Tweet a Taxi!

In an exciting new move, we have branded the iconic London taxi with St Vincent and the Grenadines imagery. There are several making their way around the big city and if you spot one, then take a picture, upload it to Twitter and you could be in with a chance of winning a bottle of sunset rum!

Simply follow us at @discoverSVG, use the hashtag #SVGtaxi and upload your picture and each week throughout October, we'll announce a winner.


Official Rules

A. To enter the competition you must be 18 years old or over at the time of
entry and from the UK.

B. The competition can only be entered by logging into your Twitter account and
uploading your photo with the hashtag #SVGtaxi. Entries by other means will not be
accepted.

C. The winners will be selected by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority
at random from all eligible entries received via Twitter.

D. There are four bottles of Sunset Rum to be won.

E. Each winner will receive one bottle of Sunset Rum.

F. The winners agree that their names may be used in all required publicity material.

G. The closing date for entry is 31 October 2011.

H. Entrants are required to 'follow' Discover St. Vincent and the Grenadines Twitter
page.

I. No purchase necessary.

J. Excludes any employees of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority their
families or anyone connected with the administration of the competition.

K. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority reserves the right to exclude
entrants and withhold the prize for violating any of these terms and conditions.

L. No cash or other alternative is available and the prize cannot be transferred.

M. No correspondence will be entered into.

N. By entering the competition, participants will be deemed to have accepted and be
bound by these terms and conditions.

O. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must confirm acceptance of the
prize via return email within 28 days. If no reply is received an alternative winner
will be selected.

Battowia – “Bird Island”

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority


Upon approaching the wildlife reserve uninhabited island of Battowia, I keenly scanned our surroundings. Battowia is one of the largest sea bird colonies in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. As Battowia’s rocky terrain emerged ahead, curious boobies swooped to greet us.

While sailing from St. Vincent to Battowia, we were entertained by seagulls and boobies – skilfully gliding overhead and diving into the sea. The ocean’s calmness allowed the boat to draw near to Battowia, which presented us with an amazing view of its birds.

Our marine tour of this serene natural landscape was vividly enhanced by the spectacular sounds and sights of birds, as they chirped and soared around the island. Battowia’s sea bird species include the frigate bird, brown pelican, brown noddy, sooty tern, in addition to land birds as, the tropical mockingbird, eared dove, and the antillean crested humming bird.

I interestingly observed birds that were intriguingly perched on Battowia’s landscape, some camouflaged with their habitat, and only slight movements revealed their presence. A few goats were also spotted, nimbly climbing the cliffy hillside.
Altogether too soon, the boat pulled away from the island, and I felt a longing to be as free as the birds on Battowia, to soar among the 32 islands and cays of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

A Fruitful Agro-Tourism Site Visit

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority

As I got off the bus at the Orange Hill Taiwanese Farm, I was captivated by the panoramic mountain and ocean scenery, and enjoyed a charming view of a traditional great house. The remarkable farm occupies 18 acres of the Orange Hill Estate, which is located at the northern tip of St. Vincent.

This agro-tourism site boasts agro-processing and plant-tissue culture laboratories, operated by the Taiwan Technical Mission, and the St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Development.

Our guided tour of greenhouses, and fruit and vegetable orchards which displayed attractive signage, was very informative as friendly workers paused in their duties, to participate in knowledgeable discussions on products and services. Agricultural services offered by the farm include, a horticulture crop development project, vegetable extension, along with technical assistance and farm management training for local farmers.

As our tour continued we stepped into an amazing orchid greenhouse whose atmosphere was filled with a lovely fragrance; where spectacular orchids bloomed in various shapes, colors and sizes.

Ground spices, fruit juices, ice cream, chips, and dried fruit such as jujube and carambola (five finger), have been produced by the farm for the domestic market.

Our visit at the Orange Hill Taiwanese Farm, ended with a fruitful reward, as strolling through the orchards, we took pleasure in picking and eating juicy fruits, before setting out for the hour’s ride to Kingstown.

An Enchanting Dinner

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority

The year 2011 was greeted with a dinner at Young Island Resort – a privately owned 35 acre enchanted island, with 29 charming cottages. It is the closest inhabited island to St. Vincent, and it’s accessible only by sea.

