Montserrat's Volcano in Action

A few weeks ago, I put the finishing touches on an article for the upcoming March issue that profiles the St. Patrick's Day celebrations on the volcanic isle of Montserrat. Almost as if on cue, the island's active Soufriere volcano has been huffing and puffing like crazy all month, showing off just in time for this year's festivities.

Because Montserrat's towns and tourism centers are situated safely outside the exclusion zone that surrounds the volcano, the recent activity means it's actually a great time for thrill-seekers to visit and take in all the sights and sounds from either the Monsterrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) or the Jack Boy Hill lookout point.

So just how active is the volcano these days? One Monty expat (thanks, Jana Bandy!) was kind enough to share these snapshots of the Soufriere for the curious...

 

If any of you adventurous island-hoppers feel like checking it out for yourself, surf over to our list of the Top 5 Places to Stay on Montserrat before you go – and stay tuned to the March issue, on stands February 9, for more information on lovely Montserrat.

Caribbean Half-Marathon

Runners, take your marks...the Montserrat Tourist Board just announced a brand new Volcano Half-Marathon in collaboration with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and the Fittest Man Running Club, so here's your chance to see the island like never before.

Slated for December 5, the 13.1-mile race will be part of the island's annual carnival celebration - Festival - and proceeds from the event will go to three local charities: the Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels and the Golden Years Retirement Home. The course will be a doozy on Montserrat's rugged and super-steep volcanic terrain, kicking off near the new Cultural Center in Little Bay, then passing through island hot-spots like Runaway Ghaut springs and the legendary Air Studios (where artists like the Rolling Stones and Elton John once recorded), and culminating at Salem Park.

The registration deadline is December 4, and the fee is just $30 per runner including a T-shirt and gift bag filled with other Montserrat goodies. To sign up, check out the official Volcano Half-Marathon Facebook page or email the MTB here.

Voyage to the Volcano on Montserrat

Montserrat tends to fly well under the Caribbean tourism radar, but the local Green Monkey Dive Shop in Little Bay has just announced a new five-night adventure getaway that makes it easier than ever to experience the quiet volcanic isle. The six-day package is just $885 per person double occupancy and includes accommodations at a private villa from Tradewinds Real Estate, a rental car for your whole stay, and an assortment of excursions like volcano-watching, snorkeling, kayaking, island tours and special boat trips to Redonda Island and the coast of Plymouth - the former capital city that was buried under feet of ash and mud by volcanic eruptions throughout the 1990s. With the package, you'll also enjoy a dinner at Olveston House, the private residence and guest house of famed Beatles producer Sir George Martin. To book your getaway, just email the Green Monkey Dive Shop or call 664-491-2960.

Montserrat on the Cheap

Caribbean carrier Winair just announced a special 4-day sale on tickets between Antigua and Montserrat, so if you've been thinking about a summer trip, here's your chance to check out the volcanic isle for just $39 each way. I've posted blogs in the past about how difficult (i.e. expensive) it is to get to this Caribbean gem, so this reduced fare is big news. Just book your trip online by June 22 for travel through September 30.

Go Monty

I had the chance to visit the lovely volcanic isle of Montserrat earlier this year, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Between my stories of boating around the modern-day ruins of Plymouth - the former capital city now buried under feet of ash and mud from eruptions in the 1990s - and my many tales of dinners, drinks and dancing with the locals at Little Bay, the Green Monkey and the new Cultural Center, I couldn't recommend the destination enough to my friends and family.

But there has always been one caveat to my "you have to go there" directive: getting there.

As I mentioned in my blog about traveling to Montserrat, it isn't the easiest Caribbean island to visit. The tiny airport can only accommodate short-range prop-planes with limited seating, and at the time that I traveled, Winair had a monopoly as the only airline that flew there. That drove up the price of tickets and also made for a ton of delays and cancellations.

But just this week, Montserrat welcomed Fly Montserrat, a new airline service that offers on-demand charter services, including day trips to and from the island. Charter service costs will range from $767 to $4,400 depending on the departure gateway, but for a group traveling together, the savings could be substantial over the usual ticketed seats on Winair.

Now that it's easier to visit Montserrat, I can say it without the fine print: you have to go there. Check out the Fly Montserrat web site for more information.

Picture This

If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then we've started a pretty solid novel on our new Facebook page, with albums just posted from our recent trips to Antigua, Aruba, Belize and Montserrat. But there's definitely more to come, so for all of the photo fans out there, keep checking the page!

Our Photo Gallery

It's Good to Be King

For the aspiring royalty out there, this picturesque little islet seen just offshore from Montserrat (with Nevis silhouetted beyond) is Redonda - an uninhabited volcanic rock whose empire is up for grabs. While no one actually owns the land or rules here, a fuzzy lineage of power has been passed down from one wannabe-king to the next...always verbally.

Right now, the "throne" is actually in dispute: One man claims Rendonda was given to him long ago while sharing a few pints with the reigning king, while another man claims it's his instead; Never mind how. Troy, the owner of the Green Monkey bar and dive shop on Montserrat, told me he has plans to sail over there, plant a flag and stake his claim to Redonda this summer (shh), so this superpower is just about to change hands again. But there's still time to begin planning a coup of your own.

I just posted an album from my trip to Montserrat - including this shot of Redonda - so check out our new Facebook page to view the full gallery.

Getting There

In the past week, I’ve hopped seven flights through five different cities, all for a trip to one island: beautiful and off-the-beaten-path Montserrat. In the lottery that is air travel, I’m usually pretty lucky and tend to reach my destinations with few hiccups: no turbulence, on-time arrivals, sunny weather and suitcases that greet me with all of their contents intact. If there’s such a thing as travel mojo, I’ve got it to spare.

Maybe I’d become cocky from all of my no-fuss travel experiences, or maybe my luck had just run out, but things were different this time. In what I can only assume was a karmic joke, all seven of my flights this week were diverted, canceled, rescheduled, or delayed. Instead of 22-hours of round-trip travel time, it took me 40. My bags were searched three times, I was searched twice, and the sun? It ducked behind rain clouds for most of the bumpy flights.

Despite the setbacks, though, I did make it to Montserrat – and had an unbelievable experience touring the volcanic island. I hung out with the locals, ate home-cooked West Indies meals, watched the sunset from a beachfront rum bar, and even joined in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities that included parades, Soca and Calpyso performances and pub crawls. Jackpot.

And it got me thinking… by the time I got back home, none of my thoughts or stories had anything to do with the transit. I was so recharged by the destination that the to and from parts didn’t even phase me. In the end, having the chance to explore the island was worth every minute I spent trying to get there.

As for future trips, I believe the airline gods will smile at me once again and things will go smoothly. But if not, at least there are always airport bars.

Have any travel stories of your own to share?