Planning a trip to St. Barts

Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

The Caribbean in general isn't the LGBT-friendliest destination, perhaps because of regrettably rampant "on the DL" hypocrisy in local communities. St. Barts is by far the most open of the islands. Anguilla, like many a British colony, is quite conservative in attitude, but individual deluxe resorts welcome gay and lesbian travelers. The French and Dutch are generally tolerant, but St. Maarten/St. Martin is a mixed bag.

The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; tel. 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses; go to its website and click on "Members."

Orientation

St. Barts lies 24km (15 miles) southeast of St. Martin and 225km (140 miles) north of Guadeloupe. The island's capital and only seaport is enchanting Gustavia, named for a Swedish king. This dollhouse-scale port rings a splendid harbor where little fishing boats bob alongside sleek yachts. Its narrow streets -- lined with 18th-century Swedish or French stone buildings housing gourmet eateries, galleries, chic boutiques, and an excellent Municipal Museum -- are easily explored on foot. Traveling northwest from Gustavia, you reach the typical villages of Corossol and Colombier, where a handful of women still weave lantana straw handicrafts from hats to handbags in cotton-candy-colored cazes (traditional wooden houses) garlanded with flowerpots and fishing nets.

Right by the airport, St-Jean is the closest thing to a resort town: a tropic St-Tropez, brimming with smart boutiques and beachfront bistros. A few minutes' drive east is serene Lorient, site of the first French settlement with a popular locals' beach; beautifully adorned graveyards; 19th-century Catholic church, convent, and bell tower; and reconstructed 17th-century Norman manor. Farther east, Grand Cul-de-Sac (Point Milou) is the island's second major resort center, its wide curve of sand surveyed by resorts and top-notch eateries.

Money

Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.

Despite the dominance of the euro since January 2002 within the mother country, Holland, the legal tender on the Dutch side of St. Maarten is still the Netherlands Antilles florin (NAf); the official exchange rate is NAf 1.79 for each $1. U.S. dollars are really the coin of the realm here, and prices in hotels and most restaurants and shops are designated in dollars. On the French side (as well as on St. Barts), the official monetary unit is the euro, with most establishments widely quoting and accepting either dollars or NAf guilders as well. At press time, the U.S. dollar was trading at $1.20 to the euro. Anguilla's official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, though U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere; the exchange rate is set permanently at roughly 2.70EC to $1.

Prices throughout this guide are given in U.S. dollars for establishments on the Dutch side and Anguilla, and in either euros or U.S. dollars for establishments on the French side and St. Barts according to whether establishments quoted their prices in euros or dollars at the time of publication.

As the dollar was still weaker than the euro at press time, some establishments on St. Barts and French St. Martin advertise a 1-to-1 exchange rate if you use cash. Always confirm before you get the bill.

ATMs

The easiest and best way to get cash away from home is from an ATM. Be sure you know your daily withdrawal limit before you leave home. Also keep in mind that many banks impose a fee every time a card is used at a different bank's ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions than for domestic ones. And if you use a debit card, the fees may be higher still -- again, check with your bank before you leave home. On top of this, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee. For international withdrawal fees, ask your bank before you leave home.

Note: Keep in mind that ATMs in St. Maarten give you a choice of dollars or euros, while ATMs on St. Martin only dispense euros.

Traveler's Checks

Traveler's checks are widely accepted on all three islands. You can get traveler's checks at almost any bank. They are offered in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and sometimes $1,000. Generally, you'll pay a service charge ranging from 1% to 4%. The most popular traveler's checks are offered by American Express (tel. 800/807-6233 or 800/221-7282 for cardholders -- this number accepts collect calls, offers service in several foreign languages, and exempts Amex gold and platinum cardholders from the 1% fee); Visa (tel. 800/732-1322) -- AAA members can obtain Visa checks for a $9.95 fee (for checks up to $1,500) at most AAA offices or by calling tel. 866/339-3378; and MasterCard (tel. 800/223-9920).

If you carry traveler's checks, be sure to keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Credit Cards

Major credit cards are widely accepted on all three islands. Keep in mind that you'll pay interest from the moment of your withdrawal, even if you pay your monthly bills on time. Also note that many banks now assess a 1% to 3% "transaction fee" on all charges you incur abroad (whether you're using the local currency or your native currency).

