I traveled from Guadeloupe to Barbados from Wednesday 1 April to Thursday 2 April 2026, then from Barbados to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from Thursday 2 April to Wednesday 8 April 2026. I took two flights: Caribbean Airlines from Guadeloupe to Barbados, then InterCaribbean Airways from Barbados to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I filled out an Online Customs and Immigration form 3 days before my arrival at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. As a visitor from Guadeloupe to the multi-island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I must be in possession of a valid passport and a return ticket. According to the Official Website of Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it is a southern Caribbean nation consisting in 32 Islands and Cays. The capital is Kingstown. If I well understood what Vincentians explained me and with my own research, nine islands are inhabited out of 32. The Complimentary Road Map & Guide indicates that the total population of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is 109,991. The population of these islands : St. Vincent (99,757), Young island (private resort island), Bequia (4,946), Mustique (1,238), Canouan (1,683), Mayreau (271), Tobago Cays, Union Island (2,096), Palm island (private resort island), Petit St. Vincent (private resort island). National Heroes’ Day is a public holiday in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, observed on March 14th. This celebrates the recognition of persons who have made a significant contribution to St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG). Every March, the country celebrates Heroes and Heritage month. Throughout the month, the country holds cultural events and acknowledges traditional and historical elements that contribute to Vincentians way of life. Many Vincentians will visit the Grenadine island of Baliceaux to mark their respects to the indigenous people, many of whom were later exiled to what is now modern-day Belize and other parts of Central America. In the book St Vincent and the Grenadines A General History of the Year 2025, Volume One Native Peoples, Genocide, and African Enslavement in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Circa BP 5000 to 1838, Adrian St Aubyn Fraser, Garrey Michael Dennle, Cleve Mc Donald Scott wrote that « The Right Excellent Joseph Chatoyer, the first national hero of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. » (p. 86). « Chatoyer was a central figure in the anti-colonial resistance. He was a Garifuna’s main political strategist and military leader. » (p. 90). In the same book, it is said that « the territory had served as a refuge for fugitives from chattel slavery (called runaways or Maroons by the enslavers) from Barbados for more than one hundred years. » (p. 118). « When slavery ended in 1834, it meant that a slave society had existed for about twenty-seven years. Hence, Vincentians can righlty say that St Vincent and the Grenadines had spent less time in slavery than any other territory in the entire Caribbean (p. 119). In the book The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs (Garifuna), Fifth Edition, I.E. Kirby and C.I. Martin wrote that « It has already been mentioned that the Lesser Antilles, including Barbados, were colonised whilst St. Vincent and Dominica were left to the Caribs. The slaves from Barbados did not take long to discover that a boat or even a raft, drifting from the island would end up in St. Vincent where they could once more enjoy their freedom in that country’s thickly wooded mountains. To a lesser extent, the slaves in St. Lucia also used the sea as an escape route. As a result, the Negroes found their numbers enormously swollen by the wave of « illegal immigrants » from Barbados and St. Lucia. » (p. 10). « The population of the Black Caribs continued to grow inexorably through both natural increase and a constant flow from runaway slaves from Barbados. » (p.13). Independence for St. Vincent and the Grenadines was achieved on October 27, 1979. According to the Official Website of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, « Much of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines’ culture, as you might expect, is strongly linked to the sea, and to the boats which brought African slaves, Portuguese labourers, and French and British settlers together with indigenous Caribs to give Saint Vincent and the Grenadines its vibrant, multi-ethnic community, that is both proud and unified ». The most important sector of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ economy is agriculture, dominated by banana production. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourism industry, is also important. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been effective at introducing new industries. Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism. There is a small manufacturing and offshore financial sector. Regarding the recent political change, General elections were held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on 27 November 2025 to elect 15 members of the House of Assembly. Prime Minister-Elect of St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Leader of the New Democratic Party, the Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday and his party’s decisive electoral victory, securing 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats. Dr. The Hon. Godwin Friday is the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Legal Affairs & Justice, Economic Planning, and Private Sector Development. K@ribbean Newsweek shares with you some pictures.

Day 1: Wednesday 1st April 2026

I traveled from Guadeloupe to Barbados. The airport in Barbados does not have a bureau of change. I withdrew 130 Barbadian Dollars from the ATM at Grantley Adams International Airport, the bank took a service fee of 14 BBD. The total amount is 144 BBD, 67,60 euros. A lady who is a agent at the airport helped me with the ATM. I bought food at Chefette at the airport. I slept one night at the airbnb accommodation of Annette and Anson in Christ Church. I had a bedroom inside their house that is located in a new area near the airport. That is why it was not so easy for the woman taxi driver to find their home. The best way is to let the retired couple to pick up the guest at the airport for 20 US Dollar. It is the same price than an approved taxi driver. I had interesting discussions with Annette. They showed me the town of Oistins by night.

Day 2 : Thursday 2 April 2026

It was interesting to see how Annette and Anson from Barbados grow pineapples in a bucket. Before traveling, they showed me a view of a beach near their house. They dropped me at the Grantley Adams International Airport for 20 US Dollars. I took InterCaribbean Airways, a St. Kitts and Nevis air company. My flight was at 11:05 AM. I arrived at 12:20 PM in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A taxi dispatcher showed me my taxi driver and he told me that the travel will cost 120 EC Dollars (about 40 euros) to go to my airbnb accommodation in North River Road, the capital Kingstown. I had already a few EC Dollars after my last travel in January 2026 so I could buy food and a drink. I was waiting for the Bank to open at 1 PM. I needed to change Euros in EC Dollars.

