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[MDSue]

Day 5 Martinique:):):)

 

I'm really excited about today because I get to dispel some myths about the people and island of Martinique.

 

For months before our trip, I searched online for ideas of what to do on the island. I really didn't want to do a ship tour which usually involves a riding around in a tour bus with lots of other people. I really wanted to get out and experience the island on a more personal level.

 

Some of the things I read during my research is:

 

1. No one speaks English

 

2. They don't even like tourists and aren't very welcoming

 

3. It's next to impossible to find an English-speaking taxi driver or tour guide

 

4. There isn't anything to do on the island.

 

5. No one takes US dollars as Euros are the standard currency.

 

and on and on.

 

Even at the Meet and Mingle the night before, everyone was stumped on what to do. No one seemed to have much of a plan.

 

I did read on some reviews, that the island was making strides in welcoming and helping tourists, so I had a glimmer of hope we'd find something interesting to do. I heard about a ferry that takes tourists to a beach and since we missed the beach the day before, we figured we would just head over to the beach for a lack of finding anything else.

 

Well, I'd like to dispel every myth that I just posted!!!!

 

We loved Martinique!

 

We met plenty of nice and welcoming people on the island. There were plenty of people at the port that spoke English, and were more than happy to help tourists find their way. Even those who struggled with English (as French is the native language) tired their best to communicate with us. US dollars were accepted at the local vendor booths and some other businesses like the ferry we took to the beach. Credit cards were accepted pretty much everywhere, so paying for purchases were fairly simple.

[MDSue]

Martinique con't.

 

One of the first things I noticed as we were pulled into port, was that Fort du France looked much like a large modern city with a bit of old-fashioned charm; not your typical Caribbean port. I didn't get pictures of the modern buildings though because we were watching from our balcony on the starboard side:

 

This was our view:

 

 

 

It was a long dock and a bit of a hike from the dock to the waterfront, but they did have a tram for anyone who needed it.

 

[MDSue]

Right as you come to the waterfront area from the pier, there were people dressed in colorful costumes that were very welcoming. They were happy to direct you to the tourist booth or answers questions about cabs, or give directions.

 

We stopped at the tour booth were the woman gave us a map that showed various island tour options. A taxi/tour costs either $30 dollars or 30 euros per hour (I'm pretty sure they said dollars, but not certain) and they said the average tour was around 3 hours. We figured that for $45 each, we could choose an island tour. They had a few different routes to choose from.

 

However, we had already decided to take the ferry which was located on a pier right on the waterfront near the ship. The guide pointed us to the right dock and told us the ferry was 10 US dollars round-trip.

 

 

Here is a view of the waterfront and booths:

 

 

It was early when we arrived and only a few of the booths were set up. We met a nice watercolor artist, and another woman who made unique scarf accessories, and some other local artisans.

 

The vast majority of the people we met on the island were more than welcoming and friendly. They were eager to converse in their best rudimentary English and I tried to pull out a few words from my limited French.

 

However, there was one booth that had a beautiful scarf that I wanted to purchase and the vendor was on her phone and continued to ignore me. I waited for awhile and moved on. Later, I went back and she was still on her phone and made no effort to acknowledge that I was there. I decided she wasn't all to interested in making a sale and moved on. One other vendor did the same- just chatted on her phone and ignored the customers. Maybe these are the island natives that gave Martinique an unwelcoming reputation, but they were only two people.

 

The vast majority were friendly and helpful.

 

We didn't want to miss the next ferry which runs about every 45 minutes, so we walked to the ferry waiting area and decided we'd finish shopping at the booths on our way back to the ship:

 

 

 

The man at the ferry area was so friendly and nice and helped us load onto the boat. We were one of very few Americans on the boat; it was mostly locals or students traveling at that time.

[MDSue]

A man collected our $10 after the ferry was on it's way and gave us a ticket for the return ride. We were on our way for the approximate 20 minute scenic ride across the inlet to the beaches and marina on the other side:

 

 

I loved looking at the mountains in the backdrop!