Almost every credit card company has an emergency toll-free number that you can call if your wallet or purse is stolen. Credit card companies may be able to wire cash advances immediately, and in many places they can deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Citicorp Visa's U.S. emergency number is tel. 800/336-8472. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282 for all money emergencies. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309.

What Things Cost in St. Barts €

Taxi from the airport to Cul-de-Sac 20.00

Double room, moderate 200.00-300.00

Double room, inexpensive 125.00-175.00

Three-course dinner for one without wine, moderate 25.00

Bottle of Carib beer 1.50-2.00

Bottle of Coca-Cola 1.50

Cup of coffee 1.50

1 gallon of premium gas 5.00

Getting Around

By Taxi

Taxis meet all flights and are not very expensive, mostly because destinations aren't far from one another. Dial tel. 590/27-75-81 or 590/27-66-31 for taxi service. A typical rate, from the airport to Cul-de-Sac, is 20€. Fares between 8pm and 6am, and on Sundays and holidays, are 50% higher. Taxi service must be arranged between midnight and 6am -- call ahead. There are taxi stands at the St-Jean airport and in Gustavia.

The government imposes official fares on tours by taxi. Many travelers simply approach a taxi driver and ask him to show them around. The official rates for one to three passengers are 45€ for 45 minutes, 44€ for 60 minutes, and 60€ for 90 minutes. For four or more passengers, add 8€ to each of the above-mentioned prices.

By Rental Car

A rental car is an essential in St. Barts; it's really the best way to come and go as you please. You can reserve one yourself or have your hotel rent one for you. A number of rental agencies are located at the airport, although most rental agencies are happy to deliver cars straight to your hotel or villa (many resorts keep an assortment of rental cars on-site, ready to go; others, like Le Sereno, include a rental car in your resort rates). All valid foreign driver's licenses are honored.

Star Location Car Rentals (tel. 690-42-28-42; www.star-loc.com) offers rates with a 1€=$1 equivalency -- still a good deal for Americans at press time. It's located right at St-Jean Airport, with a wide range of rental cars, from automatic-drive Suzuki SUVs and four-wheel-drives to stick shift vans. Rates run from 38€ to 130€ a day, depending on the season. Also at the airport is Gumbs Car Rental (tel. 590/27-75-32), a longtime island car-rental company with a fleet of 65 cars; the reasonable rates start at around 20€ a day. Those with an itch to drive a Mini Cooper convertible around the island can rent one for around 120€ a day from Pure Rental, on Rue du Roi Oscar II, in Gustavia (tel. 590/27-64-76).

Budget (tel. 800/472-3325 in the U.S., or 590/29-62-40; www.budget.com) rents various 4WD Suzukis and automatic Daihatsus for 60€ a day, with unlimited mileage. Be sure to reserve at least 3 business days before your arrival.

Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S. and Canada; www.hertz.com) operates on St. Barts through a local dealership, Henry's Car Rental, with branches at the airport and in St-Jean (tel. 590/27-71-14). It offers open-sided Suzuki Samurais for 65€ a day, and more substantial Suzuki Sidekicks for 70€ to 90€ per day.

At Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 in the U.S. and Canada, or 590/27-71-43; www.avis.com or www.avis-stbarth.com), you'll need a reservation a full month in advance during high season. In the winter, cars range from 68€ to 98€ a day. In the off season, rentals are 44€ to 90€ a day.

Note: For Budget, Hertz, and Avis, if you reserve your car in the U.S. you will be charged in dollars, not euros.

Driving St. Barts -- Driving is on the right and maximum speed is 50kph; seatbelts are required. Never drive with less than half a tank of gas on St. Barts. There are only two gas stations on the island, and both are closed on Sunday: one near the airport (open only 7:30am-noon and 2-7pm -- with an all-night automatic pump that usually accepts MasterCard and Visa), the other in Lorient (open 7:30am-noon and 2-5pm).

