Recently a contributor on here was asking about information on less well traveled destinations so I thought I would share some extracts from an article in a local travel magazine About St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

CARIBBEAN' DEEP SOUTH OPTS FOR LUXURY

Do we really want another Caribbean Destination Crammed with Mass market resorts, all-inclusive compounds and coach loads of tourists on day excursions descending on every waterfall, forest preserve and scenic outlook?

The little nation of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, deep in the southern Caribbean…thinks not. The philosophy is first class all the way.

The Country is made up of mountainous St. Vincent, the main island and the location of the capital, Kingstown, and a string of islands reaching to the south almost to Grenada. Only eight of the Grenadines are inhabited.

SVG has been known to discriminating travelers for many years as a destination where time has stood still, where mass tourism has not reached, and where it is still possible to enjoy the West Indies way of life, unhurried and laid back.

St. Vincent itself attracts visitors who find pleasure in natural pastimes such as climbing its sometimes active volcano, exploring the bird life of its rain forest, finding hidden waterfalls, and soaking in the untamed magnificence of its interior and its leeward coast. The vistas in St Vincent’s mountains have no peers in the Caribbean – high mountains wrapped in lush foliage, deep valleys and acres of banana plantations…movie makers are finally waking up to untapped source of locations including Pirates of the Caribbean.

Traditionally, visitors to St Vincent and the Grenadines have chosen to stay in small and charming, family owned hotels, which are plentiful…There is also an elegant small hotel on Mustique; the Cotton House, a member of Leading Small Hotels of the World.

Nearby, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent (PSV) are even smaller islands occupied solely by up-market resorts, both of which provide low-key island lifestyle with villa accommodations.

It’s luxury of an entirely different style on Canouan island where the first Raffles Resort in the Caribbean opened last year……

My favorite islands. Those of you who want a mega resort vacation please stay home. I would like to see nature at it's best continue. I don't want to see investors come in and destroy the heart and soul like was done on Canuoan. Keep away jet skis. I like my island paradise the way it is now. Tree frogs and the sea kissing the sand at night putting me in the most restful sleep and wake up to the rooster crowing when the sun comes up. Kayak, hike, or lie on the beach, mingle with the locals on Indian Bay beach Saturday or Sunday. Appreciate the culture but please don't exploit the friendly warm people of the Grenadines.

Vinceygirl: The author of the article and, it now appears the Government of SVG has agreed that your philosophy is the right one. Having been off the beaten track for so long, SVG's competative advantage is that it has not been developed but the Sandels, Hiltons and even Ritz Carltons of this world.

It is the way the Caribbean was 30 and 40 years ago when many of us from North America fell in love with it. I remember when Yost Van Dyke and Foxy's was less developed than Basil's. When Little Thatch did not have electricity.

But with the change in the banana trade SVG does need to generate employment and tourisim is the natural resource. We just dont want (or need) the trinkets trash and t-shirt crowd. We want people who will take only pictures and leave only foot prints.

Can't wait to be back in March for the second trip of 2006

I will be going to St. Vincent for the first time in September and I can't wait! My wife and I love to explore and enjoy the natural beauty of the islands instead of the manufactured beauty of large hotel resorts. We're going to stay at the Mariner's hotel.

Bump: I have not stayed at the Mariner Hotel, but have read great things about it on the Trip Advisor site and at $175 USD a night how can you go wrong.

Also just off of St Vincent is Young Island resort and there is a little known but great Eco resort called Petit Byahout which has only 5 villas on 50 acres. Petit Byahout is not for everyone, it has no phone, no tv and is only accessable by boat. If you want to get away from it all check it out at http://outahere.com/petitbyahaut/

Was just there for 2 weeks this past Dec. Now planning the return trip for nov/dec of this year. I'm one of the lucky Americans some of my dearest friends on Earth are Vincentian, so I not only get to visit but truly experience the "real Caribbean" and not from a tourist perspective. I have been fortunate enought to have done this for the past 15 years. MSQ I know the government talks the talk I only hope they walk the walk. Palm Island changed once the big wigs came to town and I won't even begin to talk about Canouan, the whole thing angers me so much.

Canouan still needs work from what I hear to become an absolute top resort. Having said that now that Raffles and Farimont are now in the same ownership group they have the expertise and the money to do it (not that enough money has been spent on the island but better to get it right than to have it abandoned.

Furthermore, while we may agree to disagree, I think it is good for St Vincent to have some top resorts to draw people to the beauty of our favourite island nation.

