des monies airport Castle Comfort Hotels just south of Roseau cater to divers and adventurers with big appetites, so yo

If you ve ever wondered where your Hershey s chocolate bar got its start, visit the working cocoa plantation on the Fond Doux Estate, about a mile east of the Sulfur Springs. Guides will show you around the property des monies airport that was established more than 250 years ago on land granted to French settlers. You ll see how cocoa pods are harvested, aged in banana leaves to extract the juices, and danced smooth enough to peel. A path leads past cocoa trees and gardens to the remains des monies airport of the original greathouse and cells that held prisoners during a 1795 Battle of Rabot, a rebellion of French freedom fighters against the British military. A restaurant set among stone ruins serves Cr ole specialties and delicious desserts, and a gift shop sells local artwork and, of course, cocoa sticks. The estate is open daily, 9am to 5pm. Admission is EC$10/US$3.75; 758-759-7545.

You must take a guide. Any of the land-tour operators listed on page 69 can help you plan your hike, or you can make your own arrangements with one of the local guides des monies airport who live in the village of Laudat, des monies airport where the trail begins. Ask for recommendations at Papillote Wilderness Retreat ( 767-448-2287). The going rate for freelance guides is about EC$160/ US$60 for a group of up to four, and they work hard for their day s pay.

Castle Comfort Hotels just south of Roseau cater to divers and adventurers with big appetites, so you can t go wrong at any of the following restaurants. Each is a bit different, but all emphasize friendly service and hearty portions of ultra-fresh cuisine.

Bagshaw Studios, overlooking the sea at La Toc, welcomes visitors to their workshop where they turn out popular silk-screened creations. Shops are scattered around the Castries area, but watching the designs emerge from the studio is especially worthwhile. Drop in Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, or Saturday, 8:30am to noon, 758-452-7921.

oradea shopping center Dominicans make wonderful drinks from the juice of every fruit. The best are passion fruit, guava, g

Soon after leaving Anse La Libert , the road heads up into the fringes of the rainforest, then breaks out with breathtaking views of the twin Pitons as you drive down to Soufri oradea shopping center re, the second-most important oradea shopping center town on St. Lucia. If the shocks on your car can take a beating, it s worth making a quick detour to see Anse Chastanet. Look for a sign pointing the way up an incredibly rough road to the bay and resort, which share the same name. The beach here is quite spectacular, and the close-in reef is protected as a national marine park and a favorite with snorkelers and divers.

Malls & Markets Castries Central Market has been an outlet for local vendors for more than 100 years. It occupies several buildings and adjacent outdoor spaces near the intersection of Jeremie Street and Peynier Street. oradea shopping center The old iron structure is still visible in some of the walls, and you can t miss the original oradea shopping center cement fountain near the craft vendors. Saturday morning is the best time to visit. Look for good buys on coal pots, hot-pepper sauces, T-shirts, straw items, herbs, spices, cocoa sticks and picnic supplies.

Dominicans oradea shopping center make wonderful drinks from the juice of every fruit. The best are passion fruit, guava, gooseberry, cherry, and apricot. Some of the more unusual include soursop, pawpaw, oradea shopping center seamoss, beet, and gingerbeer. Try them all. Most are said to have excellent health benefits.

des moine airport The traditional Sensay costume originated in Africa. It incorporates a bodysuit made of layered stri

St. Lucia s electricity is 220 volts AC, 50 cycles, with a square three-prong outlet, so you must use a converter and plug adapter des moine airport for most US appliances. Many hotels have 110-volt outlets in the bathroom des moine airport for shavers.

You can see whales and dolphins up close in their natural des moine airport habitat on a boat trip leaving des moine airport from Vigie Cove. Bottle-nosed dolphins des moine airport and sperm, pilot, des moine airport and humpback whales swim in the warm Caribbean Sea near St. Lucia year-round. Chris and David Hackshaw take watch groups out on Blue Boy, a 32-foot, twin-engine-powered boat. The four-hour tour costs EC$135/US$50 per person through Hackshaws Boat Charters and Sportfishing, 758-453-0553, www.worldwidefishing. com/stlucia/b883. Scuba Diving Veteran divers des moine airport say St. Lucia s underwater world equals or sur

thing when you turn a light on at night). Be nice to them they eat lots of mosquitoes. des moine airport Native Carib Indians thought they carried evil spirits and spread rumors that they could only be removed from a person s skin with a scalding iron.

The traditional Sensay costume originated des moine airport in Africa. It incorporates a bodysuit made of layered strips of brightly des moine airport colored cloth, and makes the wearer look somewhat like Sesame Street s Big Bird. A Halloween-style mask with horns and a pointed beak-nose turns the Sensay s face into a freakish sight, and platform shoes elevate the character to super-human heights. Independence Day Dominicans celebrate independence as energetically as Carnival. The third of November the island s equivalent of Fourth of July has double meaning to the locals because des moine airport their island was first sighted by Columbus on that date in 1493, and centuries later became an independent republic on that date in 1978. A double-good reason to bring out the bands!

map of oradea 767-449-8181, fax 767-449-8182 www.natureislanddive.com/accomodation.html Two apartments $$$ The ene

Hurricane David damaged much of the waterfront in 1979, and provided an ideal opportunity for the city to clean up and update. A seawall now reduces the chance of future storm damage, and land in front of it has been reclaimed, beautified, and given a snappy name Bay Front.In addition, a new jetty has been built to replace the old one and provide map of oradea facilities for small boats and ferry services.

