Grenada and St. Vincent's Caribbean Islands Review

A trip on the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer for a week of diving in the waters of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines enticed us to spend a few days exploring Grenada and St. Vincent. Although we had made our own hotel arrangements in Grenada, the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer had arranged transportation from the airport to the Flamboyant Hotel on Grand Anse Beach. The drive from the airport to the Grand Anse Beach area is only about 10 minutes and would cost approximately $30 USD if booking individually, in December 2008.

On Grenada, both Christmas Day and Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) are both recognized and celebrated holidays, closing many stores and restaurants. Booking a car for over the holiday is a challenge if not booked in advance. Sanvic's Car Rental had a car available for $90/day USD plus tax and insurance. Sanvic's provided hotel pick up at the Flamboyant Hotel and allowed us to leave the car at the Flamboyant when we were done. The office staff was very efficient, processing several people at the same time, which is uncommon on most Caribbean islands.

The island of Grenada is surprisingly clean, unlike many other Caribbean islands. The people of Grenada are also extremely friendly! Driving around Grenada can be a bit challenging due to traffic circles and unclear or missing signage. Several signs point in the direction of a town, with two turns, next to each other, going the same general direction with no additional signage. The roads are also very narrow causing one car to need to pull off the road (which is often a ditch on both sides) to let another car pass if there is oncoming traffic. Fortunately, the locals can spot the tourists and will generally let the tourists pass.

Taking the bus is a less stressful and much less expensive way to get around the island, just make sure to let the driver know where you would like to get off or you may miss your stop. From St. George's to Grand Anse Beach the cost in December 2008 was about $2 USD per person. Be prepared to make several stops and cram about 20 people in the 'bus', which is actually a van. The bus is an adventure and part of local living not to be missed.

There are several waterfalls on Grenada, but trying to find them without a guide can be a bit of a challenge due to missing or limited signage. One waterfall was designated by a young man in the street telling us to park in front of his house and walk down what was supposed to be a trail to the waterfall. It looked a bit risky, so we skipped these falls.

The Flamboyant Hotel in Grenada sits on a hill with a spectacular view of Grand Anse Beach and is across the bay (about 4 miles) from St. George's, the main town. The rooms at the Flamboyant Hotel are decent sized, clean, comfortable and have a patio with a view of the bay, Grand Anse Beach and St. George. Most days provided a glimpse of rainbows over the bay. The service at the Flamboyant Hotel was adequate and when we asked about rental cars, the front desk staff called several agencies with no luck due to the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays. After continuing to call several other car rental agencies, an available car was found at Sanvic's.

The Flamboyant Hotel offered high speed Internet in the lobby which was charged on the honor system. The pool was clean and had plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas. The downside of the Flamboyant Hotel was that there are a lot of steep stairs to get to your room, the Owl Sports Bar, Beachside Terrace Restaurant, Grand Anse Beach and the pool. In December 2008, we booked an Internet rate of$180 USD per night plus tax.

The Owl Sports Bar at the Flamboyant Hotel had the island's longest happy hour from 3-6pm and 9-11pm. The highpoint of The Owl was that there were tables on the beach to enjoy a cold beer. The Owl Sports Bar also had a deck, indoor seating and a pool table inside. The food and drinks were not impressive. The Pina Coladas were thick, creamy and not real cold and were not the refreshing 'island drink' expected. The ribs from the appetizer menu were cold and didn't taste very fresh, even though it was BBQ night in the Beachside Terrace Restaurant.

The Allamanda Hotel is in a great location right on Grand Anse Beach, next to the Coyaba Beach Resort. Arriving at the Allamanda Hotel on January 3, 2009, the hotel was empty. The rooms were large and clean with a small patio overlooking the garden or beach. Arriving late at night with an early morning flight the next morning, we requested a wake up call, which we were pleasantly surprised, was on time. The Allamanda Hotel restaurant was not ready for breakfast at 7:30am because the server hadn't shown up yet, so we ate next door at the Coyaba Beach Resort, which was a buffet. The Allamanda Hotel offered an Internet rate of $140 USD plus tax.

The Sunset View Bar & Grill located on the north side of Grand Mal Beach has a deck overlooking the water. The Sunset View Bar & Grill has what looked to be steps down to the water to go for a snorkel or shore dive. While driving around Grenada, the Sunset View Bar & Grill was a great place to stop for a Pina Colada and nice view of the ocean. The Pina Coladas were delicious and refreshing. Unfortunately, the Sunset View Bar & Grill was not near any hotels!

Big Fish Restaurant is an open air restaurant located near True Blue Bay, with a boat dock and near the university to capture the boating and college crowds. The food and service were decent with a menu for all tastes, including fish, curry, burgers and pizza. This was a stop on the last night of the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer dive boat and everyone in the group was pleased with their choice. The service was good and the prices were reasonable at Big Fish Restaurant.

The Peter Hughes live-aboard diving is always a wonderful experience. Leaving a few days after Christmas, the boat was full with half of the passengers with a single divers group and the other half individual bookings. The Peter Hughes Wind Dancer in Grenada and St. Vincent dives using tender boats to be able to get to more remote dive locations. Unfortunately, the crossing from Grenada to St. Vincent was a bit rough, but once there, the diving in St. Vincent offered some of the most pristine diving in the Caribbean! Seahorse and octopus were a common sight. The service, food and diving were all wonderful on the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer.

