GRENADA PRACTICALITIES

Population: 89,211 (2002 estimate)

Capital: St George’s

Area: 344.5 sq km / 133 sq miles

Religon: Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 14%, as well as other smaller Protestant denominations, 33%.

Passport/Visa requirements: Passport valid for six months beyond intended stay. No visa required for British citizens. All other nationalities should contact the relevant Embassy or Consulate for information.

Time:  GMT - 4.

Money: The unit of currency is the East Caribbean Dollar. Major credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted by most shops, car hire companies and hotels. ATMs are available. Traveller’s cheques are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rateUS Dollars. charges you are advised to take traveller's cheques in US dollars.

Geography: The Grenadines are a string of 100 tiny, rocky islands in the Caribbean, which are part of the Windward Islands. Grenada is the most southerly of the Windward Islands. The island is of volcanic origin and is divided by a central mountain range. Tropical rainforests, gorges, and the stunning beauty of dormant volcanoes make this a fascinating and diverse landscape with some of the finest beaches in the world.

Climate: The climate in Grenada is tropical with a dry season from January to May and a rainy season running from June to December. It is generally hot and humid in the rainy season and cooled by winds in the dry season.

Brief History: Christopher Colombus was the first to sight Grenada in 1498 but the first European settlement wasn't attempted until 1609, when a party of 208 English settlers tried to establish tobacco plantations. However, it quickly fell victim to raids by native Carib Indians and, within a year, most of the settlers had been killed. It was the French who finally gained control when in 1650 Governor Du Parquet of Martinique 'purchased' Grenada from the Caribs for a few hatchets, some glass beads and couple of bottles of grog.

Grenada remained under French control until the British captured it in 1762. Over the next two decades, it teetered between the two colonial powers until it was ceded to the Brits in 1783. In 1833, Grenada was incorporated into the Windward Islands Administration, which survived until 1958 when it was dissolved and Grenada joined the Federation of the West Indies. The federation collapsed in 1962 and in 1967 Grenada became an associate state within the British Commonwealth. Grenada and the neighbouring Grenadine Islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique adopted a constitution in 1973 and became an independent nation in 1974. Democratic elections have been held and in the latest elections in 2003 the New National Party leader Keith Mitchell was elected for his third term in office.

Language: English. French African patois is also spoken by some of the population.

Health:

There is a general hospital in St George’s and small hospitals in Mirabeau and Carriacou. Health insurance is strongly recommended.

Stomach upsets:An upset stomach is the most common medical complaint when travelling abroad, there can be any number of reasons for it, including change of climate, new diet, change in altitude and local water. There are certain steps you can take that will reduce your risks of spending your whole holiday looking for the nearest toilet! Top of the list is DO NOT drink the local tap water in any country in South America. Also avoid ice (unless it has been bought from a manufacturer in which case the water will have been purified the risk is up to you) and keep your mouth shut while swimming or showering. Always buy bottled water and check that the seal on the lid has not been broken, alternatively take water treatment tablets or drops (iodine based ones are the best).

Food is a tricky one as there are no concrete rules and you have to eat! General rules are that you should avoid salads (although vinegar and lemon tend to kill most things), locally made ice cream (imported ice cream is fine) and juices from fruit that can not be peeled. Avoid eating from local food stalls unless the food is very well cooked.

How to avoid being bitten: Staying at altitude is one way, as there are not nearly as many biting insects that can survive, certainly not malarial mosquitoes! More sensible and practical ways are to wear long trousers and long sleeve shirts even though you may still find you get bitten through your clothes in areas where the mosquitoes are particularly ferocious. Apply a DEET-based repellent with as high a content as possible, Jungle Formula or even 100% neat DEET are advised. You should cover all exposed areas of skin, avoiding your mouth and eyes, and for extra protection you can apply it under your clothes as well. Environmentally friendly products like those based on citronella are fine but not as effective as DEET products. Sleep under a good mosquito net, most of the hotels used by Trips will automatically. If you prefer to take your own then they can be bought in most camping and outdoor shops. Its always helpful to take some sellotape to stick over any holes there might be in the net. You should also spray the mosquito net with repellent for further protection. Mosquito coils provide adequate protection in small rooms but are of no use in large ones or outside. They also have a tendency of burning out half way through the night leaving you at the mercy of the mosquitoes! Electrical appliances are no good, as most lodges will not have plugs or even electricity.

(Strong concentrations of DEET can be fairly corrosive and damage leather and some plastic goods, keep it in a non-glass container and wrap it in thick plastic bags.)

Food and Drink: Grenada’s cooking is generally very good. In fact Grenada is often referred to as 'Spice Island', as it has more spices per square mile than anywhere else on the planet! ‘Oil down’ is the national dish of Grenada. It is a stew of salt meat, breadfruit, onion, carrot, celery, dasheen and dumplings cooked slowly in coconut milk. Other local dishes include curried lambicallaloo (a spinach-like green, originally from Africa), fresh fish and fish stews, and rotisroti skin - a flat Indian-style bread). The local rum also deserves a mention and we recommend trying a rum punch! (conch), (curried potato, sauce and a choice of meats or vegetables wrapped in a roti skin - a flat Indian-style bread). The local rum also deserves a mention and we recommend trying a rum punch!

Special Events: Grenada's biggest festival is Carnival, held during the second weekend of August. It includes calypso and steel band competitions, all sorts of costumed revelry, a pageant and a grand finale 'jump-up' on the following Tuesday. Carriacou's four-day Carnival usually takes place in early March. The Carriacou Regatta, a major sailing event featuring races to Grenada, Union Island and Bequia, is held in late July or early August. It's accompanied by additional sporting events and plenty of music and dancing. The Spice Island Billfish Tournament is held in January and it attracts anglers from North America and the Caribbean keen to hook its six-figure first prize. Other festivities include the Easter Regatta on Petit Martinique and the Carriacou Maroon Jazz Festival in mid-June.

Communication:

Internet: Internet is widely available throughout Grenada; there are Internet cafes in St George's.

Post: The main post office is in St George’s (on Lagoon Road) and is open Mon-Thurs 0800-1600, Fri 0800-1630 (closed weekends).

Telephone: Coin and telephone card payphones are available. International dialling is available from most hotel rooms. Roaming is available to all mobile phones that are TDMA digital network compatible. Coverage is variable.

Useful numbers: From Grenada to the UK: 00 + 44 + area code minus the 0 + number.

To Grenada from anywhere:  00 473.

Emergency numbers: Ambulance – T434 (St Georges) T724 (St Andrews) T774 (Carriacou)

Media: No daily newspapers exist, all newspapers are in English, and are printed weekly or monthly. They are privately owned and include the Grenada Times, Grenada Today and The Grenadian Voice. The Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the Caribbean Communications Network and the government, runs the main radio and television stations.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Social Information: Local culture reflects the island’s history of British and French colonial rule and, of course, the African cultures imported with the slaves. African influence is especially noticeable on the island of Carriacou in the Big Drum and in Grenada with the Shango dance. The Roman Catholic Church also exerts a strong influence on the way of life. Local people are generally friendly and courteous. Dress is casual and informal but beachwear is not welcome in town.