GETTING THERE

Corsair
The airline, which recently saw Intro Aviation take over from TUI at the helm, is continuing to expand its fleet, which is expected to double to 13 aircraft by 2023, with new A330-900 Neos replacing the old Boeing B747-400s. The direct Paris-Fort-de-France flight is operated by Airbus A330-300 every day except Mondays and Wednesdays. Offered on departure from Paris Orly, it is equipped with three cabins: economy, premium and a business class, successfully launched in 2017. On board, business class passengers benefit from seats spaced 152 cm apart to allow the deployment of a real bed, particularly appreciated on the return flight, which takes place at night in 8.25 am. Lounges are available to business passengers on departure and arrival and are accessible to all others for €40. Corsair also operates three weekly flights to Saint Lucia in code-share with Air Antilles.
Tel: 39 17 - Internet: www.corsair.fr

Air Caraïbes
The airline operates a flight between Fort-de-France and Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia, every day except Mondays and Tuesdays. These flights, operated by ATR 72, only last around twenty minutes.
Tel: 0 890 648 648 - Internet: www.airantilles.com

TO FIND OUT MORE

In Paris: La Maison de MartiniqueComité martiniquais du tourisme > 2, rue des Moulins, 75 001 Paris - Tel : 01 44 77 86 00 - Email : maisondemartinique@martinique.com - Internet : www.martinique.org

In Fort-de-France : Martinique Tourism Committee >
5, av Loulou Boislaville, Lumina Tower, Pointe Simon, BP 70 124, 97 276
Fort-de-France - Tel: 05 96 61 61 77 - Email : infos.cmt@martiniquetourisme.com - Internet : www.martinique.org

Santa Lucia Tourism Authority.
C/O Unique Experiences (Isabelle Coornaert) > 76, rue d'Alleray 75015 Paris - Tel : 01 45 32 02 54 - Email : info@stluciafr.org - Internet: www.stlucia.org

MARTINIQUE

HOTELS

Simon Hotel

Its strong point, even if it lacks a little exoticism, beach and coconut trees, is its location: on the marina, almost in the centre of Fort-de-France. For a short stay, this offers the double advantage of avoiding the hassle of transferring on arrival of a long flight and, at the same time, taking advantage of the excellent position of the island's capital as a hub. The Simon Hôtel, which opened three years ago, is beautifully decorated, with colourful sofas set against a black and white striped carpet reminiscent of Daniel Buren's columns. The whole is complemented by a particularly successful line-up of driftwood sculptures. Gigantic canvases by Kaspars Brambergs bring the walls of the bar-restaurant area to life. Note that the Hôtel Simon houses the restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Marcel Ravin. 95 rooms. 2 restaurants, including 1 gourmet restaurant, 4 meeting rooms for up to 140 people.

1, rue Loulou Boislaville, 97 200 Fort-de-France - Tel : + 596 596 50 22 22 - Email : booking@hotel-simon.com - Internet: www.hotel-simon.com

Karibea Sainte Luce Hotel

First, there's the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Then there are the white sandy beaches, tucked away at the end of coves with smiling names like Anse Fond Banane or Anse Corps de Garde... Then there are the bougainvilleas, flamboyant trees and royal palms in the gardens. And then there are three swimming pools, one of which has an overflow, facing the sea; and also a diving centre, a water sports centre, a wellness centre, a restaurant where cookery lessons are given, a bar; and then, and then, and then... As you can see, the Karibea Sainte-Luce is one of the most important resorts in Martinique. But be warned, it's also an unpretentious three-star resort, which was renovated in 2015-2016. For business groups, it has the advantage of four meeting rooms of 60 m² at 140 m² for 20 to 300 people. 280 rooms.

Quartier Désert. 97 228 Sainte-Luce. Tel: +596 (0) 596 62 32 32 - Email: reservation-sainteluce@karieahotel.com - Internet : www.karibea.com

French Coco

Suspended walkways and bridges, pergolas and terraces, all clustered around a long swimming pool. It's Creole chic, very refined, a little bourgeois-bohemian but not too much, with 17 suites ranging from 40 to 60 m²Almost all with a small private swimming pool. Wood predominates throughout, with pretty, untreated angelica wood perfectly complementing the artist's furniture and crumpled linen. In the same vein, the bistronomic restaurant gives pride of place to local fruit and vegetables, which the chef beautifully presents alongside freshly caught fish. The whole place is set in a garden, and what a garden it is! An organised jumble that's part and parcel of a pre-apple paradise... Vanilla, cinnamon, vetiver or ylang yang, a total of 1,000 different essences that flourish thanks to the very contemporary principles of permaculture. There is no meeting room, but a suite that can be converted to accommodate twenty or so participants. Three minutes' walk from the beach, the three-year-old French Coco is one of the Small Luxury Hotels. 40 minutes from Fort-de-France.

33, La distillerie, Tartane, 97 220 Trinité. Tel: + 596 596 38 10 10
Email : contact@hotefrenchcoco.com - Internet : www.hotelfrenchcoco.com

PLACES FOR CULTURAL REAPPROPRIATION

Lakou

A carbet, a sort of shed, lost in the mountains, and a full day to discover the bèlè culture, inherited from the slaves. Drums, songs, dances and Creole meals, but above all the group practice of lafouytè, in other words working the land in rows of onions as the slaves did in the past.

