Travel Guides: All Countries / Caribbean / Grenada
 |  | Travel Reviews : Grenada |
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| | | | Sunshine and seasoning
From the Daily Mail
Ssshh, I'll let you into a secret, straight from television chef Gary Rhodes's Caribbean hideaway - his wife can't bear to cook for him.
'Whatever I make, whether it's pasta or scrambled eggs, he'll take a bite and say I should have used more of this or less of that,' she says.
'So I tell him to shut up and eat.'
Jenny, a jolly, extrovert lady and also a trained chef, is certainly not afraid to bring her husband back down to earth.
She's not averse to taking a break from one of his inspirational cooking demonstrations and barracking him with cries of 'Rubbish! Rubbish!' on her way out to the powder room.
And she was more than happy to take one look at Rhodes and I in similarly voluminous white cotton shirts and exclaim: 'What do they think they look like!'
Perhaps their infectious informality was brought out by our hotel in Grenada, with its great beach view.
The Rhodes family - including sons Sam and George, and Gary's mother Jean - pride themselves on their informality.
Gary still lives near Orpington, Kent, and eats out at his local Indian.
He was a man of the people long before the idea occurred to Tony Blair.
The family does not always have much time for holidays en masse, yet when they escape together they have as much fun as if they were on the front at Southend, even if Rhodes dabbles in a bit of holiday work at the same time.
Travel Guide: Grenada
Packing a real Caribbean punch
Anywhere calling itself the Spice Island is bound to strike terror in British stomachs. The name conjures images of dodgy curries with grisly after-effects.
I feared the worst and arrived in Grenada with a suitcase full of pills.
I need not have bothered. Instead of fiery foreign condiments, my stomach was assailed by nothing more sinister than nutmeg, saffron and cinnamon.
Grenadians are gentle souls: they do not try to blow the roof off your mouth.
It is an enchanting island and a good part of its enchantment comes from its food.
On the harbourside at St George's, the capital and one of the prettiest towns in the Caribbean, brightly coloured stalls sell everything from cloves to plantains, guava to goatmeat and coconuts to lambi, a local name for conch.
'How you doin', my friend?' asked a man with dirty dreadlocks at the end of the quay. He was cooking some kind of fish soup on a small primer stove.
The smell wafted gently across the harbour: past the Grenada Co-Operative Bank; past the Baptist church; past the garage; past the shop selling T-shirts.
There was a policeman in a red cap watching the proceedings from across the street, nodding his approval as salt was added to the soup, followed by rice. He was flanked by two schoolgirls in white blouses, who were similarly absorbed.
Grenadians, I realised, take their food seriously.
That impression persisted as I drove into the lush, mountainous interior.
Travel Guide: Grenada
How to spot a killer
'This really is a long way to come to watch something blow its nose,' snorted one of my fellow passengers dismissively, as our guide pointed to yet another spray of water in the middle distance.
For the first hour of our whale-watching trip, four miles off the North-Western coast of Grenada, I couldn't help agreeing with him.
We had been told we were '97 per cent certain' to see one of these magnificent mammals close up by Mosden Cumberbach, a fisherman-turned-entrepreneur who scours the waters around this Caribbean island in his 44ft catamaran every day of the week.
But other than those far-off plumes (which, to the untrained eye, are impossible to distinguish from the surf), we had little confidence in his powers of prediction.
To add to the growing feelings of mutiny, some of us were having difficulty finding our sea legs.
'At this time of year, the sea is normally as flat as a millpond,' commented one of the crew gamely, as we held on to our stomachs amid a 5ft swell.
Then, suddenly, just as we were giving up hope of seeing anything, Mosden jumped up from his lookout post and shouted down: 'There's a large one to the left and a baby one straight ahead. We'll have to sneak up on them from behind or they will move further out'.
Instantly forgetting our seasickness, all eight of us tourists on board scampered over to the starboard side.
Even then, we couldn't quite believe him until we saw a huge grey back - with a smaller one by its side - emerge from the water about 30ft from the boat.
A scramble for cameras ensued while the whales played submarines with us, vanishing into the turquoise depths to emerge a minute or so later.
