Grenada recovery report

This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Introduction

From September 8th onwards, the day after Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada, my mind has been dominated by thoughts of what the island would look like the next time I saw it.

This Caribbean paradise which I first saw in 1998 has become more than just a place of business to me, it has become like a second home. Janet and I were married there in 2000 and we have formed many close friendships with people on the island during our many visits.

The true horror of the hurricane became clear within a few days as graphic pictures starting arriving over the Internet and all of us close to Grenada looked on in disbelief at the images of devastation and damage. Roofless houses, twisted wrecks of yachts, battered buildings and, perhaps most shocking of all, the countless trees and shrubs stripped of every last leaf and flower.

We have been in daily contact with the island and in the last three weeks or so we have seen many encouraging photos and heard many cheerful tales of the recovery but I suppose at the back of our minds there was always the nagging thought “well they would say that wouldn't they?”

As the time of our visit got closer both Janet and I were quite nervous about actually arriving there – I think we both felt sure that things would still be pretty bad. Huge improvements from September 8th were bound to be in evidence but there is only so much you can do in ten weeks.

Sharon Bernstein from the Grenada Tourist Board in London returned from a two-day visit to the island just a few days before we were due to depart with some upbeat messages but on November 19th we were going to see for ourselves.

Our BA flight was delayed for four hours in Antigua by tropical storms so we arrived in Grenada at 1030 pm so saw very little in the darkness. The airport looked very normal but we went straight to bed after a horrendous day so it was with great trepidation that we opened the curtains at 7am the next morning at True Blue Bay.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

I have never witnessed a miracle but I can assure you that the sight that greeted us on our first morning was little short of miraculous.

We stood on our terrace looking over the blue waters of True Blue Bay as the early morning sun shone on the yachts moored at Horizon Yacht Charter marina. To our right the entire headland was a sea of green – trees, shrubs and grassland where seven weeks earlier it was quite simply “like the fire passed” as the waitress Shirley-Ann said so graphically, completely brown with not one single leaf in sight.

All the buildings in True Blue were restored, not a single piece of debris to be seen, and the only real sign that Hurricane Ivan had called was that many of the roofs were felted, battened and awaiting final roof coverings. The palm trees and the gardens looked superb and I can honestly say that we both stood there in disbelief looking at this truly beautiful view.

Once we had taken in this extraordinary and very welcome surprise we looked around and quickly reached the conclusion that if we had not seen the view before, and someone had come up to us to say that there had been a hurricane here, our reaction would honestly have been–“really? What year was that?"

That became our yardstick question for the week and over and over again we came to the same conclusion. Having seen the hundreds of awful images following September 7th, you can imagine just how amazed we were.

On closer inspection of True Blue Bay there was one sad setback and that was the realisation that the famous Stuart's Bar on the waterside had been demolished in the storms but this is being rebuilt as I write and, as with so much that we saw in our week in Grenada, it will be back soon and better than before.

Our first discussions with the people of Grenada all had the same theme – us exclaiming our amazement at what had been achieved by the people and by Mother Nature in such a short time, and the local people saying over and over again “what did you expect? This is our island and our life – we needed to put it all back together again for the good of everyone in Grenada.”

This report will give you some details of what we saw in the week November 19th – 26th, and you can see photographic evidence of the recovery by clicking on this link , but the very short and dramatic summary of this is simple – Grenada is back and open for business - now!

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

We already have a good number of people booked in over Christmas and New Year and flights to the island over the festive season are pretty well full now. It is still possible to get seats for the pre-Christmas period but the substance of this report will deal with Grenada from Jan 1 2005 onwards.

Will there be places to stay?

Yes plenty. From January 1st there will be seven hotels and five villas from our brochure ready for visitors. And be assured that ready means fully restored to former glories and in most cases with improved and extended facilities from what was on offer before the hurricane. We are not going to send visitors to hotels or villas where repair work is still going on around the property. All our guests will go to places where the repair work is basically finished. Obviously maintenance and some garden and planting work will continue on a regular basis but we are not going to send people to building sites.

Which places are not available?

Just a few.

Spice Island Hotel suffered major damage and the owners are planning a major refit of the hotel which will now not open until November 1st 2005.

La Source had planned to close in 2006 to build 40 extra rooms and refurb the rest but with the damage it has suffered it will now do this work in 2005 and will not reopen until Jan 1st 2006.

Coyaba Beach Hotel was severely damaged and will be completely rebuilt. This will take a year and it is scheduled to open again in December 2005.