As guests boarded the ferry, moored alongside Villa’s dock for the 5-minute ride to the venue, I was delighted by experiencing ‘getting to dinner by ferry’. There appeared to be no race against time, as the ferry slowly crossed the 200-yard distance to Young Island.

The island’s festive lights seemed to beckon from a fairy tale, casting its magical wand into the night upon the arriving passengers. As we drew closer, guest cottages peeked amiably at us through the darkness from the forested landscape.

Upon docking at Young Island, which is also a national wildlife reserve, a short walk along the alluring beach front, and through tropical flora, led us to the Captain Bligh Lounge and Bar, where we enjoyed cocktail drinks along with soothing music.

We were then escorted to an indoor dining room - elegantly draped in white. I stood enthralled for a moment, while pondering on my seating options.

An array of splendid cuisine adorned the buffet table, such as roasted striploin beef with red wine and berry sauce, baked chicken breast with golden-apple reduction, potato, corn and sweet pepper salad, pumpkin casserole and Christmas cake.

Our cheerful chatter was accompanied by a cool breeze from the ocean, drifting through the open window. I then realized that my favorite selections from my platter, were the delectable devilled eggs, conch fritters, coconut bread, grilled fillet fish with sweet pepper and chili sauce, salted ham, stewed green peas and cheesecake.

Still there was more to come, as this enchanting dinner concluded with a pleasant surprise. Then, all too soon, the evening culminated with the Young Island’s ferry ride to St. Vincent, without which, the event would be incomplete.

Dark View Falls' Post Disaster Clean Up

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority

The bus headed from Kingstown, St. Vincent to Dark View Falls, filled with staff members from the Ministry of Tourism, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority, and the National Parks Rivers & Beaches Authority. It was Tourism Week, and our mission of the day was to clean up Dark View Falls after the recent passage of Hurricane Tomas.

Our one and half hour picturesque journey presented scenes of fishing boats in Layou, yachts anchored in Wallilabou and Cumberland Bay, fishing seines at Barrouallie’s jetty, and a few goats and cows along the way. As we passed through Wallilabou, tourists were seen walking towards the Heritage Park, probably anticipating a dip at Wallilabou’s waterfall.

As we continued along the meandering roadway and approached misty mountains, the cool change in temperature was detected. All along the route, the apparent telltale signs on the landscape from Hurricane Tomas became increasingly evident.

Upon arrival at Dark View Falls, some persons stood in awe, amazed at the aftermath images of Hurricane Tomas. The grand overhead bamboo archway had disappeared, broken trees, branches and leaves fell everywhere. Yet, swaying proudly amidst all this was the sturdily built suspended bamboo bridge, leading towards the waterfalls.Dark View Falls is an eco-adventure for visitors, as well as a popular picnic site for locals. This spectacular site boasts three waterfalls, along with a pool for bathing, a welcome booth, vending kiosks, and washrooms.

Persons drifted off into sub-groups to commence chores of chopping, sawing, and hauling broken bamboo and branches into designated areas. Some individuals raked soggy leaves arduously. While others assembled to cook an outdoor meal on coal-pots. Also, personnel from the electrical service company were seen busily repairing damaged electrical poles. Throughout all of this, a group of visitors appeared from the trail behind the waterfall, as they trekked their way towards a vehicle.Unfortunately, our clean up was interrupted by a downpour of rain, followed by persistent showers. This break provided the opportunity for rewards of an outdoor lunch of soup (boil-up) and pelau, along with a cool dip in the waterfall.

As I got ready to depart Dark View for the 24 mile drive to Kingstown, I was rather comforted by the knowledgeable Park Ranger, Maxwell ‘Erasto’ Robertson, who informed us that the bamboo arcade should grow back after a few years.

A Divine Day in the Tobago Cays

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority

Heading from Kingstown’s Cruise Ship Terminal, our first stop with Fantasea Tours power catamaran, was along St. Vincent’s leeward coast to pick up a few guests at Buccament Bay Resort.

