The Caribbean Off the Beaten Track

Hi Doug! It has been nice to see you posting on the forums. Wow...someone asking about my neck of the woods. Who would have thunk?

I am an American expat who has resided on St. Eustatius (hence my screen name) for nearly 12 years and I visit Saba often. I would fill up many pages in talking about our wonderful little off the beaten path part of the world, so feel free to ask away with any specific questions and I'll be happy to answer.

In the meantime, you can check out the following tourist websites for Statia and Saba.

http://statiatourism.com/

http://sabatourism.com/

PS - I hope you don't think that I don't know proper grammer from my "thunk" response.

I am currently working on the text for a Statia tourism book, so if you would like to email me privately with any questions about the island, feel free to do so. statia69@yahoo.com

Doug, email me and I'll give you a few ideas, but for normal forum reasons I don't want to post anything about Cayman (and there are definitely "off the beaten track" experiences here) as they may be seen as commercial.

Topping since no one has reponded in awhile. C'mon off the beaten path travelers, don't you have some stories to share?

I guess I'll go first.

St. Eustatius, “America’s Childhood Friend,” affectionately known as “Statia” was the first foreign nation to salute the newly formed United States of America in 1776. This little known Caribbean destination has much to offer divers, nature enthusiasts and historical buffs as well as those who just want a quiet, relaxing getaway from the everyday hustle and bustle.

The island is generally quiet and crime is almost non-existent. Few people ever take their keys out of their car or lock the doors of their homes. Everyone you pass will wave at you, whether they know you or not, and one always enters a shop or place of business with a pleasant “Good morning,” or “Good afternoon,” whereupon everyone stops what they are doing to return the greeting.

I won’t go into all of the aspects regarding the things there are to see and do here, but as for the main attraction of this little known paradise, the diving on Statia is truly diverse. There are dive sites for everyone from beginners to the advanced, as well as night divers and underwater photographers. All dive sites are a short boat ride from shore and include breathtaking natural coral reefs and endless species of marine life in both shallow and deep waters. There are also some fascinating shipwrecks to dive. Statia has three dive shops, all with multi-lingual staff in order to serve travelers from all over the world. The really nice aspect of Statia dive operations is that they are smaller and cater to the individual diver’s needs and wishes, therefore allowing a more personal dive experience rather than catering to the very large groups that so many dive operations in the world service.

For those not interested in diving, hiking or history, Statia also offers other ways to unwind. One can enjoy beachcombing for shells, exploring tide pools, or relaxing in the sand with a good novel at Oranje Beach on the Caribbean side, or Zeelandia Beach on the Atlantic side. It is not advised, however, to swim at Zeelandia Bay since there is a very strong undercurrent there.

Other visitors enjoy taking a breezy ride on a rented scooter while admiring the remarkable ocean views as well as the lovely West Indian homes, many of which have been renovated to their original structure courtesy of the Historical Core Project. One can have a leisurely lunch or dinner on the bay at any of several waterfront restaurants. Snorkelers enjoy the various marine life that have made their homes on the ledges of the sunken Old City Wall. This wall is made up of the former ocean-edged warehouses where 3,500 ships per year called during the time this island was known as “The Golden Rock.” In the 17th and 18th centuries there was vast trading between Europe and North America, and many of these goods were routed through Statia.

Evenings are spent chatting with the locals over a cocktail and listening to interesting stories of Statia’s past. Of course, no evening is complete without some star gazing at Fort de Windt and Whitewall on the southern tip of the island overlooking St. Kitts.

There are a handful of hotels on the island and they are mostly simple, yet charming and quaint, which is what off the beaten path travelers tend to prefer on a relaxing vacation. Restaurants serve a variety of dishes from authentic West Indian fare to fine French cuisine, and homemade Italian pizza to Chinese.

In a nutshell, time spent on Statia is like visiting an era of long ago. A time when life was unhurried, stress was non-existent, people took the time to get to know one another and ask about each others day. A time when everyone took advantage of the simple pleasures life has to offer.

Doug,
Here's my inputs for off the beaten track places. I'll be brief and to the point, if you want any more detail
let me know.

Anguilla - Flat dry, spectacular beaches, good diving and snorkeling. Great restaurants. Very upscale. Very friendly people. Can't say one bad thing about Anguilla except its expensive

Bequia - Green lush, friendly people, slow pace of course. Fantastic island. Some good beaches, diving and snorkeling aren't the best. This is a get away from it all place if you don't have many requirements (resorts, golf, scuba, snorkelling) and just want to relax and enjoy island life.

