10 Tips for Visiting Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
When researching Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) before our trip, I was surprised at how little information I could find online! These islands are mostly untouched by over-tourism and are an idyllic place for a gorgeous Caribbean vacation.
During our trip, I took as many notes as I could to relay what I learned to you! These are the top 10 tips for visiting Saint Vincent and the Grenadines based on our week of hopping between seven islands and staying overnight on three of them.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Union Island has been mostly destroyed. It may not be possible to visit some of the Grenadines until the end of 2024 or early 2025.
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1. Take Out Cash
Most places only take cash! They accept both USD and Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC or XCD), but I recommend taking out XCD since they round up if you’re playing USD and you’ll end up paying more than the item/service costs.
There are ATMs on the islands at the banks, which charge a fee to take out cash. The airport has one as well!
2. Bring Mosquito Repellent
The mosquitos love it on the islands and we got eaten alive! Bequia had the most mosquitos, so we finally bought some OFF spray with Deet at our hotel to use for the remainder of the trip.
I should note that mosquitos can carry diseases like Zika. Check with your doctor about getting vaccinations before you travel. Vaccines are not mandatory to visit SVG, but if you are worried or at high risk of mosquito-borne illnesses (like being pregnant), your doctor may require it.
While there are many natural repellents, DEET is one of the only things that is proven to repel mosquitos. I recommend only getting bug spray with DEET to ensure you don’t get bitten by mosquitos.
3. Schedule Around The Ferries
If you plan to island hop and visit the Grenadines in addition to Saint Vincent, create your itinerary around the ferry schedules. The ferry that takes you to the lower Grenadines (Jaden Sun) doesn’t run every day, and on the days it does run, it only does one trip.
There are multiple ferries a day that go between Saint Vincent and Bequia though.
Check the schedule before you book your accommodations and flights! You don’t want to get stranded and miss a night on an island if you can’t catch a ferry.
4. Take Dramamine Before The Ferries
The ferries can be long and rocky, especially on windy days. Dramamine was a lifesaver! They recommend taking it an hour before you need it, then as needed. I took it an hour before the ferry and another once I boarded and it made the ride much easier.
My husband felt seasick on one ferry and taking another Dramamine pill made the nausea go away. Follow the directions on the package and take as directed.
Dramamine may not work for everyone and it does say it causes drowsiness, but it worked really well for us! There are all kinds of medications and remedies for seasickness, so do what works for you.
5. Have The Hotel Organize A Taxi For You
A couple of days before we checked into our hotels, they emailed asking if we would like a taxi arranged to pick us up. Always say yes to this if your hotel offers it!
There will likely be taxi drivers waiting at ferry terminals looking for people who need one, but it’s nice and convenient to have one sent by the hotel (and the price will be the same either way).
You will not need this when you arrive at the airport, as the airport has a streamlined system to get passengers in taxis as soon as you leave the airport. This is how we met our lovely driver, John!
6. Get The WhatsApp # Of Your Driver
Once you get a taxi, and if you like the driver, get their WhatsApp so you can message them directly for future rides on the island!
We did this with drivers on Saint Vincent and Union Island, which made it much easier to get around since they don’t have Uber and you can’t just hail taxis on the street.
After our first taxi from the airport to the hotel, I got our driver’s WhatsApp and was able to message him any time we needed a ride (which was anytime we wanted to leave the hotel since Saint Vincent is not very walkable). This was convenient and made it easier to get around.
7. Wear Plenty Of Sun Protection
It’s easy to get burned quickly and you’ll likely spend most of your time outside enjoying the gorgeous sea and landscape! Back a high SPF sunscreen and reapply regularly. I got burned even while wearing sunscreen because I didn’t reapply after swimming.
My absolute favorite sunscreen and the only brand I use is COOLA. It goes on nicely and doesn’t leave a white cast. I also packed a wide-brim sunhat to protect my face and shoulders at the peak hours when the sun is the strongest.
8. Pack Earplugs
Most of the places we stayed were built from wood and had pretty thin walls. At night, the tree frogs chirp loudly and while they sound lovely, the chirping will keep you up.
I always pack wax earplugs for travel because they mold to your ears and block out noise well. Wax earplugs are much more comfortable than foam ones! I don’t wake up with any ear pain and I don’t even notice them while sleeping.
They completely blocked out the chirping noises, but didn’t fully block out the screaming baby in the room next to ours. Wax earplugs are also great for blocking out noise on the plane if you don’t want to wear/don’t have AirPods with noise canceling.
9. Pick Your Hotels Carefully
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is not a wealthy country, but hotels are still expensive. You can expect to pay luxury prices for more budget-quality hotels.
The places we stayed were lovely and we enjoyed each hotel! It’s just important to set your expectations a bit lower than you would expect for hotels in the U.S. or another wealthy country, even if you’re paying higher prices.
Considerations When Picking A Hotel
Air conditioning: It is not nice to sleep or relax in the room without it.
Location: Find a hotel that is near good restaurants or has one at the property. This was a convenience we hadn’t thought about and were thankful to have! It’s also nice if you are not too far from the ferry terminal if you plan to island hop.
Reviews: You likely do this already, but be sure to check reviews of the hotel before you book. Even if they have great reviews, reading the individual reviews will give you more information about specifics you may not have thought about.
Where to Stay in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent
Mariners Hotel (4-star hotel)*
Bequia
Bequia Plantation Hotel (5-star hotel)*
Bequia Beach Hotel (5-star hotel)
Union Island
Tenuta Chatham Bay (4-star hotel)*
*The places we stayed and loved!
Bequia Plantation Hotel | Mariners Hotel
10.Buy An E-Sim
Our cell phone plan includes international service, but it has never worked well for me. On this trip, I decided to try out an e-sim for the first time and it was incredible!!
I had great service for the majority of the trip (there were just a couple of areas that didn’t have any cell service — at no fault of the e-sim) and was able to text, browse the internet, and even scroll social media.
Now I won’t travel without getting an Airalo e-sim to my destination because it was so useful! The price varies by the amount of data you want and the location, but for 7 days and 1GB in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, I only paid $7.50 USD.
You also have the option to top up if the plan does not have enough data or days, but 1GB lasted me the full 7 days and was perfect for our trip.
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