On the two-hour ride to Tobago Cays the boat vibrated to the up tempo beat of salsa and soca. We were also entertained by a few prying fishes which darted in the ocean. The male crew outfitted in red shorts and white t-shirts, eagerly served local soft beverages and rum punch. During different occasions seats were shifted as cool waves sprayed several passengers. However, some persons didn’t appear to be bothered, as they munched on un-parched peanuts soaked in rum punch.

Filled with chatter and laughter Fantasea Tours catamaran chiseled the leaping waves, while we passed the inhabited islands of Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and many uninhabited cays. As we approached Tobago Cays spread before us was a picturesque view of Petit St. Vincent, Petit Martinique and Carriacou.

The Tobago Cays Marine Park is infamous for sailing, snorkelling, diving and its huge horseshoe reef. The five cays of Petit Bateau, Petit Rameau, Petit Tabac, Jamesby and Baradal comprise the Tobago Cays. Petit Tabac was a site for the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Petit Tabac is located apart from her sister cays, and is accessible by a dingy, due to the protective reef.



Set against a backdrop of the Friendship Rose schooner and yachts anchored in the cays, Fantasea Tours entered Petit Bateau; a couple was seen donning their snorkelling gear and plunging into turquoise waters, also another vessel headed past us, decked with passengers revelling in this haven. Cameras snapped and flickered to capture these perfect photo opportunities.


Then came the moment everyone was longing for – disembarking on Petit Bateau to sink your toes into the white sea-shelled sand, dive into the translucent sea, or to just imagine that you’re marooned on an enchanted island. I opted to snorkel amidst the coral reef and pretended to be one of the multi-coloured fishes. A few visitors on board Captain Yannis’ catamaran ‘Typhoon’ sampled a taste of splendid swimming.

Our next island retreat was Mayreau for a swim at the superb Salt Whistle Bay. Along the beach there was an assorted display of local colourful fabric. The shoreline also offered a bountiful supply of juicy wild sea grapes. Then we headed to the charming Bougainvilla Restaurant on Union Island for a delectable seafood lunch.

After lunch we stopped at Palm Island Resort, which would provide the night’s accommodation for two of our fortunate passengers. I just couldn’t resist a quick dip on Palm’s phenomenal beach.

Then it was time to return to St. Vincent. As the boat glided home I enjoyed the salty splashes on my body, and the gorgeous view of the round moon high in the daytime sky, then came the glorious descend of the purple pink sunset, an ultimate closing cast of a divine day.

A Day Visit to Bequia

by Jacqui English, E-Commerce Officer, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority

The Bequia Express ferry pulled out of St. Vincent at 10:40 a.m. on a sunny October day. She was laden with leisure travelers, business persons and visitors, which included a Canadian film crew on a photo shoot of Bequia. The day promised to be near perfect as the sun glistened on the shimmering blue Caribbean Sea. For the one-hour ride, passengers were engaged in various activities i.e. admiring the captivating view of Port Kingstown and Cane Garden point via binoculars, reading, listening to radio and watching television. The travelers seemed to enjoy the rocking, rolling motion as the ferry plowed through choppy water, which is somewhat expected at this time of the year.

Bequia is endowed with a rich history as its traditional boat building, and festivals like the popular Easter Regatta. It is the largest Grenadine island of 9 square miles with a population of about 5000. Bequia prides itself for its repeat clientele, mostly who return to build homes or rent villas. As we entered the Port Elizabeth harbor, I scanned the coastline for familiar sights and nostalgic spots. Our pleasant welcome climaxed with an enjoyable safari style open-back jeep ride to our destination of Bequia Beach Hotel, where we were greeted by great company along with a tasty lunch.

A relaxing stroll on Friendship Beach afforded views of brightly colored fishing boats docked in the bay and pulled up along the shoreline, with majestic Mustique tranquilly nestled on the horizon. Friendship Bay dappled with shady trees, is known long ago as an indigenous boat building site. Tempting waves splashed playfully on the shore, unfortunately it was insufficient time for a dip as the 4:30 p.m. ferry beckoned.



A quick sojourn was granted on a bench at the tropical beach bar. Our troop cooled down at the end of a lovely day with a refreshing drink of lemonade.

As the ferry departed from Bequia’s harbor, my only wish was that I could over-night or better yet stay forever in Bequia.