Driving on St. Barts is an interesting experience, with corkscrewing roller-coaster roads (all 2-lane) and blind corners announced by signage of no words, just an exclamation point. Unless you're comfortable driving up and down steep hills with ease in a standard four-on-the-floor, I say opt for an automatic car. Slow down as you maneuver 90-degree curves, and don't let tailgating motorbikes and scooters push you into speeding up. Also: If you plan to park on the road, say, in St-Jean, amid tight traffic, be sure to pull in your driver's side rear-view mirror, or you might find it shorn off when you return. Happy driving!

By Motorbike & Scooter

Denis Dufau operates two affiliates (tel. 590/27-70-59 and 590/27-54-83). A helmet is provided (helmets are required), and renters must either leave an imprint of a valid credit card or pay a deposit. Rental fees vary from 24€ to 35€ per day, depending on the size of the bike. For all but the smallest models, presentation of a valid driver's license is required and you must be 21 or older.

Jogging/By Bicycle

St. Barts is not the ideal place to ride a bike or go for a run along the roadside. The two-lane roads have few sidewalks and narrow-to-nonexistent shoulders, traffic can be heavy, and the topography consists largely of steep hills and curving roadways with few flat stretches. Serious joggers can use their resort fitness rooms or head to the newly resurfaced track around the soccer field in St-Jean Carrenage (behind the St-Jean firehouse). Gustavia is also a good place to run when the traffic is light.

Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

Perhaps the most environmentally enlightened of the three islands, St. Barts has long been doing its bit to protect the environment -- even though getting food and goods onto the island is a massive daily (and carbon-footprint-heavy) enterprise. Islanders are natural recyclers -- they've had to be; the island has little arable land and no fresh water. Many of the old-timers still collect rain water in cisterns; some even drink it! Most people bring recycled or cloth bags to grocery stores, and eco-conscious chefs are building menus around local and sustainable food sources. Trash is rarely seen on beaches; visitors are asked to take out whatever they bring in.

General Resources for Responsible Travel

The following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel.

• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

• Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and Cool Climate (http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu) provide info on "carbon offsetting," or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted during flights.

• Greenhotels (www.greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodation ratings.

• Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a list of questions to help you determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program. For general info on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.org and www.idealist.org.

Fast Facts

Area Codes -- The country and area code for St. Barts is 590/590.

Banks -- The two main banks, both of which have ATMs, are: Banque Française Commerciale, rue du Général-de-Gaulle, Gustavia (tel. 590/27-62-62, or tel. 590/27-65-88 in St-Jean); and the Banque Nationale de Paris, rue du Bord de Mer (tel. 590/27-63-70).

Business Hours -- Keep in mind that most shopkeepers open around 9am or 10am but close midday for an extended dejeuner (lunch) that may last until 2pm or 3pm. Generally, the closing time is 7pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday 8am to noon and 2 to 3:30pm.

Drinking Laws -- The legal drinking age is 18. Wine, beer, and liquor are sold in grocery stores and restaurants 7 days a week during regular hours.

Embassies & Consulates -- U.S. citizens can visit the Consulate General of France in New York, 934 Fifth Ave., New York, NY (tel. 212/606-3600). Canadian citizens can contact Canada's Embassy of France, 42 Promenade St., Sussex, Ottawa, ON (tel. 613/789-1795).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 17 for police or medical emergencies, tel. 18 for fire emergencies.

Holidays -- Banks, government offices, post offices, and many stores close for national holidays. Note: If a holiday happens on a Thursday, don't expect a business to open until the following Monday. National holidays are as follows: January 1 (New Year's Day), January 3 (All Kings Day), Easter weekend, May 1 (Labor Day), May 8 (Armistice Day), July 14 (Bastille Day) August 24 (St. Barthélemy Saint's Day), November 1 (All Saints Day), November 11 (Armistice Day), and December 25 (Christmas).

Hospitals -- St. Barts is not the greatest place to find yourself in a medical emergency. Except for vacationing doctors escaping their own practices in other parts of the world, it has only seven resident doctors and about a dozen on-call specialists. The island's only hospital, with the only emergency facilities, is the Hôpital de Bruyn, rue Jean-Bart (tel. 590/27-60-35), about .4km ( 1/4 mile) north of Gustavia. Serious medical cases are often flown to St. Maarten, Martinique, Miami, or wherever the person or his/her family specifies.