Not having seen a whale in the wild before, I glanced down at the laminated chart we had been given to try to identify our new friends.
Travel Guide: Grenada
Crystal-clear sea
My holiday to Grenada last September was fantastic.
I would definitely advise a tour of the island to get a small taste of the history of this wonderful place.
Gran Anse beach is a vital destination, where the sea is crystal clear and St Georges is good for shopping.
No real problems here, just be careful as with any other country.
Travel Guide: Grenada
Making a debut dive
From the Daily Mail
Slipping slowly beneath the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, I started raining curses on the head of Jacques Cousteau.
As a child, I was mesmerised by those images of life on the ocean floor, overlaid with the Gallic accent of the venerable French diver who dominated Seventies wildlife TV. All my life I'd harboured a desire to follow in the master's watery footsteps to the mysterious depths where sharks lurked, fish swam and jellyfish did whatever jellyfish do.
That morning, I had strapped a scuba tank to my back for the first time and learned the basics of diving in a pool at a beachfront hotel. It had all seemed so simple then, so unthreatening and easy. Now, though, with 40ft of seawater beneath me, I was gripped by fear. Then male ego came to the rescue.
Linda, a fellow traveller who had gone through training with me, was gliding across the seabed like someone closely related to a dolphin. This was a situation not to be tolerated. I took a deep breath, forced my heart out of my throat and took a long look around. It was all right.
I hate to admit it, but every cliche ever told about diving is true: it really is out of this world. And a little cove off the white sands of Grand Anse beach on the island of Grenada must be the best place in the world to boldly go where no man - at least in my family - had ever gone before.
Within seconds I was entranced, engulfed in clouds of glittering multicoloured fish, darting between forests of coral. I apologised silently to Jacques and tried to remember to gawp and breathe at the same time. Thirty minutes later, I surfaced and had that light-headed feeling that comes from having accomplished something slightly daring. Or perhaps it was just oxygen starvation.
Grenada is like that. It creeps up, hitting you with an uncomfortable notion - for once, the holiday brochure's hyperbole was justified.
Take Grand Anse beach. The sand was white enough to make a purist cry, the sea was as clear as bath water, palm trees whispered in a breeze and the scene was overhung with beautiful blue sky. Behind it was our hotel, the Spice Island Beach Resort. Its Royal suites comprise a private cottage with a personal plunge pool, mini-gym and sauna.
Travel Guide: Grenada
Great times in Grenada
I arrived, dizzy with jetlag, in Grenada, the southernmost of the Windward Islands, savouring the sauna-like heat and swoony mix of spicy aromas hanging heavy in the air.
It was only a short drive past banana plantations, coconut palms and abundant bottle green foliage speckled with gaudy blooms to Spice Island Beach Resort, the hotel which would be my home for the next few days.
I was greeted by smiley staff, a luscious fruit cocktail and a welcome cold towel. A casualty of Hurricane Ivan, the resort had to be completely rebuilt at a cost of £6 million.
Ivan's 150mph winds caused catastrophic damage to Grenada, leaving 39 people dead and 90% of the island's structures destroyed. Almost every building fortunate enough to be left standing had their roofs torn off, including the Prime Minister's residence, schools, prison and churches. Many of the islanders became homeless. Nutmeg production, so central to the national identity that it appears on the Grenadian flag, was decimated. As if that wasn't enough, no sooner had Ivan gone than Hurricane Emily swept in.
Now the air is one of optimism, and although Ivan may have blown away the Grenadians' homes, it left their sense of humour intact. Signs, like one I saw beside a recently planted tree urging, 'Grow, dammit!', bear witness to that.
As part of this renewal, the Spice Island Beach Resort has emerged phoenix- like from the ashes to become a seriously stylish, upmarket resort on Grand Anse beach, a beauty queen sweep of pashmina soft white sand.
Grenada's government is now totally committed to preserving and sustaining the island's natural beauty and measures have been taken to ensure that the island remains unspoiled. Initiatives such as designating one sixth of the land mass to parks, natural sanctuaries and wildlife preserves strive to limit human encroachment and provide visitors with environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, activities.
