Leave this world far behind

BY JANE STOKES

In a small plane, it is so much fun to island-hop across the Caribbean Sea.

Look down at St. Vincent, for example. This densely tropical island looks just like a pear-shaped kite - and the Grenadines, its long and willowy tail.

Take it all in and you might count 32 sun-kissed isles and cays, each one well charted by sailors and yachtsmen who are lured here for the gentle breeze, turquoise water, and for exceedingly quiet beaches and bays.

St. Vincent is "mainland" to the locals, although it still has a largely unexplored, rainforest interior - serene, but filled with tropical life, rushing rivers, and waterfalls.

The more remote, Grenadines, are yet another tier of tranquility.

Each isle has found a way to blend the natural setting with visitor creature comforts, but without the commercial trappings of better-known destinations.

Ask Captain Earl with his Fantasea adventures (fantaseatours.com) to show you around.

In fact, the next time you dream about leaving the world far behind to instead, study cloud formations, the sway of a palm tree, or just one more pina colada in your comfy hammock on a paradise island - don't wake up.

Simply slip your fingers onto your keyboard to summon PalmIslandResort.com, so you can continue to dream at the furthest tip of the Grenadines.

Remote, yet accommodating, the private Palm Island has taken great care to keep its one and only resort very close to nature.

On the island's five white-sand beaches, you'll find just a handful of guest cottages and suites, all of which are dwarfed by coconut palms, sea grapes, casuarinas, and almond trees.

Panoramic walking trails take you to see remote bird life and a prized colony of prehistoric iguanas.

Every visitor to Palm Island generally meets at the same place. The beach bar caters to all arrivals although the resort amenities are reserved exclusively for the overnight guests. While here, do plan to share a cocktail at sunset with the yachting crowd to regale them with all of your hammock discoveries.

You may be inspired to consider an even more ambitious plan, one that could include tennis, windsurfing, snorkeling, diving, deep-sea fishing, and sunfish sailing, as early as tomorrow.

Dining every night is beachfront. Palm Island's authentic West Indies cuisine takes full advantage of freshly caught seafood and locally grown vegetables.

From Barbados, the Palm Island Resort is a 45-minute, small plane flight to Union Island and then a 10-minute ferry ride to its sunny dock.