Internet Access -- Most hotels and resorts offer Wi-Fi. Centre @lizés, rue de la République, Gustavia (tel. 590/298-989) is a full-service Internet cafe that also offers cellphone and laptop rentals.

Language -- French is the official language, but English is widely spoken.

Mail -- The main post office is in Gustavia (rue du Centenaire; tel. 590/27-62-00; closed Sun).

Passports -- U.S. and Canadian citizens need a passport to enter St. Barts. If you're flying in, you'll need to present your return or ongoing ticket. Citizens of the European Union need only an official photo ID, but passports are always recommended.

Pharmacies -- The Pharmacie de Saint-Barth is on quai de la République, Gustavia (tel. 590/27-61-82). Its only competitor is the Pharmacie de l'Aéroport, adjacent to the airport (tel. 590/27-66-61). Both are open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 7:30pm; on Sunday, one or the other remains open for at least part of the day.

Smoking -- While a number of properties offer nonsmoking rooms, there are currently no regulations against smoking

Taxes -- You're assessed a 4€ departure tax if you're heading for another French island. Otherwise, you'll pay 8€. (These taxes are included in your airline ticket.) There is no sales tax and no tax on restaurant meals. Hotels now tack on a 5% tourist tax.

Time -- When standard time is in effect in the United States and Canada (in winter), St. Barts is 1 hour ahead of the U.S. East Coast and 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. When daylight saving time is in effect in the United States, clocks in New York and St. Barts show the same time -- 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

Tipping -- Hotels usually add a service charge of 10% to 15%; always ask if this is included in the price you're quoted. Restaurants add a 15% service charge. Taxi drivers expect a tip of 10% of the fare.

Toilets -- There are public bathrooms on the Quay in Gustavia (next to the Comité du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy tourist office). Hotel lobbies and restaurants are your best options, though technically you should be a guest or customer to use one.

Water -- The water on St. Barts is generally safe to drink.

Weather -- The climate of St. Barts is ideal: dry with an average temperature of 72°F to 86°F (22°C-30°C).

Island Hopping

The Voyager vessels (tel. 590/87-10-68; www.voy12.com or www.voyager-st-barths.com) make frequent (usually twice daily, sometimes more) runs between St. Barts and either side of St. Maarten/St. Martin. The schedule varies according to the season (and the seas), but the MV Voyager II usually departs Marigot Harbor for St. Barts every morning and evening. MV Voyager I travels from Oyster Pond to Gustavia two to four times daily. Advance reservations are a good idea; fares run around 50€ to 58€ adults, 30€ children 2-12 one way (plus taxes). The trip can take around 45 minutes and can be rough; it's recommended that those with weak tummies take seasickness medication before the trip.

The technologically advanced, speedy, more luxurious and stable 65-foot aluminum mono-hull Great Bay Express (tel. 590/27-60-33; www.sbhferry.com) offers daily 20- to 40-minute crossings between St. Maarten's Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg and Gustavia. The boat can carry 130 passengers. Reservations are essential; the roundtrip fare is 56€ to 95€ adults, 40€ to 50€ children 2 to 11 years (plus taxes).

Anguilla

Public ferries run between Marigot Bay, St. Martin, and Blowing Point, Anguilla (tel. 264/497-6070) every 30 minutes. The trip takes 20 to 25 minutes, making day trips a snap. Usually, the first ferry leaves St. Martin at 8am and the last at 7pm; from Blowing Point, the first ferry leaves at 7:30am and the last at 6:15pm. The one-way fare is $15 ($10 children 2-18) plus a $3 departure tax. A departure tax of $20 (children $10) is charged on your return trip to St. Martin; day-trippers and visiting yachts pay a $5 departure tax. No reservations are necessary. Ferries vary in size, and none takes passenger vehicles. Tip: Keep in mind that if you have a late-arriving flight, you may quite literally miss the (ferry) boat. You can either spend the night in St. Maarten/St. Martin or arrange a charter plane connection into Anguilla.

