I spent a month in St. Vincent from the end of April to the end of May, 2006. Overall it was a great experience. My team and I filled our days with working with local churches, helping them with construction and other projects.If you're thinking…Read More

I spent a month in St. Vincent from the end of April to the end of May, 2006. Overall it was a great experience. My team and I filled our days with working with local churches, helping them with construction and other projects.

If you're thinking of traveling to St. Vincent,  I would recommend it. However, be prepared for very hot weather. I got sunburned a few times while there, and if your accommodation doesn't have air conditioning, you may have a problem.

Young Island is by far the best St. Vincent has to offer in luxury stays, however it is somewhat expensive.

St. Vincent has an active volcano on the north side of the island, which is available for the energetic types to tour and climb up.

I like to think of St. Vincent as an undiscovered island. You won't see the amount of tourists that frequent nearby islands such as Barbados. In fact, when we were about 10 miles inland, there were several children that told us that they had never seen white people in real life before.

If reliable transportation is important to you, rent a car. Busses are cheap, but crowded and don't run on a schedule.
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St. Benedict's is the only orphanage on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was started in the 1960's by a priest who saw a need for better care of malnourished and mistreated children in the community. Thus, the orphanage started out as…Read More

St. Benedict's is the only orphanage on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was started in the 1960's by a priest who saw a need for better care of malnourished and mistreated children in the community. Thus, the orphanage started out as a child and infant hospital, and soon evolved into the orphanage it is today. Unfortunately, parents would leave their children, never to be claimed. Currently there are only 9 children there, many with mental handicaps. It was not meant to be a place for mentally disabled children, but the sisters that run the orphanage could not turn them away, and neither should they have--for although all of them may not be able to readily talk, these children can laugh.

Shanique is a 16 year old girl whose giggles are so contagious you find yourself laughing before you realize what happened. We played hide and go seek, played around the jungle gym, and ate pizza together. Adam, an 5 year old albino boy abandoned by his family, showed me his reading books and was so proud to read 2 lines to me. It was two hours that managed to put life into better perspective, and I'm sure if you travel to this special place, you won't leave untouched. (It's the last town before the volcano, Mt. Soufriere, so it makes for an ideal stop either coming or going from the volcano.) See the reviews of the volcano for more information.

We had looked forward to this trip since picking up the exchange in late February 2003. We had a June 28 2003 sail date. We sailed aboard Turquoise Dreams out of Bequia for the Grenadines sail. I would have to say that getting…Read More

We had looked forward to this trip since picking up the exchange in late February 2003. We had a June 28 2003 sail date. We sailed aboard Turquoise Dreams out of Bequia for the Grenadines sail. I would have to say that getting to Bequia is not the easiest of exercises, but there are several options. Directly out of Barbados to Bequia is possible, but it is about $100 per person cheaper to transfer via ferry from St Vincent, albeit a little larger.

Having spent much time on sailboats aboard the Great Lakes, I had no illusions about cabin size and space limitations. We had been assigned the starboard aft cabin, and frankly it had a little more room, especially in the shower area, than any of the other cabin on our vessel, so we were please with it. Pack lightly. We used space bags and it made packing and unpacking easier, because I didn't need to bring the bigger suitcase into the room. I just threw the spacebags down the hatch, when departing I packed the space bags then threw them up the hatch and put them back into the suitcase.

Please note this is not a trip for everyone. While we loved it, others may find it too restrictive and too claustrophobic. It can be a confining space that you must share with 8 to 10 other people you have never met before. We didn't know any of our fellow passengers but they were a great bunch. Maybe we got lucky, but that is a chance I am willing to take again. Crew and ground staff are very friendly and will direct you to places of interest for you while you wait for your yacht to be prepared. We arrived very early and had TWCC arrange Dive Bequia to pick us up from their dock and take us out for two dives that day prior to our boarding.

Boarding usually begins about 5pm-ish, but for some reason we were delayed some, but they opened the bar for us and offered us beverages while we waited. The vessel doesn’t actually leave until the next morning, so if for some reason you miss a connection you still have some time to catch up.

Dinner was onboard the first night, and we had a lovely grilled tuna. Trevor our captain and grill master and Jannica our firstmate and cook did a great job with all our meals.

The first day sail to Mustique was the roughest we would have all week. We were sailing into the wind and it was blowing. It made a few of the passengers uncomfortable, but generally we all faired well and no one, to my knowledge, got seasick. It was about a 3.5-hour sail. Mustique is the island home of many rich and famous. Mick Jaggar, Bryan Adams, and Tommy Hilfiger are among those who maintain a residence on the island. We overnighted on a mooring in Britannia Bay.

The next day we sailed to my most favorite place from the whole trip, Tobago Cays. This place was just beautiful. Barrier reef, uninhabited islands, crystal clear waters, beautiful sand beaches, lots of fish to see. The new movie the Pirate of the Caribbean is shot in and around St Vincent and the Grenadines. The island they are marooned on is within the Tobago Cays group of islands. We overnighted here, anchored in the sandy bottom.

We remained anchored in Tobago Cays to allow another morning of dives for the divers. (It should included me but my ears started to plug up.) Later that afternoon we went for a short sail to Clifton Harbor on Union Island, and docked for the remainder of the evening. This gave some opportunities for those who wanted some time ashore for shopping. This is also the location of the first of two dinners ashore that you are on your own.

In the morning we had a short sail and anchored off this sand bar that contained only a thatched umbrella. I can’t remember the exact spelling, but it was something like Mopion. It was very neat little place to snorkel and get more beach time. That afternoon we sailed to Chatham Bay on the western side of Union Island, an anchored there overnight. This was the only location where the water was disappointing. They recently had some sort of Algae bloom and it would be found most everywhere in this bay.

