Suzanne's Cruise 1-2008

Little Bay

Located on the southern coast of St Maarten, just around the corner from Great Bay, this small but pretty beach is well protected by the outcrop of Fort Amsterdam right on the edge of Philipsburg. It serves the two hotels of Bel Air Beach Resort and Divi Little Bay Beach Resort but is also open to the public. For diving enthusiasts, it offers one of the rare beach dive locations, as the waters here are generally calm due to its 'cove like' nature and also the installation of solid rocky beach breaks. This makes it an ideal spot for children, and a selection of beach equipment from snorkeling gear to jet-skis means there is plenty to do for all the family. Along with the two hotels, there is a beach restaurant which serves a variety of light snacks and full meals as well as the essential beach cocktails!

Baie Rouge

Baie Rouge is a short ride from Marigot and hotels located on Baie Nettle. If you miss the snow, you'll love sinking into Baie Rouge's beautiful white sand beach - but no need for boots!
Lounge chairs and umbrellas are available for your convenience. Snorkeling gear can be rented, in order to explore the rocks at the Northern end of the beach.
If you're hungry, there is a shack waiting to serve you a local fare of ribs, chicken, and burgers. Frozen coladas as well as ice cold beers and sodas are there to quench you thirst.
If privacy is more to your liking, just a short walk down the beach you'll enjoy solitude and clothing is optional.
This is the Terres Basses region where most upscale vacation villas are located. The resorts of Nettle Bay are only minutes away. Have a look at LE FLAMBOYANT RESORT.

Dominica

Dominica has a few famous tourist spots, such as the Indian River in Portsmouth, Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, Scotts Head (where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea), and the world's second-largest boiling lake which is inside Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica's World Heritage site. This island country also has many excellent diving spots due to its steep drop-offs, healthy marine environment, and reefs.
In 2004, because of its unchanged natural beauty, Dominica was chosen to be one of the major filming locations for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and its follow-up, At World's End. Hampstead Beach, Indian River, Londonderry River, Soufriere, and Vieille Case, which is situated on the island’s northern tip, were among the places selected for filming. The production ended on May 26, 2005. The cast and crew and their island hosts had a "Dominica Survivor Party".

Dominica-walking tour

For those who arrive in Roseau and choose to walk, the Old Market Museum and plaza at the Bayfront is an easy start. Shoppers will also find several duty free shops nearby. Others who chose to saunter through the city will be stunned by the quaint Creole architecture that reflects the island's intriguing colonial past. The Botanical Gardens and Parrot Research Centre (located within the Botanical Gardens) are also recommended stops.
Dominica has a major advantage as a cruise destination. It boasts a range of natural attractions easily accessible on a short tour. A twenty-minute drive provides the cruise visitor with the option of snorkelling, whale watching, and scuba diving, even the possibility of visiting the Soufriere and Watten Waven Sulphur Springs or Trafalgar Falls.
A little further out from Roseau, visitors can soar above the island's rainforest on the Aerial Tram, go horse-back riding, or explore tropical vegetation on ATV's. They could also choose to wallow in the Emerald Pool or Titou Gorge or just simply continue their cruise on land with a Jeep Safari Tour.

Grenada

Grenada is a rolling, mountainous island, covered with fragrant spice trees and rare tropical flowers. Bordered by stunning beaches, and dotted with picturesque towns, this verdant island has long been a major source of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cocoa. The seductive drifts through the colourful Saturday markets and Grenada's dense forests. In the interior of this volcanic island are cascading rivers and waterfalls, lush rainforests, and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful mountain lakes imaginable. The capital, St. George's, is widely held to be the loveliest city in the Caribbean. Its horseshoe-shaped harbour is surrounded by a pastel rainbow of dockside warehouses and the red-tiled roofs of traditional shops and homes.
Grenada's physical beauty is complemented by its rich history and vibrant, living cultural heritage. Local festivals, fairs, and markets remain an integral part of life on Grenada. Its centuries-old spice plantations and rum distilleries still use traditional methods, emphasizing quality rather than quantity. Although the tourist industry has become more substantial in recent years, the island's easy rhythms and the friendly openness of its residents evoke an atmosphere that has long since vanished elsewhere.
For many visitors, of course, the measure of any island is taken by its beaches and coral reefs, and Grenada offers plenty of both. The island is ringed with miles of picture-perfect strands, including both entrancing black and sugar-fine white sand beaches. Grand Anse Beach, a smooth expanse stretching for two miles around the curve of a gentle bay, is world famous. Grenada has plenty to offer those interested in offshore pleasure as well, with easily accessible and pristine reefs off the coast of both Grenada and its sister island, Carriacou.

Magazine Beach-Grenada

If you are looking for good snorkeling sites close to the shore, then the best place to visit would be the beaches near to the Aquarium Restaurant or Rex Grenadian Hotel.To get there, you will need to take the main road past the airport terminal until you see the sign for the restaurant on your right.This beach offers sheltered areas, gorgeous white sand and snorkeling along its southern end.The Aquarium Restaurant & Beach Club is a good place to make the day more enjoyable, and makes a comfortable base for the afternoon. Refreshments are available on the beach, beach chair rental, hotel & restaurant, shade, small coral reefs and good snorkeling!

Aruba

"One Happy Island." This, the official motto of Aruba, is plastered on each taxi's license plate. Surely Arubans are happy to see cruisers: Aruba's economy is fueled by tourists' dollars, and much of the island is heavily developed for them, perhaps even more so than neighboring islands Bonaire and Curacao (the three together make up what's known as the ABC chain of islands in this deepest part of the Southern Caribbean). Most Arubans speak English and accept U.S. currency, and shops located in and around the port area are American -- Tommy Hilfiger, Diamonds International and the like.Beyond that, Aruba has a rich layered heritage. The first people to inhabit the island were a nation of Arawak Indians (the name Aruba seems to have derived from the Arawak Indian word oibubai, which means guide). In 1499, the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda laid claim to the territory for Queen Isabella. Nearly 200 years later, the Dutch captured the islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire from the Spanish, and much of that heritage can be seen in its pastel Old World architecture.But let's face it -- we don't come here for the history. We come here for the diversions, and Aruba is the Caribbean's theme park. There are casinos, duty-free shops, over two dozen dive sites and noteworthy shipwrecks, and a championship golf course lined with cacti and populated by friendly iguanas. Aruba's trademark divi divi trees always point in a southwesterly direction (due to trade winds that blow from the northeast), but we like to think they're leading the way to the sandy beaches that ring the island in the shape of a cheery smile.Best of all, there really is no bad time to visit Aruba. Located only 20 miles north of Venezuela, temperatures are consistently pleasant (lows in the 70's, highs in the 80's), there's no "rainy" season and its location is far below the Atlantic hurricane belt.