Straight Away Travel Presents — Pickleball in Paradise
Pickleball in Paradise is the brainchild of Barb Strait, founder of Straight Away Travel, joined by Elizabeth Higginbottom, an avid pickleball player and travel enthusiast. Barb, an experienced travel advisor and travel agency owner and elite Royal Chairman Club member with Sandals and Beaches, built her business on expert Caribbean, Disney and cruise planning. She launched Pickleball in Paradise during the pandemic after discovering a passion for the sport. What began as a single trip with Pro Kyle Yates quickly grew into a thriving venture offering luxurious, all-inclusive pickleball destination vacations to premier locations like Sandals South Coast, Beaches Turks and Caicos, and Sandals Royal Bahamian.
Elizabeth Higginbottom, Director of Pickleball in Paradise, joined Barb in 2021 and brings her tournament-winning experience and leadership from the Beech Mountain Club in North Carolina to the team. A seasoned traveler who once RV’d across the country, she now splits time between Myrtle Beach, and exotic locales—planning and participating in pickleball getaways. Together, Barb and Elizabeth merge their deep travel knowledge and love for the sport to create unforgettable, expertly curated pickleball adventures in paradise.