It looks as if the current Government has secured financing to build a large enought airport at Argyle to have transcontinental jets land.

But as you say they will need to be careful not to destroy what is unique about St Vincent, namely that it is real.

The building of the new airport is causing much dissent from what I picked up in Dec. From what i heard the govt may be using emminent domain to acquire the necessary property. I personally am not convinced a new airport is the answer to increasing tourism. If there were airlines to commit to a better SVG connection then I might become a believer. I also know what can happen to a region when the supposedly committed airline fails to keep their end of the bargain. USAirways really created problems when hub status was moved from Pittsburgh to Charlotte and Philly. Our city and county govt supported the airlines during one of the first bankruptcys only to have them up and leave once the new airport was built. Pittsburgh International is incomparable, way above and beyond Charlotte or Philly. With all it has to offer our airport can be considered a destination unto itself.
A new airport in SVG would be nice as long as it served to create better connections between the US and other countries. I hope the got thinks long and hard before displacing people and maybe having a white elephant on their hands.

vineygirl or msq, i have been thinking about svg for a while now. my ideal on any island is to rent a small house/villa ON the beach. prefer away from anything big or crowded. snorkeling directly off that beach is even more perfect. how is the snorkeling in svg? and do you recommend any particular houses?

virginia, I always stay at a small guest house with efficiency apartments directly on Indian Bay. My travel agent does deal with villas/houses as well as the usual travel routine 412-364-8083. He set me up with this guesthouse 14 yrs ago. Might be worth giving him a call.

thank you. i will give them a call on monday.

virginia, must let you know where I stay is very basic, no pool or any amenities. There is phone service available but not in the room. I think you might be looking for something a bit more upscale so make sure you let the agent know your preferences. The island of Bequia which is part of SVG would have much to offer, maybe even more than the Mainland.

Spend time at Youngs Island and it is average, with the rooms on the below average scale. It took them about three days to get hot water in our shower and the food was good but not what you would expect for the price. It would look to alternatives to St Vincent as the island is very poor and we didn't find it very pretty.

First let me say that the snorkling and diving in the Grenadines is some of the best in the world.

With respect to villa rentals I know both Bequia and Mustique have a number of villas to rent some on the beach and some a short walk to the beach. I am most familiar with Mustique which has about 70 houses on the whole island of which 60 are rented when the owners are not using them.

A complete list of the houses available for rent on Mustique can be found on the Mustique Company Web site at www.mustique-island.com

All of the houses come with staff and a car included in the price. The only addition cost is the raw cost of food and drink and tips your staff.

If you want more information feel free to ask.

Vincygirl:

Having looked at it carefully, I am not sure St Vincent should build the new airport. However, building it was a key part of the Prime Minister's election campaign both this time and last. You will know his party won 12 of 15 seats in the house so it seems he has solid support.

As it stands now St Lucia and Barbados have great international service (from North America and Europe) and, as you know it is less than a 20 minute flight from St Lucia and 30 to 40 minutes from Barbados. I look at the short flight it like a cab ride. I figure the 35-40 minute flight from the Barbados Airport is shorter than the 50+ minute cab ride to Sandy Lane etc on the west coast of Barbados. Similiarly from St. Lucia the 20 minute flight is much shorter than the cab ride to the resorts in St. Lucia.

For those of you reading this who are not so familiar with the area, the point is that St Vincent and the Grenadines are easy to get to, you just have to think a little outside the box.

Building a new airport was central to Gonsalves campaign. The Labor Party holds the majority. My understanding is the NDP's key a few yrs ago was the cruise ship dock. Unfortunately it still needs more developement in terms of businesses and restaurants. St. Vincent is truly a diamond in the rough. If the government is careful and the citizens as well tourism could be a big asset in years to come....if it is handled carefully.

McInvestor, I take it you didn't see much of St. Vincent. Otherwise you would not have made the comment posted. Poor country? absolutely in terms of monetary wealth but so rich in culture, nature and the people. Vincentians are some of the nicest friendliest and genuine people I have ever met. Sorry you didn't take the time to go outside your comfort zone.

McInvestor, how can you say St. Vincent is not pretty? The scenery is great as well as the people. Of course, it is not a tourist island, so you do see the actual workings of a poor economy, which may not make a good impression on people who are calibrated in terms of upscale resorts and duty-free boutiques. It is clearly not for everyone, but something will be lost if it ever does succumb to the mass tourism that has taken over some of the other islands.