There are moments in life where you feel as though you are having an out of body experience. A "pinch-me" moment that takes you to a place that is far removed from what you are used to. It can literally stop you in your tracks.
This blog post is about one of those times.
I had seen the pictures, read the reviews and searched for the hashtags on Instagram. I knew that
Lusty Beg Island was going to be a beautiful place. However, there is no written word or visual that has the ability to make you
feel the sense of calm and tranquility that this place offers. You simply have to see it to believe it.
Let's start at the beginning shall we? Lusty Beg Island is a beautiful award-winning 75 acre private island resort. Need I say more? It is located on the stunning lake lands of Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. It boasts nature, scenery and views that capture the unique beauty of Ireland. It is impossible to only include a couple of photographs and so a little collage might give you an idea.
From the moment you arrive at the Ferry point you just know it is going to be a unique experience. The resort is set on Boa Island and requires you to take a five minute Ferry to reach your destination. This in itself is full of quirky charm. The Ferry takes about 7 minutes to do a round trip and two cars can be carried across at once. It is a really exciting way to begin your getaway, particularly for children.
Once on the island you can make your way in to reception which has parking conveniently outside. You will be greeted by one of the exceptionally friendly and super helpful members of staff. Mary in particular was extraordinarily helpful to us and a really pleasant person to speak to throughout our stay. The reception area itself boasts an atmosphere of comfort. You begin to realize that a cosy stay is in order. It is a really lovely environment to be welcomed in to.
In terms of accommodation there are a couple of different options. There are lakeside cabins, courtyard rooms and self-catering lakeside lodges. We were lucky enough to experience the Lodges and I truly recommend this accommodation to complement a beautiful and rustic stay. The lodges are just stunning. From the outside they portray a cosy rustic charm and yet inside they host all things modern. The beds, kitchen, fixtures and fittings are all top-quality and very modern. They have managed to obtain a really impressive balance and they tick all the boxes.
We stayed in Lodge number 16 which I believe has the best views. Oh and that it did. Imagine hearing water lapping as you sleep? Imagining drinking your morning coffee on the patio that literally overlooks the lake.We were on first-name basis with the swans. It was utterly surreal and unlike anything we had ever experienced before. A selection of our photographs will give you an idea but I can assure you that it far surpasses them when you experience it yourself.
This lodge would comfortably sleep a family of 6 (plus a baby in a travel cot). It had all modern conveniences such as a dishwasher, fridge, freezer, cooker, microwave and washing machine. On the contrary it had a beautiful stove centre piece which was the perfect symbol to remind us that the weekend was a time of relaxation and putting the feet up. We lit the stove (with the fire packs available at reception), made a cup of tea and breathed in the fresh air of County Fermanagh.
I would have happily cooked in the beautiful kitchen of our lodge but as a real treat we enjoyed eating out for the entire weekend. Lusty Beg Island provides a gorgeous hot buffet breakfast as well as as assortment of cereals, fruit, granola and pastries. The breakfast room is conveniently located beside reception and it too had a cosy and welcoming charm.
Lunch is available from the bar-menu which has a really great selection of dishes. Lusty Beg have a passion for fresh local produce and it really shows in the quality of the food provided. For lunch we went for Pulled Pork, Chips and Coleslaw as well as a Ceaser Salad. Both were absolutely delicious. Dinner is served in the slightly more formal (and yet very warm and welcoming) resort restaurant. It has a lovely decor and transports you to an entirely new ambiance despite being located in close proximity to the bar, breakfast room and reception. Another wonderful aspect of Lusty Beg Island, everything is on your doorstep and yet manages to contain it's own unique charm independently also.
Dinner was also beautiful. I went for steak and the other half went for Lamb. Both were cooked beautifully and presented in a really sophisticated manner. As for my starter though... hands down the best Prawn Pil Pil I have ever had in all of my life. Gambas, Pil Pil, Garlic Prawns... whatever you might like to call it - this epitomised my idea of starter heaven. Big juicy perfectly cooked prawns served in a sizzling dish with a chilli and garlic flavoured oil accompanied by some lightly toasted sour dough bread and good Irish butter. This was out of this world and I savoured every last bite. I posted a photo on Facebook and it caused quite the stir of jealousy.
Dessert was another exciting affair. The waiter recommended the "Malteaser Meringue" and I am so glad that he did. Soft gooey meringue served in a river of caramel sauce with textured pieces of malteaser spread throughout and scattered on top. A real treat and something I had never come across before. The mint cheesecake was also delightful. The staff in the restaurant and bar could not have been more pleasant. In particular I must mention Flossy who is a credit to the place. She works very hard and is a pleasure to speak to. She could not do enough to help us. She and her colleagues appeared to really enjoy working at Lusty Beg Island and I feel this is a particularly telling thing.
No rock was left unturned in Lusty Beg Island. I simply had to experience the spa. I decided to go for the hot stone full body massage and it was a glorious experience. My first hot-stone massage and one that I will remember forever. The spa is located just yards from reception and is home to the resort's pool also. After my treatment I returned to the relaxation room for a few moments to drink some water and simply take in another breath-taking view of the lough from the Spa.
The next morning we visited the pool with our 16 month old son and he absolutely adored it. The water was at a lovely warm temperature and it was particularly clean. There is also an outdoor hot-tub which really adds a level of luxury to this fantastic Spa Facility.
Last but certainly not least we have a snippet of our special moments as a family. The important stuff right? We went for lovely walks, visited the swans, snuggled by the fire and enjoyed every corner of Lusty Beg Island. We even let Daddy go off and enjoy some off-road driving. Particular thanks must be given to the instructor Kaupo who was a joy to deal with. We didn't have time for the Clay Pigeon Shooting but I believe it is a serious bit of fun. From providing a travel cot to simply doting on Billy, the staff could not have been more accommodating to a family with small children.
For older children they also offer various outdoor activities including archery and canoeing. I can imagine these would go down a treat during the summer months.
During our stay we noticed two different weddings taking place. Both executed very differently. I think this would be a beautiful place to tie the knot.
And then it was time to return to reality. But not without a sneaky trip to ASDA right? Lusty Beg Island is situated just 25 minutes from the town of Eniskillen. This is a fabulous town for a bit of shopping. You may notice from the above photos that we managed to pick up our Christmas jumpers among lots of other bits and bobs for Billy. ASDA's baby gear is really top quality stuff. Eniskillin also includes CARA Pharmacy which I am utterly obsessed with. They have a fabulous professional make-up brush set available for Christmas which you simply must check-out here. There is also an M&S and Sports Direct. This would be a great spot to stop at on the way to or from the island.
Since our stay we have re-booked another stay with Lusty Beg Island. That says it all really, doesn't it? Queries have come racing in from friends, family and my lovely blog readers. I can totally see why. The photos give you an idea for sure, but this place is better than you can imagine. Huge HUGE thumbs up from this trio.
For more information and to book your stay with Lusty Beg Island simply visit their website here. We cannot wait to return!
We wish to thank the staff at Lusty Beg Island as well as RDCommunications for this very special collaboration. We were kindly gifted our stay on the island but as always all opinions, photos and views are completely our own. Labels: holiday, ireland, island, review, travel
