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nSt
Vincent is one of the most beautiful of the Caribbean
islands and is referred to by the tourist board as ‘The
jewel of the Caribbean’
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nSt
Vincent is a volcanic island and benefits from the diverse
geography with sweeping valleys and rock formations, all
bedecked in lush green, tropical vegetation
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nSt
Vincent has not historically had a major international
airport and property construction has been restricted,
hence property prices have remained significantly lower
than its better known neighbours.
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nA
new International airport is due for completion in 2010
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nRaffles
have bought half of a neighbouring island and have created
an extremely upmarket resort, and Donald Trump has gone
into partnership with them to create Trump villas, a
prestigious development of multi-million pound homes.
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nThe
government has created an initiative to increase the
amount of holiday accommodation to cater for the new
airport and the upcoming 2007 Cricket World Cup, where
England are playing warm up games in St Vincent.
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nProperty
prices in St Vincent are currently, roughly a quarter of
those in neighbouring St Lucia and Barbados
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nFlights
to the Caribbean are only just over 8 hours and can now be
purchased for as low as £350
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Situated in the Caribbean, St Vincent is part
of the Windward Islands, which in turn are part of the
island chain called the Lesser Antilles.
St Vincent is the
largest of more than 30 islands that comprise the nation,
covering roughly 390 sq. km. Its closest neighbours are The
Grenadines, Barbados and St Lucia.
The population is estimated to be 109,022
with about a quarter of the people living in the capital,
Kingstown.
Kingston is home to a
bustling, vibrant market carrying a superb selection of
fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish.Local arts and
crafts are frequently displayed in the courtyard.
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As St
Vincent lies close to the equator it enjoys a steady tropical
temperature almost year-round. The average yearly temperature is
27°C, but ranges from 18° to 32°C. The dry season is from
December to June, and the rainy season from July to November.
The rainy season tends to be short lived and heavy with the
annual average rainfall being 380 cm (150 inches) inland and 200
cm (80 inches) on the coast.
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St. Vincent
is blessed with lush mountains, volcanic-rich soil and
unspoiled landscapes of brilliant flora and beautiful
crystal clear waters.
Add to this the idyllic islands and
deserted bays of the Grenadines, and you could be forgiven
for believing you had found paradise . There’s something
here for all from sailing and dolphin-watching, to hiking
the nature trails and swimming in waterfalls. You can climb
to the top of a volcano, or explore the fascinating
underwater gardens surrounding this pristine archipelago.
From St Vincent, you can catch a quick flight to the
surrounding islands or take an hour-long ferry
trip.Occasionally during sea crossings a school of dolphin
will leap and twirl to the delight of passengers.
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Diving sites abound in
the turquoise waters surrounding these volcanic islands.
Abundant reef-life, normally found at 80-ft in most dive
destinations around the world, flourishes here at depths of
only 25-ft, with an extraordinary variety of tropical reef
fish such as angelfish, sargeant majors and peacock
flounder. The shallow-water reefs surrounding almost every
island make snorkelling an exciting adventure.
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These
beautiful gardens are are the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Established
in 1765, they cover 20 acres and boast some of the worlds most
rare and exotic flowers, plants and trees.
Amongst the the
tropical trees is the bread fruit brought by Captain Bligh of the
Bounty in 1793. The gardens also contain an aviary, housing the
St Vincent parrot, St Vincent's
majestically coloured national bird.
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The Disney smash hit
'Pirates of the Caribbean' was partly filmed in St Vincent
and the island was used as the base for the film crew.
The second and third films were also
filmed on the island and their are numerous guided
tours to visit the set locations. St Vincent has undoubtedly benefited from a greater
public awareness with these major releases. |
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