St. Vincent and the Grenadines: A Travel Blog

Arriving from Grenada,  an easy quick 45 minute flight.  Wow,, if they all could be so easy. Another prop plane – a Brazilian Embracer 120 this time.. on a Haitian airline!!!

With a flight path over the Grenadines.. pheww.  I look out my window at Mustique Island – part of St. Vincent’s section of the Grenadines …  They are incredible.  This could be the South Pacific !!!

Immigration a breeze,  taxi’s waiting for customers,,  and I’m at my hotel before I know it.  A  pricey transfer $80 EC for the transfer – less than 10k .. OK,, airport sur-charges? ..yes,, but surprisingly – I find St. Vincent to be more expensive than I expected.  For a small, poor, un-visited island – they seem to want to charge high-end St. Barts prices.. that’s curious.  Who’s plan is that?  But all-in-all,  a good start.

St. Vincent has only 100k people,, so has retained a small island vibe… and it’s a vibe I live for.  Caribbean island time.

I’m always chasing more scuba dives… but another big part of my adventures is learning a countries peoples; their culture, how do they think, how to they treat people.

Sometimes those lessons make it into my blogs. This is one of those.

I always hope to come away educated on my destinations .. Learning  their ‘secret’.   Well,, the secret of St. Vincent is hidden in an unwritten axiom;   Happy v. Angry.  Positive v. Negative. Yin v. Yang -  It’s like two peoples live here.

Aspects of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is absolutely heavenly,, then suddenly – reality hits, and a darker side is revealed.. The underbelly of socio economics, of ingrained historical racism, of suppressed anger and unhappiness.  A version of Yin and Yang.  Coming in from Grenada, makes this observation profound…  and confusing.

(yes,, I understand Yin/Yang isn’t exactly Good/Evil.. but for my Blog,, it’s the axiom that I will use to relate my experiences here)

.. ahh,  more on that observation at the close of this Blog.. For now,  Lets share the Yin ..  Let’s share the adventure!!

***

In 2021,  the La Soufriere Volcano on St. Vincent eruption changed the landscape,, and ocean here.  Now,,, only two dive shops survive.. both in Villa Beach, the most southern tip of St. Vincent - so,, it’s a Villa Beach holiday. 

All the reefs on the West coast, Northwest coast were covered in Ash from the eruption.. Destroying the reefs, coral,, and marine life ... and the land vegetation too!! ..  now, 4-years in,, the ocean is just starting to improve ... it might be another 4 before it’s worthy to dive the North …. Assuming no additional hurricanes or eruptions make an appearance ☹

(The Microbiologist in me can’t help but wonder about the impact of eruptions like La Soufriere on other Caribbean islands and reefs.. Ash travels far,, and fallout does strange things to the life cycle of reef… for example – is there a linkage to Stony Coral?)

Diving the southern tip of St. Vincent is just fine with me.. Villa Beach is a laid-back place.. 5k from Kingston, the capital and cruise ship center.   Just far enough to avoid these ‘tourists’. And,, this corner of St. Vincent somehow avoided the Volcanic Ash fallout.  The winds of Fate are fickle. 

Villa Beach is a small village, dominated by a board walk built along a bay front.  Protected by Young Island just off shore – a high end luxury resort.  The boardwalk, with 3-4 hotels and 5 restaurants is beautiful and well managed – just enough to keep me busy for a week.   My week of diving here flies by. Yin.

Scuba diving each day with Dive Antilles.. Directly next to my hotel – Paradise Beach.   Just a basic hotel room,, no view – but inexpensive for island life.. in fact – it’s the only thing I found inexpensive in St. Vincent!  I’m definitely satisfied with Villa Beach.  Breakfast at the hotel, dinners on the boardwalk, good diving  - easy living.

Roll out of bed,  head to the dive shop.  My chariot is waiting.  With just 1-2 other divers each day, a quality dive crew,, it’s like a private boat. Kit-up,  roll in, take a 1000 photos.. Not-sure I can handle the pace 😊 Yin.

I use my free time each day to catch up on writing and photos.. between enjoying the first-rate coffee shop just 10m away.. OK, I’m officially spoiled.

The diving is outstanding here in the south of the island!! This stretch of the Caribbean is quickly becoming my favorite.  From Grenada to St. Vincent – with the Grenadines between!  Diving keeps getting better in the Caribbean.  These islands are the least visited and most remote anywhere in the Caribbean!! Loving that!!