Chemin La Borélie, Quartier Bois Lézard, 97 213 Gros-Morne - Tel: +596 696 17 34 74 and 05 96 48 22 75 - Email : anlakoua@gmail.com

Raphael Concept

Set up with your feet in the sand, and very soon under a carbet, a few tables and Creole meals, truly Creole, accompanied by unexpected concoctions: watercress with spring water and lime, soursop and basil, parsley juice and lime... The highlight is to watch, or even take part in, the drawing of the seine: a net stretched between two boats and the men who strike the water with their oars to bring in the fish. Then the net, which can be huge, has to be hauled up to the top of the beach. And that's where the extra hands come in. The groups love it.

Rue du Père Marchand, 97 222 Bellefontaine - Tel.: 06 96 01 31 08

Slave Savannah

The brainchild of Gilbert Larose, a man with a passion for his culture, this three-hectare eco-museum presents the living conditions of the slaves of yesteryear. Huts made of reeds, cane leaves or cob are set on the slopes of a hill, all buried in an abundance of vegetation. Added to this is a Kalinago Amerindian village dedicated to the island's first inhabitants, before the arrival of the colonists. In all, 400 years of Martinique's history can be discovered in situ on a guided tour. It's an amazing experience.

Gilbert Larose. Quartier La Ferme. 97 229 Les Trois Ilets - Tel: 05 96
68 33 91 and 06 96 22 79 05 - Email :
lasavanedesesclaves@wanadoo.fr - Internet : www.lasavanedesesclaves.fr

HOUSING

Céron house

In the XVII^e It used to be a sugar refinery. Today, it is an extraordinary garden, crossed by a torrent and classified as a "remarkable garden". It's an enchanting park with large trees over a hundred years old, one of them the largest in the Lesser Antilles. But it's also an exotic orchard where 2,000 cocoa trees grow, with the current owners reviving cocoa production. Some of the chocolate bars produced by Céron are on sale in the shop, which is also very well stocked with "souvenir products". Habitation Céron also has an excellent restaurant, housed in a carbet, which caters magnificently for business tourism groups. Unfortunately, the mansion, set in the middle of the garden, is not open to visitors. The current owners live there. Lucky them!

Quartier Anse Céron, 97 250 Le Prêcheur. Tel: +596 (0)596 48 27 53 - Email: habitationceron@gmail.com - Internet :
www.facebook.com/habitationceron

Habitation Clément

It was here that Presidents Mitterrand and Bush met for the Franco-American summit after the 1991 Gulf War. And understandably so, as it is listed as a historic monument. In fact, the Clément dwelling is the only maison de maître to have been entirely preserved in its original state and refurnished in period style. Without much need for imagination, this gives an insight into the living conditions of the wealthy owners of the time. You can also visit the former industrial distillery, with its gigantic machines and magnificent Tinguely-style cogs. You can also see the cellars, of course, but above all you can linger in the 16-hectare park, part of which is reserved for a permanent exhibition of sculptures. In 2016, the Fondation Clément was joined by a contemporary art centre, one of the largest and most active in the Caribbean. In short, we're killing three birds with one stone.

97 240 Le François - Tel: 05 96 54 75 51 - Internet: www.habitation-clement.fr

Simon's house

A former eighteenth-century dwelling, magnificently restored in a contemporary style. Surrounding fields of sugar cane, horses in the meadow, an old-fashioned distillery in the old buildings and top-of-the-range rum production... The owner, an excellent teacher, is the best person to show you around.

97 240 Le François - Tel: +596 696 450 979 - Email : yves@pompignan.com - Internet: www.habitationdusimon.com

CATAMARAN

Restaurant and gourmet cruises

On land, there's the Zanzibar restaurant-bar-lounge; an elegant interpretation of a Creole house with a first floor open to the sea breeze. The tablecloths are white, the view over the bay unobstructed, the service smiling, and the menu based on local produce. The stuffed crabs, citrus lambi tartare and lobster ravioli are a hit. For dessert, the crème brûlée and chocolate trilogy are to die for. Zanzibar is also a venue for events. Alongside the restaurant, the owners are offering an innovative concept in gastronomic cruises, called 'Cook and Sail by Zanzibar'. The boat, a very top-of-the-range catamaran with four suite cabins, allows cruises of two to ten days in the Caribbean for just eight people. For larger groups, it can be privatised for a day cruise with cocktails, water sports activities and, of course, gourmet meals served on board.