The morning after my arrival, I had a massage in the hotel's Janissa Spa. My therapist Catherine kneaded my knotty shoulder muscles and pummelled me with gallons of sweet-smelling unguents. When she told me that her family's home was left roofless by Ivan, and I remarked, "How awful!" Catherine simply shook her head and said: "Oh no! We were blessed. So many others suffered much more than we did."
It was time to waft across to breakfast, then to feast on freshly squeezed cherry juice, home-made bread, nutmeg jam and a bumper-sized cheese, mushroom and callaloo omelette (callaloo is a local vegetable similar to spinach), after which my guide was waiting to whisk me off to see the sights.
We bowled along bumpy roads and soon reached the privately owned River Antoine rum distillery, the oldest in the Caribbean and one which still uses a water-wheel to power the rollers that squeeze the juice from the sugar cane.
Nothing here has changed since the 1800s when the rum fired the throats of pirates. Why don't they update their equipment? "Because that would mean we wouldn't need all the staff and we don't want people to lose their jobs," an employee said. After sampling the rum, perhaps an unwise decision in the hot early morning sunshine, it was off to St George's, the island's capital.
Fishermen in this higgledy piggledy town featuring a horseshoe-shaped harbour and liquorice-allsort coloured Georgian houses still blow conch shell horns to announce the arrival of the morning catch. We had a brief stop, before rolling past the 'Flamboyant Looks' beauty salon and 'Molly and Son' s cafe (selling 'Finger-Lickin Fish and Chips'), before driving towards the rainforest to visit a chocolate factory.
Grenada Chocolate Company is almost as far from anywhere as you can get on this postage-stamp sized island. Perhaps the word 'factory' gives the wrong impression; the premises look like someone's rather humble home.
Inside this chocoholic's dream, the smell of rich organic chocolate fills your senses. No stringent health and safety rules interfere with making what must be some the most delicious chocolate bars I have ever tasted - and also among the world's most expensive, at around £45 per kilo.
A co-operative system ensures that the workers, from the farmer to the chocolate maker, are paid the same wage. Vintage and hand-made machinery is used to meet the requirements of small-batch chocolate making while solar energy powers all the machines including the ancient cocoa-roaster. Out back is a field where the cocoa beans grow.
The following night, I was in for a rip-roaring Grenadian gastronomic delight as the town of Gouyave holds its weekly 'Fish Friday'. Locals blend with visitors from sunset until dawn, as the streets are transformed into a seafood smorgasbord with the sizzling sounds of fresh shrimp, lobster and lambi (conch) being cooked by local chefs dressed in their whites on open fires. The fish is eaten al-fresco at long wooden tables, washed down by rum punch or ice cold beer.
Grenada is an easy-going island and even if you arrive seriously frazzled like me - part and parcel of being a Londoner - your stress will melt like ice cream before you can say 'reggae'. It truly is a little piece of paradise.
* Prices with Virgin Holidays for a week's stay at the all inclusive Spice Island Beach Resort start from £1759 per person, including flights and transfers. See www.virginholidays.com or call 0871 222 1232 to book.
Travel Guide: Grenada
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| | | | Passion for food
So it was that the Rhodes family and a team of chefs descended on the famous spice island of Grenada, where the PR spin claims Gary is an unofficial culinary ambassador, bringing sophisticated British creativity to the Caribbean.
But there is some substance to it. He fell in love with the place while making a TV series, and he keeps going back.
Such is his association with Grenada - and the Calabash Hotel for which he acts as a consultant - that at one formal dinner, Grenada's prime minister publicly hoped Rhodes would buy a home on the island.
The fact is that Grenada needs all the money it can get. Aficionados such as Rhodes are bound to improve things.
But it is within the small orbit of the Calabash, a short drive from the airport in the south of the island, that his influence can be felt directly by visitors.
Thanks to his passion for food, the Calabash has one of the best restaurants in the region.
Not only are the recipe ideas being worked on constantly - bringing the once-unheard-of pleasures of lobster ravioli and roasted best end of lamb to the island - but the hotel's homegrown chefs have benefited hugely, too.
Staff from the Calabash regularly swap places with those of the City Rhodes restaurant - Gary's London premises - and some of his recipes have been adapted with Caribbean ingredients.