A convenient option is to take one of the privately run charter boats and ferries that shuttle passengers between Anguilla and the airport in St. Maarten. Anguilla-based charter boats will pick you up at the Princess Juliana airport in St. Maarten and transport you and your luggage to Blowing Point or a hotel on the south side of Anguilla. These boats are more expensive than the public ferries, but let you avoid having to travel from the airport to the ferry port in Marigot by taxi (a 10- to 15-min. trip) -- a smart option for travelers with a lot of luggage or a lot of kids. Plus, the privately run boats are smaller and have fewer passengers and can even arrange full-boat charters for groups or families. Keep in mind that these boats do not run as frequently as the government-run ferry, but most do include ground transportation. Good news: In 2010, an agreement between the St. Maarten/Anguilla governments is designed to greatly facilitate the ease of private boat transfers (and passing through immigration) from the airport -- which means that ideally you will be able to get off the plane and jump on a boat straight to Anguilla in under 30 minutes.

Check out the GB Express (tel. 264/235-6205 in Anguilla; 599/581-3568 on St. Maarten; www.anguillaferryandcharter; $55 one way, $90 round-trip); the MV Shauna VI (tel. 264/476-0975 or 264/772-2031 in Anguilla; 599/580-6275 on St. Maarten; myshauna6@hotmail.com; round-trip fare $60 adults, $40 children 2-12); or Funtime Charters (tel. 866/334-0047 or 264/497-6511; www.funtime-charters.com; $55 per person one-way; half-price for children 11 and under). Reservations are required.

Most Anguilla hotels will also arrange (for a fee) private boat charters between the airport in St. Maarten and the ferry dock at Blowing Point, Anguilla, with door-to-door ground transportation.

Tip: If you'd like to do some shopping and have lunch in Marigot before you take your ferry to Anguilla, simply store your bags at the ferry landing. The Port de Marigot has a small baggage storage area ($5, plus tip).

Entry Requirements & Customs

Passports

U.S. and Canadian citizens must have a passport or a combination of a birth certificate and photo ID, plus a return or ongoing ticket, to enter St. Maarten/St. Martin. Citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries of the Caribbean, the Republic of Ireland, and E.U. countries must also have a current passport.

All travelers coming from the Caribbean, including Americans, are now required to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. Those returning to Canada are also required to show passports. Cruise ship passengers must also meet the requirement. You'll certainly need identification at some point, and a passport is the best form of ID for speeding through Customs and Immigration. Driver's licenses are not acceptable as a sole form of ID.

Customs

Generally, you're permitted to bring in items intended for your personal use, including tobacco, cameras, film, and a limited supply of liquor -- usually 40 ounces.

Just before you leave home, check with the St. Maarten/St. Martin (as well as St. Barts and Anguilla) Customs or Foreign Affairs department for the latest guidelines -- including information on items that are not allowed to be brought into your home country -- because the rules are subject to change and often contain some surprising oddities.

Visitors to St. Maarten/St. Martin (as well as St. Barts and Anguilla) may not carry any form of firearm, spear guns, pole spears, illegal drugs, live plants or cuttings, and raw fruits and vegetables. Visitors over 18 may bring in -- duty-free -- items intended for personal use (generally up to 4 liters of alcohol, a carton of cigarettes or 25 cigars), as well as laptops, cellphones, and cameras.

You should collect receipts for all purchases made abroad. You must also declare on your Customs form the nature and value of all gifts received during your stay abroad.

If you use any medication that contains controlled substances or requires injection, carry an original prescription or note from your doctor.

For specifics on what U.S. citizens can bring back, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," then go to "Travel Smart" and click on "Know Before You Go.") Or contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667), and request the pamphlet.

U.K. citizens should contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (tel. 020/8929-0152 from outside the U.K.), or consult its website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

Citizens of Australia should request a helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices called Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

For New Zealand Customs information, contact New Zealand Customs at tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786, or log on to www.customs.govt.nz.

Visitor Information

Comité du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy, St. Barts' official tourism agency, was founded in 2008 when the island became a French overseas collectivity in its own right (no longer a French commune under the administration of Guadeloupe). Its website is www.saintbarth-tourisme.com (or www.cttsb.org). In St. Barts, the tourist office is located in Gustavia adjacent to La Capitanerie (the Port Authority Headquarters) on the pier, quai du Général-de-Gaulle, Gustavia (tel. 590/27-87-27; www.cttsb.org).