 

 

 

And our beautiful ship, of course:

 

[MDSue]

Soon we were approaching the other side and I felt like I was visiting another land. A few years ago, my daughter and I went to France and visited the beautiful coastal town of Cassis. The marina and little town of Point Du Bout reminded me of a little French villa, much like Cassis.

 

 

We walked down the walkway and towards the beaches which were down to the right at the end of the walkway. There were a handful of shops and restaurants along the way.

 

 

We followed the path to the beaches and soon- voila- the beach if my dreams:

 

[MDSue]

When you walk down the path, you have two choices when you hit the water. You can turn right and head towards what looked like the free beaches with no facilities or rentals.

 

 

 

Or you can turn to the left and go to the resort of Hotel Bakoua. We chose that option because I wanted to rent chairs and an umbrella. We got there fairly early in the morning and the beach was not too crowded and plenty of chairs were available. We picked two loungers and an umbrella and then I set off to find out who to pay. There was a booth right as you walk onto the property for rentals, but no one was in it at the time.

 

 

When I walked back, there was a man whom I told I wanted chairs and an umbrella. He quoted the cost as $20 per chair, but told me it was "impossible" to rent us an umbrella. I'm guessing they are for the guest only. I was a bit disappointed as I can't tolerate a lot of sun and have little desire to get sunburned.

 

I showed the man the chair we had picked out and I guess he decided I could have the umbrella also. I felt pretty lucky, because I know many resorts save the best seating for the hotel guests.

 

With the rental of beach chairs, you also had use of the bathroom facilities, and outdoor showers. They also had a nice bar built out onto the beach:

 

 

Like many French beaches, this beach was "top" optional. A handful of women were minus there bathing suit tops so I was careful when I took pictures not to invade anyone's privacy. The majority of people there did have their tops on and the only ones I saw without were sunbathing on the beach and not in the water. There were numerous children and families at the resort. Children were unfazed at what I'm sure is a normal activity at French beaches.

[MDSue]

From our spot on the beach we had a beautiful view across Fort-de-France Bay:

 

 

The beach was sandy with a few rocks in the water. Some people were snorkeling by the jetty and talking about the unique fish they saw.

 

Life was good under our umbrella:

 

 

In addition to a nice beach, the hotel had pretty landscaping:

 

 

Coming up next- shopping and eating at the little resort town next to the beach.

 

I have to get to some housework and errands, but will return soon.

[MDSue]

That sunset picture is breathtaking!

 

 

Thanks! You should have your sister check out our Arizona Cruiser's Group, part of the Cruise Critic "Friends of Cruise Critic" forum. We chat and much more. Fourteen of us will be cruising together out of San Juan beginning next week.:) There is a link to our forum in my signature.

 

I hope you are having a wonderful cruise! Not sure how I missed this post earlier, but my sister says "Thanks!" She doesn't spend much time on Cruise Critic like I do. I need to find a Maryland group so I could have a group to travel with. Right now, though, I can only get away with one cruise a year. My husband has to stay home and watch the animals while I'm gone and isn't to eager for me to travel more:(

[farmgirl21]

Just clarifying...you were able to check in, board the ship, then leave to shop before sailing? My husband and I are on the Jewel in July and wondered if this was an option. It would allow us to drop our bags and enjoy a bit of San Juan.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

[purplethorn]

whoa I love Martinique .. it looks so .. European

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[MDSue]

Just clarifying...you were able to check in, board the ship, then leave to shop before sailing? My husband and I are on the Jewel in July and wondered if this was an option. It would allow us to drop our bags and enjoy a bit of San Juan.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, you can check in and board and then leave again if you wish. The rooms were not available until 1:30 though. We boarded before noon and headed to the Windjammer for some lunch. My sister waited on the ship with our carry-on items and I left to grab a cab into town to buy a new laptop.

 

When I returned I was told to go into a separate line rather than wait in the line for people who were checking in for the first time. It was very simple.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Point du Bout, Martinique, con't

My sister and I caught one of the earliest ferries to the beach. When we arrived at Hotel Bakoua, there were plenty of loungers available. Later on, when the later ferry arrived, all the loungers were already gone and many cruisers were turned away. Some stayed and just laid their towels on the beach. I would definitely come early if you want to enjoy this resort.