During the week we spent in Grenada, Rhodes was in the thick of it, casting his perfectionist's eyes over the local supplies and leading by example in the kitchen.
Outside, where the blue waters of Prickly Bay swished gently on the hotel's quiet public beach, it was 90 degrees. Inside the kitchens it was a hellish 120.
Ate and drank like a prince
Where other islands in the region rely heavily on bananas, Grenada enjoys real agricultural diversity.
Huge stands of bamboo were punctuated by a bewildering variety of crops: from cocoa and maize to sugar-cane and nutmeg. Grenada is the world's biggest producer of this spice and you see nutmeg-processing co-operatives scattered all over the island.
Although Grenada is a former British colony, many of the villages still have French names such as Perdmontemps, Pomme Rose, and Lance aux Epines that they were given by the first settlers.
Perhaps that also explains why, in culinary terms, Grenada is a notch above other former outposts of Empire, where they are still at the roast-chicken-and-spotted-Dick stage.
Ten years ago, eating out in the Caribbean was a desultory business: dreary buffet after dreary buffet, punctuated by the odd chicken stew. But as Grenada shoots up the ladder of fashionable holiday destinations, it is smartening up its act in the kitchen.
At my hotel, the Spice Island Beach Resort, the food was immaculate throughout. From the Eggs Benedict at breakfast to the last rum punch of the evening, I ate and drank like a prince.
The rum punches were particularly moreish: not too sweet, a common fault in Caribbean resorts, and liberally sprinkled with nutmeg.
Dinner was a six-course affair under the stars. The dasheen soup, made from a local root vegetable, was glorious; but the real highlight was something called diamond back squid, caught that morning, served with chillis.
We were truly awestruck
Some 33 species of marine mammal have been sighted in the Caribbean. This includes killer whales, dolphins and the West Indian manatee.
We had been expecting to see humpbacks - this was the breeding season so mothers with their calves are a common sight.
Instead, we had actually spotted a pair of sei whales which, although relatively small compared with the humpback, can still grow to 60ft.
It is estimated that there are just 70,000 of this endangered species, a dark, steel grey in colour, left in the world, so to see two so close up really felt like a privilege and, for all our cynicism, we were truly awestruck as the catamaran cruised alongside them.
After trying in vain to keep up with them for 15 minutes (sei are among the fastest swimmers of all whales, reaching speeds of 35mph), on Mosden's orders, the boat turned around.
He looked thrilled - another set of satisfied customers who wouldn't regret swopping their sunloungers for a morning on the open seas in 30-degree heat.
Until seven years ago, Mosden was a fisherman who grew used to seeing whales and dolphins every day when he was out in his boat.
'When I got back to shore, I would be asked by tourists if I had seen any whales that day,' he said. 'It occurred to me that I could make a better living using my knowledge of where they were than I did on my fishing trips, so I decided to organise day excursions.
'On the first trip, we saw a family of five humpbacks close to the shore and my reputation quickly spread. Most of our whales are seen around November through May, which is the high season.
'Then you will see the humpback, sei, killer, Cuvier's beaked and dwarf sperm whale. During the rest of the year, we see sperm, pygmy right, long and short-finned pilot, melon-headed, pygmy killer and false killer.'
Mosden's crew on board the Starwind agreed that their skipper has the best eye in the business - he can spot a whale from more than a mile away and never gets it wrong.
To cap our trip, we were escorted back to port by a playful school of dolphins swimming alongside and under our catamaran. 'They're always here around lunchtime,' smiled Mosden. 'I like to think that they are waiting here for us.'
Half a mile off shore, I noticed one of the crew pulling in a fishing line.
'Old habits die hard,' chuckled the skipper when asked what he was up to.
'But my real catch of the day was spotting those whales for you. Much more satisfying.'
TRAVEL DETAILS:
We stayed at the Rex Grenadian, http://www.rexresorts.com tel: 001 473 440 3333; reservations in UK, tel: 020 8741 5333.
The website for Grenada is http://www.grenadagrenadines.com. Grenada Board of Tourism UK is on 0207 771 7016.
Laid-back Grenadians
Our second hotel, the Calabash, run by two laid-back British men, was cosier but, with a private bay and open-air tennis courts, similarly impressive.
