Published: 20.03.2025
The final preparations are complete. Next Monday, it all starts. I have always wanted to visit the Caribbean. But like many others, on a cruise? No - that's not for me. Arriving in the morning and setting sail again in the evening to the next island? I want to get to know the islands, engage with the locals, take my time to immerse myself in the way of life, enjoy the landscape, the food, and the overall vibe.
That's why this trip to Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. We (my wife Simone and I) will stay on each island for 5-6 days, have a rental car each, and stay in apartments with locals.
The planning was quite elaborate. For example, we need a local driver's license in Barbados and St. Lucia, and we have to fill out online entry forms for both islands. We will fly from Barbados to St. Lucia on a propeller plane, then take a ferry to Martinique, and again fly with a propeller to Guadeloupe. Often the maximum baggage limits differ. The rental cars are supposed to have fully comprehensive insurance without a deductible, and in Barbados and St. Lucia, they drive on the left. What vaccinations are required, are there dangerous animals (e.g., the St. Lucia lancehead, whose venom can be deadly). What sights/landscapes do we want to see, where can we eat well and affordably, what are the traffic regulations, how can we pay, and how does it work with our mobile phones? And so on and so forth, I think you can tell I was a civil servant, and everything has to be precisely planned :-D . But now everything is prepared, and slowly a pleasant anticipation/nervousness is setting in. It's likely not everything will go as planned, but we'll manage. Since many acquaintances were very interested and wanted to see pictures, I will report here about our experiences.