There was a lot of traffic because it was the day before Good Friday, a public holiday. I arrived at the airbnb accommodation before 3 PM. The taxi driver called Hazen Thomas gave me his card. The owner of the apartment is Earl. He explained me that the taxi cost less than 100 EC Dollars, 35 US Dollar from the airport to go to his house. I explained him that the taxi dispatcher knows his job. He told me he knows a taxi driver who knows the fares.

I walked to the city centre in the hope to go the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust but it closed at 3 PM. For me I thought I had time because it was supposed to close at 5 PM. I took pictures of different buildings in the capital Kingstwon (Ministries, Market, Ferry Terminal, Banks).

I went to Massy Stores, a grocery to buy food and water. Good Friday is a public holiday. Eveytthing will be close in the city center.

On Thursday night, I decided to eat at VJ’s. I tasted a local soup with a sorrel juice, 21 EC Dollars (about 7 euros). I met David and Lennox Timm who sat down at my table to have a drink. As a matter of fact, it was the birthday of Levy, 70 years old. After my soup, I had free food to take away for the next day.

St. Clair « Jimmy » Prince arrived. He met David and Lennox Timm. Lennox Timm told me that St. Clair Jimmy Prince is the former Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Ecclesiastical Affairs, than the former Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment in the government of Ralph Gonsalves. I talked with the three men. St. Clair Jimmy Prince was also the Chief Information Officer and Director of the Agency for Public Information. I explained him that I would like to visit a Media House. Jimmy Prince gave me the phone number of Nadia Slater, Deputy Director of the Agency for Public Information.

I finished the night with another Mauby juice at Vj’s, 6 EC Dollars (about 2 euros). Lennox Timm dropped me in front of my airbnb accommodation.

Day 3 : Friday 3 April 2026

I sent a Whatsapp message to Nadia Slater, Deputy Director of the Agency for Public Information to ask her if I can visit API on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

I ate for lunch the free food given the night before at the birthday party of Levy, 70 years old at VJ’s. In the afternoon, I walked to the Botanical Gardens that is about a 5-minute walk from my airbnb accommodation. It was closed because it was a public holiday. Then, I walked to the city centre to take pictures of the same buildings I saw when I arrived on Thursday afternoon. Few people were in the streets in the capital Kingstown. I talked to Javon and Ruben. Javon asked me to take a picture of him and his friends. I continue walking, I saw other buildings.

Demuon Cockburn, an approved taxi man and tour guide talked to me while I was walking down the streets. It showed me the sites for the two different tours, 150 US Dollar, 405 EC Dollars (about 136 euros). He gave me his card.

Day 4 : Saturday 4 April 2026

It was a rainy day in Kingstown. I traveled from the capital Kingstown to Bequia. The beautiful island of Bequia is located just 9 miles to the south of St. Vincent. The main town is Port Elizabeth. I wanted to buy a return fare with Bequia Express., 45 EC Dollars (about 15 euros). I asked information to a police officer who told me that the blue boat leaves right now at 7:45 AM and the travel lasts 45 minutes and the red boat leaves at 8 AM and the travel lasts 1 hour. I made a mistake and I took Bequia Fast Ferry, the blue boat. At first, I paid a standard return fare 60 EC Dollars (about 20 euros) as a foreigner. Than I asked to pay a one way fare 30 EC Dollars (about 10 euros). So I could travel with Bequia Express, the red boat at 4 PM.

The population of Bequia is 4,946. People in Bequia are very nice. I looked for the sign Welcome to Bequia. A young guy asked me to take a picture of him. This young guy and another young guy took pictures of me in front of the sign Welcome to Bequia.

Bequia is a beautiful island. The lady at the Bequia Tourism Association office gave me a map of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and talked to me about the Bequia Easter Regatta 2026 : Double-ender Race 1 to start at Friendship about 10:45 AM. It was the Sailing Week from 29 March to 6 April 2026.

These are the two videos of SVG TV on Facebook about the Double-ender Race 1 : https://www.facebook.com/svgtv/videos/1327710435850536; https://www.facebook.com/svgtv/videos/1502078371433893

The Bequia Maritime Museum was closed, samed thing for the Bequia Heritage Museum. What a pity !

I bought Bequia tee-shirts by Monica and her colleague, 30 and 35 EC Dollars (about 10 and 12 euros). I took a bus, 2 EC Dollars (about 70 centimes) to go to Friendship Bay to see the Bequia Easter Regatta 2026. I arrived one time It was supposed to start at 10:45 AM. But after waiting one hour, the race did not start. They had to fix the boat called Blackberry. I decided to go to Lower Bay Beach to eat in a restaurant, I chose De Reef. After I went to the beach in front of the restaurant. I had a last drink at the restaurant & bar Baywatch before going back to the city centre to take Bequia Express at 4 PM, 25 EC Dollars (about 8 euros). I bought a crochet swimsuit by Zara. She gaves me a discount. I do not remember if I paid 120 or 130 EC Dollars (about 40 or 44 euros) instead of 150 EC Dollars (about 50 euros).

On my way to go back to Kingstown on Bequia Express, I talked to a retired man named Alex, who is from St. Vincent and lives in the USA. He lives in Villa, the town where you stop if you want to go to Young Island Resort.

According to the Official Website of Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines, « The Bequia Easter Regatta is one of the destination’s premiere events and the southern Caribbean region’s most popular regatta. A cosmopolitan mix of participants converge on the island to enjoy highly competitive yacht racing, thrilling double-ender action, vibrant onshore activities all while relishing the island’s famous hospitality. This festival coincides with the annual Easter celebration ».

The Official Website of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said that « The Bequia Regatta and the Easterval Regatta (Union Island), take place during Easter weekend every year. The weekend activities include huge boat races, with hundreds of entrants taking part, sports and games, calypso and many other competitions and activities. The Canouan Regatta, which is a similar event, takes place during the Whitsuntide weekend ».

