St. Barths Details -
St. Barts Shopping
A personal anecdote may
help to explain what makes St. Barths people so special. On a trip to the
island many Decembers ago, my wife had the misfortune of breaking her collarbone
in very rough surf at Saline Beach. (Depending upon the time of year, the
waves at Saline are normally quite manageable and at times even nonexistent
but December is the tail end of the Hurricane season and can produce some
sporty conditions on the windward side of the island. Go to Lorient Beach
any time of year if you prefer calm waters). We somehow managed the long
hike back to our jeep (my back had conveniently chosen this opportunity
to go out of whack as well) and returned to our hotel, Francois Plantation,
not knowing what to do. We first called the U.S. thinking that we would
have to immediately make arrangements to fly home for treatment. Our doctors
informed us that there was nothing complicated about dealing with broken
collarbones and recommended that we see a doctor on the island. The hotel
couldn’t have been more helpful and called ahead to make arrangements in
the emergency room of the local hospital. When we arrived, we were taken
immediately into a spotless examination room where x-rays confirmed what
we both already knew.
|
|
The doctor carefully
set my wife’ collarbone in a harness and sling of some sort and politely
asked if we would mind stopping by the local pharmacy before we left the
island to pick up a replacement harness as it was his last one. He wrote
out a prescription for pain killers and then presented us with our bill
which we thought was for $300 (which we would gladly have paid) but turned
out to be only for 300 francs. He and his assistant were highly amused
that we would ever think that an emergency room visit with x-rays could
cost anywhere near $300.
When we returned to our hotel,
dinner was waiting in our room. Before we left the island, the hotel gave
us an excellent bottle of wine from their cellar to compensate for the
fact that we had to miss a sailing trip which was part of the package for
the week. . |
Wherever we ate out from
that point forward, the waitstaff at various restaurants were extremely
solicitous about my wife's condition giving her the best chair or retrieving
pillows to place behind her shoulders to make her feel comfortable. At
Le Tamarin (the old Le Tamarin before the fashion shows arrived), one of
the waitresses brought a rotating magnet to our table after lunch and spun
it all around my wife's shoulders to make the pain go away. Thanks to such
acts of compassion and hospitality (augmented no doubt by a bottle of wine
at lunch and dinner and rhum punch at sunset to say nothing of the superlative
French drugs), our vacation was saved, and our love affair with St. Barths
began
LODGING
The hotels of St. Barth
tend towards the small and elegant. No high rises here; most hotels have
only 20 or 30 rooms. The top properties are Le Toiny, Isle de France (IDF),
Eden Rock, Guanahani, Carl Gustav, Le Sereno, Le Christopher (now temporarily
closed), and Francois Plantation. These are expensive in high season but
can be relative bargains in late spring, summer, and fall. (Be aware that
St. Barth’s is in the hurricane belt and plan accordingly.) These hotels
have very different personalities and characteristics, so research thoroughly
before making your selection. For example, IDF, Eden Rock, Guanahani, and
Le Sereno are all on a beach; Carl Gustav is in Gustavia (an easy stroll
to restaurants in town for dinner, and there's a beach within easy walking
distance); Le Toiny is far above a beach but has individual plunge pools
in each room and great views; the Christopher is waterfront but not beachfront;
and Francois Plantation is high up on the top of the mountain. There are
also several nice mid-priced hotels with similar characteristics; info
is available on the websites below. Don’t feel that you can’t come to St.
Barth’s because you can’t afford one of the super-deluxe hotels; there
are some very cute, clean, and comfortable hotel/suites for around 200
euros per night (try Les Mouettes, Le P'tit Morne, or Saline Gardens).
So do your research and choose according to your budget and priorities.
The same can be said for
villas; do your research and you’ll find the perfect place. You can choose
to use an agency such as Wimco or St. Barth’s Properties, or you can try
to find a rental by owner. We’ve rented through the owner three times and
have had excellent experiences. Villas can be as inexpensive as 100 euros
per night in low season for a small but charming villa/apartment, to 20,000
euros per week in high season for a magnificent show-stopper with all the
bells and whistles. There are plenty to choose from in every price category,
so look around and be flexible. Decide in advance if being on the beach
is critical to your needs, or if you prefer a hillside view (with the attendant
breezes). Do you have to have a pool or will you probably not use one after
being on the beach all day? (Some people find this an absolute necessity,
and we did too until we realized that in two weeks we only used the pool
once.) Do you need a full professional kitchen (believe it or not, many
visitors cook their meals some nights --- but not me!) or will a small
galley-type kitchen suffice? Do you want to be close to Gustavia (not a
bad idea on your first visit, less important on subsequent trips) or would
you prefer St. Jean (too noisy in my opinion but if you like action you’ll
want to consider this option). Scanning through the various villa websites
is a great way to fritter away a few hundred hours of your time, so put
some thought into it in advance so that you can narrow your search.
St. Barts Shopping
St. Barts is a shopping
paradise with everything from high end stores from Paris to local shops
selling island crafted merchandise. The two main shopping hubs are Gustavia
and St. Jean. Gustavia is known for its luxury boutiques and exclusive
jewelry stores. St. Jean is considered slightly less touristy with more
intimate shops. There are also wonderful boutiques at some of the island's
hotels and restaurants. Here are some of our featured shops/artists that
you should be sure to check out when you are on the island .
Paradise Found - The
people, restaurants and recipes of St. Barthelemy
Filles des iles
A wonderful boutique
located in the Christopher Hotel selling designer swim suits from Paris,
exquisite jewelry from around the world and beautiful clothes that are
perfect for the Caribbean. Carine Lesecq is the charming owner who will
personally assist you in finding a real treasure
Kelly Gary Watercolors
Kelly Gary paints colorful
impressionistic scenes of St. Barts that bring the beauty of the island
to life. From villas, to landmarks and businesses, Kelly's prints, note
cards and original paintings are a treasured memento from an island paradise
and are available online.
|