 

While we were relaxing on the beach, we noticed two ladies walking up and down the beach modeling a variety of swimsuits and cover-ups. It was obvious they were new because the tags were prominently sticking out of the clothing. My sister needed a new bathing suit and followed one of the ladies to see what she had to offer. Awhile later, she returned grinning from ear-to-ear with a new, stylish cover-up, and a new bathing suit underneath. The sales lady barely spoke any English and my sister didn't know any French, but they bonded over shopping.

 

I decided it was my turn to do a little shopping while my sister watched our belongings, so she pointed me to where the bathing suits were being sold near the entrance to the resort. I couldn't remember seeing any shops there, but one of the salesladies pointed to behind the building near the entrance.

 

I never could find the ladies' shop and continued on up the path back to where we came from the ferry. On the way, I found this adorable little shopping area full of shops and restaurants. I thought maybe my sister came all the way into the little town to shop. It wasn't until I finally got back to the beach later on that I discovered the ladies were selling the clothing from large suitcases with more in the trunk of their car. No wonder I couldn't find their shop! Their customers had to try the clothing on- right on the beach!

 

 

 

 

I noticed cute little cafes all over the place that sold crepes and glaces (ice-cream), just like in France. I couldn't wait to have both.

 

I spent the next hour or two shopping away before I realized I had been gone a very long time. Next thing I knew I was receiving a text from my niece saying my sister was getting worried about where I was. My sister didn't have cell service, but there was free Wi-Fi on the beach, so she sent my niece a Facebook message to contact me ( I did have service).

 

I quickly finished up my final purchase and rushed back to the beach to meet my sister. She was eager to see what she was missing, so we said goodbye to the beach and headed back to the shopping area. I wanted to order a crepe and glaces while we were there.

Edited May 2, 2014 by MDSue

[MDSue]

We headed back to the shops and after my sister did a little shopping, I took her back this nice little outdoor café I had noticed before. It offered both crepes and glaces, so we sat at a table and waited for service.

 

If you are in a hurry to eat, I wouldn't stop here:

 

 

In France, eating can be a very slow experience- not something to be rushed, but we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Every now and then the server would look over at us and we thought she'd come soon, but after about 30 minutes of being ignored, we decided to move on. We wanted to catch the next ferry back and we were running out of time.

 

I kind of got the feeling that she might be one of those "French" people who didn't like Americans. However, other than the ladies at the booths who wouldn't get off the phone to help us, and this woman, everyone else was welcoming and helpful. We truly enjoyed everyone else we met on the island.

 

We found another café that served crepes and glaces and stopped in there. The young man behind the counter didn't speak English, so I got to put my limited French to use. It turned out they also didn't accept dollars. Luckily, I had brought a few Euros that I had left over from my trip to France with me and we had just enough to buy two cups of delicious glaces (more of a sorbet than a creamy ice-cream). It was just as good as I remembered. Since we were running late, and I had limited Euros, I had to skip the crepes :(

 

However, there are ATM's in town and an exchange near the port where you can exchange American dollars for Euros. We just thought that we probably wouldn't need any since most places accepted either credit cards or cash.

Edited May 2, 2014 by MDSue

[MDSue]

whoa I love Martinique .. it looks so .. European

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

It was! I don't know about the rest of the island, but I definitely felt like I was back in France.

[MDSue]

After our delicious and refreshing dessert we headed back to the marina to catch the next ferry.

 

 

When we got to the ferry stop, there was very few people waiting. By the time the ferry finally pulled up, the area was full of returning passengers. We made sure to get in line because we weren't sure that everyone would fit onboard and the next ferry wouldn't be for another 45 minutes. Luckily, we didn't have to be back on the ship until 5:30, so we had plenty of time, but we wanted to shop a little more near the port.

 

 

We discovered that the departure and arrival times are approximates. Our ferry pulled up about 30 minutes late. Somehow, every single person in line managed to cram on the ferry and they quickly untied and began to head off.

