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 EXPLORE GUADELOUPE -
FRENCH WEST INDIES NEW |
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| Caribbean Sea Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre, La DEsirade, Les Saintes AND Marie-Galante This tour is an exciting exploration of Guadeloupe, an archipelago of 5 main islands, located in the Caribbean Sea. Guadeloupe, together with Martinique, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy, are called French West Indies and is an integral part of France. Each island has its own atmosphere, with a wide variety of landscapes.
Our tour then moves to Basse-Terre. This is a mountainous island and National Park. Here we enjoy the exciting experience of walking on top of an active volcano, La Soufrière, the highest point of the Lesser Antilles. The last eruption took place in 1976. Basse-Terre offers several enchanting waterfalls. The Chutes du Carbet, the most impressive waterfalls (110 meters high), is a possibility for one of our walks. We also venture deeply in to the green tropical forest on the National Park trails to discover some secret waterfalls and breathtaking views. Basse-Terre is the perfect place to enjoy walking in a tropical mountain environment without some of the drawbacks known in many other places -there are no snakes or dangerous spiders in Guadeloupe ! Les Saintes is a group of small islands, famous for their “bay” which is said to be the second best in the world!! We explore Terre-de-Haut – the main island and visit the Napoleon fort which is still intact from the many constant wars between the French, British and from time to time – some Pirates. Terre-de-Haut is colorful and has a very charming atmosphere. The first settlers came from Brittany, and as there were few newcomers, this influence is still very visible. After their “discovery” by Christopher Columbus, the Guadeloupe islands were under the influence of the French and the British. Native people and culture soon disappeared, and Atlantic slave trade brought Africans to fulfill the manpower needs. Once the slavery was prohibited in 1848, workers from India settled. Today culture here is a mix of all these rich influences. The local dialect, Creole, is also an adaptation of the 17th century French, English and African languages and has now its own evolution. Our Hotels & Cuisine The local food has a strong influence of French cuisine, as well as the typical Indian food. Guadeloupe is the most rural of the French West Indies. Local resources and spices are used together with traditionally imported goods (such as cod). A wide range of different cuisines are to be experienced, from the typical local family food to the finest French food. Most of the Guadeloupean women are proud of their cooking skills, and tend to get the best recipe and to preserve the traditions. Even having the food from the street (bokits, local sandwiches and the delicious sorbet coco ice creams) is a delightful experience. Health and hygiene standards are at European level, so it is a unique chance to safely enjoy the excitement of tropical food. All along the tour, we discover the diversity of local cuisine, from tasty seafood to Indian food, from French cuisine to typical local dishes such as Colombo (adapted curry), Blaffs (boiled seasoned fish), Chiquetailles... We selected our accommodations in Guadeloupe to get a good balance between comfort and authenticity. Our first nights are spent in a luxurious newly renovated 4 stars hotel in Saint-François, Grande-Terre. It is based on a renovated colony style house and offers a swimming pool. The hotel in Deshaies, Basse-Terre, is well located. It has a nice terrasse and a swimming pool with a fantastic view over the Caribbean sea - an ideal spot to sip a Ti-Punch and watch the sunset. In Basse-Terre, we stay in Saint-Claude, half way up to the volcano. A cool and relaxing place, once used as a “mountain resort” by the Colony’s richest people. |
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