Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
AREA GUIDES experience. It is one of the few Caribbean islands that have not been discovered by mass tourism. Montserrat has lovely beaches and interesting hikes and dive sites, but a visit here would not be complete without exploring the Soufrière Hills volcano. What is truly fascinating about this island is the unique opportunity to see the active volcano. Since the Soufrière Hills vol- cano began erupting in July 1995, the southern part of the island has been more or less off limits. Plymouth, Montserrat's capital, was abandoned in 1997 after being buried deep in ash and volcanic debris. Almost everyone has seen white- sand beaches, but there is something special about black-and grey-sand beaches. Because of its volcanic activity, Montserrat has some of each. You'll need a boat to get to Rendezvous Beach, Montserrat's only white-sand beach. Woodlands Beach boasts beauti- ful black sand, while Little Bay Beach is good for swimming and has access to beach bars and restaurants. Lime Kiln Beach is also secluded and has great snorkeling. On Montserrat, guest accommodations range from intimate guesthouses and small boutique hostel- ries to grand oceanfront villas. The island's airport opened in 2005 and the island is now connected to international flights from around the world. St Lucia is located in the middle of the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands and is approximately 21 miles south of Martinique and 90 miles northwest of Barbados. Castries is the island's capital and is situated North-west of the island. The island is a combination of high mountains, forests, low-lying lands and beaches. Tropical birds abound here, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot. The rain- forest is broken only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees. There is a broad array of exciting and exotic activities available on St. Lucia. The island's steep coastlines and lovely reefs offer excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. The rainforest preserves of St. Lucia's mountainous interior are some of the Caribbean's finest places for hiking and birdwatching. The island also possesses excellent facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, and a host of other leisure pursuits. Historical, cultural and heritage sites can be found throughout the island. At Fond Latisab Creole Park one can experience the St. Lucian way of life, with a tour that takes you to a community in Babonneau called Fond Assau. There one can experience tradi- tional practices such as the preparation of cassava bread, cooking on macam- bou leaves, catching crayfish in the river and collecting honey from a beehive. The capital city of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown, which is located in the southwestern area of St. Vincent, hugging a mile-wide area of land on Kingstown Bay backed up by a ring of green hills and ridges. Like many Caribbean capitals, much of the action, color, and excitement of the island can be found in the Market Square, west of the deep-water wharf at the corner of Bay and Bedford Streets. This is espe- cially true on Fridays and Saturdays as people bring in loads of fresh vegeta- bles, fruits, meats, and fish. Grand View Beach Hotel located at Villa Point on the south coast of St. Vincent, is set in eight acres of tropical gardens with commanding views of the Grenadine Islands floating on the blue Caribbean Sea. Grand View offers ten- nis and squash courts, a fully-equipped gym and a secluded beach with great snorkeling and scuba diving. There is also The Cobblestone Inn which has 17 double and two single fully air-condi- tioned rooms, each with its own bath- room. The inn has a restaurant on prop- erty, which serves the very best in Caribbean and Continental Cuisine. The hotel also features a conference room and a communication kiosk, fully equipped with Internet and teleconfer- encing capability, as well as a facsimile and photocopy machine. Young flag carriers for Queen's Birthday Parade Underwater life Couple exploring the island's tropical Gardens Photo Credit: Fenty Photo Credit: RPM Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 101 Photo Credit: st. Lucia Tourism Board