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Last week, it was reported that Air Caraibes, who provides commercial flights and charters between St. Maarten and St. Barth has ceased all operations of flights and the handling of flights and charters until further notice due to financial losses. Those with confirmed tickets are being accommodated by other airlines, notably Winair. It is expected that in early July the airline will resume operations in conjunction with a third-party, most likely Tropical Airlines, which is also known as Air Antilles Express.
Spirit Airlines recently announced it would close its San Juan hub.
JetBlue Airways Corp. plans to add daily flights to Puerto Rico from New York, Orlando and Boston starting this fall. However, in September, they will cease their daily flights to St. Maarten and offer flights only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In early October, daily flights will resume except for Tuesday and Wednesday. They expect to resume daily flights again on October 30.
Has the Francois Plantation Closed Its Doors for Good?
Word has it that the 4-star Hotel Francois Plantation, located on the northwestern tip of the island, high in the hills of Colombier, has decided to close its doors. Whether this is truly a permanent closing or not remains to be seen. They were closed for renovations when this news arrived. Several sources say they will not re-open. However, their website says "closed until further notice." We'll juSt. have to wait and see what happens. Not only would this be a loss of a lovely hotel, but also of an excellent restaurant.
St. Barth Properties Offers Great Savings on Car Rentals
St. Barth Properties is offering a "Deals on Wheels" special from June 16 to October 31. If you make a reservation during that time at one of the villas or hotels that they represent, you can rent a car for $175 per week, with a $25 rate for each additional day. A normally good rate for this time of year is 25 euros per day, which at current exchange rates is $39.50 per day! These rates are good for a Suzuki Ignis hardtop sedan or a Jimny soft-top convertible Jeep, both with automatic transmission. For further details and to book your reservation, visit their website at www.stbarth.com.
St. Barth Chosen for Pre-Release Preview of Dom Perignon 2000 Vintage
Segeco, the exclusive distributor for Dom Perignon in the Caribbean, organized an event on June 3 at the Manapany Hotel in Anse des Cayes to present the vintage Dom Perignon Millesime 2000, marking the firSt. time that a vintage Dom Perignon has been presented in the Caribbean. This vintage was made from grapes picked at the end of the 20th century and aged for seven years in the champagne cellar. Chief champagne maker Richard Geoffroy describes the aroma as having "notes of poached pears and gardenia" and that "on the palate, notes of anise and dry ginger mix with a hint of ripe fruit (pear and mango)."
As a result of St. Barth becoming an Overseas Collectivity, all newly registered cars will have the new St. Barth license plates, which will include the letters SBH. The standard plate will consiSt. of one to three digits, followed by a space, followed by one to three letters and the letters SBH. Personalized plates are also now allowed and can consiSt. of up to ten letters with no spaces. The standard registration costs 25 euros and personalized plates will coSt. 50 euros. It will be fun to see the personalized plates that appear on the island!
Newport, RI, June 2008 - Wimco and Sibarth have banded together with St. Barts villa owners to create a "Stay 7 Nights/Pay for 6 Nights" offering for nearly 70 villas on the island of St. Barthelemy. The villa rental pioneers are optimistic that by offering a free 7th night, travelers will be more inclined to come experience the beauty of St. Barts during the more affordable low season.
The "Stay 7 Nights/Pay for 6 Nights" special applies for travel during the entire month of July 2008 and October 1-November 15, 2008. Participating villas include the new stunner, SIB DOL in Pointe Milou, fabulous SIB JAY in Mont Jean and crowd favorites SIB SAS in St Jean, SIB OUI in Petit Cul de Sac and SIB TOR in Lorient.
For more information, please contact one of Wimco's St Barts destination specialists at 1-800-932-3222 or visit www.wimco.com.
La Palace in Gustavia will be closed from June 7 through the end of July.
La Poste in Gustavia is operating under summer hours until September. They are open from 7:30 am until 12:45 pm every day except for Wednesdays and Saturdays, when they close at noon.
The Strand Supper Club in Gustavia is offering free champagne to ladies every Thursday from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am.
La Pomme ("apple" in French), an authorized reseller of Macintosh computers, has opened on Rue Courbet in Gustavia. They are open from 9:30 to 1:00 pm and from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. For more information, call them at 0690 41 21 30.
Wish you'd written down the phone number for a restaurant, hotel, doctor or a favorite boutique before you left? Now, the St Barth phone book is on-line at www.directory-saintbarth.com. It's easy to use and you can search by profession or name. There's even a tab for an inverse search - you enter the phone number and the business or person's name is returned. This is a real help if you want to make reservations at your favorite restaurants before leaving for the island.