One of the most picturesque churches on the island sits at the foot of Morne aux Diables in the village of Vielle Case. Ask one of the friendly locals to help you locate the Catholic Church run by Father Maupetit. Its stone fa ade is very old-world, and its red roof and tower contrast dramatically with the deep green gardens that surround it. Father Maupetit has planted trees and plants from all over the world on the church grounds, resulting in a gorgeous botanical garden. Before you leave the area, take time to walk along the shore on Autrou Bay where fishermen wrestle with their boats in the crashing surf.

more than a century because they feared the native inhabitants and were disappointed by the absence of gold. Pirates took advantage of the disinterest of official governments map of oradea and used the islands as hideouts.

767-449-8181, fax 767-449-8182 www.natureislanddive.com/accomodation.html Two apartments $$$ The energetic couples who run Nature Island Dive (see page 74) own these cottages by the sea just outside Soufri re. The two units, one above the other, are self-contained, surprisingly elegant, and very spacious. The upper unit has one bedroom and a queen-size sofa bed in the living room.

standbycars The park was the first natural region in the eastern Caribbean to be listed as a World Heritage Site

The park was the first natural region in the eastern Caribbean to be listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It joined a list of other outstanding heritage locales in the Caribbean, including three sites in Cuba (Old City Havana, Trinidad and the Valley standbycars of the Ingenious, and San Pedro de la Roca Castle); the Colonial City of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; the Citadelle standbycars sans Souci and Ramiers standbycars in Haiti; Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour standbycars in Cura ao; and La Fortaleza and the Historical Site of San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Among his most recent works is the musical The Capeman, written with singer Paul Simon, and performed on Broadway. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. His many other honors include the 1971 Obie Award for Dream on Monkey Mountain, standbycars and the 1988 Queen s Medal for Poetry.

hancock syracuse airport Nature Island Destinations inspects hotels, inns, and private guest houses on all parts of the islan

If you want to drive along the far southern end of the east coast, go back to where the Transinsular Road forks, east of the Pont Casse junction near the trail head to Emerald Pool. At this point, take the southern turn toward Rosalie, where the Rosalie River offers swimmers a chance to cool off in several freshwater pools. Between hancock syracuse airport Rosalie and Delices, the road winds up and down near the coast with many opportunities for ocean views and seaside picnics.

The bad news is, you cannot send yourself hancock syracuse airport or someone hancock syracuse airport traveling with you a duty-free gift. The good news is, you don t want to. You may mail yourself a duty-free package from abroad worth up to $200 twice as much as the gift exemption and it does not count as part of your personal exemption. If you plan to mail yourself a package or send gifts to friends while you re out of the country, check the labeling directions in Know Before You Go. Boxes marked with the proper wording get through Customs much more smoothly.

Nature Island Destinations inspects hotels, inns, and private guest houses on all parts of the island before featuring them on their informative web site. The agency also arranges transportation from the airport, car rental, sightseeing, and diving/hiking tours.

758-451-4185 or 800-263-4202 (US) 00-800-2785 8241 (worldwide), fax 758-451-4608 www.oasismarigot.com 21 rooms, apartments, & villas $$$ Four types of accommodations are available at the Oasis on Marigot Bay. The Inn is a Colonial-style two-story building with a wraparound balcony overlooking the courtyard pool and bay. Each of the four large double rooms open onto the terrace and has a private bath and sitting area.

dsm des moines The highest peak in the Eastern Caribbean is Dominica s 4,747-foot (1,424 meter) Morne Diablotin. St

758-455-3271, fax 758-455-3800 www.foxgroveinn.com 12 rooms $ This is the spot for hikers, surfers, dsm des moines bird watchers, and anyone who wants to be off the beaten path but supremely comfortable. Located just south of Dennery, the hillside dsm des moines estate offers easy access to south-coast beaches, the central rainforest, and east-coast nature reserves. Owned by St. Lucian Franz Louis-Fernand, the place has an international dsm des moines ambiance, dsm des moines forged from Franz s 35 years experience as a chef in Europe and nurtured by his Swiss wife, Esther.

able rainfall, and fertile soil. Scrub vegetation along the coasts gives way to dense forests on interior mountainsides, and the volcanic dsm des moines soil sprouts hundreds of species of flowering plants and ferns.

The highest peak in the Eastern Caribbean is Dominica s 4,747-foot (1,424 meter) Morne Diablotin. St. Lucia s highest point is 3,118-foot (950-meter) Mount Gimie, but its most famous landmark is a pair of pyramid- dsm des moines shaped mountains called dsm des moines the Pitons. From a distance, dsm des moines they appear to sit side by side, but actually are on opposite sides of a bay. Gros Piton is 2,619 feet (798 meters) high; Petit Piton stretches to 2,461 feet (750 meters). Climate