Mostly Macro photography here – the small stuff.  In perfect viz,  with colorful reefs. 

Baby Drumfish,  Banded shrimp, tons of Lobster, Brittle Starfish.  Loving the easy diving… Most dives were 70 minutes.. one 80 minutes – very unusual for a resort styled dive shop  .. typically dive boat crews are in a rush to get home,,and limit the dives to 45-60 minutes max. Yin.

It’s time to move … time to see the Northern Grenadines.  I hop a ferry to Bequia,, out of Kingston.  A quick taxi ride away.  Just a one hour Ferry,, The Bequia Express huge and comfortable,  only $42 EC round trip. Cool.  But again, the taxi is pricey… Its $50 EC for a 5k transfer – Hotel to Ferry.  Something is out of balance here.

I book a dive shop in Bequia – and a high-end hotel room.. My last minute plan left few accommodation options,, sometimes it’s unavoidable,  Bruce – pay up!!

Sticking to my typical plan – my hotel is next to the dive shop. – Bequia Dive.. a one minute walk .. Along another amazing harbor side boardwalk.

This time the walkway is epic !!  Even more amazing than Villa Beaches’ boardwalk.  Belmont walkway, leading to Princess Margaret Trail and finally to Princess Margaret Beach.   All connected to ‘downtown’  Port Elizabeth.  A dozen first rate restaurants, coffee shops and several hotels along the walkway.  It’s insanely beautiful,  with a harbor packed with sail boats.  Hardly have I ever visited a place so beautiful and peaceful.  Yin.

Just 5k people live on the small island of Bequia (pronounced Beck-way) .. and I immediately feel the difference from ‘mainland’  St. Vincent.  All Yin here 😊 

Quiet, friendly, calm, ultra-slow.  These are the rules!!!  Follow them.

Just six dives over in Bequia..I need more!!  The ones on the North-West coast are only so-so,, with heavy Stony Coral damage.   But,, the SouthWest rugged coastline seems a totally different world.. 100x better for my dives.  The highlight;  A Seahorse.. always the Holy Grail for divers.  -  cool beans. Yin.

I do manage to slow down and calm down here..  I feel renewed. Get organized about onward travel.

One afternoon I find a taxi driver willing to give me a short tour of the island,, for $100 EC.. reasonable. The island landscape seems very desolate ... Dry.  With cactus – that’s a surprise.  No springs or rivers on the island.. all water is captured rainwater.  Vegetation here is nothing like the Rainforests that you find on the larger Caribbean islands like Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica .… etc..  This is small small place.

Not sure if a better travel plan is possible ,,, but Bequia is expensive.  Expensive diving, rooms and food.  Maybe an Airbnb would be a better plan,,,, and renting a car is almost impossible on Bequia ...  If you need one.. Rent it in St. Vincent, and ferry it over on Bequia Express.  But for me.. I even failed to rent in St. Vincent.. although I tried and tried  - kinda weird. Yang.

There is one luxury high-end resort on Bequia .. on Princess Margaret Beach..  I didn’t get to explore it.. maybe next time ??  but my hotel (Gingerbread) and dive shop location is hard to beat.

One last story of Bequia.  I need an ATM,, so I walk into Port Elizabeth.  Only one ATM on the island, one bank, one pharmacy – wow..  The ATM is turned off from 1:30pm to 6:30pm.  So I show up..  around 1:00..  but the ATM is not working.. broken.. Come back tomorrow.   This is true island time 😊

Wrapping up my five night Bequia visit ,,, I ferry back to St. Vincent… Planning on a car rental.. I thought I have an arrangement.. with numerous texts/confirmations with a local Car Rental company…

It’s very hard to find a car rental here.. No normal companies;  like Avis, Hertz etc.. just local rentals.  And a very expensive $50 US tax/license requirement…   I have a plan to explore. Find a waterfall or two.

Anyway… I exit the ferry.. NO car,  NO transfer, NO help.. then the local company try’s a bait and switch .. upsell – doubling the price.. I lose confidence in the Rental company..  Don’t use Smalls Car Rental.. they are useless and dishonest.  Saying ‘NO thank you’ is part of travel. Yang.

So,, I scramble for a taxi back to Villa Beach..  All fine.  Live and learn and travel.  