Day 5 : Sunday 5 April 2026

I visited the Botanical Gardens from about 11 AM to 1 PM. It is a 5-minute walk from my airbnb accommodation. I paid a fee of 13,50 EC Dollars (about 5 euros).

According to the Official website of the National Parks, Rivers, and Beaches Authority, « The SVG Botanical Gardens are one of the most important and popular sites in St Vincent. They are the oldest Botanical Gardens in the Western Hemisphere (established in 1765) and are also an important conservation site (particularly for the St Vincent parrot Amazona guildingii). The Botanical Gardens is located about one mile (1.6 km) from Capital Kingstown along the Leeward Highway ».

Then, I took a bus 2,50 EC Dollars (about 84 centimes) to go to the town Villa. I wanted to visit Young Island but I did not understand that I had to book before. It was 3 PM. Lunch is up to 2 PM at Young Island Resort, 31,50 US dollars. There is a phone on the dock in Villa. People can call to book. The lady told me I can book for dinner, about 70 US Dollar. I decided to try to book for breakfast 31,50 US Dollar for another day.

Alex told me to call him when I will be in Villa. He tried to help to book with Young Island Resort. He was a in a restaurant with one of his nephew. I was wery hungry. So I ate at the restaurant called Paradise Beach Hotel in St. Vincent. I paid 62,50 EC Dollars (about 21 euros).

« Villa is today the prime tourist area on mainland St. Vincent », The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs (Garifuna), p. 27.

I went to the beach in front of the restaurant. After, Alex dropped me in front of my airbnb accommodation.

At 10 PM, I went to a restaurant & bar Sky Lounge near my airbnb accommodation. The bartender named Lano made a nice drink for me, 20 EC Dollars (about 7 euros).

Day 6 : Monday 6 April 2026

It was the day for the tour with Demuon Cockburn to visit sites : Belmont Lookout, the countryside and Mesopotamia Valley, Montreal Gardens, Owia Salt Pond Recreation Site, a waterfall hidden in Owia, Black Point Historic & Recreation Park, Argyle International Airport. I paid 405 EC dollars (about 136 euros) for the tour from about 9 AM to 5 PM. All the entrance fares are included in the price. The entrance fee is 5 US Dollar, 13,50 EC Dollars (about 5 euros) for each site, Montreal Gardens, Owia Salt Pont Recreation Site, Black Point Historic & Recreation Park.

The tour guide stop somewhere in the town of Arnos Vale to show me the island Mustique only inhabitated by rich people. Vincentians have to get an invitation to go there, the boat company can ask them who they are going to see, what is the purpurse of their travel. It is a very secured island. He showed me the old airport, the Arnos Vale Cricket and Soccer Ground. He also showed me the islands of Baliceaux and Battowia, where nobody lives. On March 14th, there is a church service to remember the Black Caribs, Garifuna who were kept captive in Baliceaux. People died of starvation and disease. The Black Caribs, Garifuna captives alive were transported to Roatan island, in the Bay of Honduras.

I saw Belmont Lookout. According to the Official website of the National Parks, Rivers, and Beaches Authority, « Belmont Lookout offers panoramic views into the picturesque Marriaqua Valley to the north and east. It also allows glimpses of Bequia, and Battowia to the southeast and west. It is popular stop for visitors to Kingstown and those heading up the windward coast ».

I saw the countryside and Mesopotamia Valley, a farming area where people are mainly farmers. They grow fruits, vegetables and roots for St. Vincent : sweet potato, dasheen, ginger, plantain or banana, cassava, everything that grows in the land. For the tour guide, dasheen sells fast, and St. Vincent export it to Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

I visited Montreal Gardens. According to the Official Website of Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines, « Located in the mountains above the Mesopotamia Valley, the Montreal Gardens estate is blessed with fertile volcanic soil and frequent rainfall. You will find an array of exotic flowers, animals and plants in an environment which is cool, misty and quiet. The Gardens are open to the public for a small entrance fee. « 

The tour guide drove under Byera Tunnel. After he stopped at Chatoyer National Park. Joseph Chatoyer is the Paramount Chief of the Black Caribs, Garifunas. He said : « This is where Joseph Chatoyer settled with his people after the war between him and the British. He came this far to get away from them. This was a river. Some of the descendants of the Black Caribs, the Garifuna still live here ».

Vincentians use the black sand of the Volcano to build their house.

I felt onto the rocks at Owia Salt Pont Recreation Site. It was slippery. My left elbow was bleeding. After, it was time to have lunch at Owia Salt Pond Recreation Site. I bought Madungo and saltfish, and Ducana and saltfish to take away. I ate it in the evening.

The Official Website of Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines said : « Owia is home to many of St Vincent’s Carib people and among its many attractions is the Owia Salt Pond. Situated close to the black sand beach and formed from the dark volcanic rock, the Pond is like a natural private sauna that allows you to enjoy the warm waters of the Atlantic without the choppy waves. The drive to the Owia Salt Pond takes you along the island’s magnificent east coast ».

According to the Official Website of the National Parks, Rivers, and Beaches Authority, « The Owia Salt Pond is a unique and beautiful ocean fed bathing pool, perched at the northern tip of the windward side of St Vincent. Volcanic rock formations surround the pool and reef fish and coral formations add colour and life to the pool. Above the pond is a peaceful garden, with gazebos, food and drink, and a children’s play area. The park is connected to the pool with approximately 217 steps. A littoral forest is a significant feature of the park and the forest serves to protect the steep slopes rising from the pond to the park. Owia village is home to some of the indigenous people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines – the Calinago ».

Thanks to the tour guide, I went to Owia waterfall. I saw people relaxing and having fun.