Le Piment in St Jean is now serving tapas starting at 7:00 pm, often accompanied by live music. A few samplings from their menu are: Calamari with tartar sauce, Escargot with Sherry vinegar and parsley, Quesadillas with peppers, chorizo, and guacamole, Cajun chicken, Toasted baguette with herbed goat cheese, and a Sausage plate - all between 3.50 and 4 €.
Wimco is sponsoring a five-night special at the Hotel Guanahani & Spa in Grand Cul de Sac from April 15 through October 31. Three room types are available: Ocean One-bedroom Pool Suite for 6175 €, Ocean One-bedroom Suite for 4925 € or an Ocean Cove Room for 3700 €. The package includes daily Continental breakfast in room or American breakfast in the hotel's Indigo restaurant, a choice of either lunch or dinner for two daily, car rental, round-trip transfers from the airport or harbor, a welcome gift and your choice of two of the following activities: one hour of jet-skiing for two, two one-hour windsurfing lessons, two one-hour tennis lessons, two Clarins Spa treatments (excluding massage) or a beginning scuba diving lesson. Rates do not include the 5% government tax. Visit www.wimco.com for all details.
The beachfront Le Sereno in Grand Cul de Sac is offering a seven-night special from April 14 until December 15. Two room types are available: the Grande Suite Plage for 5593 € or the Suite Terrasse for 3493 €. The package includes rental of a Suzuki Jimny or similar, daily Continental breakfast, one dinner for two at the hotel's gourmet Le Restaurant des Pecheurs. Two lunches for two at Le Restaurant des Pecheurs or a deluxe picnic with club sandwiches and a bottle of champagne, one Bouillabaisse cooking class and one Bouillabaisse dinner for two, choice of a sunset cruise with hors d'oeuvres and champagne on a Vietnamese junk or scuba diving on a guided trip with instructor, a bottle of champagne, one welcome beach bag, complimentary use of gym, tennis courts, snorkeling equipment, kayak or pedal boats, VIP service in St Maarten to assist with your connection to St Barth and round-trip airport transfers. Rates do not include the 5% government tax. Visit www.lesereno.com for more information.
Le Toiny in Grand Fond is offering two special packages from June 1 until November 16. Stay five nights and pay for four (2700 € instead of 3375 €) or stay 10 nights and pay for eight (5400 € instead of 6750 €). The package includes accommodation in a one-bedroom villa suite with private pool, daily Continental breakfast for two, private round-trip transfers to and from the airport, flower welcome and amenity, and a Smart car for four or eight days (excluding gas and insurance). Rates are for one or two people and do not include the 5% government tax. Visit www.letoiny.com for more information and photos of this luxurious Relais & Chateaux hotel.
Working in collaboration with NewTec Assistance, Dufau Establishments is anticipating the arrival of electric scooters very soon. These 3000 and 3500 watt scooters have a range of 100 to 150 km and a speed of 50 to 80 km/hour. The lithium batteries can be discharged and completely recharged 3000 times. They have also been "tropicalized": The scooters are painted with an anti-rust paint, all of their electronic components are sealed and the screws and bolts are made of stainless steel. Visit Dufau's shop near the gas station in St. Jean or call him at 0590 27 54 83. To learn more about these environment-friendly scooters, go to www.newtecassistance.com.
Air Caraïbes Stops All Flights Until Further Notice
Air Caraïbes is one of the small airlines that provides commercial flights and charters between St. Maarten, St. Barth and Guadeloupe. Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten was just notified that Air Caraïbes has stopped all operations of flights and charters until further notice due to huge financial losses. They've stated that passengers with confirmed tickets will be accommodated by other airlines, mostly Winair.
The airline hopes that by the end of June or the first week of July they will resume flights in a joint effort with Tropical Airlines (also known as Air Antilles Express), but as of yet, there has been no official confirmation of this partnership.
Due to ever-increasing gas prices, American Airlines has announced that they are ending service between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten in September. They also plan to reduce their daily New York flights to St Maarten to three times a week. For now, daily service between Miami and St Maarten remains intact.
Absolutely Wine in Grand Fond has a large selection of grand crus, Armagnac, cognac, rhum, French vodka, wines and foie gras. They hold a wine-tasting every day at the shop and offer free delivery. The shop is open Monday-Saturday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
The Voyager, one of the catamarans that travels between St Barth and St Martin, is reducing the number of departures from three per day to two per day until July 14. The schedule in effect from May 20 until July 13 is below.