Bonaire - Flat dry, no real beaches. Why go? Its about the best diving and snorkelling in the Caribbean. And thats who generally travels to Bonaire, divers and snorkelers. However, topside its pleasantly surprising some historical sites and the national park. Nice friendly people, though some theft issues there...some recently turned violent. Unusual for a "quiet" island.

Dominica - What a charm! Large island with much to do....rainforest, river excursions, beach, etc. Great friendly people. This is a place for nature lovers and really needs to have 2 weeks dedicated to it, at least...due to its size and things to to see and do. Darker sand beaches, of course, good diving and snorkeling. Overall wonderful place and inexpensive. No luxury accomodations generally, this isn't a too developed island yet...and hopefully it will remain so!

Eleuthera - Not technically Caribbean but worthy of comment. Excellent place off the trail from the busy Nassau or Freeport. Long skinny island much like the Outer Banks in length and width. Excellent snorkelling and diving and diverse easy to get to east coast for the surf and wider sandier beaches. Other diversion is Harbor Island (ferry). Excellent grouper in Eleuthera.

Grenada & Carriacou - Last time in Grenada was last March so pre-hurricane...I'm not too up on the situation at present but from what I hear improving greatly. What a charm, warm friendly people and beautiful island. Great beaches though wouldn't say diving and snorkeling are all too fantastic. There's good history throughout the island and sites to visit. Most tourists stay in the south though to the north some interesting towns and visit Bathaways beach. The nature park at La Sagasse in the SE is great for hiking, there's also a lodge there and beach bar/restaurant...great bay for getting away from well really not much to get away from but its away. Hard to describe. Wonderful island.
Carriacou its smaller sister is flat dry, excellent beaches, good diving and snorkelling...very laid back...barefoot atmosphere. Another charm with extremely friendly people.

Marie Galante - Off Guadeloupe. Quaint is its best description. Friendly locals like you'd find in a small town in France. This is a get away from it all place and unique.

Montserrat - Haven't been since volcano. Not sure this is any helpful info or not. Pre-volcano, the warmest friendliest people I've ever met...of course green lush VOLCANIC island so much island beauty...some black sand beaches (more now?) Excellent place, this was my favorite Carib trip...will return.

Nevis - St. Kitts' sister island. Extremely friendly people, beautiful island. Good beaches though not your sugar white sand, but darker sand which is typical of the volcanic islands. Its normally the trade off, island beauty or sugar white sand. There's alot of history on Nevis, truly a great place to visit. But don't go for busy resorts or white sand...this is an island experience type destination for charm and relaxation.

St. Barts - Tres chic. Hilly but dry island with excellent beaches and of course clothing optional. Small intimate resorts, private villas...of course all expensive. Really recommend private villas there, they aren't all that outrageously priced...most with private pools, great views. Great place to get a away from it all but with much pampering. Whether its your hotel looking after you or perhaps your private villa with your own cook providing meals poolside its a remarkable place.

Tobago - Trinidad's sister island. Green lush and one of the Caribbean's best golf courses. Inexpensive destination, to stay on and food prices, even gas if you rent a car...and even at the golf course greens fees at around $50 for a resort is great. Great beaches, diving and snorkeling great too...there's rainforest treks and historic sites. Overall an excellent place. One of my favorites in the Caribbean.

Los Roques -- remote and unknown -- is where I escape to when I need a complete change from Jamaica.

Several years ago my wife and I spent a week on Martinique, staying in the middle, and driving from top to bottom.

It was OK, mostly for 'caribbean completists'. It is worth a few days just to see the island, but we did not find anything that would make us go back. We understand why it is 'off the beaten track.'

Statia, that is a beautiful description of your island. I love reading about it, and can't help but wonder how did you find Statia? Are you a diver? I always enjoy reading your posts on this & US board.

My off-the-beaten-path experiences have all been with my husband...a true gentleman and adventurer!

Eleuthera: Our rental jalopy fails to start at the Lighthouse, 2 miles from the real road and 50 miles to our rental house. Of course the FIRST car that passed us after we reached the road, stopped, backed up, and offered to drive us 20 miles to the nearest town - after first inviting us to return to their home to use their phone. This is typical of Eleutherans, we found out.

St. Vincent: Although we were staying on Young Island, we rented a jeep for a few days and ventured out. Wow. The windward side of this island is wild and beautiful, with black volcanic beaches, green jungle, and villages with little Coke stands where you can stop and get a Coke and chat (you mustn't take the recyclable bottle with you tho! ) On the way to Owia at the northern tip, we drove our jeep around a certain hairpin turn, and came face to face with a big truck filled with men. Of course we backed up, and they passed us calling greetings, and when we looked back we saw they all had machetes! Later in the trip we had to cross a small riverbed, and we hesitated. An old woman nearby looked up, and waved us on. We got that feeling, this woman knows... and sure enough, no problem.

