| Guadeloupe,
sister island to Martinique, naturally shares certain traits with
its sibling: a dormant volcano (La Soufriere), a vast rainforest
park, and a colorful heritage tinged with tragedy. But just as true
sisters emphasize their differences, these two are rivals as well
as mates, with Guadeloupe the undisputed rebel. For if Martinique
is an Edith Piaf - passionately, even melodramatically French -
Guadeloupe is a Josephine Baker, exotic verging on the risque.
This
island flaunts its fiercely Creole identity - and nowhere more proudly
than in its cuisine. Some say that Guadeloupe - not dignified St.
Barts - is the Caribbean's culinary star, for here more than 200
restaurants celebrate the hotblooded marriage of French cooking
with the heady spices once shunned by privileged palates. In fact,
many seasoned visitors claim that, despite the brief daily rains,
Guadeloupe shines brightest in August, when islanders turn up the
heat for La Fete des Cuisinieres, honoring their beloved women chefs.
Guadeloupe
is also distinguished by its twofold topography; shaped like a butterfly,
it actually consists of two islands joined by a bridge: Basse-Terre,
the rugged mountainous half, and Grande-Terre, a land of gentle
hills and sugar fields with a shoreline of soft white sand (don't
let the names confuse you; they're based on nautical orientation,
not elevation). Where beaches face the Atlantic, they are pounded
by bracing surf and a hazardous undertow; for clients who like to
mix their sunbathing with lazy laps in the sea, choose resorts that
face the gentler Caribbean.
Pointe-a-Pitre,
though not the island's capital, is its vivacious urban heart; travelers
who like to rub shoulders with the locals will revel in the chaotic
street markets, a dazzling hurlyburly of colorful crafts and flowers
mingled with native relics and lore, including the ever-present
"obeah", witchcraft Guadeloupan-style. Though Pointe-a-Pitre does
boast an ancient cathedral and colonial fort, its overall feel is
modern; chief attractions are boutiques and discos, not genteel
cobblestoned lanes.
Virtually
all sports are widely available, and in most hotels and night spots
informality prevails - to a fault, some complain. But whether your
clients want the vibrant Riviera life-style of sleek Gosier, the
sleepy charm of a jungle-snug plantation inn, or a heart-of-darkness
car safari through the roller-coaster interior, chances are they'll
find their dream vacation somewhere in Guadeloupe's 530 square miles
of nirvana
|