But, I hear you cry, what about the crowds of persistent hawkers who are bound to flock to this oasis of Western tourists? True, the 23-mile-long island is a poor place.
Most of the locals live in alarming-looking wooden houses, jerry-built on stilts in the rainforest. But the dark side of the tourist trade has yet to corrupt the average Grenadian's heart.
The communist revolution of 1979 and U.S. invasion in 1983 held back the development of the holiday industry for a generation so although it's only a few hours' flying from Miami, the island isn't, as expected, teeming with Americans, which is a boon for Brits looking for an unspoiled sunspot.
Friendly but proud, the Grenadian man hasn't learned - yet - to see every tourist as a walking wallet. Malcolm, the Rasta salesman, was a perfect example.
I saw him looking at me on the beach. 'No thanks,' I hissed as he sidled up with tied-dyed wraps. I steeled myself for the usual 'I'm not taking no for an answer' sales pitch.
'OK, man,' he grinned. 'No problem.' Hunkering down in the sand, he gave me a breakdown of his girlfriend problems - 'I've got three and they've all found out about each other. So I'm keeping my head down, y'know?' Then he lopped the top off a coconut with his machete, handed it to me and ambled off for a swim.
'This is paradise,' he called back. 'Just be cool and enjoy.' It was impossible not to follow Malcolm's motto. Within 48 hours I was feeling so laid-back I was practically horizontal.
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| | | | His culinary legend
Even Rhodes's gelled spiky hair wilted, and when it all became too much he and his gang would find solace in the walk-in freezer, jostling for space with the fish, duck and beef that would later appear on our plates.
The Calabash - named after a type of local gourd - has bright, comfortable suites, some with a whirlpool bath and others with a plunge-pool.
The beds are large and comfortable, gourmands will be glad to hear.
For breakfast, staff will cook eggs and serve fruit on your terrace while you contemplate how to spend the day ahead.
Perhaps take a trip to Grenada's Grand Anse Beach, said to be one of the best in the world, or a day's foray into the island's green interior?
But if rainforest reserves and spice plantations can wait for a more energetic excursion - and once you've seen one, you won't want to visit another - why not stroll down to the hotel beach and have lunch with a long drink.
Rhodes and family may not be sitting a few feet away, but his culinary legacy will infuse your stay.
My one regret is that he didn't serve up his special bread and butter pudding.
We've made it at home and it is probably the best pudding in the world.
But don't tell anyone. Just eat it.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
The Calabash Hotel, http://www.calabashhotel.com tel: 001 473 444 4334.
Package holidays including British Airways flights from the UK details from http://www.essentialdetail.co.uk tel: 020 8892 6190).
For more info on Grenada, contact the Grenada Board of Tourism: tel: 020 7771 7016.
Diploma in spice management
The one disappointment was the head chef, who came out to say 'hello' when he heard his work was drawing rave reviews. I had been hoping for a born-and-bred Grenadian with dainty hands and a diploma in spice management. In fact, he came from Coventry.
Local men think cooking is for wimps. Real men run rum-shops. But that has not stopped Grenada from becoming what one might call a gastro-resort.
Drive up to the north and treat yourself to lunch at Morne Fendue, an old plantation house, wonderfully dilapidated and overrun with hibiscus and poinsettias.
There is a set Grenadian lunch for about £12 and it is really very good, with everything from pepper pot and pumpkin puree to a sinfully rich local speciality called oildown, made with coconut and sweet potatoes.
Or you could spend the day in St George's and take your pick from the cafes and restaurants which line the old harbour.
There is something for everyone, whether your taste is for callaloo soup, one of the classic Caribbean dishes, or stir-fried rabbit.
Best of all, just wander along the glorious two-mile beach at Grand Anse and follow your nose. It may lead you inland, to somewhere chic and stylish such as La Grand Creole. Or it may lead you to somewhere local and intimate.
Mine led me to an emporium called Janice Shady Heaven, which was a wooden shack on the beach. The name intrigued me, as did the smell of fish from inside. But, alas, it was closed; there were problems with the wiring in the kitchen.