 

A handful of people came running to the dock at the last second and were left behind. It kind of reminded me of the pier runners that don't quite make it to the ship in time as it is pulling away from the port. At least these runners weren't going to miss our ship, they just had to wait another 45 minutes until the next ferry arrived. I would definitely allow plenty of time to get back to port; especially since the lines to come back can get quite long and the ferry doesn't always arrive on schedule.

 

We bode farewell to Point du Boux with great satisfaction that we managed to have a fantastic day on an island that no one had much hope for. I'm not sure if we just found an undiscovered treasure, or if the rest of the island isn't quite as nice.

 

 

 

 

We were comfortably seated on the top level of the ferry, there were dozens of people below us on the lower level.

Edited May 2, 2014 by MDSue

[MDSue]

Soon we were back in Fort-du-France:

 

 

 

I bought a few watercolor prints from a local artist, and a hand-painted scarf and t-shirt that were made by local special-needs students, and made the long trek back to the ship.

 

Coming up next- St. Lucia and our private tour to Marigot Bay. Sometimes, every new island becomes my favorite stop. We absolutely loved our day in Martinique, so it was going to be hard to top, but I also had a spectacular day in St. Lucia.

 

Maybe, my problem is that if I'm on a tropical island or a cruise ship, there is no such thing as a bad day.

 

After all, it was sunny and warm every single day and when I left Maryland, it had snowed every single week right up until we left.

 

See you tomorrow !

 

Susan

[sjn911]

Having a good time traveling with you; thank you so much Sue, I love how you both study but allow for discovery and surprises...Martinique and San Juan sound like 2 places I would love to spend a few days..I loved France too, studied there when young..Sarah

 

I have enjoyed San Juan as a port stop once..but to spend time in old city..so European..thanks so for the tips...Sarah

Edited May 2, 2014 by sjn911

[MDSue]

Having a good time traveling with you; thank you so much Sue, I love how you both study but allow for discovery and surprises...Martinique and San Juan sound like 2 places I would love to spend a few days..I loved France too, studied there when young..Sarah

 

I have enjoyed San Juan as a port stop once..but to spend time in old city..so European..thanks so for the tips...Sarah

 

Thanks. Sarah, I do love to learn about the islands because I am determined not to be one of those people who decide to stay on the ship because there is "nothing to do". I've read so many negative things about San Juan and it is one of my favorite islands to visit and depart from.

 

This is one of the first trips that I didn't schedule most of our days, but I did do enough research to have an idea of what to do.

 

When I went to France with my daughter, I was actually a little disappointed at first because I was traveling with a tour group run by a friend and I really wanted to see other countries instead. I ended up falling in love with France. I'm glad I had a full 10 days to get to see the country.

 

Susan

[Familygoboston]

Sue, I love that you give good details about excursions! We haven't been to Martinique in 20 years...when we had a lost in translation problem...I had pre booked a rental mini van for our group of 7...when we arrived they pulled a "mini car" around. LOL! Using my poor French and gesturing to our family of 7, we managed to get the mini van and had a nice tour. It was more like your mythical Martinique in those days, pretty, but not terribly efficient yet in terms of tourist infrastructure. Sounds like that has improved drastically, and of course there is a level of having to accept a place as it is and not expecting it to be like home (otherwise, why go?:confused:) You and your sister seem to take that "when in Rome" approach which probably made for a better experience for you!:D

[MDSue]

Good morning all,

 

I was REALLY looking forward to posting my review for our final island stop, St. Lucia, today. Unfortunately, other commitments have taken over the next 2 days. We have to make a trip to New York for a death in the family and I won't be back until Saturday night. So, it's looking like Sunday will be the earliest I'll be able to write the review.

 

I'm also writing on a "borrowed" laptop that has to be returned as soon as my new "new" laptop comes in. This one has been a bear ever since I purchased it in San Juan and Best Buy allowed me to return it and buy a different model. They are letting me hold onto this one until the new one comes in. Hopefully, that won't effect my review, though. It just means that I have to delete thousands of pictures I uploaded to this laptop and reload them onto the new one.

 

I'll still have my computer on my travels and will check in from time-to-time if you have any questions.

 

Here's a picture of the little beach we visited at Marigot Bay. I'll have plenty more to share when I return; including Caribelle Batiks, A woodworking shop, Marigot Bay, and various other stops.

