St. Vincent & The Grenadines

LOCATION - The island group is in Caribbean Sea, part of the southern Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles chain. St. Lucia is to the north, Grenada due south, and to the east is Barbados. St. Vincent, the largest of the islands is 18 miles long and 11 miles wide. The Grenadines are all smaller, with most no longer than a few miles. The islands have a population of 107,000 people.

ACCOMMODATIONS - Resorts, hotels and private villas.

CALLING ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES - Local area code is currently 809 but will be changing to 784 in the near future.

COMMUNICATION - There is a fully automatic telephone system throughout St. Vincent. VHF/UHF radiotelephones are used from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines. Hotels can help with any questions about international telephone calls as well as faxes.

CREDIT CARDS - Most major credit cards are accepted everywhere.

CURRENCY - The Eastern Caribbean Dollar(EC) is the official currency and preferred, but U.S. dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The exchange rates are best at local banks.

ELECTRICITY - 220/240 volts, 50 cycles except Petit St Vincent and Palm Island, which have 110 volts, 60 cycles. It is best to throw in an adapter.

TIME - The islands are on Atlantic Standard Time. This means it is 1 hour ahead of New York and Montreal, 5 hours behind Frankfurt and Paris, 13 hours behind Tokyo, and 14 hours behind Sydney.

WHAT TO WEAR - Days and nights are casual. Swimwear is not appropriate anywhere but at the beach or pool, so do not wear bathing suits or short shorts in shops or on Kingstown's streets. Don't forget to pack long pants and comfortable hiking shoes if you are planning to hike.