness shopping trip in Fort Lauderdale early in the trip and our fabulous drive thru the keys (stopped at key west for some lunch and shopping too) we ended up at Little Palm Island. To describe LPI in one word, I would use amazing but there are a list of other great words that come to mind too; Stunning grounds, wildlife galore, peacefulness, subtle eligance and luxury all the way. We really have never been to a place quite like it to be honest. LPI has all our vacations beat so far, beat on food, service, and staff for sure even over Bora Bora!
You can only get to Little Palm Island by private helicopter or their chartered boat for guests once you get out to Little Torch Key (way out in the keys). From the minute you step into their reception area, you are greeted and taken care of like you are on the only guest staying there. Plus, you can chat with this fabulous gal in the main gift shop named Donna on what to do while you are there in Florida Keys (take the train) or at the resort.
The boat ride over is only about 15 minutes on a grandly restored boat called the Truman. I could smell the teak varnish and salt air and I knew my vacation had offically started. You are greeted by the staff on arrival while they take your bags to your room and are escorted around the island on a private tour. The island isn't big but it has everything you need to relax. You can workout in a state of the art gym, play a game of chess with the life size chess board, go to the spa, hang at the gorgeous pool (waterfalls and plenty of shade), shop at the large gift shop or lay on the beach. They also have kayaks to take into the mangroves whenever you like or little motorboats to use too. Mostly we sat on lounge chairs and just read while taking in the wildlife that seemed to be everywhere.
The rooms are set up like tree house bungalows (only not in the trees but you kind of feel like it) and they are spread apart so you never really see people. Our room had a great view into the zen garden and we could hear the waterfalls and see the peaceful flowers and relaxation area. I enjoyed opening my windows every morning to see it. The bed in our room had it's own stairs on each side because it was so high and fluffy you needed them to get in! So great! No TV's or radios in the room or phones (just one to call the reception if needed) though you could secretly use your cell phone in your own room (just not around the grounds). Oh and sorry mom and dad, no kids under 16 allowed or pets either (trust me, they have enough pets of their own for your to enjoy!)
The food was simply amazing! We enjoyed dishes like steak, lobster risotto, bacon wrapped scallops, fish tacos, ceviche with the catch of the day, amazing french fries (I am always searching for the best fries and may have found them here) and lot's of fufu drinks at the pool. The dinner menu changes every day and it all looked so good, I needed to stay longer to try it all. The best part was having dinner on the beach. We had a deer visit us during dinner even! Though we wanted to feed them, you can't so we just enjoyed them wandering around.
I have to mention the key deer that swim over to the island each day and just hang out with the people. They are so tame and wander around looking for something to eat. We only saw them early morning during our attempt to exercise (I had to pretend I was trying to burn off those french fries right?). One morning we saw a spike and another morning a mama and her 2 fawns. The spike came right up to us and licked our hands and wasn't scared at all. Good thing my dad, the hunter, wasn't on this trip. We also saw racoon tracks and of course lots of bird tracks from Semore, the blue heron that lives on the property too. The mangroves, a short paddle away, holds most of the wildlife but they fly all around and can be seen on the docks of the resorts and in the trees. I took so many pictures of the wildlife, I thought I was on a safari!
The good news is that we can go back again with the short plane ride and we definately be back for another trip soon. Can't wait to go and if you are considering doing it, just GO!!!!! It's fabulous! It wouldn't be listed among the top resorts in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure magazine if it wasn't.