On the island, pick up a copy of Ti Gourmet; this solid little guide is packed with invaluable information on absolutely everything. Online, the Insiders' Guide to St. Barthélemy (www.sbhonline.com) offers very instructive readers' forums and trip reports. The Web-only St. Barths Online (www.st-barths.com) offers details on arts, dining, shopping, and nightlife listings.

Read All About It

The English-language Saint-Barth Weekly is an excellent resource for events and local gossip; you can also download the latest edition in a PDF file from the tourist office website. The bilingual Ti Gourmet Saint-Barth is a free pocket-size guidebook providing contact information, minireviews, and general prices of restaurants; pick one up almost anywhere.

Tips for Families

Although a number of St. Barts resorts discourage children during high season, it's quite a kid-friendly place the rest of the year.

Even those hotels and resorts with specific adults-only aspects offer some sort of kid-friendly amenities and programs. Many of the beaches are particularly attractive for families with toddlers and young children, and older kids will have plenty of nonmotorized watersports activities (snorkeling, sailing, parasailing) to keep them happy.

Health & Safety

There are no particular health concerns on St. Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla, or St. Barts. The best medical facilities are on St. Maarten/St. Martin, with good clinics on Anguilla and St. Barts. Emergency airlift to Puerto Rico is available from all three destinations.

It's fairly easy to obtain major over-the-counter medication, with most major North American brands available as well as brands manufactured in Europe under unfamiliar names. Some leading prescription drugs for such common ailments as allergies, asthma, and acid reflux are also available over the counter, albeit by European pharmaceutical companies.

Common Ailments

Bugs, Bites & Other Wildlife Concerns -- The biggest menaces on all three islands are mosquitoes (none are disease vectors) and no-see-ums, which appear mainly in the early evening. Window screens aren't always sufficient, so carry insect repellent. In St. Barts, many pharmacies sell the Belou line of essential oils, which includes Belou's P Soothing Mosquito Repellent Oil, a natural repellent. Many of the products in the Ligne St. Barth (www.lignestbarth.com) line of creams and sunscreens contain roucou, considered to be a natural insect repellent; its shop/laboratory is on the Route de Salines in Lorient.

Sun Exposure -- The tropical sun can be brutal. Wear sunglasses and a hat, and apply sunscreen liberally. Increase your time on the beach gradually. If you do overexpose yourself, stay out of the sun until you recover. Sun and heatstroke are possibilities, especially if you engage in strenuous physical activity. See a doctor immediately if fever, chills, dizziness, nausea, or headaches follow overexposure.

What to Do If You Get Sick Away from Home

It's easy to find good English-speaking doctors. You can find hospitals and emergency numbers in "Fast Facts".

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. You may have to pay all medical costs up front and be reimbursed later. If you worry about getting sick away from home, you might want to consider buying medical travel insurance.

Crime & Safety

Petty crime has become an issue of concern on Dutch St. Maarten, with thefts and break-ins an increasing problem. Travelers are urged to lock their cars and lodging doors and windows at all times. Visitors should exercise common sense and take basic precautions everywhere on the island, including being aware of one's surroundings, avoiding walking alone after dark or in remote areas, and locking all valuables in a rental or hotel safe.

Anguilla is one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean, but you should still take standard precautions. Although crime is rare here, secure your valuables. Crime is also extremely rare on St. Barts; it's one of the safest islands in the Caribbean. But it's always wise to protect your valuables. Don't leave them unguarded on the beach or in parked cars, even if locked in the trunk.

Etiquette Tips -- Despite the clothing-optional beaches on St. Martin, St. Maarten, and St. Barts, flaunting one's body (or any flagrant display) is frowned upon, especially on proper British Anguilla. Except at casual beach bars, men should wear some kind of shirt, women a wrap. Casual resort wear is recommended for most restaurants, especially at dinner. "Sunday dress" is appropriate when visiting churches, though ties aren't mandatory for men. In general, profanity is frowned upon.

