Hello everyone!
I’m continuing my series of travel tips with a truly memorable trip: a week in Fort-de-France, Martinique!
I set off with my trusty travel companions, flying to Martinique at the end of March. It’s the perfect timing if you want to dodge the rainy season (June to November) and soak up the sun.
A dream destination for us mainlanders, we decided to take a break from the daily grind and head to this "Island of Flowers" we’d heard so much about. And the "break" starts the moment you leave, as the formalities are incredibly simple: since you’re technically staying in France, a valid national ID card or passport is all you need. I still recommend bringing your passport whenever you’re flying, though.
No money worries either, as the Euro is the currency used. The only minor drawback: you can leave your checkbooks at home, as they’re very rarely accepted. As for the language, no problem if you don’t speak Creole, French will get you everywhere!
For your information, there’s a 5-hour time difference between Paris and Fort-de-France in the winter: when it’s 5:00 PM in Paris, it’s noon in Martinique (in the summer, it’s a 6-hour difference instead of 5).
For the flight, we went with Air Caraïbes on an Airbus A330-200. Why Air Caraïbes? Simply because we took advantage of an offer that’s still running: for just one extra Euro when booking your economy class tickets, you get a round-trip ticket for regional flights included! We chose to take a trip over to Saint Lucia. Pretty cool package, right? If you’re interested, take a look at their site: http://www.aircaraibes.com/
We figured it was a sign. We didn’t compare prices too much after that, but we did notice that Air France was more expensive than what we’d booked. For the record, it was around 650 Euros round-trip, taxes included.
Obviously, most packages for Martinique include both the flight and hotel accommodation. And very often, for that price, you get a room in a 2 or 3-star hotel with half-board. But we had a huge advantage: we were staying with the parents of one of our friends. They lent us an apartment in Fort-de-France, and in exchange, we just had to handle our own food and return the place in good condition. We were asked for one tiny favor: to repaint the living room and the entry hallway... Let’s just say that with five of us, it went pretty fast. And to top it all off, our friend was waiting for us there (he left his job on the mainland to move back home) to pick us up from the airport and act as our guide on "his" island. When I say it was a great deal, I mean it!
After a flight of just under 9 hours, we heard the announcement that we were approaching. Just before landing at Aimé Césaire International Airport (actually in the town of Le Lamentin, not in Fort-de-France itself), we caught our first glimpse of our home for the next 8 days through the plane windows: Martinique, seen from the sky, looks like a tiny territory lost in the Caribbean Sea. You can see the island’s dominant shades of green and the blue of the water. The mist sometimes hid the view, but as we descended, the city became clear around the airport, with the tropical forest stretching out further beyond. Wow! A real culture shock...
When the plane door opened, and even more so when we stepped out into the airport, the heat washed over us and didn't let up. It hovered around 23°C (73°F) the whole time.
Contrary to the misconceptions some "mainlanders" might have, the welcome was more than friendly. Sure, we had a guide introducing us to everyone, but regardless, we were always warmly received and very often shared a drink with our hosts!
Speaking of which, I discovered a local custom: the "takeoffs" and "landings"... For those who, like me before I tried it, don’t know what that is: it’s a "little" bit of 70% proof white rum, a splash of sugarcane syrup, a slice of lime, and, whoosh, down the hatch, followed by a big glass of water to try and put out the fire (that’s just at the beginning... after a few days, they stop offering you the big glass of water)! If I’m not mistaken, it’s simply a ti' punch. The thing is, you drink it almost like water: the "takeoff" is after your morning coffee, and the "landing" is for the evening... And you don’t just have one; that’s just not done!
In short, as you can imagine, our week was going to be tough because, as fervent defenders of local customs and traditions, there was no way we weren’t going to participate in this ritual!
We had the pleasure of sharing some great moments with the locals, especially around the dinner table. Our friend Steve, whose parents we were staying with, introduced us to them pretty quickly. We were able to give them our modest gifts (we went with a classic Hédiard basket full of culinary specialties from the mainland and a beautifully illustrated book about Paris, since his father had worked there for 7 years but hadn’t returned since he retired).
We celebrated with a few drinks and then sat down to eat. It was time to put something in our stomachs, especially since his mother and sister had been in the kitchen since we arrived and the smells were incredible: we were starving and couldn't wait to dig in!
To our delight, his mom prepared incredible dishes containing ingredients whose names I’ve unfortunately forgotten. I remember a stewed dish served with mashed bananas and rice, made from a huge crustacean (its shell looked like something you’d blow into to make a trumpet sound). The meat was very briny and tasted like cuttlefish. Before that, of course, we ate cod fritters and something else, spicier, but I’ve forgotten the name of that too... In my defense, I remind you that we’d been having pre-dinner drinks for at least two hours!!
We went back several times and were lucky enough to taste homemade poulet boucané (smoked chicken): to die for!! The taste is truly unique, and it’s pretty funny to see how it’s prepared in a big barrel, open at the bottom where the fire is fueled by sugarcane and wood. Steve’s mother added a marinade that she let soak in (called "sauce chien", don’t ask me why, I didn’t dare ask...).
As for activities, we went to see Diamond Rock: we couldn’t miss this icon of Martinique that you see on every postcard. For those who love nature, especially wildlife, there’s a museum in the town of Le Diamant that highlights the different bird species that inhabit the rock and the region.
For those who love diving, it’s a very popular spot: divers can get close to it, and apparently, it’s worth it. That was all it took to convince Eric and Fred, two of our friends, who went. Indeed, they didn’t regret it because the site is, from what they told us, magnificent. It takes about an hour by boat before you dive. They notably went to a large crevice (50 meters) that almost cuts through the rock. The depths range from 5 to about 40 meters. Their guide showed them a small cave. They told us they saw huge lobsters, hundreds of fish (batfish and trevally... that might mean something to the enthusiasts...), and seabeds with exceptional colors.
For those who want to soak up the sun, the Grande Anse du Diamant offers one of the most beautiful beaches on the whole island: light sand (lighter than elsewhere, anyway!), coconut trees, and the azure blue sea... Stunning! The water is warm, and it’s a pure pleasure to just lie on the beach and nap in the sun. And if, for some unknown reason, you don’t like this beach, you can choose another one you’ll find on your way through the charming town of Les Anses-d'Arlet. It’s simply a superb village with a pier connecting the sea and the church. If you wander around the area, you’ll see beaches everywhere: you’ll just have to take your pick! Get an idea by taking a look at the webcam (login and password: user) on the village website: http://ansesarletmartinique.free.fr/
Even if the view from the camera isn’t as beautiful as the real thing, you’ll be able to see that the weather is nice!
Another hike to do, for those who like it: the Caravelle Peninsula. You cross to the other side of the island and find yourself facing the Atlantic. Steve wanted to show us this because, according to him, in a short time, we’d be amazed and see the different landscapes that make up the island. As a local, Steve made sure we brought enough to drink (we each had 2 liters in our bags) and sun protection: a hat, sunscreen, and all that... And he was right! The hike, a level 1 ONF trail (meaning no difficulty for amateurs like us), lasted four and a half hours and took us past a red and white lighthouse before reaching the weather station. The panorama is splendid: you literally dive your eyes into the Atlantic, and it really feels like the sky meets the ocean.
When you start the descent, you pass by cliffs and quickly arrive at small black-sand bays that invite you to take a break... We took the opportunity to have a picnic. It feels good to rest, even if the sun is still beating down because, towards the end of the trail, there’s little shade. I can tell you that my hat and my 2 liters of water were my best friends! In any case, it wasn’t easy to get moving again after that nice break... Fortunately, Steve promised us we only had an hour of walking left before returning to our starting point. And he didn’t lie to us, even if, in the end, we had to tackle one last good hill that killed our legs.
Back at the apartment, we didn’t last long that night. So, we didn’t have the courage (or the recklessness) to climb Mount Pelée. That’s reserved for experienced hikers. If you’re one of those people, don’t miss out: apparently, the view is worth it.
I’ll briefly mention Saint Lucia, where we went to take advantage of our round-trip: very nice, a little less crowded, but we just lazed in the sun: the previous night’s party had exhausted us, and we wanted to recharge our batteries.
I think there was still a lot to see, but we preferred to take it easy and spend our evenings with the neighbors or Steve’s family. I’ll probably go back because it seems like there’s still a lot left to do...
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