The Lone Fox is a beautiful 65-foot classic wooden sailing yacht that was built in 1957 in Scotland for Colonel Whitbread, of Whitbread Breweries, the original sponsor of the Whitbread Round The World Race, as his personal yacht. Set sail in this spectacular yacht with the very capable and amiable Captain Ira Epstein, who has won several regattas and races. He is offering a special summer rate of 900 € for a day of sailing, swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and exploring the coastline. Maximum number of passengers is 12. For more information, call 06 90 33 27 91 or 06 90 33 26 85.
As reported in the St Maarten newspaper the Daily Herald on June 4, Winair is facing a shortage of pilots and has been forced to reduce the number of its flights to all destinations. The airline needs five more pilots to supplement its pool of 25 pilots in order to maintain its previous schedules. Because of a shortage of pilots from the Antilles, Winair has been trying to attract foreign pilots. However, the process to acquire the mandatory employment documents is lengthy. Documents from the pilot must be submitted to the Island Labour Office. Once they are verified, Winair must pay the processing fee to the Island Receiver. This initial process takes about three days if all goes well. Normally, once Winair has provided proof of payment to the Labour Department, it takes a week to process the paperwork and send it to the Executive Council for approval. At the same time, all documents are sent to Police Affairs for a residence permit. After these steps are completed, an appointment must be made to process "the declaration act of guarantee" and the paperwork is sent to the Lt. Governor and the Immigration Department for approval. Winair reports an incident when paperwork for a pilot was begun in January and by the end of April was still not completed. The airline is appealing to the Central and Island Governments to streamline the process so that it takes only two weeks from when the documents are submitted to obtaining the permit. Winair's management requested a meeting in April to discuss these issues. As of today, no meeting has been set.
As quoted by the Daily Herald,
"Until the required number of pilots is employed, the airline will be operating on a limited schedule."
Be sure to allow extra time to make your connection, even if it requires staying overnight in St Maarten. If you arrive and find your flight to St Barth has been cancelled, you can take a taxi to Marigot for $20 and hop on the Voyager, a ferry that takes 75 minutes but can be rough. If you arrive early enough, you can take a taxi to Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg and catch the 5:00 pm Rapid Explorer. This is a comfortable, air-conditioned high-speed catamaran that will get you to St Barth in 45 minutes.
Those of us who love St Barth will always return despite the less-than-favorable current exchange rate with the euro. But be assured, you will always be able to eat well at a reasonable price - especially for lunch. Most of the island's restaurants have a "plat du jour" (special of the day) at very affordable prices. One favorite is La Marine, which is located right on the harbor in Gustavia (on La Pointe - across the harbor from the main part of town). They offer three daily specials for 12 €, and you won't leave hungry! Each day at lunchtime, they have a salad of the day (often loaded with shrimp and smoked salmon or prosciutto), a fish of the day, and a meat entrée. Others to keep in mind are The Hideaway in St Jean for 10 €, The Wall House on La Pointe in Gustavia for 9.50 €, Le Repaire in Gustavia for 12 €, La Creperie in Gustavia for 10 €, Ti Zouk K'fe on La Pointe in Gustavia for 10 €, and Le Wok in Lorient for 12.50 €. Recent offerings at Ti Zouk K'fe were a ballottine of salmon or the chef's rabbit, whereas Le Wok offered mahi-mahi in a green curry sauce. Not bad eats!
Le Ti St Barth in Point Milou will be closed from June 7 until July 10.
The Wall House on La Pointe in Gustavia will be closed for four months, from June 2 until October. As they do every year, they will be holding an evening "to empty the refrigerator" on Sunday, June 1 starting at 7:00 pm.
Do Brazil on Shell Beach in Gustavia is having a buffet lunch on Sunday, June 1 for 29 €. They will be closing after lunch and reopening on June 10.
Ti Zouk K'fe on La Pointe in Gustavia will be closed from June 1 through June 30.
If you'll be on St Barth before June 28, be sure to take an empty suitcase with you! Unlike the U.S. where there seems to be a sale every weekend, the French government controls when the shops on St Barth can hold sales. Sales can occur twice a year, and this year's dates are May 17 through June 28 and September 27 through October 25. Savings can be substantial. For example, La Maison des Plantes in Lurin has slashed prices on plants by 50% and on pots by 20%. The Swedish Design Center is selling items 35% to 50% below their original prices. You'll see ads for most of the boutiques advertising a range of discounts from 20% to 75%.
