Clifton, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines + Add a trip

Automobiles

The only mode of transport on Mustique is the mule - a souped-up 4x4 golf buggy, costing from $50 a day. They are very popular and there is only a limited number to go around, so book well in advance (ask the hotel). If you book the Cotton Hill Residence, your mule will be included in the rate.

Planes

Fly British Airways (www.britishairways.com) or Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) to Barbados, then fly onwards with Grenadine Airways (www.grenadineairways.com) on a 50-minute scheduled flight, or charter a private plane with Mustique Airways (www.mustique.com) or SVG Air (www.svgair.com). Arrangements can be made through the Cotton House.

Trains

Dialing

The international dialling code is +1 784.

Reads

Mustique by Roger Vaughan' Princess Margaret: a Life Unravelled by Tim Heald; Island of Dreams: 99 Poems from Mustique by Felix Dennis; Spear's Wealth Management Survey.

Do go / Don't Go

The Cotton House closes in September and October. It can be great to go towards the end of the season (May to August) when the rooms are more reasonably priced and you have the island almost to yourself. The weather is still fantastic.

Cuisine

Fresh fish and seafood caught daily. The food at both Firefly and the Cotton House is terrific: from Caribbean dishes to French food and wine, with almost anything you fancy magicked up on request.

Taxis

No such thing. Cotton House staff will greet you on arrival and the hotel can organise a chauffeur service for you to go anywhere you desire.

Tipping

Discretionary, but a minimum of 10 per cent is expected.

Currency

The local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar, but the US Dollar is widely used.

Packing

Casual couture if you want to fit in with your fellow jet-setters, jodhpurs if you fancy trekking around the island on horseback, MBT trainers for the custom-made jogging/walking circuit with a view. And your iPod for the in-room speakers at the Cotton House.

Arts

The design and architecture of some of the villas is notable, but there's no culture as such that isn't real-estate-related. Head over to the nearby island of St Vincent to see a truer Caribbean vibe.

And...

Shopping

Another thing about private islands - no shops! Well, only a handful. There's the Cotton House shop, next to the spa, and a couple of boutiques in Britannia Bay (Treasure Boutiques, the Purple House), where you can find beautiful eveningwear, lingerie, jewellery, designer swimwear and custom-made kaftans. There are local stores in Britannia Bay and Lovell Villages, Mustique hubs where the island's year-round residents live.

Viewpoint

Rent a boat for the day or take a sunset cruise to drink in the gorgeous Grenadines seascapes.

Something

Tuesday night cocktails, when the Mustique Company invite all of the island's guests and residents to the Cotton House for an informal get-together.

January/February Annual Mustique Blues Festival at Basil's Bar, Brittania Bay. For more information visit www.basilsmustique.com