The island of Statia sounds intriguing. We pretty much go to the Caribbean to veg out with some good books and jsut enjoy the beauty of the islands. Any hotel recommendations?

Dear Doug,

I'm a freelance writer and visited Guadeloupe twice. I've got a (nearly finished) travel piece ready as well as another visit booked at the end of March. I'll happily let you read the piece which is more of a "faction"-account than a regular "travel-guide"-type article. Sounds like what you're after. I'll be trying to get it published after my next visit, so if you want me to send it to you, please contact me directly.
Cheers.

Thanks for the nice compliment, Joan. The way we found Statia is that my husband was offered a job at the oil terminal here. We originally came for a couple of years, but we're still here after nearly 12. We became certified divers about six months after we got here.

orangetravelcat, I would recommend The Old Gin House, although there are less expensive options, as well. The below sites will give you more info.

www.oldginhouse.com

www.statiatourism.com

Thanks, Statia. The Old Gin House looks great. Our Caribbean trip for this year is to Anguilla; but will definitely consider Statia for 2006.

orangetravelcat, you should come to Statia as a day trip when you are on Anguilla. That way you can decide if you would enjoy it for a longer stay next year.

I woukld suggest if he is going to Anguilla, he also go to St. Barts. Quiet a contrast..Statia is laid back like Anguilla but without the resorts.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. What I've seen so far is great, but I'm still looking for more off-the-beaten track experiences, so keep the posts coming.

Not sure if Vieques qualifies as "Off the Beaten Track" anymore, but I posted a trip report here about a month ago about my experiences there. We have been there three times in the past few years.

Let me know if I can answer any questions.

We really enjoyed Curacao...spent most of our week exploring all the little beaches. It was often a fun (and sometimes frustrating) challenge to find the rock or tree with a painted arrow toward the beach path! Often we were the only ones on them so the hunt was worthwhile. Snorkeling is not great here, but the water and sand are pure and clean.

Hi, Doug. I've been to at least a dozen of the islands in the Caribbean including a day trip to several of the Grenadines. But the unknown island I know the most about is Barbuda although I don't see it on your list. I had first heard about it during a trip to Antigua but was unable to get room on the small plane to do a day trip. A few years later, my husband and I took a five night vacation at the K Club there. It certainly had that deserted island feel. The beach at the hotel was among the most beautiful I've ever seen: white sand, crystal clear water, beautiful birds and no people. But I'm a fan of quieter places so was surprised to find that by the third day I was missing the action. There wasn't much to do other than lay on that beach and eat dinner there. Our ideal destination is somewhere with a very quiet beach, but numerous restaurant options to drive to, see other people in the evenings.

I don't believe that many of the other beaches there were accessible by car, only by boat. There was a terrific frigate bird sanctuary that could be visited by small boat. I would recommend the island to someone who wants to get away from it all, but only if they REALLY want to get away from it all.

Good luck with your research and thank you for asking for input!

My husband & I spent our honeymoon in the Grenadines. Flew into St. Vincent and chartered a sailboat crewed by a lovely British couple, John & Rose. Name of the boat was The Tantalus. We were the only passengers and they made sure to pamper us with fresh grapefruit and coffee every morning, and many excellent meals including several local Caribbean dishes. We stopped in Bequia for one day, then sailed to Tobago Cays for 2 days.

Bequia was fun, a laid back town with live music and friendly locals. Tobago Cays had some of the best snorkeling I've ever seen anywhere. We went scuba diving as well but I would not recommend diving in the Grenadines. Dive boat had no ladder to get back on, and didn't even have cold water for the divers! And the diving wasn't spectacular. Too hard for the pleasure involved.

After 4 days on the sailboat, John & Rose dropped us off for an 8-night stay on PSV. It's a private island resort where the answer to every question, literally, was "whatever you want." The privacy, food, and service are unsurpassed. Good snorkeling too. No nightlife, but we had room service every night for dinner and it was wonderful to be able to have an excellent meal alone on our wraparound balcony overlooking the sea.

Doug, is Vieques considered off-the-beaten-track? You didn't list it as one of the examples you are looking for, so I'm not sure if this could be one of your choices.

If you want me to re-post and tell you our experience, please post again. Thanks!