After breakfast we had a short sail up to the western side of Mayreau. This was by second favorite location. There was a lovely crescent beach, and the land, just a 30 feet wide in places, allowed for a calm water on the beach on one side and a windier waves and beach on the other. It was a wonderful photo op. We then sailed again for and anchored off the western side of Canouan. This was a great sunset snorkel place. Lots of eels. And the most amazing sunset. We even saw the infamous "green flash", honestly we did.

After breakfast the next morning we sailed back to Bequia, perhaps the second longest sail of the trip about 3-4 hours, depending on weather and winds. It was a much more pleasant sail then our first day out. We even caught a Tuna. We arrived back at Admiralty bay and were back at the TWCC dock. Dinner tonight is your choice ashore.

The next morning it is departure time. We really didn't want to go we loved this trip so much.

Aside from the all-inclusive fee, there is a customary and expected tip at the end of the sail. The crew works hard at cooking and cleaning and keeping everything in order, I feel they deserve their tips. My husband used to work on a dive board so is NOT inclined to be a cheap tipper; he knows what it is like to live off tips. But ultimately the choice is yours. Diving is extra for exchangers at $50 PP per dive. It seems to be the going rate in most of the Caribbean. Cheap divers need to stay in Cozumel, but rates there are climbing as well and are not as cheap as they used to be.

I would rate this an excellent, not only because you have the Caribbean’s largest swimming pool all around you, but where else do you really get an opportunity to see the Caribbean this way. I would only have to give it a slight knock for not having AC or a better fan. Other may disagree and say the cabins are too small and what not, but I'm not there to sit in my cabin, I'm there to enjoy the views, the water, and the relaxation.Close

The windjammer I was a passenger on had anchored in the harbor between St. Vincent and Young Island and I wanted to make a trip into town but upon my return I couldn't help but take a 5 minute water taxi trip over to Young…Read More

The windjammer I was a passenger on had anchored in the harbor between St. Vincent and Young Island and I wanted to make a trip into town but upon my return I couldn't help but take a 5 minute water taxi trip over to Young Island. I was glad I did.

Although this is a private island resort they don't seem to mind visitors stopping by to add to the economy. The island itself is 35 acres of lush tropical beauty with an inviting beach for sunning. The bar/dining area is open air and situated under tall palm trees. Paths splinter off and deadend at secluded getaways with tables and chairs which I couldn't resist to kick back and sip a cold one and just take in the views. One thing I particularly liked was the fresh coconut pieces at the bar. Quite a change from pretzels, peanuts, etc. There is a bar built out in the water also accessible only by swimming about 20 yards. The water is clear, clean and actually a lot of colorful fish. The whole island is landscaped with buildings tucked almost invisibly between tall palms, hibicus, giant almonds, mango, coffee, nutmeg, flamboyant and breadfruit trees. I have read of good package deals here in Skin Diver Magazine. 1-800-223-1108 This would be a good place to take a significant other for an upscale retreat to paradise.

** Under Construction - check back later ** Several of us from the ship opted to take the organized 'Island Tour' that was offered. Although we had a pretty good time, we were all a little disappointed in the tour. The driver/guide was not…Read More

** Under Construction - check back later ** Several of us from the ship opted to take the organized 'Island Tour' that was offered. Although we had a pretty good time, we were all a little disappointed in the tour. The driver/guide was not very knowledgable and was unable to answer simple questions. So we didn't get much information or history on this lovely island. We did see Fort Charlotte which provided a lovely vantage point from which to see the dramatic coastline.Close

My ship anchored about 3 miles as the crow flies from town. There was some shopping at the dock adjacent to Young Island Resort but not a lot. Taxi's did seem to know when a boat was arriving and taxi's were…Read More

My ship anchored about 3 miles as the crow flies from town. There was some shopping at the dock adjacent to Young Island Resort but not a lot. Taxi's did seem to know when a boat was arriving and taxi's were plentiful in the area as well as mini-buses. A word of warning is to set a price BEFORE you depart. There are no meters and it's up to the old haggle system to agree upon a price. I didn't haggle a lot (heck I was on vacation) but I didn't want to get scalped either. Suffice it to say the trip into the market area of town from Young Island is about a 12-15 minute drive even at the slow pace the locals drive. The taxi drivers speak english as do most of the islands inhabitants so you can ask questions during your trip. I spotted many breadfruit trees along the way, all descendants of Capt. Bligh's escapades I was told. My driver said there is a botanical garden on the island but I didn't search it out. This was another island where my Cable & Wireless prepaid telephone card from another island did not work. I gave up and just bought small denomination phone cards at each port instead of expecting one card to work everywhere. Collect calls using an operator in these islands is VERY VERY expensive.Close

I visited several churchs in the area. I enjoyed looking at the architechure and reading the inscriptions on the headstones. One spoke of a young woman who was sailing to England to visit family when she was stricken with an illness…Read More

I visited several churchs in the area. I enjoyed looking at the architechure and reading the inscriptions on the headstones. One spoke of a young woman who was sailing to England to visit family when she was stricken with an illness and died onboard. Her last request was to return her body to St. Vincent for burial. Her wish was granted. Sad story, but it showed the devotion the locals have for their island home.Close

Like most of the important harbors in the Caribbean, Kingstown has a fort protecting the entrance. Fort Charlotte has a commanding view of the harbor. It is a considerable distance from town so a taxi is recommended.…Read More

Like most of the important harbors in the Caribbean, Kingstown has a fort protecting the entrance. Fort Charlotte has a commanding view of the harbor. It is a considerable distance from town so a taxi is recommended.Close