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General
Information
One
of the major British Windward
Islands, sleepy St. Vincent is
just beginning to awaken to tourism.
Sailors and the yachting set have
long known of St. Vincent and
the Grenadines, and until recently
it was a well-kept vacation secret.
Situated about one hundred miles
west of Barbados, and nestled
between St Lucia to the north
and Grenada to the south, the
string of islands known collectively
as St Vincent and the Grenadines
may be physically close together,
but vary enormously in character,
terrain and appeal.
The
main centre of activity is St
Vincent , the largest and northernmost
of the islands. As well as exploring
St Vincent's two distinct coastlines
- the rugged windward side and
the gentle leeward side - and
lush, interior hiking trails,
don't miss the opportunity to
spend time on the tiny isle of
Bequia, just a short ferry ride
away, a yachters' haven that also
boasts shimmering beaches and
a fascinating seafaring history.
The less developed and less populated
islands of Canouan, Mayreau and
Union are all easily reachable
by ferry and offer a taste of
the unspoiled Caribbean, while
Mustique , an island hideaway
of the rich and famous, makes
for an affordable day trip of
swimming and snorkelling, though
don't expect to find a cheap place
to stay.
The uninhabited national park
of the Tobago Cays , a cluster
of islets which form the eastern
point of a triangle between Union
Island and Mayreau, are surrounded
by coral reefs and unbelievably
aquamarine waters and make an
excellent excursion from nearby
islands.
St. Vincent & Bequia offer
incredible sheer vertical walls,
crevices, and extensive shallow
reefs, many virtually unexplored
and accessible by boat within
10 minutes from resorts. Diving
in the Southern Grenadines and
Tobago Cays boasts impressive
dense shallow coral gardens and
a profusion of fish life.
Getting
There
St. Vincent’s main airport
is the E. T. Joshua Airport in
Arnos Vale, a short distance from
Kingstown. This airport services
international flights as well
as flights to and from the Grenadines
and other Caribbean destinations.
The
major gateways to St. Vincent &
The Grenadines from North America
and Europe are Barbados, Grenada,
Trinidad, St. Lucia, Martinique
and Puerto Rico, with connecting
flights to Bequia, Canouan, Mustique
and Union Island.
From
the US
American
Airlines, US
Airways, Delta,
Air
Jamaica, Jet
Blue
The
main US cities with direct access
are New York, Atlanta, Miami &
Charlotte
From
Canada
Air
Canada, WestJet
From
the UK
British
Airways, Virgin
Atlantic
From
Europe
Air
France, Condor
Regional
airline operators with direct and
indirect services to and from St.
Vincent:
Liat,
Caribbean
Airlines
Canouan,
Bequia, Mustique and Union Island
all have airports with daily scheduled
service and charter flights to and
from St. Vincent by SVG
Air, Mustique
Airways and Trans
Island Air.
Canouan has a jetport that is serviced
by SVG
Air and Liat
Flight
Times
Barbados/St. Vincent: 35 mins.
Grenada/St. Vincent: 30 mins.
London/Barbados: 8 hrs. 20 mins.
Martinique/St. Vincent: 40 mins.
Miami/Barbados: 3.5 hrs.
New York/Barbados: 5 hours.
New York/St. Lucia: 5 hrs.
Puerto Rico/St. Vincent: 2 hrs.
St. Lucia/St. Vincent: 30 mins.
Toronto/Barbados: 6.5 hrs.
Trinidad/St. Vincent: 1 hr.
The bus fare from Ashton to the
airport is EC$3 and a bus will be
waiting when The Jasper docks to
transfer passengers. If you're arriving
on Union Island from Carriacou,
you must board this bus as you'll
need to pass through immigration
at the airport.
Visitors to St. Vincent & The
Grenadines must be in possession
of a valid passport and a return
or onward ticket. Visas are required
from nationals of The Dominican
Republic, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,
The People's Republic of China,
Iraq, Iran and Nigeria.
A
Departure Tax of EC$40 (US$15) per
person must be paid by all visitors
who have been in the country for
24 hours or more.
Travel
Tips
Getting Around
By Taxi
The government sets the rates for
fares, but taxis are unmetered and
you should always check the fare
before setting off. Fares are raised
for journeys late at night or early
in the morning. The average fare
from Indian Bay into Kingstown is
approximately EC$25 and EC$15-20
will get you to the E. T. Joshua
Airport from your Indian Bay or
Villa hotel. Tipping is suggested
at 10% of the fare. You can also
hire taxis to take you to the island’s
major attractions. Expect to spend
EC$40 to EC$50 per hour for a car
holding two to four passengers.
By Car
Driving in St. Vincent is on the
left. While initially driving on
the narrow, twisting roads is a
bit of an adventure, you will quickly
begin to enjoy the challenge and
start driving like a "Vincy".
There are limited road signs, but
locals are usually quite happy to
point you in the right direction.
Remember to sound your horn as you
make the sharp curves and turns.