Blue Horizons Cottage Hotel suffered extensive roof and water damage and the owners have decided to renew and upgrade every building. It will reopen as Blue Horizons Garden Resort in July 2005.

Flamboyant Hotel is also upgrading its facilities and will be fully open in early Spring 2005.

Coral Cove Cottages and Twelve Degrees North are well on the way to being ready to re-open fully – check with us for details.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

So, what is open?

Everything else.

La Sagesse

A little damage to the beach rooms and damage to the roof of the restaurant. All repairs virtually complete and many guests in residence during our visit. The beach has lost some trees but none of its beauty and of course the gardens and surrounding countryside are ablaze with colour once again. La Sagesse remains one of our favourite hideaways on the island.

Improvements: enlarged living areas in two of the ocean view rooms - new beach bar right on the edge of the ocean.

Petit Bacaye

Most of the damage was to trees and shrubs on the estate but some roof damage to the cottages. All repairs now fully completed and the gardens looking as lovely as ever. The beach has been ‘donated' masses of extra sand from the storms so there is even more space from which to sit and soak up the enchanting views. See www.petitbacaye.com for pictures.

Improvements: enlarged covered areas to the restaurant - the Spice House upgraded completely.

Calabash Hotel

Some roof damage to a few buildings and the restaurant and several trees lost on the beach and in the gardens. All repairs now complete and the gardens looking really beautiful. If anything the view from the rooms to the beach has been improved. Lots of guests here during our stay and having stayed here many times we were struck by the overwhelming sense of peaceful normality that surrounds the place. The same welcoming faces on the staff and great food of course. All is well at the Calabash Hotel.
See www.calabashhotel.com/ivan5.asp for a full report.

Improvements: six pool suites upgraded and enlarged with private terraces - new beach bar on the sands of Prickly Bay.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Lance aux Epines Cottages

At the other end of Prickly Bay to the Calabash, the cottages suffered damage to all the roofs of the buildings. Tim Braithwaite has taken the opportunity to carry out a lot of improvements to the property and his achievement in getting everything complete in such a short time is remarkable. Most of the damage to the grounds was in lost trees but again the views are different from before but no less spectacular. Lots of guests here during our stay.
See www.laecottages.com/ivan/photos_ivan.htm for lots of photos.

Improvements: air-conditioning now installed in all cottages - brand new kitchens in several cottages - many upgraded furnishings - new beach gazebo.

True Blue Bay

True Blue was hit pretty hard by the hurricane but in typical True Blue style it never actually closed! Russ & Magdalena provided shelter to all sorts of people in the early weeks whilst mounting their own repair programme. Their kitchen was open every day feeding anybody who needed a meal and their spirit throughout this drama is one of the great stories of Grenada's recovery.

Incredibly all the repairs are now nearing completion with just roof coverings being finished and the new waterside bar under construction. The gardens look great once again and the True Blue restaurant is still the most stunning setting for a meal in Grenada. The hotel was nearly full during our visit and we enjoyed a banquet of a supper with a BBC film crew (more about them later) in a packed restaurant. Russ & Magdalena we take our hats off to you both!

Improvements: the 5 Club True Blue villas now complete – furnished and equipped to a superb standard with their own pool and mini-beach.
See www.truebluebay.com – the definitive website for news and photos of life in Grenada over the last 10 weeks.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Bel Air Plantation

Not even a broken pane of glass at this very sheltered location – just minor damage to the flora and fauna which is already restored to full glory. All 11 villas and cottages remain untouched by the hurricane and the lovely Waterside Restaurant is open to guests for lunch and dinner every day.

La Luna

On December 14th, 2000 Bernardo Bertucci opened La Luna and the travel world soon realised that he had created a unique jewel on a beautiful beach in Grenada. On December 14th, 2004 Bernardo and his team will re-open this lovely hotel with a party under the stars and La Luna will be ready to welcome guests once again. The cottages were about to be re-roofed before the hurricane so Ivan did the preparation work for free! That re-roofing is now complete and the finishing touches are being carried out to the rest of the hotel. The beach is as idyllic as ever although several trees were lost from the waterside. The beauty, tranquility and charm of La Luna remain untouched.

Improvements: all individual cottage plunge pools re-tiled - straw beach umbrellas along the waterfront.

As well as these hotels . . .

Most of our villas are available and as usual they are available at a pro-rata rate depending on the number of guests.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

What about eating out?

The following restaurants will be open on or before January 1st.

Rhodes at the Calabash fabulous food in a famous setting. The perfect place for a special dinner.

True Blue Bay the usual array of Creole, Mexican and Thai dishes by the water's edge. Local music some evenings and always a great atmosphere.