St. Vincent:

St. Vincent was not as clean or friendly as Grenada and we were glad we only did an extension of a trip rather than visiting as a separate destination. The scuba diving around St. Vincent was very pristine; however the dive sites would be difficult to reach from the town dive shops. The Peter Hughes Wind Dancer live-aboard is the way to dive St. Vincent.

Getting around St. Vincent was fairly easy. When taking a taxi, make sure to verify the fare in advance! Even though the fares were supposed to be government regulated and posted in some of the tour books, drivers will take advantage of you every chance they can, even at the hotels!

Taking a bus (minivan) is a must do adventure and is an easy, inexpensive way to get around St. Vincent! There can be up to 20 people in one minivan and can cause a bit of a delay if the person in the very back is the next stop. The cost is only about $1.15 USD per person between towns (from the Beach Comber Hotel to downtown or the airport). The roads are narrow and windy and they drive very fast, which can get your heart racing.

Kingstown is the capital of St. Vincent and was a disappointment! Visiting Kingstown on a Saturday, it was dirty and crowded. People were everywhere doing their shopping and partying and throwing garbage in the streets. The fish market was clean and busy with fresh fish sales, but other than KFC and a few other local take-away joints, there were no real restaurants. Like most cruise ship ports, everyone is hawking to give a tour at much higher rates than the government posted fares.

The Botanical Garden on St. Vincent is nice, with a lot of large trees and no admission but the 'professors'/guides will put the push on you to be your guide for a fee. There is some signage on the plants and trees, but not on everything, so if you are really interested in the information on the trees and plants, you may want to hire a 'professor'/guide.

A tour of St. Vincent from the Beachcomber Hotel across the Mesopotamia Valley and along the east coast of St. Vincent offers some wonderful views and a variety of terrain. Hiring a taxi to tour St. Vincent is the best option and this 3 hour tour cost $60 USD (although a much lower rate was quoted at the start).

The BeachcomberHotel located in Villa on St. Vincent, about 15 minutes from the airport is a quaint, colorful hotel with a lot of flowers and trees. There are several restaurants within a 5-15 minute walk of the Beachcomber Hotel. Arriving very early in the morning, our room was not available, but we were offered a different room shortly after arriving. The rooms at the Beachcomber Hotel were simple but clean, with a small table and chairs outside. When asking for a late check out, the front desk manager said the room was rented for that night, but we were welcome to use the shower at the spa before leaving.

The Beachcomber Hotel pool was a bit dirty, but was cleaned in the evening. Beach/pool towels are provided, but are difficult to come by. One front desk manager just said none were available, the second called housekeeping who brought only 1 towel for 2 people. The Beachcomber Hotel has a nice beach in the bay, but when the cruise ships are in, the beach and pool get flooded with cruise ship passengers who are dropped of by water and land taxis.

The service at the restaurant at the Beachcomber Hotel was horrible. Arriving early in the morning, the server took 30 minutes to bring coffee, but did not think to bring cream or sugar, which took another 5 minutes only to find the cream was curdled and the coffee barely warm. Watching the server with a group of about 10 people for breakfast was frustrating enough! The server slowly strolled in carrying 1 plate at a time, didn't bring any syrup, ketchup or cream and sugar until asked. Later in the afternoon after seeing a shipment of coke being delivered, the bartender told guests there was no coke or Pepsi available. A better option is to walk down the beach for meals.

The Beachcomber Hotel in St. Vincent offered an Internet rate of $118 USD in December 2008. The accommodations at the Beachcomber Hotel were adequate but the service had much to be desired.

XCape on St. Vincent was recommended by the dive master on the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer. About a 10 minute walk from the Beach Comber Hotel, XCape has a nice atmosphere overlooking the water and Young Island. The wood furniture, although unique was not very comfortable. The service acceptable for an island and the food and prices were decent. The Caesar salad was served with Italian dressing, but the restaurant seemed to be out of many items, so this may not be the norm. The Roti was large and could be ordered with various meats (chicken, lamb, beef...) Returning to XCape for lunch the next day, many foods were not available - no burgers, no Roti's and nothing with bread. XCape is still recommended.

The Surfside Restaurant on St. Vincent is about a 30 minute walk from the Beachcomber Hotel. The Surfside Restaurant is on the water and has the standard menu of sandwiches and pizza. The service was okay and the prices reasonable.

The service at the St. Vincent Airport had much to be desired. The staff of the regional airline insisted on charging for bags due to a 'new policy' that went in effect after arrivals. Keep in mind, these flights hold about 20 passengers and have no place for a carry on bag larger than a small backpack. As a potential dive destination, this will be a deterrent to divers wanting to visit St. Vincent and dive their pristine waters. The check in staff at the airline was rude and ignored several passengers who had questions and concerns of delays and missed connections. The people of St. Vincent overall were unfriendly and not helpful to visitors, which takes away from what could be a beautiful vacation destination. Overall, we were glad that we did not visit St. Vincent for more than 2 days.