Rare Caroldoll Posted September 30, 2014 #1 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Has anyone taken this little one hour tour of St. Bart? We love the little town, and are wondering if it is worth it to just take this one time only? Any advice would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrulyBlonde Posted September 30, 2014 #2 Share Posted September 30, 2014 If you have seen the town prior, my suggestion would be to take a taxi to Niki Beach and have a lovely lunch and a glass of champagne or two. Beachfront restaurant and lovely white sand makes for a great day. My favorite island! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted September 30, 2014 #3 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Sorry, I have never taken a tour of Gustavia, but it might be interesting to know its history more in detail. Maybe they also tell you about recent political developments that have changed the political status of the island based on the wishes of its inhabitants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted September 30, 2014 Author #4 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I appreciate your help. I didn't try a taxi the first time as they said the drivers don't speak English? Were they somewhat able? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrulyBlonde Posted September 30, 2014 #5 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Yes, they speak English and we were on SeaDream and the tender dropped you off right where the taxi stand is. Our driver also gave us an island tour while enroute. Trust me..you will not be disappointed. Make sure you get a table in front for best viewing. White sand, champagne and lobster in St. Barths cannot get any better!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandra cruiser Posted September 30, 2014 #6 Share Posted September 30, 2014 the 1 hr.tour is basically a taxi,and says not all speak good English. So seems you would be paying MORE for same thing you can negotiate in town.That s what we ll do,sure it would be cheaper. I tried to book a tour online thru tourist website, and NONE of them got back to me,after 2 attempts.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted September 30, 2014 #7 Share Posted September 30, 2014 To see Gustavia, you would have to walk. The town is too small for anything else. To see the island again (we had vacationed there about 20 years ago), we rented a car. We pre-booked it and it was dropped off for us at the tender parking lot... not right away as it was supposed to, but while we were waiting, one of the taxi drivers spoke to us and then called the airport car rental station. You could probably find a taxi driver with a good command of English for an island tour. Remember this is not a poor and not a cheap island. One free thing: Drive up the hill from Gustavia towards the airport, stop at the highest point and wait for a plane to come in. I bet you will duck! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted October 1, 2014 Author #8 Share Posted October 1, 2014 on our own. I saw a lot of drivers there. This time I do want to see the island. The town is super charming. I really loved it there. The ship wants $79 per person for this same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanandJim Posted October 1, 2014 #9 Share Posted October 1, 2014 on our own. I saw a lot of drivers there. This time I do want to see the island. The town is super charming. I really loved it there. The ship wants $79 per person for this same thing. Charming yes, but after an hour you're likely to be done, unless you're a shopper or interested in the beach- Suggestion: Have your Butler email La Plage at the Tombeach hotel to see if anything is "on" for the day that you are in. La Plage is a pretty, intimate Pool and beach-side restaurant with excellent food, in an of itself (hint- ALWAYS tip to be seated beach-side), in fact, Fodors calls it one of the top ten destinations in the Caribbean; but what we love is that the local "ladies who lunch" also use it for charity fashion shows, teatime musical afternoons and the like. If you happen to be in St. Barts on a Saturday, The Bikini Brunch at La Plage is a local institution. Enjoy your day~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wristband Posted October 1, 2014 #10 Share Posted October 1, 2014 The local open air market in the center of town is fascinating - bustling and hopping with color and all sorts of weird and whacky vegetation, people crammed in negotiating over breadfruit, spices and pot plants. Go to the Nutmeg for a (well, duh) nutmeg rum cocktail looking out on the harbor - second floor offers open air breeze and a nice view of the harbor. You should also walk up to the "fort" atop the main hill in town. The views are good. But you can also see bullet holes in the wall from the time not so long ago when Marcus Bishop & his crew overthrew the government. After the revolution when Bishop himself was overthrown and put in the hoosegow, others were lined up & shot against the fort wall, just before Reagan invaded Grenada in the 1980s. Recent history literally plastered over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted October 1, 2014 #11 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Fascinating story, wristband, I will remember it the next time I am in Grenada. I was planning to walk up to the fort, no tour any more after we have been all over the island. Now posh St. Bart might as well be a galaxy away. The last time we were in St. Bart, the superrich had brought their yachts, helicopters, and water toys. It was time for their end of the year parties. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when St. Bart was as poor as most of the other islands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wristband Posted October 1, 2014 #12 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Floridiana - for accuracy's sake: his name was Maurice Bishop & the Grenada international airport today is named after him. After Bishop's election, there was a military coup. Bishop and his entire cabinet were lined up against a wall at Fort George (the fort's name was changed from Bishop's time) to face a firing squad and were killed. Unless plastered over, bullet holes were there when I visited on a cruise & a small plaque is nearby in the ground. Reagan was concerned about the Bishop government's plan to enlarge a landing strip at the airport would enable Russian planes to land (uh, they landed often in Cuba). Under the pretext of aiding US medical students in Grenada, the US military invaded the island. Ironically, that same airport today accommodates much bigger airplanes than those flown by the Russians back in 1984! Grenada is an interesting island. One aspect found different from other posh spots in the Caribbean...there is a strong following on the island to grow, trade and consume unusual organic fruits, teas and veg. Nutmeg and mace aside, the organic effort is widespread and they are producing on site items that were once thought extinct. If can you visit an organic farming operation, I think you will find it informative and more interesting day than simply burning basil cells at a resort beach. I am not a vegan or big organic blowhard but it was one of the more interesting days we spent on a Carib cruise. To each his/her own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chrismch Posted October 8, 2014 #13 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I love buying teas and spices on vacation. Is this market open daily in Gustavia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted October 8, 2014 #14 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Two different islands we are talking about. St. Bart, capital Gustavia, politically connected to France. St. Bart produces homes for billionaires :rolleyes: You should have seen the yachts of the superrich who came to the end of year parties on St. Bart. Grenada, capital St. George's, poor, produces spices. I don't know whether their market is open all weekdays (not on Sundays!), but they sell spices outside the market as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wristband Posted October 8, 2014 #15 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Its Market Square or St. George's Market - smack dab in the town center. Open every Saturday. Follow the hubbub and music down. For other days, Google. If you do Google, you will see lots of photos - its not a hostile or uncomfortable setting, very interesting experience. Trip Advisor has photos & comments posted by recent visitors Bring small US bills as the Grenadian currency is different - vendors take small US bills. The market is open air, packed and hot but so is everything of local import in the Carib. Nutmeg is sold everywhere - enjoy rum mixed with nutmeg on ice during a needed heat break. Grenadian rum is not bad, esp agricole (white) rum if you can find it and I bought bottle at the market. Again, lots of interesting fruits, oddball veg, organic teas, and spices in plastic packets for quick sale. There might be an issue on your return plane flight if rum or hot sauce glass bottles are in your carry on. Leave the packet of pot behind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilin jack Posted October 8, 2014 #16 Share Posted October 8, 2014 [You should have seen the yachts of the superrich who came to the end of year parties on St. Bart./QUOTE] We were there on New Years Eve two years ago and their were at least twenty yachts over 200' long. At least three were over 500' long. We were on the Seabourn Quest....what a great fireworks display was put on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted October 8, 2014 #17 Share Posted October 8, 2014 ... and helicopters on deck and lots of expensive water toys... You were lucky to see the fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilin jack Posted October 8, 2014 #18 Share Posted October 8, 2014 This is one of my favorite pictures of my wife in St. Barts.....:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggins0402 Posted October 8, 2014 #19 Share Posted October 8, 2014 This is one of my favorite pictures of my wife in St. Barts.....:) Fortunately for my DH we are there on a Sunday - I will only be able to window shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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