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Travel News from Montserrat.

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March 2011 ISSUE

SVG AIR STARTS FLYING TO MONTSERRAT
Getting to Montserrat has gotten easier with the start of air services by St. Vincent Grenadines Air (SVG Air) on March 15th, 2011. The airline currently is operating two daily return scheduled flights between Montserrat and Antigua using 9-seater Islander aircrafts.  The one-way airfare per passenger is US$74 (EC$200) plus taxes. SVG Air can also add non-guaranteed flights and/or charters to Antigua and neighbouring island based on requests and on market demand.  SVG Air has been in operation since 1990, and is based in St. Vincent, Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada, with hangars in St Vincent, Bequia and Canouan.  The company operates scheduled and charter flights throughout all the islands of the Caribbean, in particular between Barbados, Nevis, Bequia, Canouan, St Vincent, St. Kitts, St. Marten, Union Island, Mustique, Grenada, St Lucia, St Barts, Anguilla, and Martinique, and also as far afield as Guyana and Jamaica. For reservations and flight information in Montserrat call handling agent Monair at (664) 491 4200 or email monair@candw.ms, and in Antigua, call Express Handling at (268) 562 7183 or email expresshandlers@gmail.com. To contact SVGs head office in St. Vincent email abm-air@svgair.com or call (784) 457 5124. More information on the airline can be found at www.svgair.com

MONTSERRAT PLAYS HOST TO 2 HIGH PROFILE MEDIA
The unique tourism product of Montserrat will soon be showcased to a very broad international audience following two recent media trips hosted by the Montserrat Tourist Board. American movie star and travel writer Andrew McCarthy visited the island in mid-February, for an upcoming feature story in Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine. Andrew is best known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo’s Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie’s, Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. Caribbean Travel & Life has a total paid circulation of 155,000 and for more than 25 years the magazine has brought the warm-breeze, soft-sand, barefoot feel of the Caribbean to travelers seeking the authentic Caribbean escape. Montserrat also hosted recently the travel editor for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Margaret O’Sullivan. She visited during St Patrick’s Festival, taking part in all the major activities and will be doing a major story for this UK newspaper. The Sunday Telegraph was founded in 1961, is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, and one the most widely read newspapers in the UK, with a readership of 1.7 million.


ST. PATRICK’S 2011 ONE OF THE BEST EVER

 

From all accounts by visitors and residents, the 2011 St Patrick’s Festival celebrations that were held from March 11-20, were one of the best in recent memory. A strong testament to this fact was the high turnout and participation in activities held during St. Patrick’s Day itself on the March 17th public holiday. St. Patrick’s Day started off with the Freedom Run/Walk from Cudjoe Head to Salem Park, which saw a large numbers of walkers and runners taking part. A large number of costumed visitors and residents, all dressed in various shades of green, then were treated to the food feast, cultural performances and “lime” in Salem that followed, and went on late into the night. Montserrat is the only country outside Ireland that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday. Start making plans now to join the craic for next year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Montserrat, which will take place from March 9-18th, 2012. Go to the Montserrat Tourist Board’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/islandofmontserrat to view photos from this year’s celebrations.

 

EASTER MONDAY ROAD RELAY
Running enthusiasts from around the globe are invited to sign up their teams to participate in the 2011 Easter Monday Road Relay on April 25th, 2011. This year there will be two distinct races, a men’s relay, followed by the women’s race. All teams will comprise of five (5) persons and interested groups are encouraged to start practicing for the events. The men’s race commences at 6:00 a.m. at the bottom of Lookout in the north, with four (4) changeovers and then finishing up at Salem Park. The women’s relay race begins at 6:30 a.m. from Carr’s Bay junction, with handovers occurring at four different locations, and also finishing up at Salem Park. A number of fun events and competitions will follow the conclusion of the relays at Salem Park.   Interested teams are asked to register at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Community Services and Sports (MYACTS), by calling (664) 491 5703 or emailing myacts@gov.ms

TAKE AN ISLAND TOUR WITH JOE PHILLIP OF AVALON’S TOURS

 

With over 40 years in the tour and taxi business, Joe Phillip is truly one of the stalwarts of Montserrat’s tourism sector. Also known as Avalon, a nickname he obtained from being a HAM Radio Operator in 1978, Joe was awarded the Montserrat Tourist Board’s “2002 Individual of the Year” for his long career as a professional tour-guide operator.  Joe recalls that when he started in the business in 1967, his day tours included sightseeing to some of Montserrat’s great attractions including the Great Alps Waterfall and the Belham Valley Golf Course. With the onset of volcanic activity in 1995 and the loss of major attractions in the south of the island, Joe has had to adjust his tour itineraries significantly, and now offers visits to places such as the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Jack Boy Hill, Garibaldi Hill, the Montserrat National Trust and the Cultural Centre.   “My touring business attracts a lot of yacht travellers because I was highly recommended in a cruising guide to the Leeward Islands written by Chris Doyle,” he commented. He is also proud of the fact that when taking a tour with Avalon Tours, visitors receive very informative brochures and information leaflets about Montserrat and its attractions, which are all researched and printed by him. To book a memorable and adventurous tour with Avalon’s Tours call (664) 492 1565, email avalonstours@live.com or visit his website www.avalonstours.com

 

 

Upcoming Events
 

Labour Month
May 1st, 2011

Local Fishing Tournament
May 1st, 2011

Nurses Week
May 12th, 2011

MVO Scientific Conference 
April 4th – 8th, 2011
For more information go to
www.mvo.ms


Good Friday
April 22nd, 2011

Easter Monday 
April 25th, 2011

Easter Monday Road Relay
April 25th, 2011

 

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