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MONTSERRATGeography Montserrat is a lush green and mountainous island of approximately 40 square miles. It lies in the Eastern Caribbean chain of Leeward Islands, 27 miles southwest of Antigua. Getting There There are no direct flight routes between the UK and Montserrat. The nearest international airport is Antigua, where direct services operate from London, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Toronto, San Juan and many Caribbean islands. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, BMI and Excel Airways all operate direct flights between the UK and Antigua. From Antigua, scheduled flights operate to Montserrat’s new airport at Gerald’s. There are, on average, four daily flight connections between Antigua and Montserrat operated by Winair. Tickets can be booked online at www.fly-winair.com. A departure tax of US$17 (approx: £9) is payable upon leaving Montserrat. Visas Citizens of Great Britain and other EU countries do not require a visa to visit Montserrat. Vaccinations No vaccinations are required unless transiting or coming from an infected area within six months of arrival. Persons known to have come from any country that has suffered cholera, yellow fever or smallpox epidemics must have vaccination certificates. Language The official language is English. Currency The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is the official currency but US dollars are widely circulated and freely accepted. The rate of exchange is approximately GB£1 = EC$5 (US$1.00 = EC$2.67). Credit cards are not widely accepted, but there is no problem cashing traveller’s cheques at the banks. Population The current population stands at around 4,700. Government Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State. Political parties are active on the island, which is governed by a legislature elected by popular vote. A Chief Minister serves with an appointed cabinet of ministers. Dr Lowell Lewis is the present Chief Minister and was elected in June 2006. A resident Governor represents the British Crown. Deborah Barnes-Jones is the present resident governor. Capital The capital city, Plymouth, was abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity. Interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr’s Bay/Little Bay vicinity in the northwest of Montserrat. Climate and Clothes Montserrat’s climate makes it a year-round destination. Winter and summer temperatures average between 24? and 31? C (76?-88? F) with constant breezes from the sea and mountains. Rainfall averages 60 inches a year. Casual lightweight clothing is recommended; a light jacket or sweater is advisable for the late evening in the winter months. Trainers or rubber-soled shoes are practical for hiking and mountain climbing. Montserrat lies in the Caribbean hurricane belt, but has been unaffected by recent hurricanes. Hurricanes are most likely to occur between July and November Exclusion Zone for Visitors The eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in the south of the island led to the evacuation and relocation of residents beyond the Exclusion Zone. This part of Montserrat is still considered dangerous to enter. The boundary for the Exclusion Zone begins from Plymouth running eastwards over St George’s Hill and down to the east coast at the site of W. H. Bramble Airport. Tours into Plymouth itself are available under police escort only, during periods of low volcanic activity. Interested persons can contact the Montserrat Tourist Board for more information (address below). Electricity Montserrat uses 220 volt electricity and the cycles (Hz) are 60 per second. The sockets are standard North American non-grounded, where plugs have two flat, parallel prongs. Time Montserrat is on Atlantic Standard Time, four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (five hours behind during British Summer Time). Water Tap water is safe for drinking. Bottled and mineral water are also available to buy. Communications The area dialling code for Montserrat is 664. The code to call Montserrat from the UK is 001 664. Internet access is available in several places on the island. Crime The crime rate in Montserrat is low, however travellers should take normal precautions and use common sense to avoid problems. Accommodation Montserrat offers a variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, ranging from private rooms in family homes to spacious, fully-equipped villas with swimming pools, maids, babysitters, laundry and car rental. There are two hotels and a number of guest-houses and bed and breakfasts on the island, as well as a wide selection of self-catering rental properties. For further information, please see the separate accommodation sheet. ACTIVITIES Montserrat is the ideal location for a number of different activities and leisure pursuits. The island can be explored in total freedom with a rental car or by using local taxi services and public buses. Mountain bikes can also be hired at the Imagine Peace Bicycle Shop. Hiking and nature watching For those wishing to get closer to the scenery, a number of hiking trails exist, leading walkers through the diverse landscape. Along these trails, nature lovers have the chance to spot some of the local flora and