Travelfreak

I've been reading up on martinique. Seems like a great island. I'm definately looking for that beautiful blue caribbean water and some islands don't have that, especially volcanic Islands. The diversity seems amazing, but I want to get views from a traveler and not a journalist. I would appreciate any info you can give including best places to stay and must sees. Thanks!!<BR>

Paul

I've been there twice. It is a beautiful island, with lush rainforest in the north and beautiful beaches in the south, an excellent road system, and a large choice of good restaurants.<BR>Stay on the south shore near St. Anne/St.Luce for the best beaches, or farther up north if you want to be hidden away with peace and seclusion.<BR><BR>Take a tour or a hike to the rainforest, and visit St.Pierre while you're up in that part of the island.<BR><BR>Do you speak any French? If not,bring a phrase book, you'll need it (you'll find English spoken at the airport,some car rental agencies, and the larger hotels, and possibly elsewhere, but do not COUNT on finding English-speaking islanders as you travel around - you might encounter some, or you might not.<BR><BR>It's a lovely island, bon voyage!!

travelfreak

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. No, I don't speak french. Do the resorts usually have english speaking staff? I might be in trouble since my husband is a vegetarian and it may be hard ordering food and not knowing what it is. I, on the other, hand can order anything. Also, is there an island that you can compare Martinique to as far as the beaches, snorkeling or scenery? Just trying to get an idea of what it may be like.

Paul

I can assure your husband first-hand that it is doable - I'm also a vegetarian. If he is lacto/ovo, have him say "Je suis vegetarien" at the restaurants. If he is a vegan, have him say "Je suis vegetalien" They do serve alot of Creole dishes on the island, which almost always include seafood, but if he doesn't mind ordering just the side dishes - that's what I often do - he can eat almost anywhere. And of course there's always pasta, pizza, salad.... If you can find one before you leave, a menu guide in French sounds like it would be a good investment. If not, even a handbook like Berlitz French for Travelers includes a glossary of food and restaurant terms in the back.<BR><BR>Resorts such as La Bakoua or Le Meridient, and some others, will have some English speaking staff - especially if they're been reviewed in Fodor's! <BR><BR>Islands with a similar look include Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Dominica for scenery & beaches. The beaches in the south tend to be somewhat narrow, with soft honey-colored sand and usually lots of beautiful shade palms. The beach at Le Diamant, which is well-publicied in tour books, has rougher waters. Ditto for the Atlantic coast ones. Beaches at Pointe du Bout/Trois Islets are man-made and kind of crowded. St. Anne/St. Luce areas have the best beaches.<BR>

Dave

A couple of years ago we stayed there for a week. We felt it was good, but not special. Other islands were better, but it is worth a visit.<BR><BR>You will need a car. The roads are very good, but the road signs could be a lot better. Get a good map. The island is 50x20 miles, and it takes 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to go from top to bottom. <BR><BR>We booked through ABC tours which had a charter directly from JFK. We stayed at Bakoua which was very good with a good, but small beach. The beaches near that were not good. Les Salines was very good.<BR><BR>For seeing, I suggest St. Pierre, Mt. Pelee, and Layritz plantation to see the slave quarters. We stayed there for a night and didn't like it. Visit Fort-de-France. Go to the end of the road on the northern side of the island.<BR><BR>