La Chorale de Bon Choeurs Heads to New York

About a month ago, La Chorale de Bon Choeurs performed two evenings at the Anglican Church in Gustavia to help raise money for a trip to New York City to sing with a choir at one of the local churches. Now, that trip has become a reality. On May 4 at 2:00 pm, they will join the Choir of Saint Marks-in-the-Bowery for an afternoon concert of classics, pop and gospel. This program will premiere The Hymne of St. Barthélemy (music by Michael Valenti; poem by Isabelle Deravin). If you’re in the NYC area, don’t miss this event, which will take place in the Parish Hall of St. Marks Church, 2nd Avenue at 10th Street. Congratulations to La Chorale!

Hostellerie des 3 Forces – A “Mystic” Spa & Hotel in Vitet

Looking for a beautiful place to stay, yet a little different from the typical hotel? Check out the Hostellerie des 3 Forces in Vitet. The owner and chef, as well as an astrologer who has been practicing for over 20 years, is the very charming Hubert Delamotte. M. Delamotte, a renowned chef, arrived from France in 1979 for a vacation, met his wife and never left. Isn’t that so often the story you hear when on St Barth?! The Hostellerie has seven quiet and charming cottages. All rooms face the sea, have air-conditioning and many have kitchenettes. In the morning, you can have breakfast by the pool or in the restaurant's harbored veranda. For more information, go to www.3forces.net or call at 590-590-276-125.

Bicycling on St Barth

A few weeks ago, Alexandra Härmälä, a St Barth native, and her husband Markku opened Sun Vélo, a bicycle rental company, in collaboration with tour guide Hélène Berneir of Easy Time. Although the hills on the island are daunting, bicycles provide an easy way to discover Gustavia. The current fleet consists of a dozen Trek lightweight hybrid bicycles that are suitable for off-road riding as well as in town exploration. They are offering very flexible rental agreements, from hourly to monthly. Alexandra and Markku have also designed several itineraries at all levels – from easy to difficult – if you’d like to follow one of their trips. While waiting to find a site for their business, you can contact them by phone at 06 90 63 46 09 or 05 90 87 18 56 or by email at alexaber@wanadoo.fr or easytime971@yahoo.fr. They will deliver the bikes to your hotel or villa. Best of all? When you’re exploring Gustavia, you don’t have to worry about finding a parking place!

St Barth Bucket Sets Sail March 27

Mark your calendar for March 27-31 for the 13th Annual St Barth Bucket Regatta! This non-commercial event involves three days of racing around the island and attracts the most spectacular and majestic sailing yachts in the world -- all of which must be over 100 feet. The Bucket is an invitation-only event, and they already have a full fleet of 30 yachts, with many more on the waiting list. This year, five of the world’s most prestigious super-yacht builders have come together to provide over 60% of the Bucket’s annual budget on an ongoing basis: Alloy Yachts, Holland Jachtbouw, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman Shipyard, and Vitter’s Shipyard. Good spots to view the races are at the lighthouse in Gustavia, the heights of Lurin and Pointe Milou and the end of the road at Colombier. And, don’t forget the parties and music on the quay in Gustavia in the evenings!

Condé Nast Recommends Premium IV

Condé Nast Traveler’s web site, www.concierge.com, provides information and recommendations for hundreds of destinations around the world. Now, Premium IV, a destination management company on St Barth, has earned a recommendation from them. As quoted from their web site:

"If you want to plan your trip with a fraction of the hassle, consider using the concierge service Premium IV, who can organize absolutely anything from speeding a VIP transit process through the airport at St. Maarten, to organizing plane and boat charters, weddings, and other event catering, to booking villa and hotel accommodation. They'll also handle the little things like restaurant reservations for no extra charge."

Premium IV's offices are located in the little shopping center just down from the airport: Galeries du Commerce, St. Jean. To view the site’s Fact Sheet on St Barth and for a link to Premium IV’s web site, visit www.concierge.com/destination/stbarths/logistics.

Hotel Carl Gustaf Offers Special $US Rates

As reported by Michelle Higgins in The New York Times on February 3, the Hôtel Carl Gustaf in Gustavia is guaranteeing rates in US dollars. The hotel’s listed rates begin at 1100 €, which is $1672 at an exchange rate of $1.52 to the euro. However, now through April 19, the hotel is offering rates beginning at $1300 with a minimum stay of three nights. The Hôtel Carl Gustaf is a 14-room, 4-star luxury hotel overlooking the harbor of Gustavia. Room amenities include a plunge pool, sun deck, air-conditioning, satellite TV, DVD player, in-room safe, a computer and printer with Internet connection plus a mini-bar and kitchenette. If you book a room, remember to ask for the special US-dollar rate.

The Rapid Explorer Is Back in Operation

The Rapid Explorer, a high-speed catamaran with airline-type seats and air-conditioning, resumed service between St Maarten and St Barth on February 11 after a hiatus of 18 months. It will depart from and arrive at Captain Oliver’s Marina at Oyster Pond, which is about 25 minutes from the airport. The marina is home to Captain Oliver’s restaurant as well as a bar and grill, which makes waiting for departure a relaxing experience and a chance to grab a bite. Tickets are for sale at the travel agency Saint Barth Tours and Travel in Gustavia. Visit their web site at http://www.rapidexplorer.com for information on their schedule and rates and to make reservations.