I walked inside the Black Point Tunnel. « The Black Point Tunnel also known as Jasper Rock Tunnel was constructed around 1815 by Colonel Thomas Browne using slave labour. Colonel Brown then owner of the Grand Sable Estate, drilled this 360 ft. tunnel through hard volcanic rock at a cost of five thousand pounds. The tunnel was constructed to enable quicker transport of sugar from the factory at Grand Sable Estate to the wharf on the Byrea/ Mt. William side of the tunnel. What look like caves on the Byrea side of the tunnel were once warehouses from storing the sugar. These were excavated in the soft rock adjacent to the wharf. This facilitated rapid loading of the vessel when the sea was calm. The wharf or jetty had a crane to assist with the placing of the hogsheads of sugar into droghers. The Caribs who were skilled seafarers were used as boatmen to ensure that the hogsheads got safely into the craft as the swells were always heavy ».

According to the Official Website of the National Parks, Rivers, and Beaches Authority, « Black Point Heritage and Recreational Park is one of the most popular recreational and historic sites on the windward coast. Its main feature is the Black Point Tunnel which was constructed by the British around 1815 using slave labour. A marvel of engineering for its time, the 360 feet long tunnel was enabled easier transport of sugar from the mills of Grand Sable Estate to the wharf at Byrea. Other attractions at Black Point Heritage and Recreational Park include a black sand beach, Grand Sable River surrounded by natural vegetation, a tropical garden and a recreational field (can be used for sports or other events). The park was also used as a film location for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl ».

The tour guide showed me a place near the Argyle International Airport where the river from the Mesopotamia Valley passed under the airport and goes straight out to the sea.

It was a beautiul day. I saw how Vincentians spent Easter Monday with family and friends at Owia Salt Pond Recreation Site, Black Point Historic & Recreation Park, Chatoyer National Park. It was very interesting.

Day 7 : Tuesday 7 April 2026

I took a bus to go to the town Villa, 2,50 EC Dollars (about 84 centimes). I took a free boat to go Young Island Resort to have my breakfast 31,50 US Dollar, 84,65 EC Dollars (about 28 euros). I called on Monday morning to book for this expensive breakfast. It was not what I expected. As a matter of fact, I paid for the brand Young Island Resort. I took the free boat than I took a bus to go back to the capital Kingstown, 2,50 EC Dollars (about 84 centimes).

I visited The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust. I paid 5 EC Dollars (about 1,70 euros) at The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust. A lady explained me the artifacts diplayed. There is a painting of Dr. Earle Kirby (1921-2005) who « was a pioneering Vincentian veterinarian, archaeologist, historian, and environmentalist whose diverse work left a lasting impact on St. Vincent and the Grenadines. […] A passionate outdoorsman, Dr. Kirby became a self-taught archaeologist and historian. He conducted extensive research on the Kalinago and Garifuna peoples and collected numerous pre-Columbian artifacts most of which are here on display. […] His dedication earned him the title of « Father of Vincentian Archeology ».

I bought a book « The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs (Garifuna) », Fifth edition, I.E. Kirby and C.I. Martin, 40 EC Dollars (about 13 euros).

Then, I went to the API – The Agency For Public Information. It is the source of the Government information of SVG. I talked with Nadia Slater, Deputy Director of the Agency for Public Information about different subjets : the pioneers, what API broadcasts such as Eye on Government (channel 116 and on Facebook on Tuesday and Thursday evening), her career, her life and family, history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Spiritual Baptist a syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion, the particularity of Fort Charlotte, a British-colonial era fort. Its cannons were pointed inland in order to defend against the Caribs.

Nadia Slater told me that four historians were commissioned to produce a comprehensive history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The historians are Dr. Adrian Fraser, Dr. G. Michael Dennie, Dr. Arnold Thomas and Dr. Cleve Scott. The first volume was launched on Friday 20 March 2026. The name of the book is « St Vincent and the Grenadines A general History of the Year 2025 », Volume One, Native Peoples, Genocide, and African Enslavement in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Circa BP 5000 to 1838, Adrian St Aubyn Fraser, Garrey Michael Dennie, Cleve Mc Donald Scott.

I also talked with Maxine Mavorn Browne, Director of Culture of of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Creative Industries. I saw the book about the history of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines in her office. I bought it. Maxine Mavorn Browne gave me a discount. I paid 60 EC Dollars (about 20 euros) instead of 100 EC Dollars (about 33 euros).

I bought my last gifts (anklet by Alfa, 25 EC Dollars, about 8 euros and leather sandal by Potty, 80 EC Dollars, about 27 euros) before and after eating at Bickles, a fast food restaurant. After I went to NBC Radio SVG 107.5 FM, 90.7 FM. There I spoke to Colvin Harry, Assistant General Manager of NBC Radio.

I chose not going to Fort Charlotte beacuse I was fed up about the fights between English and French people when I visited Forts in other Caribbean islands. I read nothing about this Fort before traveling. I called Fort Charlotte before it closed at 6 PM. I had a confirmation that I could visit Fort Charlotte but not the museum closed for restoration. Then, it was my last day before traveling. I was a little bit tired to see what Nadia Slater told me.

I went back to my airbnb accommodation. I was supposed to meet David, Lennox Timm and St. Clair Jimmy Prince in another bar or restaurant at 6 PM. But it was impossible.

Day 8 : Wednesday 8 April 2026

It was the day to go back home. I woke up and I read an email from InterCaribbean Airways saying that my flight at 9 AM has been rescheduled at 11 AM. The taxi driver called Maki Taxi picked me up at about 6:15 AM. He is the contact of Earl, the owner of the airbnb accommodation. I paid 94 EC Dollars (about 31 euros). There was no traffic. I arrived at the Argyle International Aiport before 7 AM. When he was driving, I talked to him about the sites I visited and the ones I did not visit. For example, Fort Charlotte, built by the Bristish, its cannons are facing inward inland. It means that there were internal destructions and fighting between the Black Caribs, the French and the British. This Fort is different from most Forts do, their cannons are facing toward the sea. This means there were naval attacks. He said : « it is a beautiful view from up there, you see the entire Kingstown harbour and the Grenadines islands, specially Bequia, the largest Grenadines island ».