Tips for Senior Travelers

Though the major U.S. airlines flying to St. Maarten no longer offer senior discounts or coupon books, some hotels extend deals, especially during slower periods. Members of AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, airfares, and car rentals. AARP offers members a wide range of benefits, including AARP The Magazine and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50 can join.

Staying Connected

Telephones

St. Barts is linked to the Guadeloupe telephone system. To call St. Barts from home, dial your country's international access code, then 590 (the country code for Guadeloupe), and then the city code and number. To call home from St. Barts, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64), followed by the area code and number.

The island has a handful of public telephones for making local and international calls that use Têlécartes; these prepaid phone cards are sold at the gas station across from the airport and at post offices in Gustavia and St. Jean. To reach an AT&T operator from anywhere on St. Barts, dial tel. 0800-99-00-11. To reach MCI, dial tel. 0800-99-00-19, and to reach Sprint, dial tel. 0800-99-00-87.

Cellphones

The three letters that define the islands' wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across the islands. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account.

For many, renting a phone on one of the islands is a good idea. You can rent a phone from any number of island sites, including kiosks at airports and at car-rental agencies. Mobile phone rentals are available from Friendly Island Cellphone Rentals (tel. 599/553-7368), in Simpson Bay, St. Maarten; they'll even deliver the phone to your resort or villa. On Anguilla, you can arrange a phone rental through your hotel or resort or directly from LIME (formerly Cable & Wireless Ltd.), Wallblake Road, the Valley (tel. 264/497-3100), or Digicel (tel. 264/498-3444), with its main office by the Public Library in the Valley. On St. Barts, Centre @lizés, rue de la République, Gustavia (tel. 590/298-989) is a full-service Internet cafe that also offers cellphone and laptop rentals.

Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

If you have Web access while traveling, you might consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP) such as Skype (www.skype.com) or Vonage (www.vonage.com), which allows you to make free international calls if you use their services from your laptop or in a cybercafe. For all the details on restrictions and availability, check the websites above for details.

Internet/E-Mail

Without Your Own Computer -- To find cybercafes on the islands, check www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com.

With Your Own Computer -- More and more hotels, resorts, airports, cafes, and retailers are going Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), becoming "hot spots" that offer free high-speed Wi-Fi access or charge a small fee for usage. Most laptops sold today have built-in wireless capability. To find public Wi-Fi hot spots on the islands, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hotspots.

For dial-up access, most business-class hotels offer dataports for laptop modems.

When to Go

Hotels charge their highest rates during the peak winter season, from mid-December to mid-April. Christmas week rates may double those tariffs. You should make reservations months in advance for Christmas and February, especially over Presidents' Day weekend. School spring breaks are also busy family times.

The off-season runs roughly mid-April to mid-December (though exact dates vary according to the property). Even though August can be a popular month for vacationing Europeans, it's one big summer sale: Most hotels, inns, condos, and villas slash their prices 20% to 50%. The beaches are less crowded and many top lodgings and restaurants shutter for one, even 2 months as the owners take their own vacation or perform necessary renovations. Be sure to request a room away from noise if the hotel remains open during construction. I provide closing dates wherever possible, but visitors should double-check before booking.

Weather

High season features a temperate climate, rarely exceeding 90°F (32°C), with lower humidity and the famed cooling trade winds blowing in from the northeast. It's ideal beach weather, with the occasional cloudy day. Usually rain showers are brief: Islanders call them "liquid sunshine."

Rainy season runs from late May to mid-November. This doesn't mean it rains for days at a time or even every day. But this also roughly corresponds to the official Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. Fortunately, satellite surveillance provides enough advance warning to take precautions and, rarely, evacuate.

Hurricanes -- The northeastern Caribbean has seen its share of destructive hurricanes; the latest to have an impact in this region was Hurricane Omar, which in 2008 eroded beaches and blew down beach shacks in the Maho Bay area in St. Maarten and also caused beach erosion on Anguilla's West End. Fortunately, modern technology and satellite surveillance provide plenty of advance warning for impending storms. Hurricane season officially begins in June and ends in late November, but high hurricane season in this neck of the woods is the month of September. A number of resorts use this time (early fall) to close for renovations, especially on St. Barts. If you are caught in a hurricane or tropical storm during your stay, follow the instructions of officials (especially in the event of an evacuation to higher ground). Keep in mind that low-lying areas may be prone to flooding, and the seas may have dangerous rip currents even after a hurricane has passed. For the latest satellite imagery and hurricane information, go to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov).

