Tourism Treats January 2008

Obviously this most highbrow of crowds knew who they were and they knew each other and so were willing to share the same crowded space along the front in Gustavia, while the rest of us plebeians anchored out in the big open roads that lead into the tiny capital.

What a wonderful New Year we had. On New Years Eve the harbor was filled with firework displays that vied with each other, some from the shore others from the glitterati boats on the dock and in the harbour around us. As a family of four, we hired motor scooters and spent glorious days circumnavigating the whole island at 12 miles an hour, we treated ourselves to lunches in very expensive little French restaurants, and we lay on a rock next to the main road above the airport to see if we really could see the whites of the passengers terror struck eyes as the tiny planes literally dropped onto the runway.

Yup...We really could see the white of their eyes and the wheels were sometimes no more than 12 feet above us as the little planes roared over the cliff edged road where we sat, and dove downwards towards the short runway. I am told that there are a number of cars driving round the island with tyre marks on the roof!

Little has changed from ten years ago. St. Barth is a little more expensive, a little more exclusive, a little more French, but still one of those little gems that though difficult to reach, is more than worth the journey.

The Monte Carlo of the Caribbean: St. Barth
CaribPro Source

There are no casinos in St Barth, but that is just about the only sophisticated trend that is missing. The present St Barth, located in the French West Indies, is the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean, with a blend of fantastic high-end designer, and duty free, shopping, the best cuisine in the region, chic bistros, no traffic jams, no cruise ship crowds and resplendent with flawless beaches and one of the most fascinating local populations in the Caribbean region.

Known as St. Barth in French, and St Barts in English; the island is an exclusive eight square mile (21 sq km) embodiment of 24-carat French chic. It attracts millionaires on luxury yachts, movie stars and French expatriates fleeing the European winter. It is a Caribbean island where relaxation and Gallic style under a tropical sun have been refined to perfection. In short, St. Barth has long been considered a playground of the rich and famous. And yet, it is also an island with a unique spirit that beats in the hearts of its independent, environmentally conscious, hard-working citizens. These citizens work hard at maintaining a pristine, singular island environment while espousing a simple lifestyle that values home and family life over the glitz and glamour lifestyle of its visitors.

The populace of St Barth evolved from those hardy souls who long ago singled out St. Barth as a refuge. These original pioneers sought out and valued privacy and detachment, and found differences of culture a welcome barrier to unwanted familiarity. They were interesting, eccentric, people who preferred simplicity and meagerness to the hazards and resources of the wider world. They built St. Barth. Significantly from this group two local hotels, The Eden Rock and Les Castelets were borne and with those properties the island’s exclusive tourism industry originated. These properties were designed and built by members of a vanishing breed, with a pioneering spirit, from which the St. Barth of today can claim its eclectic heritage.

Located approximately 250 km east of Puerto Rico, St.-Barthélemy lies near the islands of St. Martin, Saba and Anguilla.

Discovered by Columbus in 1493, and named for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barth was first settled in 1648 by French colonists from the nearby island of St. Kitts.

In 1763, the island was successfully settled again, this time by French mariners. The French buccaneers found the place hospitable, and brightened the economy with vast quantities of plunder taken from Spanish galleons. Monbars the Exterminator, a famous buccaneer of noble French descent, reputedly maintained his headquarters in St. Barth. His treasure is believed to be still hidden among the coves of Anse du Gouverneur, or buried in the sands of Saline.

Except for a brief military takeover by the British in 1758, St. Barth remained French until 1784, when it was sold suddenly to Sweden by one of Louis XVI's ministers in exchange for trading rights in the Swedish port of Gothenburg.

France repurchased the island in 1878. The free port status remained, and does to this day, along with such Swedish mementoes as bits of architecture, a cemetery, a few street signs, and, of course, the name of the harbor and capital, Gustavia.

In 1946, Martinique and Guadeloupe, including St. Barth, were given the legal status of a Department of France with the same privileges and responsibilities as any of the Home Departments. The citizens were given French passports, and were expected to pay French taxes, and obey laws formulated in Paris.