fauna, including the oriole, Montserrat’s national bird, and the heliconia, the national flower. Some of the region’s more unusual species may also make an appearance, such as the endemic mountain chicken (actually a frog) and the rare galliwasp (half-lizard, half-snake). Snorkelling and scuba diving Montserrat offers excellent opportunities for snorkelling and scuba diving. The Sea Wolf Diving School and Green Monkey Dive Shop run trips to over 30 surrounding dive and snorkel sites to suit all levels of divers and swimmers. Sea Wolf also offers PADI certification courses for those new to diving or wishing to improve their skills. Montserrat boasts a very healthy underwater ecosystem, teeming with marine life. Beaches The beaches on Montserrat are eye-catching due to their silver-grey sand, the result of volcanic activity. Rendezvous Bay is the only white sand beach on the island. The calmer waters of the west coast are the best and safest for swimming. Woodlands Beach, Lime Kiln Bay, Little Bay and the tiny Bunkum Bay are some of the recommended beaches to visit. Tourist Information For tourist information whilst in Montserrat, please contact: Opening Hours Most shops open between 8.00am and 4.00pm but close early in the afternoons on Wednesday and Saturday. With the exception of some supermarkets, shops are not open on Sunday. Most cafes and restaurants are also closed on Sundays, with the exception of the two hotels and possibly one or two restaurants. There are a number of banks and financial institutions on Montserrat. All open from Monday to Friday but close at weekends. Opening hours vary according to the day of the week and the institution, but in general, banks open some time between 8am and 9am and close some time between 1pm and 3pm. Further information on Montserrat is available at: www.visitmontserrat.com. Beaches With the exception of Rendezvous Bay with its white-sand beach, Montserrat’s beaches are remarkable in their appearance as they are covered with silver-grey sand – a result of the island’s volcanic nature. They are also some of the most secluded and unspoilt beaches in the world, removed from the population of resorts and other commercial activities. Woodlands Beach, Lime Kiln Bay, Little Bay and the tiny Bunkum Bay are some of the best beaches to visit on the island. Swimming is best in the calm waters of the west coast. Montserrat boasts a thriving ecosystem of coral reefs and sea life, making it an ideal location for snorkelling. Snorkelling equipment can be rented or purchased from the Sea Wolf Diving School or Green Monkey Dive Shop. Diving in Montserrat With more than 13 miles of coastline available for diving, and over 30 unique and spectacular sites, scuba diving has become one of Montserrat’s most popular draws. And while much of the island has suffered in the past decade from volcanic activity, the recent eruptions have had an unexpected effect on the reefs, which are healthier than ever before. Volcanic effects When the Soufrière Hills Volcano erupted in 1995, the volcanic ash deposited in the sea dispersed quickly on the tidal currents, while lava flows brought huge rocky boulders into the sea south of the island, providing new foundations for reefs. At this time a volcanic exclusion zone was set up in the south of Montserrat, which incorporated a two-mile maritime zone. As a result, the underwater ecosystem suffered very limited human interference, giving the coral, fish, sponges and other creatures a chance to recover from the effects of human activity. Their larvae drifted with the currents and settled in the island’s northern reefs, where most of the dive sites are situated, and now the sites are teeming with new life. Diving for beginners to experts Montserrat offers opportunities for divers of all levels. The calmer waters of the west coast contain shallow reefs in 10 to 30 feet of water, whilst more experienced divers can explore the deeper ocean life at over 140 feet. The shallower reefs are scattered with brain corals, star corals, pillar corals and sea plumes, and divers swim amongst colourful reef fish with the possibility of spotting the occasional lobster or octopus. The deeper waters are the realm of the larger fish, which patrol amongst barrel corals, slender tube corals and staghorn corals. Divers may even spot sea turtles lurking under the rocky ledges. The underwater landscape at Montserrat’s dive sites The underwater landscape varies greatly across the different dive sites. In places where the coastline is shallow and beaches form, the sea floor is usually sandy, but under cliffs, the sea floor is littered with rocks and stony ledges, creating the best environment for spectacular diving. At Rendezvous Bluff, divers can swim through a partly submerged opening into a cave housing thousands of fruit bats, whilst the Yellow Hole dive site contains the wreck of a steel schooner. In an area known as the Outer Horn, a dome-shaped sea-mount rises from the ocean bed to a depth of about 60 foot. This is thought to be an extinct underwater volcano, the slopes of which swarm with marine life. PADI dive courses at the Sea Wolf Diving School Montserrat’s original dive centre, The Sea Wolf Diving School, has bases at the Vue Pointe Hotel in Old Towne and at Little Bay. As well