wug

Hi, I know there isn't much on this forum about Guadeloupe so I thought I'd offer information if anyone is looking for it. My husband and I were in Guadeloupe last January for nine days. We fell in love with the island and are planning on going back this February for two weeks. I'm definitely no expert but, if anyone is looking for information, please let me know. I'll try to answer any questions you may have.

sassy_cat

Can you write a brief trip report about your visit? Where did you stay?

Caribbean_Nomads

Is it true that tourists need to be able to speak "some French" to get by on Guadeloupe? We want to include this island on our 17 week winter island hopping tour, but neither of us "parlez vous francais".
Thanks for any tips!

tejana

Carib - unless things have changed a LOT in the past few years, you definitely need some French or at least a phrase book for Guadeloupe (a phrase book for restaurant menus would be especially helpful). Even though our French was pretty non-existent at the time (it has gotten a bit better in the last couple of years), we got along fine with a phrase book and a lot of pointing and pantomime (particularly interesting at a dive shop with a divemaster who spoke no English). And it is too beautiful of an area to avoid just because of a little language barrier!

Wug - did you make it over to the Saints? Are they still as beautiful as ever?

Odin

We went to Guadeloupe and Martinique couple years ago - best if some French is spoken/understood but would not be put off by not knowing the language. I don't speak Italian but I still go to Italy, of course it is true the enjoyment of a country is greatly enhanced if you speak the local language but its not always possible.


I agree that Guadeloupe is too beautiful to avoid just because of language - it has something for everyone, a beautiful national park for hikers, volcano which you can drive to most of the way, beautiful beaches esp on Grand Terre, interesting plantation houses, botanical gardens etc. The roads are really good, supermarkets are good esp if you like French goods. Standard of living appears better than other islands I've been to.


I found this website very useful for planning our trip:-

http://www.antilles-info-tourisme.co...e/p2-in-gb.htm

The only thing these islands do not have is upscale hotels, accommodation is more modest. We stayed at Caraibes Bonheur near Deshaies on (Basse Terre) which is a pretty village with a number of restaurants and close to La Grande Anse beach and a recently renovated hotel Fort Royal. This hotel was a disused ruin when we were there.

wug

I agree that a phrasebook is a definite if you don't speak French. We didn't really hear any English at all. Only a few people spoke a little English. But, if you take the phrase book, do a lot of pointing, you can get by. It's a gorgeous place. We absolutely fell in love with it. It's France in the Caribbean. What's not to love??

We stayed near Pigeon on Basse Terre. A place Les Jardins Tropicals. It's on the western half of the island and is mountainous. The east side is flat and has the more sandy beaches. We enjoyed the west side because of all the possibilities for activities. Tons of hiking, snorkeling, diving, canyoning etc.

wug

Hi Sassy Cat, I need to do a trip report, you are right. I hope to do that soon. Work has been very busy.