I had time to eat at the food court. I took pictures of the exhibition of AIA interpretation Centre inside the airport and I saw the painting of Right Excelllent Joseph Chatoyer, Paramount Chief of the Garifuna People, National Hero.

At the Argyle International Aiport, a lady at InterCaribbean Airways told me that once I checked in online I will not have a problem with Caribbean Airlines in Barbados. My flight was at 2 PM from Barbados. If I well understood, the crew of InterCaribbean Airways arrived late in Grenada the night before. They needed their legal time (8 hours) to rest before flying the next morning. The steward confirmed me this information in the plane.

I was supposed to reach Barbados one time because I had another flight from Barbados to Guadeloupe. I was very under stress because I remembered what happened to me In Montserrat in January 2026 where I was stranded for two more days in the island because the air company did not have enough wind to fly. What a joke !

I arrived at around 12:30 PM in Barbados. I asked an agent at the baggage claim to call Caribbean Airlines for me and let them know that I was waiting for my checked baggage. Baggage drop closing time and boarding time was 1 PM. A lady at Caribbean Airlines took my checked baggage. After, I spent a long time in a queue to check the carry-on baggage. Too stressfull. Hopefully, I reached the gate 10 before 1:30 PM. Caribbean Airlines just arrived. I had only five minutes to buy food at the airport. Caribbean Airrlines took off on time from Barbados. I was happy to reach Guadeloupe. When holidays is over, it is really over for me and I want to go back home !

During my stay in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three men told me that InterCaribbean Aiways is not reliable. They always delay or cancel the flight. I know now that I will not take InterCaribbean Airway again. Caribbean Airlines is better.

A little bit of history

I read the two history books. I would like to quote a few sentences.

The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs (Garifuna), Fifth Edition, I.E. Kirby and C.I. Martin : the book tells the story of the Garifuna people, who not only survived but thrived.

« Until recently few people realised that the Garifuna, as they are known in Belize, are the direct descendants of the Black Caribs of St. Vincent », p. 4-5.

« The English monarchs were continually granting the place to one duke to another. A Frenchman, M. Du Blanc, even declared war on the Caribs and as we shall see later, the Caribs had to repel two serious efforts at settlement, one by the English and the other by the French. Despite all this, the Caribs in St. Vincent not only survived but prospered. They came to be regarded as the warriors who would assist their fellow Caribs in other ilands in their struggles against the Europeans. It is reported that they possessed some large canoes capable of carrying uo to 60 warriors. These they would launch and sail, with amazing dexterity, to the islands where their assistance was needed. It is clear too, that when the Caribs in the other islands were defeated and had to flee, it was to St. Vincent they came. For instance, Van Der Plas suggests that the Bayabous, a tribe of Caribs, were forced to flee their native Guadeloupe and settle near to a river midway on the east of St. Vincent, thus giving the place their name, Biabou, which today is a large village about 13 miles from Kingstown the capital of St. Vincent. », p. 7-8.

Chatoyer National Park is named after Joseph Chatoyer,« paramount chief of all Black Caribs », p. 17.

« Apparently, The Black Carib system of tenure was a communal one. Each « family », or more accurately clan of Caribs had its own territory. The boundaries of a particular territory were delineated by the islands numerous rivers. Thus one finds references being made to the Caribs of Grand Sable, of Massarica, o Rabacca, of Byera, of Coumbamarou, of Yambou, of Colonaire, of Macaricaw, Cramacrabou, of Owiawarou and of Point Espanol. Within its territory members of a clan, usually the females, could cultivate plots, which some did, but not in a systematuc or contiguous manner. Each territory had its own chief and a chief of chief appears only to emerge when the Caribs were on the war path. The Chief of Chiefs was Joseph Chatoyer of whom we shall hear more. His principal adviser was Jean Baptiste », p. 21.

« Futher, the institution of Chief of Chiefs was not known among them except in times of emergency. Yet Chatoyer appears not only to have been the paramount military chief but also the civilian one. » […] « In war he must have been an outstanding commander… », p. 43.

« A meeting of citizens, chaired by the Governor, was called to decide what effective measures could be taken against them. It was agreed that the Caribs would surrender and be taken to the Grenadine Island of Baliceaux, where adequate water, food and shelter would be provided until they could be sent to Roatan. Several Caribs chiefs were taken to Kingstown where they were officially informed of the plan and were given four days in which to inform their people and communicate their acquiescence. The alternative was the reopening of the war. The promised to comply, but again many of them did their disappearing act and only about about 280 embarked for Baliceaux from Calliaqua on July 20th », p. 46.

« The Caribs set sail for Roatan on March 11th, 1787. It is alleged that by the time of their embarkation their numbers had been decimated by almost 50% by a malignant fever in Baliceaux », p. 47.

« In 1949, when Douglas Taylor did his study of the Garifuna, he found that there was some 30,000 of them living in 25 settlements in three different countries, the Republic of Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. Trujillo in the Republic of Honduras, is still considered their ‘capital’ though they also predominate in the towns of Punta Gorda, Stann Creek (Belize) and Livingston (Guatemala). It has also been observed that Garifuna are to be found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Yucatan », p. 48.

