St Vincent

Range and Diversity

St Vincent & The Grenadines are a group of islands west of Barbados. Islands in the Grenadines include: Mustique, Bequia, Canouan, Palm Island and Union Island.

The Tobago Cays is renowned as one of the most popular destinations for people looking for a sailing holiday in the Caribbean, as well as having the superb beach at Salt Whistle Bay. Diving on the west coast of St Vincent around the Buccament Bay area, has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. For this reason there are many dive centres to cater for this market.

St Vincent has remained largely unspoilt from international development and as such the island remains exclusive and is a relatively undiscovered jewel in the Caribbean. In addition to improvements in infrastructure the English Cricket team play their warm up games on St Vincent. During the 2007 Cricket World Cup, they will be playing Australia and Bermuda.

Daily flights from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, St Lucia or Grenada (an International airport is expected for 2011 at Argyle)

There are no long-haul flights into St Vincent & the Grenadines. Passengers coming from overseas must fly to a neighbouring island and then switch to a prop plane. LIAT, Airlines of Carriacou, Mustique Airways and Air Martinique fly between St Vincent and Trinidad, St Lucia, Martinique and Grenada. Yachties can clear customs at Kingstown or Wallilabou Bay

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.

Passports

Valid passport is required by all nationals of Britain, Australia, Canada, US, Other EU countries.

Visas

Not required by all nationals of countries above. Length of stay is determined by immigration authority on arrival, if necessary. Check with consulate or high commission before departure. A return or onward ticket is required by all visitors, as well as proof of accommodation and adequate funds.

Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD; symbol EC$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of EC$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EC$1, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. The Eastern Caribbean Dollar is tied to the US Dollar.

Whilst the Caribbean state of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is probably best known as a
hideaway for the rich and famous, the former British colony is now emerging as a well governed and
regulated financial jurisdiction to rival the more prominent offshore finance centres in the region.
In the past, the country's economy was based on income from sugar and bananas, although tourism
has since superceded agriculture as St Vincent’s biggest earner. Economic growth has been restricted
by a combination of events such as climatic problems and the need to remodel the financial services
sector to appease the OECD and FATF (Financial Action Task Force) which has become a high priority
for the Government. Accordingly, an ambitious programme of policy reforms designed to strengthen
the public finances, achieve higher growth, lower unemployment and reduce poverty is underway.
Banking, trusts, insurance and mutual funds form the cornerstone of the finance industry, although the
registration of International Business Companies has also become a strong growth area for SVG.
According to the International Financial Services Authority (IFSA), by the end of April 2004, some 357
new IBCs had registered in the country, compared to 194 during 2003, representing growth of 84%. In
total there are around 6,300 registered IBCs.

Bills from restaurants, bars and clubs include a 10% service fee. It is still customary to tip attentive services of waiters, tourist guides, maids and bell boys. Water: Tap water is not recommendable for human consumption. It is advisable to drink only Mineral Water or filtered water.

Average daily highs hardly vary from January to July making for a decadent year of high 20-low 30°C (68/86°F) days. Rainfall, however, is a different matter. July is the wettest month with an average of 26 days of measurable rainfall, while April, the driest month, averages just six days of rain. The climate varies between the islands, as the Grenadines to the south are slightly drier and marginally warmer than St Vincent. In St Vincent the dry season runs approximately from January to May.

Telephones

Country code: 1 784.

Mobile Telephone

North American mobile phones on all the islands.

Internet

Available in Internet cafes and hotels.

Post

Airmail to Western Europe takes up to two weeks.
Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1500, Sat 0830-1130.

St Vincent and The Grenadines is Mother Nature's finest gift to the Caribbean. With unforgettable sapphire seas, turquoise lagoons and palm-fringed beaches, exploring these magical islands is the stuff of dreams.
The Leeward (west) coast of St Vincent leads to many interesting sights. A visit to the Botanical Gardens, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, is a favourite stop for both visitors and locals. Here, rare and exotic flowers, plants and trees abound.
The garden was founded in 1762 as a commercial breeding ground for plants brought from other parts of the world. St Vincent was Captain Bligh's original destination when the mutiny on HMS Bounty delayed his first scheduled arrival.

The waters around St Vincent & The Grenadines offer perfect sailing conditions in picture postcard surroundings. The scent of fresh coconut and the sound of steel drums carried on a warm breeze.
A Caribbean flotilla is a truly tropical experience. For couples, it's the ultimate romantic escape with long, sandy beaches and tiny desert islands, and for solo travellers and groups of friends it is simply 'dream' sailing.
Explore the bays and beautiful beaches of St Vincent and then plot a course for The Grenadines where more adventure awaits. Steady, sure winds on the high seas and steady 78-degree temperatures make for exhilarating sailing all year-round.

Diving sites abound in the turquoise waters surrounding these volcanic islands.Abundant reef-life, normally found at 80ft in most dive destinations around the world, flourishes here at depths of only 25ft.There are an extraordinary variety of tropical reef fish to be found such as angelfish, sergeant majors and peacock flounder.The shallow-water reefs surrounding almost every island make snorkelling an exciting adventure for children and adults alike. Local dive shops and tour operators are both knowledgeable and experienced at making arrangements, according to each individual's requirements.

Travellers to St Vincent and The Grenadines can feed their taste for adventure - as well as seclusion - by visiting sites used in the Disney movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and exploring some of the Caribbean's most protected bays both above and below the waves. The movie is historically grounded in fact, as St Vincent was no stranger to pirates who stumbled upon a last stronghold of the Carib Indians against the onslaught of French and English colonisers.Today's more peaceful buccaneers will find in St Vincent a last bastion of a Caribbean that pre-dates the era of mass tourism.

Nightlife

Most evening events take place in hotels and it is best to ask at individual hotels for a calendar of events. Nightclubs include the Aquatic club and the Buccama Club on the Leeward Coast. The Attic in Kingstown features a wide variety of music during the week and live entertainment at weekends. There is one casino on the island, at Peniston, on the Leeward side.

Shopping

Food and Drink

St Vincent is one of the few islands where good West Indian cuisine can almost always be enjoyed in hotels. There is plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and other seafood on offer. Lobster is available in season.

National specialities:
• Red snapper.
• Kingfish.
• Lambi (conch).
• Callalou soup.
• Souse (pickled meat or seafood).

National drinks:
• Sea-moss drink.
• Vincentian beer and rum, a major ingredient in punch and cocktails.
• A wide variety of local exotic fruit juices.

Food and Drink

Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe, may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225g of tobacco.
• 1.136l of alcoholic beverage.

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