Getting There

By Plane

The flight from St. Maarten is just 10 minutes long, but for many people, landing on a tiny airstrip between two volcanic hills and braking mere feet from sunbathers on the beach is 10 minutes of terror. The makeshift landing strip at St-Jean airport on St. Barts is just 651m (2,170 ft.) long and accommodates only STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircrafts no bigger than 19-seaters. Even on these small planes, landing on St. Barts has often been compared (and not favorably) to touching down on an aircraft carrier. The pilot must divebomb between two mountains (one with a giant white Swedish cross), then pull up abruptly: no extra charge for the thrill ride. (In fact, any pilot who plans to land in St. Barts is required to qualify for a special permit first.) No landings or departures are permitted after dark.

There are no nonstop flights to St. Barts from North America. From the United States, the principal gateways are St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Guadeloupe. Most people from the U.S. or Canada first fly to St. Maarten. From St. Maarten, Windward Islands Airways International (known by everybody as Winair; tel. 866/466-0410 in the U.S. and Canada, or 590/27-61-01; www.fly-winair.com) offers 10 to 20 daily flights to St. Barts. One-way passage costs around 64€ -- but that figure excludes taxes and surcharges, which can double the cost (including inflated fees for credit-card charges). Flight duration is a mere 10 minutes.

Our favorite carrier is St. Barth Commuter (tel. 590/27-54-54; www.stbarthcommuter.com), which flies four flights Monday through Saturday (two Sun) from little L'Espérance Airport in Grand Case, St. Martin (one-way fares 60€ adults, 45€ children 2-11). It flies once daily from St. Maarten's Princess Juliana Airport (one-way fares 65€ adults, 50€ children 2-11).

Air Caraïbes (tel. 877/772-1005 in the U.S. and Canada, or 590/82-47-00 and 590/27-71-90; www.aircaraibes.com) flights depart four or five times a day from Pointe-à-Pitre's Pôle Caraïbes Aéroport in Guadeloupe. Round-trip passage to St. Barts starts at 236€; trip time is 45 minutes.

Tradewind Aviation (tel. 800/376-7922; www.tradewindaviation.com) offers two daily first-class charter flights to St. Barts from San Juan; the flight is an hour long and round-trip cost (including taxes and surcharges) is $395 per person Monday through Thursday and $495 per person Friday through Sunday.

Airline Advice -- Always reconfirm your return flight from St. Barts with your interisland airline. If you don't, your reservation will be canceled. Note: On rare occasions, a flight will be rescheduled if the booking doesn't meet its fuel quota. Also, don't check your luggage all the way through to St. Barts, or you may not see it for a few days. Instead, check your bags to your gateway connecting destination (usually St. Maarten), then take your luggage to your interisland carrier and recheck it to St. Barts. Just in case, pack a change of clothes, any required medicine, and a bathing suit in your carry-on.

By Boat

The Voyager vessels (tel. 590/87-10-68; www.voy12.com or www.voyager-st-barths.com) make frequent (usually twice daily, sometimes more) runs between St. Barts and either side of St. Maarten/St. Martin. The schedule varies according to the season (and the seas), but the MV Voyager II usually departs Marigot Harbor for St. Barts every morning and evening. MV Voyager I travels from Oyster Pond to Gustavia two to four times daily. Advance reservations are a good idea; fares run around 50€ to 58€ adults, 30€ children 2 to 12 one-way (plus taxes). The trip can take around 45 minutes and can be rough; it's recommended that those with weak tummies take seasickness medication before the trip.

The technologically advanced, speedy, more luxurious and stable 20m (65-ft.) aluminum mono-hull Great Bay Express (tel. 590/27-60-33; www.sbhferry.com) offers daily 20- to 40-minute crossings between St. Maarten's Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg and Gustavia. The boat can carry 130 passengers. Reservations are essential; the round-trip fare is 56€ to 95€ adults, 40€ to 50€ children 2 to 11 years (plus taxes).