'Belle' Guadeloupe - Dec 11 / Jan 12

Arrival by:       Air
Flight details:  7.5 hours from Paris Orly to Pointe-a-Pitre
Departure by:  Ferry (to Dominica) & Air (to Paris)
Status:              Overseas department of France, EU
Capital:            Basse-Terre, on Basse-Terre island
Currrency:       Euro
Language:        French
Native drink:   Ti Punch (rum punch)
Island Tip:        Most bakeries or 'boulangeries' have cafe-style tables and chairs, so they make for a
                           good pit-stop during your travels.

Accommodation:  Grande-Terre @ Canella Beach Hotel
                               Basse-Terre @ Hotel Fort Royal Deshaies

Notes on island travel:

The immediate impression upon leaving the airport terminal is the intensity of the concert given by local birds and insects. Arrival in paradise!  Made up of two distinct and very different islands, Guadeloupe is divided only by a narrow salt river.

It's easiest to get around the islands by car.  Public transport timetables are not easy to get hold of and even then somewhat unreliable.  Although, it's quite nice to wander around on foot if you have the time, which can lead to some unusual interactions with the
                                                      locals, such as people leaving church or coconut sellers by the road.


Grand-Terre  -  The most developed tourist area is on the eastern island of Grande-Terre.  The major development of St Gosier on the south side is home to many hotels with some pretty white-sand beaches.  As you travel east, the towns of St Anne and St Francois also accommodate travelers, with St Francois being the less crowded and prettier choice of the two, including a well kept marina.

At the most eastern point of Guadeloupe named 'Pointe des Chateaux', it's worth climbing all the way up to the cross, from where you can look back onto Guadeloupe and observe how narrow this bit of eastern land is.  The southern side is hugged by mangraves, whereas the north-eastern side's beaches are lapped by Atlantic waves.  Further east you can also spot the island of La Desirade, part of Guadeloupe.


Traveling north, the landscape changes to agriculture, mainly sugar cane, with a much more rural feel to it.  Here, it feels even more quiet and remote.  At the northern-most point of Grande-Terre, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, a boardwalk allows a walk around the tip, and views north across the Caribbean to the islands of Montserrat and Antigua.

In the eastern small town of Petit-Canal remnents of the slavery days can still be found on the steps to the town church.  Small wooden boards are attached to the walls by the steps, into which the African tribal names are enscribed, of those brought here to be dispatched or sold.  Just down the road from the church are boats moored, allowing boat trips through the mangroves.

Basse-Terre  -  This western island of Guadeloupe is much more rugged and untouched.  A couple of forts make for stop-off points:  Fort L'Olive in the south and Fort Delgres on the outskirts of the capital Basse-Terre.  The latter and larger fort is named after the anti-slavery supporter Louis Delgres, and both are free to roam around in.

The road cutting this island in half 'Route de la Traversee' makes for a worthwhile drive, with options for hiking, rainforest walks, and waterfalls.  The oversized plants of the rainforest are wonderfully rich in colour and a great reminder of where you are ...

The western side of Basse-Terre is the best place to enjoy amazing Caribbean sunsets, with each day's colours changing and making them unique, particularly if you have a cocktail in your hand!  The town of Deshaies is quaint and mostly unspoilt by tourism.  The boulders of the break-water make for a good vantage point for a view across to the town.

Walk the beach of Grand Anse barefoot and enjoy the tranquillity, not easily found on many of the busier Caribbean islands.  There are also pretty and accessible beaches further north from Deshaies, which are protected for nesting turtles.

The charm of Guadeloupe comes from goats roaming by the roadside, ram-shackle houses painted in the wildest colours imaginable, red and green shiney rooftops, green landscape framed by the blues of the ocean and the sky, friendly locals, unspoilt and mostly untouched landscapes and pelicans diving impressively into the ocean for food.