In the book St Vincent and the Grenadines A General History of the Year 2025, Volume One Native Peoples, Genocide, and African Enslavement in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Circa BP 5000 to 1838, Adrian St Aubyn Fraser, Garrey Michael Dennle, Cleve Mc Donald Scott said that : « By the late eighteenth century, an ethnic group who called themselves Garinagu had emerged as the most powerful force in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Garinagu are more widely known as the Black Caribs. This ethnic group was the product of the intermixing of African and Indigenous Amerindians. More recently, the descendants of the Garinagu renamed themselves Garifuna once they had arrived in Belize after about 2,200 of them were banished there in 1797 by the British for their anti-colonial stance. The Garinagu or Garifuna called the island of St Vincenr, Yurumein. Garifuna the-world-over regard Yurumein as thier spiritual home ». viii.

« Today, the majority of Vincentians are of Black African, East Indian and Portuguese / Madeira descent. The First Peoples, the Kalinago / Garifuna (or Carib), are now a minority. Syrians, Lebanese, and Whites are also in the minority. A person born in the territory was once called a Vincelonian, but is now called a Vincentian or Vincy. Increasingly, the country is also being referred to as Vincy, particularly by the youth. In fact, the state’s premier cultural festival, which is the annual carnival, has been renamed Vincy Mas », ix.

« Decolonising the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines, is a decision not to marginalise the experience of the Kalinago, the Garifuna, the East Indians, the Madeirans, and other minorities. It is also a decision to acknowledge that chattel slavery was a crime against humanity. Every square inch of St Vincent and the Grenadines was a crime scene of genocide, robbery, murder, rape, disenfranchisement, and exploitation ; all crimes created by the colonising power during the colonial period », xviii.

« Before 1797, and the defeat of the indigenous resistance to British colonial rule, the multi-island colony was a society with enslaved persons. The evidence shows that enslaved Africans were in the multi-island state since the mid-sixteenth century. The French and Spanish used enslaved Africans on mainland St Vincent when this island served as entrepot » […] « In St Vincent and the Grenadines, however, native genocide and the creation of a slave society were inextricably linked. It was Britain’s desire to re-make St Vincent and the Grenadines into a slave society, and this was the reason why it engaged the Kalinago and Garifuna on the battlefield. […] When the slave system in the Bristish Caribbean was terminated in 1834, some £20 million was paid to appease the planters. And as if that was not enough, they were guaranteed six years of free labour under the guise of allowing a period of transition from slavery to full freedom. The apprenticeship period, as his moratorium was called, was used by the planters to draw the last point of blood from the supposedly formely enslaved or apprentices. The ghastly abuse of the system forced its premature end in 1838 », xxvi, xxvii.

« The Vincentian case is truly unique and therefore expands our understanding of the multiple pathways through which a society with slaves can become a slave society. We identify 1807-08 as the gateway years when Bristih plantation owners established a slave society. And this reveals another startling fact in the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines : when slavery ended in 1834, it meant that a slave soeciety had existed for about twenty-seven years. » xxxi.

« Escaped enslaved Africans and later Garifuna, a product of cohabitation between Kalinagos and Africans, joined the struggle. St Vincent and the Greanadines was among the last Caribbean islands to be colonised by the British, but even then, the Bristih only had control over a part of the island. », p. 38.

« By the mid-seventeenth century, the emergence of the plantation society in neighbouring Barbados clearly accelerated the number of Africans arriving in St Vincent whether from shipwrecks or from enslaved Africans escaping Barbados and arriving in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The impact on the demographic composition of St Vincent’s indigenous population in this period would have been profound. », p. 51.

« The Europens’s refusal to acknowledge indigenous property rights was a signal they intended to destroy their sovereign claims to St Vincent and the Grenadines. The resistance by the Garifuna against British efforts to control the entire country led to two and eventually to the banishment of the Garifuna people in 1797. », p 57.

« The Right Excellent Joseph Chatoyer, the first national hero of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.« , p. 86.

« Chatoyer was a central figure in the anti-colonial resistance. He was a Garifuna’s main political strategist and military leader. », p. 90.

« At a meeting with planters and others residents, a proposal was made to use the small Grenadine Island of Balliceaux as a holding ground until the ships were ready to send the captured enemy forces to their agreed point of settlement, which turned out to be Roatan, a small island of 83 square metres in the bay of Honduras, Central America. After the arrangements were made, General Abercromby gave orders for those who had been captured or who had surrendered, to be sent to Balliceaux. The war was ended. », p. 98.

« As mentioned earlier, the British rounded up Garifuna combatants and non-combatants, including women and children, and shipped them to Balliceaux island in July 1796. […] For the planters and colonial officials, the persons sent there were already ‘sentenced’ to be banished forever. The colonial authorities never intended Balliceaux to be a ‘comfort zone’ ; they knew that absence of water and fertile land would imperil the capacity of humans to survive there for any extended period. […] It is not known exactly how many of these so-called ‘new inhabitants’ were kept captive on Balliceaux from July 1796 to February 1797. », p. 105.

« People died, reportedly from a combintion of starvation and disease. », p 106.

« Between October and December 1796, a large number of those held in Balliceaux died supposedly from an unknown disease. […] The onset of the disease took hold in a situation of inhumane conditions, a large population of prisoners on a tiny island, with no rivers or running water and it would appear inadequate provisions of food. This was genocide through the onset of disease brought on by inhumane conditions. », p 107.

« The orders from British naval authorities were to transport the Garifuna captives to Roatan island, in the Bay of Honduras. The flotilla set sail from Bequia on March 11, with 2,2248 Garifuna on board. From the perspective of the British governement, it hoped that March 11, 1797 had brought and end of the Garifuna in St Vinvent. No one knows ho many Garifuna had evaded capture and refused to surrender. Those remaining continued to carry out sporadic attacks on British settlements until a pardon was granted in 1805. Along with the pardon was an agreement for a small group that had surrendered to remain on 230 acres of land at Morne Ronde on the north leeward side of the island. Meanwhile some others had taken residence elsewhere, including a groups at Greiggs in the upper Massarica Valley, and in the mountains at Lapiton above Gordons, Spring Village on the leeward side. The long-armed struggle by the Indigenous People against European colonisation efforts had come to an end. », p. 111.

