millie

I have wanted to visit the Grenadines for a long time. I will be traveling solo. I am wondering about safety. I enjoy beaching, loafing and reading. Enjoy dining and having a drink or two at the pool, too. Any suggestions/comments will be appreciated.<BR>thanks

Island Hopper

Hi Millie, I explored St. Vincent and the Grenadines in January 2002. I am a woman and travelled with another woman.<BR>I am convinced that you would have absolutely no problems.<BR>Before I travelled there, I remember hearing a warning about being in the St. Vincent capital after dark but I encountered no problems.<BR>You are welcome to read my travel journal as I tried to document my trip with as much detail as possible.<BR>Good luck and contact me through the forum on my diary if you have more questions for me.

Island Hopper

oops, travel journal link:<BR><BR>http://www.travelhall.com/feature/entryIndex.asp?wid=4

curiousx

I'm posting this in two parts because it doesn't seem to want to go through as one ! This is the first part.<BR><BR>St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a beautiful country, right from the North end of St. Vincent all the way down to the Tobago Cays. <BR><BR>SVG is ideal for beaching, loafing and reading (my favourite sports !), as well as snorkelling, hiking, and ecological tourism ashore and afloat. <BR><BR>A word search on this board will bring up good information from previous posters. <BR><BR>Also check out the Southern Caribbean Board started by Erma on www.traveltalkonline.come. There's a lot of good information about things to do and places to say.<BR><BR>For clothing, pack a mix of beach wear, hiking stuff (layers including long pants and sleeves if you are going into the rain forest or up the volcano), and rain gear. Kingstown, St. Vincent and Port Elizabeth, Bequia have reasonable bookstores<BR><BR>If you have about 2-3 weeks, I would suggest you spend the first 5-6 days on St. Vincent exploring this big island (aka 'the Mainland'). Spend the rest of the time in the Vincentian Grenadines.<BR><BR>Hook up with local guides to show you around, because St. Vincent guards its secrets well. I particularly recommend Dani and Norris (an American/Vincent couple) who also run a small B&amp;B. <BR><BR>Dani and Norris are excellent hosts. Their ecological tours and their accommodation are very reasonably priced. Dani might lower her rates for longer stays and there are kitchen facilities you can use. The email address is [email protected].<BR><BR>There are also moderately priced hotels like Mariner's, Sunset Shores and Beachcombers. The Young Island Resort is overpriced, in my view, but fun to visit for a frozen Daiquiri.<BR><BR>You will find that almost wherever you stay, you will want to have earplugs. Dogs, roosters, goats, generators, motorboats etc., are part of island life.<BR>

curiousx

And this is the second part.<BR><BR><BR>After St. Vincent, I'd suggest taking the ferry to Bequia and staying there for a few days also. You might like one of the modestly-priced 'old rooms' at the classic Frangipani hotel. There, you'll meet lots of interesting people who have been visiting Bequia for decades. <BR><BR>From the Frangipani, you can easily hike, take a water or land taxi or dollar bus to Lower Bay and Bequia's other beautiful beaches. <BR><BR>Alternately, Julie and Isola's guest house in Port Elizabeth is also a favourite for many return visitors.<BR><BR>There are lots of restaurants in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The best are 'excellent' but not 'outstanding' IMHO. My personal favourites are all on Bequia - Fernando's, Coco's and Creole Garden in Lower Bay and the Old Fort in Mount Pleasant. <BR><BR>Roti, chicken, fish, fruit, fresh baked goods are cheap and plentiful. So are beer and rum (grin).<BR><BR>On Bequia, I'd hike out to the Pottery and Turtle Farm at the north end of the island, or up to the top of Mount Pleasant for fantastic views. I'd also recommend a day trip on the catamaran Passion or the sail/motor yacht Friendship Rose to visit and snorkle in the Tobago Cays and Mayreau. <BR><BR>Or you can take the weekly ferry and stop off at whatever island takes your fancy (except Mustique, where the ferry does not go). There are airports on St. Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union - so hopping around is fairly easy. <BR><BR>You can even get to Grenada if you want - hire a speed boat to go from Union or Mayreau to Petit Martinique or Carriacou and then fast ferry (Osprey)from there to Grenada.<BR><BR>Personal safety, for women alone, is an issue everywhere in the world, even at home. So take the same sense of prudence and caution with you. Don't go to deserted beaches on your own, don't flash your wealth (in fact don't take anything with you that would ruin your holiday if it was lost or stolen), don't go into unknown bars at night. You will find that Vincentian men are friendly but not overly persistent - a polite 'no' will normally suffice. <BR><BR>Hope this helps - feel free to ask other questions. Enjoy your trip.

millie

Thank you all for your responses. They are great and very helpful. I will explore your suggestions and keep you posted.<BR>Millie

Erma

Curiousx-thanks for suggesting TTOL's new Southern Caribbean Forum that was started by so many people like Nutmeg, Eva, ScubaMom and of course the hosts, Eric and Carol! I am but a simple participant who very much wanted a dedicated space to discuss some of my favorite islands. Thanks for stopping over our way and I look forward to &quot;talking&quot; with you later! You just don't know how much we appreciate advice from you and Seth. ED

Erma

Millie-I think you will have a wonderful time on this trip. My friend and I visited Bequia in June and had zero problems. We stayed at The Old Fort which is VERY safe. Ian and Fiona are wonderful people and will &quot;watch out&quot; for you. We did head over to St. Vincent for a hike up to Trinity Falls. In advance we told Ian/Fiona what ferry we were taking back, the cab driver we were using and said we'd call if plans changed. Of course we missed the planned ferry and just called to let them know we would be later getting back &quot;home&quot;. To me having someone know your plan is a good idea. That's where staying at places that others suggest (like on St. Vincent at the Norris'-curiousx's idea) is a good option. Get to know the hosts/managers. They will tell you any places to avoid.<BR><BR>Have fun and if you would be so kind as to post a trip report over on TTOL's Southern Caribbean forum (www.traveltalkonline.com) that would be great! Best regards, Erma