I was disappointed, but not downcast. In Grenada, island of spice, there are always other options.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Details from Kuoni (http://www.kuoni.co.uk tel: 01306 747001).
Rainforest chill zone
One day, our party was deposited in the Grand Etang National Park - 3,800-acres of protected rainforest. But be warned! The roads are riddled with potholes. The park is curious. First, it doesn't have many native trees. A lot were imported from Jamaica after Hurricane Janet levelled swathes of the native variety, and killed more than 100 people, in 1955.
Second, it doesn't contain many native animals. The indigenous parrots were annihilated by the hurricane. There are no snakes either - they were killed by the mongooses, imported in the 1800s to control rats. While you will see monkeys, they are Monas imported from the Ivory Coast. The only true natives are possums and giant iguanas, which are scarce because they are hunted by the locals.
Having said that, the forest, conserved as a means of trapping vital water, is a place of beauty where it's possible to walk for hours without seeing another person. A guide led us to the bottom-most member of the Seven Sisters waterfall chain. As their name suggests, they are seven stunning waterfalls which cascade via an equal number of crystal-clear freshwater pools.
Mother Nature has seen fit to design each pool as a perfect spot for a swim. Slightly grubby, it took us about three seconds to accept the guide's invitation to dive in. Treading water in the rapids with a shoal of big silver fish playing tag around my ankles, I had to agree with Malcolm's assessment: this place was paradise.
If you're desperate for urban excitement - forget it. St George's, the island's capital, is the size of a market town in Devon. But what it lacks in getup-and-go it makes up for in beauty. The houses and shops cluster around a horseshoe-shaped harbour, which boasts of being the most beautiful in the Caribbean. Lounging in the cool interior of a waterfront fish restaurant, I wasn't going to argue.
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| | Destination Guide : Grenada |
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| | | Popular honeymoon destination |  | Why go on holiday to Grenada?
Nicknamed the Spice Island, Grenada has a balmy climate, secluded beaches and upmarket resorts. The island is a popular wedding and honeymoon destination.
Unlike the surrounding islands, it has arrived late on the international travel scene. The island is relaxed, largely unspoilt and still affordable.
How much does it cost?
A one-week package at a good resort costs about £1,000 in low season. Expect to pay twice that in December. A return flight will set you back roughly £400-500 in low season.
Mid-range hotel accommodation in a double room costs about £60 per night - prices rise in winter.
When should I go?
With temperatures averaging 80F (27C), Grenada is a year-round destination. Because it rains year-round, there is high humidity. But most rain falls between June and November.
Apart from Christmas and New Year, the busiest time on the island is during Carnival (second weekend in August). The popular Spice Island Billfish Tournament is held each January.
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| | | Party at Carnival |  | What should I do when I'm there?
Grenada's capital, St George's, has an extremely pretty harbour setting, with 19th-century stone and brick buildings sloping down to its bustling waterfront. It has a small museum, two forts with great views, and a vibrant market.
The outer island of Carriacou has about 6,000 inhabitants and the same number of goats and sheep. Carriacou is famous for its beaches and has fantastic views of the neighbouring Grenadines. It's a great place for picnicking, snorkelling and diving.
Tyrell Bay is a popular place to hang out. There are plane and boat connections between Carriacou and St George's.
Even further out is Petit Martinique. The tiny volcanic island has a school, church, guesthouse and a grocery shop-cum-bar.
Any festivals I should know about?
Grenada's biggest festival is Carnival in August. It includes calypso and steel band competitions, a pageant and a grand finale 'jump-up'.
Other major events on the island are the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, the Carriacou's Carnival and the Carriacou Regatta, accompanied by plenty of music and dancing.
What activities can I do?
Sunbathing and swimming are the most popular activities on Grenada but you'll find ample opportunity to go scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing and hiking. The best beaches are at Grand Anse, Morne Rouge Bay and True Blue.
Divers will find a smorgasbord of delights: extensive coral reefs, tropical fish, turtles and other marine life. There are five diving schools.
In the winter Grenada attracts many fishermen who come to fish blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish and yellowfin. And there are a number of good hiking trails on the island: the best wind through the Grand Etang rainforest.
Where are the quieter beaches?