« As explained in chapter two, the territory had served as a refuge for fugitives from chattel slavery (called runaways or Maroons by the enslavers) from Barbados for more than one hundred years », p. 118.

« The multi-island colony would not become a slave society until about 1807-08, with the incorporation of Garifuna lands into eight estates. […] « When slavery ended in 1834, it meant that a slave society had existed for about twenty-seven years. Hence, Vincentians can righlty say that St Vincent and the Grenadines had spent less time in slavery than any other territory in the entire Caribbean. », p. 119.

« The core mission of Vincentian slave society was to produce sugar and in this it was extraordinarily successful. Between 1807 and 1834, the multi-island colony became the leading sugar exporter in the Windward Islands, » p. 135.

« There are several cases where enslaved persones killed enslavers. », p. 185.

« From around 1700 to 1800, St Vincent and the Grenadines was a society with slaves. But by 1800, it began its transition into aslave society. » p. 192-193.

« Their religious philosophies and practices would play a key role in their capacity to navigate slavery in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Like the enslaved elsewehere in the Caribbean, they were often committed to a self-liberation ethos, and many suffered clearly and event lost their lives for this. But by 1834, more than twenty-two thousand of them were still alive when slavery ended. That was an enormous testament in the resilience that they had developed during slavery to counter the predations of the enslavers. », p 194-195.

« Many of the allowances, privileges, and indulgences granted to Blacks under slavery were withdrawn or given at the discretion o the planters. Often these were used as bribes to secure additionnal days of labour from the apprentices. It was not until April 1838, that an Act to amend the Abolition of Slavery Act restored to the apprentices the privileges and allowances that had been provided to them under slavery. Four months later the apprenticeship system was terlinated. », p. 246.

« The arrival of the first day of August 1838 was the legal end of slavery », p. 268.

The Officiel Website of the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Sustainable Development explains the history of Fort Charlotte : « The Fort is on a ridge 600 feet above the sea, giving a magnificent view across Kingstown and the Grenadines. […] Interestingly unlike most forts in the Caribbean it was not used to protect the island from naval attack. Rather its purpose was to protect against attacks from inland by the Caribs and French ».

Official Websites & contacts in the country

For more information, you can go to :

• The Official Website of Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines : https://discoversvg.com/
• The Official Website of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines : https://www.gov.vc/
• The Official Website of Election Results : https://election.gov.vc/
• The Facebook of API – The Agency For Public Information : St. Vincent and the Grenadines : https://www.facebook.com/APISVG/
• The Official Website of NBC Radio SVG 107.5 FM,90.7 FM : https://www.nbcsvg.com/, the Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nbcsvg/
• The Official Website of the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority : https://nationalparks.gov.vc/nationalparks/ ; nationalparkssvg1@gmail.com
• The Official Website of Bequia Express : https://bequiaexpress.com/ ; info@bequiaexpress.com ; frontdesk@bequiaexpress.com
• Hazen Thomas, Thomas Taxi Service :1 (784) 531 60 27
• Demuon Cockburn, Krown’s taxi and tours service : 1 (784) 533 92 56
• Maki Taxi, private driver : 1 (784) 434 9695

All the photos and videos are on Instagram and the Facebook’s page of Karibbean Newsweek.

Résumé

J’ai voyagé de la Guadeloupe à la Barbade du mercredi 1er avril au jeudi 2 avril 2026, puis de la Barbade à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines du jeudi 2 avril au mercredi 8 avril 2026. J’ai pris deux avions : Caribbean Airlines de la Guadeloupe à la Barbade, puis InterCaribbean Airways de la Barbade à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines. J’ai rempli un formulaire de douane et d’immigration en ligne trois jours avant mon arrivée à l’aéroport international Grantley Adams de la Barbade. En tant que visiteur venant de Guadeloupe et se rendant dans l’Etat multi-insulaire de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, je dois être muni d’un passeport valide et d’un billet de retour.

Selon le site web officiel de Discover SVG : Explore St. Vincent and the Grenadines, il s’agit d’un pays des Caraïbes du Sud composé de 32 îles et îlots. Sa capitale est Kingstown. Si j’ai bien compris les explications des habitants et avec mes propres recherches, neuf îles sur 32 sont habitées. La population totale de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines est de 109 991 habitants. La population de ces îles : Saint-Vincent (99 757), île Young (île touristique privée), Bequia (4 946), Mustique (1 238), Canouan (1 683), Mayreau (271), Tobago Cays, Union Island (2 096), Palm Island (île touristique privée), Petit Saint-Vincent (île touristique privée).

La Journée des Héros nationaux est un jour férié à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, célébrée le 14 mars. Elle rend hommage aux personnes ayant apporté une contribution significative à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines (SVG). Chaque année en mars, le pays célèbre le Mois des Héros et de l’Héritage ou du Patrimoine. Durant ce mois, des événements culturels sont organisés et les éléments traditionnels et historiques qui font partie intégrante du mode de vie des habitants sont mis à l’honneur. De nombreux habitants de Saint-Vincent se rendent sur l’île de Baliceaux, dans les Grenadines, pour rendre hommage aux populations autochtones, dont beaucoup furent exilées par la suite vers ce qui est aujourd’hui le Belize et d’autres régions d’Amérique centrale.