Although the restaurant La Gloriette in Grand Cul de Sac closed its doors sometime last year, their popular rhum is still available at the boutique behind the original restaurant. The boutique is typically open for several hours in the morning and again later in the afternoon.
Get ready for a big night of soccer! On Wednesday, June 4, the Caribbean Soccer Stars will be in St Barth on their second annual tour to take on some local St Barth soccer players at the Stadium in St Jean. The competition starts at 6:00 pm and admission is free. Among the all-stars is Mamadou Niang, the highest scorer for Marseilles during the 2007/2008 championship season; Souleymane Diawara, a defender for the Bordeaux Girondins; Jeremie Janot, goalie for the "Greens" of Saint-Etienne; and Anthony Le Tallec, attacking midfielder for Le Mans. The all-stars will play in St Martin on Sunday, June 1 and then make their way to St Barth. The tour is organized by Marty Toure of Wavecom. Information on all the players can be found at www.caraibesfoot.com.
Normally, Pitea Day, held in mid-August, was the celebration to commemorate the twinning of St Barth and Pieta, Sweden. However, starting this year, St Barth will dedicate a full week in November to celebrate the ongoing friendship between St Barth and Sweden and the island's Swedish past and to introduce the populace of St Barth to today's Sweden. The events will start on the Sunday before the annual running of the Gustavialoppet marathon, which will close the week's activities. According to Yves Greaux, who is vice-president of the territorial council and is responsible for cultural affairs, "2008 marks a triple date: the first Swedish Week in Saint Barth; the 30 years of twin cities Pitea and Saint Barth, and the 130th anniversary of the retrocession of the island to France. It is important to give this first edition a real visibility, to give it a solid base to become an annual event." As such, the vice-president has asked for projects to be submitted to the Tourist Office before August 15. The event will take place November 16-23 and is being organized by the non-profit associations ASBAS and Skaellskapet (The Friends of Saint Barth Association of Stockholm).
Word has it that the 4-star Hotel Francois Plantation, located on the northwestern tip of the island, high in the hills of Colombier, has decided to close its doors. Whether this is truly a permanent closing or not remains to be seen. They were closed for renovations when this news arrived. Several sources say they will not re-open. However, their website says "closed until further notice." We'll juSt. have to wait and see what happens. Not only would this be a loss of a lovely hotel, but also of an excellent restaurant.
As a result of St. Barth becoming an Overseas Collectivity, all newly registered cars will have the new St. Barth license plates, which will include the letters SBH. The standard plate will consiSt. of one to three digits, followed by a space, followed by one to three letters and the letters SBH. Personalized plates are also now allowed and can consiSt. of up to ten letters with no spaces. The standard registration costs 25 euros and personalized plates will coSt. 50 euros. It will be fun to see the personalized plates that appear on the island!
The Lone Fox is a beautiful 65-foot classic wooden sailing yacht that was built in 1957 in Scotland for Colonel Whitbread, of Whitbread Breweries, the original sponsor of the Whitbread Round The World Race, as his personal yacht. Set sail in this spectacular yacht with the very capable and amiable Captain Ira Epstein, who has won several regattas and races. He is offering a special summer rate of 900 € for a day of sailing, swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and exploring the coastline. Maximum number of passengers is 12. For more information, call 06 90 33 27 91 or 06 90 33 26 85.
Those of us who love St Barth will always return despite the less-than-favorable current exchange rate with the euro. But be assured, you will always be able to eat well at a reasonable price - especially for lunch. Most of the island's restaurants have a "plat du jour" (special of the day) at very affordable prices. One favorite is La Marine, which is located right on the harbor in Gustavia (on La Pointe - across the harbor from the main part of town). They offer three daily specials for 12 €, and you won't leave hungry! Each day at lunchtime, they have a salad of the day (often loaded with shrimp and smoked salmon or prosciutto), a fish of the day, and a meat entrée. Others to keep in mind are The Hideaway in St Jean for 10 €, The Wall House on La Pointe in Gustavia for 9.50 €, Le Repaire in Gustavia for 12 €, La Creperie in Gustavia for 10 €, Ti Zouk K'fe on La Pointe in Gustavia for 10 €, and Le Wok in Lorient for 12.50 €. Recent offerings at Ti Zouk K'fe were a ballottine of salmon or the chef's rabbit, whereas Le Wok offered mahi-mahi in a green curry sauce. Not bad eats!