During the last twenty years the resident population of St. Barth has more than doubled. Fewer natives are leaving, and growing number of outsiders, especially from Metropolitan France, are arriving to make an island home for themselves.
The population of St. Barthélemy is approximately 7,000 inhabitants. French is the official language and much of the populace speaks English so there is seldom a language problem at hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.

The official currency of St. Barthélemy is the euro. The GDP per capita of St. Barthélemy is 10% higher than the average GDP per capita of metropolitan France. Tourism explains in a large measure the very high standard of living on the island.

St. Barth has a small airport known as Gustaf III Airport that is served by small regional commercial aircraft and charters. The nearest commercial jet airport is on the neighboring island of St. Martin. Ferries to and from St. Martin are the only other real option for transportation.

Few islands worldwide, can match the unique blend of style, nature and history that is St. Barth. This tiny island has significant appeal where 'quality' is most certainly more important than 'quantity' ... an island far away from the normalcy of life, making it the perfect vacation and living destination.

St. Barth has about twenty five hotels, most of them with fifteen rooms or fewer, and the largest, the Guanahani has just seventy rooms. Villa vacations are extremely popular and there are hundreds of villas terraced into the hillsides throughout the island as well as many beachfront locations.

Of the 20 beaches on the small island, several are considered especially inviting. On the southern side of the island, Grand Saline is a pristine beach with no development. On the western edge of the island is Colombier beach, which is only reachable by boat or a hike. St. Jean, Flammands and Grand-Cul-de-Sac beaches are also popular and attractive beaches which have hotels and other establishments on them. Shell Beach is popular for families with kids as it has little surf, and lots of tide pools.

The beach of Grand Cul-de-Sac is the easiest beach in the Caribbean for learning sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing as it has a reef which closes off the entire bay. The current that passes outside the reef here also carries the migrating whales and dolphins.

Water sport activities are vast, jet ski around the island, surfing, wind surfing, kite boarding, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, deep sea fishing and even a Yellow Submarine that goes from Gustavia’s pier thru the Marine Park and around Gros Ilets, towards “Les Petits St.s” discovering schools of colorful fishes, turtles, and 3 ship wrecks including the one motor yacht named “Non Stop”.

The St Barth Music festival is an eclectic mix from Classic to Jazz that is held each January and is performed by top international artists. August is another month of music and local events, and features the Caribbean Music Festival. Annually, the St. Barth Film Festival (in its thirteenth year as of 2007) features Caribbean-themed and produced films, and attracts a large international crowd.

St. Barth is a water lover’s paradise. One can charter a 65ft luxury power boat or luxury sailboat to tour around St Barth for half a day or book a full day charter to neighboring islands of Saba, St Maarten, Tintamarre, Pinel, and Anguilla. St. Barth is home to the St. Barth Bucket, an annual sailing race around the island.
The island offers a vast array of land activities including tennis, horseback riding, archery, yoga, fitness centers, massages, spa treatments, wine tasting and shopping.

As one would anticipate, St. Barth is rated as one of the premier shopping destinations in the Caribbean and is also a duty-free port. Gustavia, the capital, is the principal shopping area of the island. There are boutiques and emporiums for the most sophisticated of shoppers, featuring luxury brands such as Cartier, Hermes, Dior to name a few.

Getting around St Barth is very easy. One can rent a scooter or quad bike and tour the island to photograph natural tropical settings or just take off walking. St Barth has several hiking trails, some that take you to the highest points of the island like Mount Vitet, 286 meters high and others that circle around the widest points like the magnificent bay of Colombier.

The most divine activity of St Barth is enjoying the most exquisite cuisine and French wines of the Caribbean. The island has over eighty restaurants featuring culinary styles ranging from classic French to Asian to West Indian. Many of the restaurants attract gourmet chefs trained in France to oversee the kitchens. These chefs can also be reserved to serve guests in the intimate privacy of their own villa for a special event or treasured evening.

Nightlife of St. Barth is diverse as well. Visitors looking for late-night pleasures can listen to live jazz at a café or dance the night away at one of the local discos or after hour clubs.