Dans l’ouvrage « Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines : Histoire générale de l’année 2025, Volume 1 : Peuples autochtones, génocide et réduction en esclavage des Africains à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, de l’an 5000 à 1838 », Adrian St Aubyn Fraser, Garrey Michael Dennle et Cleve McDonald Scott écrivent : « Le très honorable Joseph Chatoyer, premier héros national de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines. » (p. 86). « Chatoyer fut une figure centrale de la résistance anticoloniale. Il était le principal stratège politique et chef militaire des Garifunas. » (p. 90). Dans le même ouvrage, il est indiqué que « ce territoire a servi de refuge aux fugitifs de l’esclavage (appelés fugitifs ou Marrons par les esclavagistes) en provenance de la Barbade pendant plus d’un siècle » (p. 118). « L’abolition de l’esclavage en 1834 a marqué la fin d’une société esclavagiste. Elle a existé pendant environ vingt-sept ans. Par conséquent, les habitants de Saint Vincent peuvent affirmer à juste titre que Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines a passé moins de temps sous le joug de l’esclavage que tout autre territoire des Caraïbes ». (p. 119).

Dans le livre The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs (Garifuna), cinquième édition, I.E Kirby et C.I. Martin écrivent : « Il a déjà été mentionné que les Petites Antilles, y compris la Barbade, furent colonisées tandis que Saint-Vincent et la Dominique furent laissés aux Caraïbes. Les esclaves de la Barbade ne tardèrent pas à découvrir qu’un bateau, voire un radeau, dérivant de l’île, finissait par atteindre Saint-Vincent, où ils pouvaient à nouveau jouir de leur liberté dans les montagnes densément boisées de ce pays. Dans une moindre mesure, les esclaves de Sainte-Lucie utilisèrent également la mer comme voie d’évasion. De ce fait, la population noire vit son nombre augmenter considérablement avec la vague d’« immigrants illégaux » en provenance de la Barbade et de Sainte-Lucie » (p. 10). « La population des Caraïbes noirs continua de croître inexorablement, à la fois par accroissement naturel et par un flux constant d’esclaves fugitifs de la Barbade » (p. 13).

L’indépendance de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines fut acquise le 27 octobre 1979. Selon le site web officiel du Gouvernement de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, « une grande partie de la culture de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, comme on peut s’y attendre, est profondément liée à la mer et aux bateaux qui ont transporté des esclaves africains, des travailleurs portugais, des colons français et britanniques, ainsi que des populations autochtones Caraïbes, donnant naissance à une communauté multiethnique et dynamique, fière et unie, à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines ». Le secteur le plus important de l’économie de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines est l’agriculture, dominée par la production de bananes. Le secteur des services, reposant principalement sur un tourisme en pleine croissance, est également important. Bien que le tourisme et les autres services aient connu une croissance modérée ces dernières années, le gouvernement a su attirer de nouvelles industries. La croissance récente a été stimulée par une forte activité dans le secteur de la construction et une amélioration du tourisme. On y trouve également un petit secteur manufacturier et un secteur financier offshore.

Il y a eu des récents changements politiques. Des élections générales ont eu lieu à Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines le 27 novembre 2025 afin d’élire 15 membres de l’Assemblée nationale. Le Premier ministre élu de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines et chef du Nouveau Parti démocratique, l’honorable Dr Godwin Friday, et son parti ont remporté une victoire électorale décisive, obtenant 14 des 15 sièges parlementaires. L’honorable Dr Godwin Friday est Premier ministre, ministre des Finances, des Affaires juridiques et de la Justice, de la Planification économique et du Développement du secteur privé.

J’ai passé une journée sur l’île de Bequia, la plus grande des îles des Grenadines qui a organisé la semaine de navigation, les courses de régates. J’ai visité le jardin botanique à Kingstown et le jardin Montréal. J’ai aussi vu un peu la campagne et la vallée Mesopotamia, une zone agricole qui alimente l’île de Saint-Vincent. Les agriculteurs cultivent de la patate douce, dashin, banane, etc. Le guide touristique m’a dit que la dashin est exportée à Trinidad-et-Tobago et à la Barbade. J’ai vu le Parc National Chatoyer nommé après le très honorable Joseph Chatoyer, chef suprême des Garifunas, un héro national. Je me suis baignée à Owia Salt Pond site récréatif et à la cascade d’Owia. J’ai vu le Black Point parc historique et récréatif et je suis entrée dans le tunnel. Je me suis rendue à Young Island Resort pour manger un petit-déjeuner très cher et à SVG National Trust pour voir des artefacts archéologiques.

Le village d’Owia abrite une importante communauté de Caraïbes de Saint-Vincent. Le Black Point parc historique et récréatif est l’un des sites historiques et récréatifs les plus populaires de la côte au vent. Son principal attrait est le tunnel de Black Point, construit par les Britanniques vers 1815 grâce au travail forcé des esclaves. Ce tunnel fut construit pour faciliter le transport du sucre depuis l’usine du domaine de Grand Sable jusqu’au quai situé du côté de Byrea/Mont William.

J’ai vraiment apprécié voir comment les habitants de Saint-Vincent ont passé la journée du Lundi de Pâques en famille et avec des amis : Owia Salt Pond site récréatif, Black Point parc historique et récréatif, Parc National Chatoyer. La veille de mon départ, j’ai acheté deux ouvrages cités plus haut, afin de comprendre l’histoire des Caraïbes noirs ou Garifunas.

Grâce à St. Clair Jimmy Prince, un ancien responsable de l’information et directeur de l’Agence pour l’information publique, parlementaire à la retraite, j’ai rencontré Nadia Slater, directrice adjointe de l’Agence pour l’information publique. C’est un organisme gouvernementale qui propose l’information journalistique et la communication institutionnelle. J’ai aussi rencontré Colvin Harry, Directeur général adjoint de la radio NBC SVG 107.5 FM et 90.7 FM.

St@y connected !

Salaura DIDON