A few weeks ago I decided last minute to spend a few days in Saint Barths, one of my favorite beach destinations… I used to spend my summers there with my family when I was as a kid and then as a teenager.
The last time I was there was four years ago with a group of friends – the pre-Romy years. Now a mother, I was very excited to be able to take my daughter to one of my favorite holiday destinations and share with her my childhood memories.
As a Parisian girl living in New York, Saint Barths is one of the most perfect holiday destinations: just a couple hours away, and with zero time difference (always great with a young child!) this French Caribbean Island offers a drastic change of scenery.
You can experience different “Saint Barths”: The romantic one spending the day on a deserted beach, the party one, and the casual family one. There is enough here to please every crowd.
WHERE WE STAYED
Wimco Villas set-up our flights, rental car and of course found us the right villa. We stayed at Villa ANK, a beautiful three bedroom villa in Colombier with a pool overlooking the ocean, just a few minutes from Plage des Flamands. The house was great, enough space between all the rooms and all the amenities needed, from a blender for my morning smoothie, to an automatic security alarm around the pool which made me felt much safer with Romy running around. The house also came with WIMCO’s concierge service, helping us to book dinner reservations or activities around the island such as Jet Skiing. Everything was there to make our life as easy as possible. The perfect vacation!
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AND TO GO TO
Beaches: As much as I love Saline and Governor, Petit Cul de Sac and Saint Jean were the most practical with a young child. The water was safe for her to play, with no big waves, there were lots of kids, and restaurants with beds and all the facilities making your life easier with a young child. I loved having late lunch at La Gloriette for their accras appetizers and lobster, or La Plage on the beach for snacks while watching Romy play in the sand.
Shops: I loved Poupette and Mademoiselle Hortense in Gustavia, they have the cutest vintage looking dresses and swimsuits for mothers and little girls. I also loved the toy store “Un Dimanche a la mer” in Saint Jean which had a great selection of indoor and outdoor toys.
Eat: I loved to stop at Kiki E Mo in Saint Jean and get a green juice for myself and a watermelon one for Romy. They also have great take outs for a nice lunch at the house. Like I said I also love La Gloriette at Grand Cul de Sac. I also really like the simplicity of Le Grain De Sel, which is right by Saline. In the evening I always loved Maya’s who happens to have great options for kids too. For a more simple option, a burger at Cafe Select or a pizza at L’Isoletta, both in Gustavia, typical local options but always great solutions for a quick dinner with kids.
GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS
Gear: When it came to cars, car seats, strollers, cribs rentals and babysitter booking, Wimco Villa‘s concierge serve organized it all making our life so much easier. So no need to worry about traveling with a car seat or stroller. I personally like to travel light.
Apparel: Lots of swimsuits, and long sleeve light cover ups (to protect from the sun) both for her and I. Lots of flat sandals and one pair of heels at most! You never stock up enough on sunscreen either. However, I always love shopping at the Airport Pharmacie that has all the best products for me and Romy. I love to stop there and stock up on my favorite French brands.
By Julia Restoin Roitfeld Photos by Julia Restoin Roitfeld Originally published on Romy and The Bunnies
