Our Weekend Getaway to Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa

If you’re from Northern Ireland you will without doubt have heard of Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa. If you haven’t been yourself you’ll know someone who has. Even if you’re from further afar you still may know the name. As it is attracting an ever increasing number of visitors from further afield!

So what or where is Lusty Beg?! Lusty Beg is an Island located close to Kesh in Northern Ireland in the County of Fermanagh. One of the most beautiful and scenic counties! Located among the many islands on the lough Lusty Beg is set apart for the fact that it contains the Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa. That is all that’s on the island!

Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa were kind enough to invite us down to not only stay the night and experience the island for ourselves but to also try their well known restaurant. We arrived in the early afternoon of Saturday and arrived at the foreshore. That is where the fun of Lusty Beg begins! A special car ferry owned by the island transports you over to the island itself. The ferry takes two cars at a time and several foot passengers. We love that you cannot simply drive on and off the island. It gives a feeling of a retreat and escape to the whole resort!

We travelled over on the car ferry which takes just a minute or two and checked into our rooms. The room we were given was the upstairs room of a small two story lodge building. Other single story detached lodges are available too, as are some self catering lodges too! So there’s accommodation for everyone.

The reception, bar and restaurant are located in the one small lodge like building. This doesn’t feel like a big hotel operation but more like you’re visiting a small island which we love. The main bar leads out onto a terrace area overlooking a private dock and harbour. If you’ve hired a boat to sail around the lough and islands you can park it up here. Or you can simply visit the island on your boat for the day. We loved sitting watching the comings and goings of the boats.

When we arrived there was a beautiful renewal of vows ceremony taking place on a specially constructed outdoor wedding venue area. This is a great addition to the Island right by the waters edge.

Back to the room we were given during our stay….. The room was located on the first floor with views out over the harbour and lake from the bedroom window. This was beautiful as the sun began to set later in the day. The room itself was very spacious and contained everything you’d need from a hotel room. However why you’d consider even turning the television on during a stay to an island this beautiful is beyond me. This didn’t cross our minds during our visit. The bathroom is a great size with plenty of room to dress and get ready for the evening ahead.

We took a leisurely stroll around the island and took in the beautiful lakeside views and wildlife. On the Island you’ll also find a spa with swimming pool, treatments room and sauna, as well as clay pigeon shooting and off-road driving for the more adventurous.

Before we got ready for dinner we opted to use the spa facilities and swimming pool. There is a good sized pool on the island which is a nice surprise and next time we intend to make use of one of the famous seaweed baths or cleopatra baths.

As the sun sets the island comes to life with some small boats docking to stop off for dinner or some drinks, guests get ready in their rooms and arrive back at the bar and restaurant to relax and take in the beauty of the island. The restaurant is located in a part of the complex called ‘The Lodge’. Both the bar and the restaurant are beautifully designed and feel like they’re part of the island giving a log cabin feel.

The menu has a great selection of food including lots of locally sourced options as well as some from further afield. For starters we both opted for Cheesy Garlic Bread which was beautifully prepared on fresh ciabata. This is no ordinary garlic bread!

For mains upon reading that the head chef was from The Punjab in India I had to try the curry on the menu! This came served with a freshly made popadom and chutney. Beautifully spiced and presented. This was an incredibly curry to find on an island in the middle of Fermanagh! Worth the journey in itself! We also opted to try the Bacon Cheese Burger which was not to disappoint. Moist juicy burger with cheddar, bacon and Ballymaloe relish. The portion size does not disappoint! We were left struggling for room for dessert. But we soldiered on and found enough space to share a dessert, which was later to prove a mistake once we tasted it. We opted to try the Mint Aero Cheesecake which is probably THE best cheesecake I’ve had in Northern Ireland. Meaning we were left fighting over the last mouthful.

After dinner we were able to take another moonlight stroll by the dockside back to the room. The Island, even though full of life feels so peaceful and set aside from our usual busy and hectic lives. This is somewhere i’m shocked I had never been to until now. But somewhere I am sure I’ll be returning back to soon! Until next time……