 

 

See you soon!

 

Susan

[tiggerkaj]

So sorry to hear about the death in your family. Have a safe trip.

 

On another note, just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write a review and provide such beautiful pictures and great information! I'm ready for another cruise :D

[MDSue]

So sorry to hear about the death in your family. Have a safe trip.

 

On another note, just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write a review and provide such beautiful pictures and great information! I'm ready for another cruise :D

 

Thank-you for your condolences. My husband's aunt just turned 100 this year, but was in amazingly good health though.

 

I really enjoy writing the reviews. It's fun to go back year's later and relive previous cruises. It's also great to read other's reviews to see what kind of activities they enjoyed on their cruises.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Good morning on a beautiful sunny, Sunday. I'm finally ready to work on the last island of St. Lucia.

 

For the life of us, I could not figure out what to do on one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean; a frequent backdrop in the TV reality shows: The Bachelor and the Bachelorette.

 

On our first visit to St. Lucia, we took a ship sponsored island tour that took us to the Governor's mansion which is now closed to the public. It had beautiful views of the ship and port city of Castries in the background. We also visited a batik making business called Bagshaws. My sister does a lot of sewing and we both had an interest in the beautiful fabrics and linens they created. We really wanted to incorporate a visit back to Bagshaws this year (only to find out they were no longer in business).

 

A few years later, we did an all day island tour with one of the highly recommended guides from the CC port of calls page. On that trip, we visited a banana plantation, the "drive-thru" volcano, a waterfall, and quite a few other scenic locations. We ended up at Jalousie Beach (now Sugar Beach) which is located by the incredibly beautiful Piton mountain peaks. We snorkeled and ate a wonderful, homemade lunch provided by our tour guide.

 

I really like to try new things on every island visit, but it was going to be hard to top our last tour of the island. During my research, I found a ship excursion that for a low price provided transportation to an from Marigot Bay. Since we hadn't been there before and I was looking for something less than an intense all day tour, I thought that might be a possibility. The problem with that excursion was that our time was limited to only a few hours before we had to return.

 

We decided to take our chances and wing-it once again. I knew Castries was one port that I didn't want to just walk around and explore and there are no beaches close-by. We were hoping to find either a cab to Marigot or a last minute tour once we arrived in port.

 

When we walked off the ship and into the port area, we struck up a conversation with a man holding up a sign for one of the highly-recommended tour groups that does one of the all-day tours of St. Lucia. He was waiting for the people on the ship who had signed up for the tour.

 

While he was waiting, we mentioned to him that we weren't interested in an all-day tour. We talked about possibly going to Marigot and how much we wanted to visit Bagshaw's or other local artisans. He told us that Bagshaw's was no longer in business, but Caribelle Batiks was on the island. I was happily surprised because I have been wanting to go to St. Kitts for years just to visit Caribelle. I had no idea they also had an operation in St. Lucia.

 

The man offered to hook us up with one of his guides for a tour taking us to both Caribelle Batiks, Marigot, and anywhere else we might want to see for $50 per person. He said the driver would drop us off at Marigot for as long as we wanted to stay and bring us back when we were ready. I honestly couldn't believe our luck that by having a simple conversation with the first person we saw after getting off the ship turned into a perfect opportunity for us- our own guide for the day to take us where we wanted to go. I didn't know that we could arrange an individual tour through this particular tour group, but since they had an excellent reputation on these boards, we decided to take the man up on his offer.

 

He soon introduced us to Christopher and we were on our way. (I'm not sure if I am supposed to mention the name of the tour company unless asked). We proceeded to have another spectacular day.

 

Pictures to follow.....

[Jan_In_Maine]

I would really like to know the names of your first tour operator and the one that you met this time :)- Thanks! Jan

[MDSue]

We hopped in the car with Christopher and drove through the crowded streets of Castries on our way out of town. As he drive, he pointed out various landmarks and buildings and gave us a little background of the places and people of interest.

 

I can't remember what this building was, but I thought it was worth taking a picture of:

 

 

Our first stop was Caribelle Batiks, which also happened to have beautiful overlooks of our ship and the port: