The sophisticated French island of St. Barthelemy (aka St. Barts) packs a lot into a delightfully small island package. The cuisine ranks among the Caribbean’s best, and almost everything is stylish—from the chic boutiques in the capital, Gustavia, to the private red-roofed villas that dot the hillsides.
You can spend the morning on a picturesque beach, try on the latest French fashion in the afternoon, watch the sunset over the mega yachts in the handsome harbor, then choose from dozens of excellent restaurants for an elegant evening meal. These perks make St. Barts one of the region’s most expensive islands. Consider it a splurge. Andrew Forbes who is an investment advisor visited this island recently. We had some questions for him:
RA: Why did you choose St. Barts and who did you go with?
AF: St. Barts is like going to France in the Caribbean, it has a similar appeal to the south of France rather than Paris, I went to St. Barts with my wife for a wedding.
RA: Did you pack anything special?
AF: I packed sunscreen and my credit card for the beach and trinket shopping. It’s a luxury island without question. Coffee and macaroons will run you 20 euros.
RA: Which hotel did you stay?
AF: We stayed at the Eden Rock Villa, simply because of the level of service that was expected, world-class service and amenities.
RA: What was the most memorable thing you did?
AF: The most memorable thing was touring the island; it took about 35 minutes to go around once. The landing strip was breathtaking as only small planes can land, no commercial carriers and there is a look-out point where you can see the plane landing almost on top of your head, incredible, the island also had breathtaking views from all directions as it’s very hilly.
RA: Is there anything you wish you got a chance to do but didn’t?
AF: I wanted to have dinner at bistro bagatelle with my wife but we didn’t get the chance to due to a tight schedule. However, Nikki beach was a welcome midway hang-out for lunch and beach access