Avis (784-456-4389) has an office
at the airport and the majority
of local companies will be happy
to pick you up at your hotel or
at the airport. Most agencies, such
as Rent and Drive (784-457-5601
and David’s Auto Clinic (784-456-4026)
offer similar rates and terms.
A temporary driving licence, costing
EC$50, must be purchased at the
police station on Bay Street, or
the Licensing Authority on Halifax
Street, with the presentation of
a valid overseas driver’s licence.
If you have an International Driving
Permit you must get it stamped at
the central police station.
By Bus
Flamboyantly painted buses travel
the principal roads of St. Vincent,
linking the major towns and villages.
The central departure point is the
bus terminal at the New Kingstown
Fish Market. Fares range from EC$1
to EC$6 (US$0.40 to US$2.20). Minibuses,
which stop on demand rather than
at bus stops, run frequently between
Kingstown and the popular hotel
areas of Indian Bay and Villa.
The number of vans starting in Kingstown
and running to Owia or Fancy in
the north is limited. The best way
is to take the early bus to Georgetown
and try to catch one of the two
vans running between Georgetown
and Fancy (EC$10). To get to Richmond
in the northwest take a bus to Barrouallie
and seek onward transport from there.
A day trip to Mesopotamia (Mespo)
by bus (EC$2.50) is definitely a
worthwhile experience.
Ferry Service Between Islands
Getting
between St Vincent & the Grenadines
is easiest by boat. A ferry makes
a one-hour run between Kingstown
and Port Elizabeth on Bequia several
times a day. An inexpensive mailboat
carries passengers and cargo three
times weekly between St Vincent,
Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau and Union
Island. From St Vincent, times range
from one hour to Bequia to over
four and a half hours to Union Island.
You can also fly between St Vincent
and Union Island and Bequia, though
it's more expensive and generally
less convenient than catching a
boat.
Money and Banking
The official currency of St Vincent
and the Grenadines is the Eastern
Caribbean dollar (EC$) , although
the US dollar is also widely accepted,
as are major credit cards, at hotels
and restaurants, and by car rental
agencies and dive and tour companies.
The EC$ is divided into 100 cents.
Bills come in denominations of 5,
10, 20, 50 and 100 EC dollars; coins
in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents. At
the time of writing, the rate of
exchange was roughly EC$2.70 to
US$1.
There are plenty of banks on St
Vincent, including Barclays Bank
and Scotiabank on Halifax Street
in Kingstown, both of which have
ATMs. E.T. Joshua Airport has an
exchange bureau which is open 8am-noon
and 3-5pm on weekdays. There are
also two banks on Bequia and a branch
of the National Commercial Bank
on Union Island; all have ATMs.
Banking hours are generally Monday
to Thursday 9am-3pm and Friday 9am-5pm;
however, some banks close at 1pm.
Dress
Casual resort wear is the general
rule for both men and women during
the day. Out of respect for local
customs, swimwear should not be
worn on the street, or in shops
and restaurants.
Health
There are six public hospitals,
including Kingstown General Hospital,
and Maryfield Hospital, Lowmans
and Bequia Casualty Hospital, Port
Elizabeth, and three privately owned
hospitals. Community care is provided
by 38 outpatient clinics located
throughout the country. Each clinic
serves about 3,000 people and is
easily accessible. Health centers
are well staffed and provide a wide
range of services, including midwifery,
family planning, immunization and
emergency care. St. Vincent has
a mental health center and a home
for the elderly.
Electricity
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has
a reliable supply of electricity.
Electricity is generally 220/240
volt, 50 cycle, except for Petit
St. Vincent which has 110 volt,
60 cycle. Most hotels have 110 volt
shaver outlets. The standard electrical
plug has 3 rectangular pins so remember
to pack an adapter.
Climate
Average temperatures range from
75 87 degrees F. Driest season is
January to April. Rainy season is
June to October. Average rainfall
80" per year on the coast.
150" per year in the interior.
Water
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has
an abundant supply of potable water
as the level of rainfall is high.
Taxes & Tipping
Hotels and restaurants will automatically
add a 7 percent government tax and
10 percent service charge to your
bill. Tipping is at your discretion,
but not expected.
Telecommunications
St Vincent and the Grenadines has
a state of the art fibre optic digital
telephone system. Internet, Boatphone,
Cellular service, telex, telegraph
and facsimile access are also available.
The international area code is 1-784
followed by the local seven-digit
number. Phonecards are available
through outlets islandwide as are
Phonecard booths. International
Direct Dialing (IDD) service is
available to most destinations in
the world and International calls
can be made using your credit card
(MasterCard, Visa, Discover, AT
& T and Bell are accepted) by
dialing the operator.
Postal Service
The main post office is on Halifax
Street in Kingstown (Mon-Fri 8.30am-3pm,
Sat 8.30-11.30am). There are also
branches in smaller communities
on St Vincent, as well as on the
other islands.
Internet/E-Mail
Kingstown has a couple of internet
cafés , and others can be
found on Bequia and Union Island.