We flew to Barbados and then chartered a private jet, which meant that I had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sit next to the pilot and enjoy an unrivalled view of the sea and islands beneath. The landing into Mustique was breathtaking and I was immediately struck by the beauty of this extraordinary place.
Our beach buggy (golf cart) was waiting for us at the house, so we jumped in and headed straight for Macaroni beach where the huge waves are infamous, and I soon learnt what it meant to be 'tumbled'! By contrast, Gelliceaux Bay, which was to become my favourite beach, was an oasis of calm tranquillity, with quiet seas and remarkably few people.
It's easy to get around by beach buggy (at around 20mph), although some of the roads are bumpy. On one particularly unpredictable stretch of road, I was forced onto the wrong side, when a large ditch appeared where my side of the road should have been, and straight into the path of an oncoming Jeep. As I swerved into the ditch to miss the Jeep, I caught a glimpse of its driver, an amused and bewildered Mick Jagger! Of course, I excitedly shared my sighting with my friends back at the house and became the standing joke of the holiday, when they explained that this was perhaps not as uncommon as it seemed. We later ran into the legendary rocker again on the beach, at numerous parties, and at the Cotton House weekly drinks. It really is a very small world, when it comes to Mustique.
I was very lucky to be staying with friends who have long been part of the Mustique scene and so was granted access to its social inner circle, which is notoriously difficult to break into otherwise. Every day came another invitation to beach barbeques, cocktail parties, house parties and glamorous gatherings by the sea. If your idea of paradise is beautiful beaches, stunning views from mountainous peaks, peaceful surroundings and Champagne, then this is the destination for you!
Nicole Frankel visited Mustique in December 2000