St. Barth’s has something for everyone; and although a bit pricey, it is worth every euro spent as the island offers a value and product quality that are unsurpassed in the Caribbean.

Pirates of the Caribbean to ride the Caribbean Sea once again?

Exciting plans are underway to film The Pirates of the Caribbean as a new TV series, with Caribbean island film locations to include Jamaica, Grenada and Paradise Island, the Bahamas.

In addition, Cuban president Fidel Castro and his brother Raul are said to be big fans of the film franchise and have offered to allow the show to film in Havana as well. Of course, the usual legal hurdles might stop that from happening.

Disney is reportedly planning to make the TV spin-off of the wildly successful swashbuckling franchise with focus on Captain Jack Sparrow, the enormously popular character played to the hilt in unique fashion by actor Johnny Depp.

A source says, “The idea is that we focus on a much younger Jack Sparrow and show fans how he became a famous pirate. The film has been such a success with spin-offs such as toys, video games and books, it only seems right to do a TV series. Since the film attracted guest stars like Keith Richards, you can imagine the stars who will want to pop up in the television show.”

Stay tuned…

Bonaire Wins Top Dive Award from Scuba Diving Magazine

For the sixth year in a row, Bonaire was rated as the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2008.
Bonaire also grabbed the number-one rating in five other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Shore Diving, Top Destination for Beginners, Top Destination for Advanced Divers, Top Destination for Underwater Photography, Top Marine Life, and took second place in the category of Top Value.

“For more than twenty-five years Bonaire’s dedicated and environmentally-conscious dive industry has worked diligently to protect our coral reefs coral reefs and provide a superior dive experience, and we are honored that for six straight years divers have recognized our efforts and rated Bonaire the top dive destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic,” said Ronella Croes, director of the tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).

The Sands at Grace Bay Gets a $6 Million Facelift

The Sands at Grace Bay, in Turks and Caicos, has reopened following a $6 million facelift that includes a gracious new alfresco lobby. The Sands at Grace Bay is an all-suite resort located on six oceanfront acres on Grace Bay beach, one of the best known and most popular beaches in the Caribbean.

With 114 suites ranging from studios with kitchenettes all the way to the one, two and three-bedroom suites ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 square feet featuring full kitchens with granite counter tops.

The resort exudes an elegant yet laid back sophistication and is comprised of six three-story buildings situated amid a lush garden courtyard caressed by three free-form swimming pools. Guests can lounge at one of numerous sunbathing areas or under the Palapas on the beach.

The more adventurous can enjoy complimentary bicycles and water sports equipment such as Hobie Cats, windsurfers, sea kayaks and snorkel gear. Guests will love stepping off the beach right into Hemingway’s Restaurant and Bar, a legendary local favorite that is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Spa treatments are available at the Spa Tropique and guests will enjoy the resort’s indoor fitness center and tennis courts. Conveniently located within ten minutes, the Provo Golf Club offers guests one of the best and most challenging courses in the Caribbean.

Surprise: Richard Gere and Family Vacation in Honduras

Richard Gere, his wife Carey Lowell, and their son enjoyed a relaxing vacation in this Central American country. The family visited Copan, the ruins of a city that is famous for being the centre of culture, science and arts for the Mayan civilization. Mel Gibson was so intrigued by the Mayan civilization that the movie Apocalypto was filmed there.

Richard and his wife visited one of the most famous Mayan temples, Rosalila, and stayed at the Hotel Marina Copan in Copan Ruinas, the same hotel where John Kennedy stayed during his honeymoon years ago. According to hotel employees, Richard acted as any other tourist and was very charming. After Copan, the Gere family took a flight to the Caribbean island of Roatan, known for having the second largest coral reef in the world.

This is not Richard’s first visit to Honduras; he went there in the early 80’s on a humanitarian mission.

Honduras is a hidden jewel of a travel destination that is frequented by celebrities for a variety of reasons: virgin beaches, little commercialization, no camera-toting tourist to bother them and as well, it offers a huge menu of tourism activities and experiences. Additionally, it is, relatively speaking, far less expensive than other popular Caribbean destinations such as Nevis, Barbados, Anguilla, and St Barth.