Restaurant : Plage du Bourg. 11, bd Allègre, 97 290 Le Marin - France
Tel: + 596 596 740 846 - Email: zanzibar972@orange.fr - Internet : www.restaurantzanzibar.com

Catamaran : Tel: + 596 696 933 920 - Email: cookandsailbyzanzibar@orange.fr - Internet: www.zanzibarcookandsail.com

SAINTE-LUCIE

HOTELS

Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & beach resort

If the French are not known for their love of all-inclusive hotels, they may well change their minds with the unique concept created by Sandals, a Jamaican group with 19 Luxury Incuded resorts throughout the Caribbean. It's all-inclusive, but it's top-of-the-range, with gourmet restaurants and bars serving unlimited fine wines and spirits. Also included are green fees for golfers, land and water sports and scuba diving for the intrepid... Accommodation is in the same vein, offering up to twenty categories depending on the establishment. This is the case at the Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort, set on one of the most beautiful beaches in Saint Lucia. Among its range of accommodation, the really top-of-the-range offers bungalows on stilts, with glass floors lit up at night so you can watch the fish go by, a stylish butler to take care of every detail, a terrace with direct access to the sea, a whirlpool bath, and so on. The Sandals slogan is: "everything is included, everything is unlimited, all the time". It says it all. 311 rooms, suites and bungalows on stilts. 12 restaurants. 8 bars, 5 swimming pools, spa, fitness, meeting rooms.

P.O. Box G.I. 2247. Gros Islet, St. Lucia, West Indies - Tel : +758 455 2000 - Email : sgmail@grp.sandals.com - Internet : www.sandals.com

Marigot Bay Resort

The quality of the seaside hotels in Saint Lucia is well known. But here, with Marigot Bay, it reaches new heights. The décor, the view, the marina, the rooms, the spa, the bars and restaurants... it's all there. First of all, the setting: an almost enclosed bay, an Italian-style theatre where Marigot Bay and its marina are nestled. A real marina, with yachts flying exotic flags and the occasional three-master adding to the glamour. Pontoons of course, shops, a bar, terraces, white parasols everywhere and the charm of a small Japanese bridge spanning a tiny inlet. There are also gardens, with English-style lawns dotted with exotic species, bordered by wooden units each housing a few rooms, the largest of which are almost flats. Luxury, of course. Dark wood floors, ceiling fans, curtains, knick-knacks and chic modern furniture. The bathroom is a reflection of the place, infinitely larger than a Parisian studio. 124 rooms and suites, 4 restaurants, bars and lounges, 2 swimming pools, 5 meeting rooms.

PO Box 7227, Marigot Bay. Tel: +1 758 458 5300 - Email:
guestservicees@marigotbayresort.com - Internet: www.marigotbayresort.com

Harbor Club

The swimming pool! A "South Seas" blue that takes up almost the entire interior space of the L-shaped building. It's the only thing you can see from the balconies of the rooms... A landscaped pool, full and uncluttered, even cascading in places; round too, and housing a bar and a VIP area. The rest of the floors and the rooftop offer a direct view of the sea and the marina, a five-minute walk away. Opened barely two years ago, the hotel, which is part of Hilton's Curio Collection, is unmistakably contemporary. Everything is uncluttered, perhaps even a little too much so, especially the vast lobby. Another strong point is its location. On the marina, as we've seen, but also just a few minutes by speedboat from the heavenly beaches of Pigeon Island and at the same time relatively close to the airport. A strategic address. 115 rooms, 5 restaurants, 3 bars, 2 lounges, spa and fitness centre, 5 swimming pools, 5 meeting rooms.

P.O. Box G12232. Rodney Bay Marina, Gros Islet - Tel: +758-7312900 - Internet : www.theharborclub.com

RESTAURANT

The Pink Plantation House

A sublime French colonial-style house that has remained completely untouched, set in the centre of a lush garden overlooking Castries, the small capital of Saint Lucia. A charming setting for enchanting cocktails, but also an excellent restaurant serving French Creole cuisine.

Chef Harry Drive, The Morne, Castries - Tel: +758 452 5422
Email : wildorchidstlucia@hotmail.com - Internet : pinkhousestlucia.com

DISTILLERIE

St Lucia Distillers

Alongside the modern production lines, there's an old-fashioned industrial distillery, an atmosphere unlike any you've seen before, barrels stacked by the hundreds, workers hard at work and the smell of rum that makes you leave the visit slightly tipsy. Who could complain?

P.O. Box 823 Castries St Lucia - Tel: +758 456 3100 - Email: info@saintluciarums.com - Internet : www.saintluciarums.com

ACTIVITIES

Rain Forest Adventure

Flying above the canopy in the north-east of the island. That's how you could describe the adventure, as the ride takes you high into the jungle - in places up to 40 m - and, what's more, up a mountain. Eight-person vintage gondolas, like an alpine chairlift, one naturalist guide per gondola, and an hour of magical flying: tree ferns, giant hibiscus, lianas galore, orchids, clusters of purple flowers and butterflies frenzied in all that green. At the top of the mountain: views of the Caribbean on one side, the Atlantic on the other and Martinique on a clear day. Daredevils will want to take a zip line down from tree to tree.

Tel: +758 458 51 51 - Email: rainforestskyrides@gmail.com - Internet : www.rainforestadventure.com

PRACTICAL GUIDES

Petit Fûté Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique and Dominica; Carto Martinique, Gallimard; Martinique, Le Routard, Hachette; Martinique, Lonely Planet; Ulysses Guide.