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Tags: Carribbean Travel / Dangerous Travel / Guadeloupe / Martinique / → All Tags

Is There Trouble in French Paradise?

French vacationers have long treasured the country's utopian overseas departments, where idyllic Carribbean beaches generally outshine any mini-outbreaks of post-colonial conflict. But economic doldrums and long-simmering racial tensions are currently casting some rain clouds over the island paradises of Martinique and Guadeloupe.

In Guadeloupe, 50,000 workers are in the midst of a three-week strike, which while peaceful, has reportedly left hotels and resorts short on gas, food and other necessities. Meanwhile in Martinique, racial sentiments bubbled over after the airing of a TV documentary detailing how the white minority has dominated the island's economy, leading to a nine-day strike and inciting the French to export a riot police brigade to the island.

The situation for tourists on both islands sounds more inconvenient than threatening so far. Any Jaunted readers out there in the French Caribbean? How are the hotels holding up? Do you feel safe? Let us know.

· Price protests paralyze Martinique, Guadeloupe [MSNBC]
· Blacks slam white minority in Martinique strike [IHT]
· Martinique travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [guillaumeo]

Tags: Travel Media / Caribbean / Islands / Dominica / Martinique / → All Tags

The New York Times' Caribbean Special

The Times went Caribbean-crazy this weekend. It was a nice Sunday surprise for those closer to the East Coast, who are probably apt to suffer from a bit of burnout over the region. Let's face it: if you're spoiled, yeah, at times the Caribbean can seem a little passé. Most of it is just so easy to get to.

But we're interested again, thanks in part to bits on Dominica and Martinique. Hotel Chatter tipped you off to the Jungle Bay hotel in Dominica back in the day, and the Times revisits to remind you how much you want to stay there. At $249 (including meals) in high season, it's affordable compared to the competition. Of course, Dominica doesn't have any classic Caribbean beaches, and you'll have to explain and re-explain to your buddies that no, you weren't just in the Dominican Republic.

We're not sure about taking that Club Med charter to Martinique, but we love the sound of its culinary scene: "We change the menu every 10 days because we refuse to be bored," one restaurant owner told the Times. Plus, there's a rum museum!

[Photo: dolfan]

Related Stories:
· Dominica: Jungle Bay [NYT]
· Ah Oui, Chic Martinique Is Doable Again [NYT]