Safety In Grenada
 

Anyone been to Grenada lately? Did you feel safe?

Grenada is a very safe island. We have been there at least 10 times. The best guide on the island is Mandoo. Check him out at http://www.caribbean-connection.com/tours/mandoo.htm. <BR> <BR>

I second Harriett. I've been to Grenada 3x, most recently in December 2000. Exercise common sense, and you should do fine, day and night. <BR> <BR>In the past, there has been some issue with vendors on the beach (not menacing, just persistent), but at Grand Anse Beach, the government has built a Vendor's Market, which has significantly reduced the presence of the freelance wandering vendor. On some of the smaller tourist-oriented beaches, you may still have offers to have your hair braided, but a firm "No, thank you" usually does the trick. The BEST place to go to avoid being approached by vendors is the beaches frequented by the Grenadians themselves, most on the east cost (Bathways, La Sagesse). No one expects many tourists there (so no vendors), but they are certainly welcome. <BR> <BR>Grenada is awesome!

Are the dogs still there? Was there with my family 2 years ago, stayed on Grand Anse Beach. The people were lovely, very sweet, but the dogs were so many and so skinny it was kind of scary, especially when they started scrapping at each other...

I don't recall there being many dogs this time around (nor on any of my visits, for that matter). We occasionally get "adopted" by a stray on the beach, but they don't seem particularly skinny. Maybe you just had an unfortunate experience. (Stray animals are a problem in the islands in general, as there are not resources to spay and neuter.)

If you rent a car, be sure not to leave valuables in sight. Lock them in the trunk or better yet, don't take them with you. Also, be aware of anyone watching you around the car. Unfortunately, the last time I was in Grenada I stopped at the beach near the old Pearls airport. A kid who tried to sell me some Amerindian trinkets saw me put my backpack in the trunk. When I returned, I found the back window smashed out. He was able to get into the trunk through the back seat. Some construction workers in the area told me they saw a kid running away from the car. There is an army base at the airport, so I reported the incident there. Since that was my last day in Grenada, I never did hear anything else about it. The car rental agency was nice about the whole thing--I didn't have to pay anything for the damage nor make a claim against my insurance. <BR> <BR>Don't let this stop you from enjoying Grenada. This sort of thing can happen anywhere. In fact, I'll be in Grenada in about 6 weeks, and I intend to go back to that same beach. But, I'll be more careful this time...