I did try for a backup plan to my failed car rental … a local tour..  a taxi operator I got connected with ..  after thinking about it for the afternoon …. he offers me a $400 US tour ‘deal’ ... WFT.  He makes $400/day ?  NO way…  Again,, saying ‘NO Thank you’ is a travel requirement sometimes. If that guy make $50 tomorrow,  I’ll be surprised – silly taxi operator.  Something is out of balance here.  For my way of thinking;  This man is confused about economics.  Yang.

**

The Yin and Yang.

I met some of the sweetest, genuine people here in St. Vincent and on Bequia.. the Yin..  And the diving here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is wonderful,, and the boardwalks, and harbor views… Wow.. more Yin ..   Quality people, quality experiences, quality adventures.

But,, unfortunately - I experience 4-5 different Yang’s here.   One was intense.. and could have escalated out of control.  An angry stranger trying to Bully me, blocking a stairwell on the Ferry ... WTF.. it took me by surprise..  Fortunately it’s hard to Bully me.. I won’t go into the details here,,, but I manage the dangerous situation.. but I had no idea it could happen here ....

I later come to understand - Some of the St. Vincent locals are more like those of the Virgin Islands or worse!  Shocking to realize.   Read my Virgin Island Blog v. my Grenada Blog on this topic.  My Caribbean education continues.

The Ferry experience was a Yang,, the car rental experience a Yang … hotel check-in at Villa Beach (both times) a Yang, a dinner at my Villa Beach Hotel a Yang ... more disrespectful service and attitudes. Some of the locals suffer from the Service/Servitude confusion.  Treating visitors as a burden..  Yang.

St. Vincent’s tourist infrastructure is immature.. but wow,, if a visitor can figure their way around that..  There’s fantastic diving.. cool waterfronts, and a quality adventure.  For most people.. the solution is booking a high-end tour package..as-if they are in Africa and require an escort…. Life in a bubble - Not my type of travel ☹

I will return one day and explore the other Grenadine islands;  Mustique, and Canouan, and Union, and Tobago Cay.. but for this trip.. my time is up ... time to jump.

Now,, it’s another expensive taxi transfer.. to the airport. $90 EC this time. Ugg.

Onward.

Addendum:

After a few more discussions regarding the Yin/Yang with locals here in St. Vincent ….  I’m still deeply contemplating my experiences. 

Then,,, as I exit the country,, and I’m at Argyle Airport – a quality, big, easy to manage airport ….  When I discover their secret.

I wander a side hallway,, and see three large photo’s on the wall.  They are of;  Castro (Cuba), Che

Juvenile Drum Fish - St. Vincent and the Grenadines

vez (Venezuela), and Manning (T&T)  - with a title;  Coalition of the Willing.  I’m curious;  so I then do some research on the history and politics of St. Vincent.  And their closest ‘allies’…

St. Vincent aligned themselves with Venezuela and Cuba… politically,  years ago.  Not sure why.. They orchestrated their isolation from the balance of the Caribbean.. and in particular – from the USA.  Consistently Voting against the USA at the UN, and in world affairs.  A segment of the St. Vincent population will immediately dislike you if your American or White.  Some will dislike you if you don’t speak with the local Reggae ‘English’ dialect .. so sometimes, even a Black person that doesn’t align with this culture is disliked….   Wow,,, an interesting secret. 

St. Vincents secret is in its politics.. and the politics have become ingrained in a large segment of the population here..  There is a communist/socialist movement that is powerful here.. This segment is very satisfied to keep big businesses out.. Keep large resorts out, keep car rental companies out, keep non-socialist investment out.  Wow.. Who would have guessed. Or known?

The last few years have eroded some of that secret.. as St. Vincent has fallen farther and farther behind its neighbors.. Like booming Grenada, Like booming Barbados.  Economic reality is taking hold.. and slowly its forcing change in St. Vincent ... a younger, newer generation is coming….. maybe?

For some here; within the local culture.. there is a basic attitude about servitude, about socialism, about anti-American capitalism..  Well,, those attitudes don’t just disappear.. They get ingrained in the next generation.. and are hard to change..

Only time will reveal the direction of St. Vincent.. Will it move forward? .. or regress? 

Hard to be sure..  Some/Many believe T&T and Venezuela are lost already..  I don’t know about Cuba.. accurate truthful news from there is difficult to find.

Can St. Vincent avoid that future?

They have a secret.