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The Caribbean's 'Emerald Isle' - once
a haven for colonising Catholics - whose inhabitants drink Guinness and celebrate St Patrick's Day. The teardrop-shaped island made headlines in
1997 when its volcano destroyed the then-capital, Plymouth.
The crater still belches ash on occasion, but the island's 4,700 inhabitants are rebuilding on the wilder northern half. Gone are the stars, though, such as Stevie Wonder and Sting, who came to record and to party with the jet set.
Cosy nights
Gingerbread Hill (00 1 664 491 5812; www.volcano-island.com; doubles from US$45) where the Lea family will make you one of their own.
Best home-cooking
People's Place, on Fogarty Hill (00 1 664 491 7528) for boneless roti and goat-water stew.
Local hangout
Deals
get done over chicken with rice and pigeon peas at Tina's (00 1 664 491 3538).
Expat hangout
Gourmet Gardens (00 1 664 491 7859), aka Mariet's, in Olveston, serves hearty European dishes
Avoid
'Mountain chicken', a local delicacy which is actually an enormous - and endangered - frog.
Festival fun
Pageants, concerts, parades and jump-ups run from mid-December to New Year.
Prodigal son
Soca star Arrow (whose 'Hot,
Hot, Hot' was hot in 1983) now owns Arrow's Manshop, where the selection is wider than the name suggests.
Beaches
Mostly deserted - maybe because they're unremarkable.
Getting around
Some guesthouses have rentals, or call Be-Beep's (00 1 664 491 3787).
Hot spots
Tour the Entry Zone: book through your guesthouse or Jadine Glitzenhirn (00 1 664 491 2752; two-hour tour US$40); the Volcano Observatory (00 1 664 491 5647; www.mvo.ms) has informative exhibits and a great view.
Hazards
The main ring road is fine, but if you leave it, you risk treacherous conditions.
Getting there
Book directly from Sint Maarten on Windward Island Airways (00 599 545 4237; www.fly-winair.com).
More info
www.visitmontserrat.com |
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