Try Bathways Beach or nearby Levera Beach. Both are at the northern end of Grenada. Undeveloped Bathways has a 30-foot-wide pool protected from the strong Atlantic sea currents by a rock shelf.
Nearby Sandy Island is good for swimming and snorkelling. Further along is Levera Beach - a wild sweep of sand backed by eroded sea cliffs.
This area, made up of the beach, a mangrove swamp and a nearby pond, is an important waterfowl habitat and sea turtle nesting site. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from Bathways to Levera.
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| | | Fresh tropical fruit | | Where's good for nightlife?
Nightlife on Grenada is fairly limited. Most of the big hotels have a steel band or other live music during the week. The Casablanca above Barclays Bank has live jazz. The only disco (Fantazia 2001) operates three nights a week. There is one cinema.
What's the food like?
In addition to French and Italian food, there's plenty of seafood and West Indian dishes.
Local specialities include fish stew, curried conch (known as lambi) and roti, the delicious and ubiquitous West Indian fast food that's like a burrito with a curried filling.
There's wonderful tropical fruit, including starfruit, tamarind, breadfruit and the vitamin-rich soursop.
What should I buy?
Buy quality spices from the Spice Island at the Marketing & National Importing Board in St George's.
Also in St George's, on Young Street you can buy batik wall hangings and clothing from Fabrik and quality handicrafts, batiks and wood carvings from Tikal.
At White Cane Industries, in Wharf Road, you can buy good-quality straw and cane baskets, placemats and serving trays, the proceeds of which go towards the blind craftspeople working there.
What is there for children to do?
Aside from the very obvious perk of the beach, there's not a whole lot laid on in Grenada for children. The Carricou Islander is a glass-bottomed boat which makes day tours to Sandy Island for £25 (children half-price) including a picnic lunch. Or you and your children could go horseriding.
Tourist office
Grenada Board of Tourism, 1 Battersea Church Road, London SW11 3LY. Tel. 020 7771 7016. Website: grenadagrenadines.com
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| | Fact File : Grenada |
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| | | Grenada | | Did you know?
Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg.
Language
English
Visas
UK citizens do not require a visa.
Getting there
There are regular flights from the UK. Some are direct, others go via Trinidad or Miami.
Flying time from London
Nine hours
Getting around
Japanese minivans provide the most reliable and entertaining transport around the island. Most leave from the Esplanade in St George's. Taxis are affordable and can be hired for sightseeing trips. Hire cars are available but driving can be hazardous. A local licence (£7) must be bought.
Currency
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC).
Costs
As a guide: a bottle of beer £1; moderately priced meal for one, £12; litre of petrol, 50p; roll of camera film, £5; 4-mile taxi ride, £5.
Weather
Summer 25-30C (77-86F) Winter 24-29C (75-84F). Average temperature is around 80'. Humidity is high, as there is rainfall throughout the year (mainly June-December).
Time difference
Four hours behind GMT. There is no daylight saving.
International dialling code from the UK
00 473
Voltage
220V AC
Opening hours
Hours are fairly conservative. Most shops open between 8am-noon and from 1-4pm Monday to Friday, with Saturday opening from 8am-noon. Expect larger shops catering to tourists to have slightly longer hours and to be open during lunch.
Health - Before you go
Make sure you have adequate travel insurance. The policy should cover medivac flights to hospitals on larger islands, or to Miami, in the case of serious illness or accident. No vaccinations are necessary.
Health - When you are there
The main medical facility on the island is St. George's General Hospital, but only rely on this for minor accidents and illnesses. For anything more serious, consider evacuation to Barbados or Miami.
Warnings
Several tourists have been mugged. Exercise caution, especially at night.
Emergency
Police and fire: 911. British High Commission, 14 Church Street, St George's. Tel: 440 3536.
Customs
The island was named after the Spanish city of Granada, but the spelling was later changed. It is pronounced "Gre-NAY-duh".
Pets
Not an option to take them - quarantine rules apply.
Tipping
An 8% tax and a 10% service charge are added to most hotel and restaurant bills.
Tourist office
Grenada Board of Tourism, 1 Battersea Church Road, London SW11 3LY. Tel. 020 7771 7016.
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Why Rent With Us