as guiding experienced divers, the school is a PADI training centre, offering courses for new divers to become certified for the first time, as well as further training up to rescue diver level. Diving theory is taught in the school’s classroom while scuba lessons take place in the Vue Pointe’s swimming pool. Introductory dive sessions are available for those wanting to try diving for the first time before committing to a full course. These take place in the pool, with the option of a supervised shallow dive in the sea to follow. New Green Monkey Dive Shop at Little Bay The Green Monkey Dive Shop opened at the start of 2006 to become Montserrat’s second dive operation. It offers scuba packages including multiple day trips, boat trips, discover scuba and PADI training courses. The shop also offers guided snorkelling tours to nearby Rendezvous Bay and other local sites. Divers or other water enthusiasts may purchase or rent diving and snorkelling gear at the shop. In addition, items such as inflatable dive kayaks, sea scooters, and snorkelling rafts will be available for hourly or daily rental. The Green Monkey Dive Shop is based at Little Bay on Montserrat’s north-eastern shore. The centre also offers a bar to enjoy a drink after a day’s diving, as well as a new two-bedroom apartment available to rent. Boat dives and snorkelling Many of Montserrat’s dive sites are accessible through shore dives and by boat for diving at offshore sites. Snorkellers can also join the boat trips to visit the best off-shore snorkel sites, where a large variety of brightly coloured reef fish and stunning coral formations can be found. Diving equipment Both the Sea Wolf Diving School and the Green Monkey Dive Shop have on-site retail stores for people wanting to invest in their own equipment, where divers with their own gear can also have their tanks refilled. For less frequent divers, all the necessary equipment is available to rent. Kayak rental is also available for those wanting to explore the sea from above the surface. Dive Operators This year, three specialist tour operators have begun offering scuba diving packages to Montserrat in conjunction with the Sea Wolf Diving School and the Vue Pointe Hotel. Contact details For more information on The Green Monkey Dive Shop, please visit: www.divemontserrat.com; telephone 001-664-491-2960; or e-mail troy@divemontserrat.com. Please visit www.seawolfdivingschool.com for more information on the Sea Wolf Diving School; telephone 001-664-496-7807; or email bryan@seawolfdivingschool.com. Tour operators For several years, Montserrat was off the radar for tour operators. However, since the opening of Gerald’s Airport in July 2005, the island has once again become easily accessible for holiday-makers. The decision of tour operators to begin featuring the island again signifies that Montserrat is most definitely ‘open for business’ and actively welcoming leisure travellers back to its shores. Diving operators The first two operators to feature Montserrat during 2006 were specialist scuba diving operators Dive Worldwide and Snooba Travel. This highlights one of the island’s most popular activities. A third specialist scuba operator, Divequest, is including Montserrat in its 2007 brochure, due out in autumn 2006. Hilary Lee, managing director of Divequest, comments “Montserrat is a great choice for divers who want to leave the crowds behind, who are happy to dive with a small dive operation and who enjoy the island’s natural attractions such as the volcano and the rainforests as well as the diving.” Other new operators in 2007 Further mainstream and niche operators are also adding Montserrat to the new 2007 programmes: • Irish tour operator Quest Beyond is the first operator to open up Montserrat to the Irish market. Known as ‘The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’, Montserrat maintains a strong Irish heritage and is the only country in the world besides Ireland to celebrate St Patrick’s Day as a public holiday. John Ironside, managing director of Quest Beyond comments, “Irish visitors are delighted to discover that they can explore a home-away-from-home in the Caribbean and we’re sure that Montserrat will prove a popular addition to Quest Beyond’s product offerings.” Quest Beyond’s Montserrat package will be added to its website from November 2006. • Jetlife will add the Vue Pointe Hotel in Montserrat to its 2007 Caribworld brochure, which will be released in October 2006. The Vue Pointe has been in operation since 1961 and is a focal point of the island’s social scene. It is situated in the west of the island, overlooking Old Road Bay beach and features spectacular views of the Soufrière Hills Volcano. • Nature operator Birdquest will also include Montserrat in a Lesser Antilles birding tour which is scheduled to take place in June 2008. Birdquest has led tours to Montserrat in the past and is now reintroducing the island since it offers rare opportunities to spot the national bird, the Montserrat Oriole, along with several other species endemic to the region. Birds can be spotted on nature hikes through the Centre Hills region. Operator contact details Further information on Montserrat is available at: www.visitmontserrat.com
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