Aquarium one of the island's favourite eating places places with live music occasionally. Sunday BBQ lunch is an institution in this friendly restaurant right on the beach.

La Luna Benedetto the resident chef mixes the best of Italian cuisine with his own Caribbean creations in a remarkable atmospheric setting.

Waterside the renowned new restaurant at Bel Air Plantation. As the name suggests, the views are superb and the food matches it.

Red Crab an old favourite of many of our clients on Lance Aux Epines. Inside or outside dining with an extensive menu.

La Sagesse simple but delicious local cooking on the beach under the stars. Fresh fish and lobster are the house specialities and the home-baked bread is famous.

Many other restaurants will re-open as time goes by and we can obviously give you details as news reaches us. Snacks and lunches are easy to find all over the island and Nick's Donut World is still producing the best filled rolls on the planet, together with Nick's political and social comment, which is sharper than ever!

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

What about shopping?

Nearly all the shops in Grenada are now open for business and stocks are returning to normal in terms of variety.

The big Spiceland Mall Supermarket is not open yet but Food Fair on Grand Anse is in full swing with the shelves groaning with good produce. Prices are higher than before for fresh produce as for the time being this is largely imported but this situation is likely to stabilise very soon.

There is certainly no reason to worry about self-catering and of course fish is always plentiful in supply.

There is no problem with supplies of all other goods and as far as we could see there were no shortages of any items at all.

Can we still travel around Grenada?

Absolutely. All the roads are clear and there is virtually no debris or rubbish to be seen apart from occasional neat piles by the roadside awaiting collection and transfer to the designated sites.

The petrol stations are fully stocked with fuel and the people in the villages are waiting to say hello! We travelled extensively and saw many of the major tourist attractions (more of this below) and stopped at local shacks for a beer and a chat.

We were really pleased to meet local people and to see over and over again the strong spirit of determination to put the hurricane behind them and get back on their feet again.

Everyone has their own tale to tell of course but the outlook is of hope and optimism and not of despair.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Does it look awful?

No it most definitely does not! Let's look at it area by area.

St Georges is getting back to normal at a gallop. There are damaged buildings and roofs of course but when we were there we saw a town bustling with activity and progress.

The most shocking thing was the damage to the great churches of St Georges – one may have thought that these huge buildings with their thick stone walls and massive roofs would have been the least vulnerable but sadly the opposite was true. The very weight of the roofs and their particular design was their undoing and all are damaged. However, most of the town is completely free of debris and life is very much back in full swing.

The main tourist area of the South-west peninsula is virtually free of rubbish and the main sign of the hurricane damage is the roofs covered with the familiar blue tarpaulins awaiting new roofing materials from Miami. Building repairs are going on at a terrific pace.

Outside the main areas and out in the country there is more evidence of damaged housing and this will take longer to repair. However, these are not areas of devastation and degradation – everyone seems to be housed in some way or another and life is very much going on for everyone we saw.

There is plenty of work for people to do and there is much co-operation between groups of people working together to repair each other's houses.

What about the beaches?

All the beaches we saw were in great shape. In many cases they are better than before because great swathes of fresh sand have been brought up onto the beach by the storms and winds.

Grand Anse Beach itself is undamaged apart from a few trees but there is significant damage to the hotels behind the beach. Because of the contours of the sand you would not see much of the hotels when lying on a sunbed and the beautiful waters of this famous two-mile stretch are as perfect as ever.

There are acres of sand a good distance away from the damaged hotels and there is nothing to stop you having a great day out on the fabulous beach. We saw dozens and dozens of tourists doing just that during our visit.

Morne Rouge looks great although its beach restaurant at one end has been destroyed. Prickly Bay is as ever was and La Sagesse remains one of the great beach destinations in Grenada. Smaller beaches like Dr Grooms are also unaffected and the swimming at all beaches is as lovely as ever.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Have tourist attractions been affected?

St Georges and the beaches of Grenada are covered on the previous pages. The current situation with other attractions is as follows:

Rainforest Sustained huge damage but is now showing incredible signs of recovery. We travelled through large areas of the forest and the sights are staggering but not depressing. The mass of damaged trees are forming living sculptures with the abundance of new growth and the result is an awesome picture. Most of the hiking trails through the rainforest are now open.

Grand Etang Lake This really is a phenomenal sight with views opened up to all parts of the island. The plants, trees and wildlife are all fighting back and, as with the rainforest, returning visitors will see a considerable change in the landscape. New visitors will, I am sure, marvel at the work of nature.

Waterfalls All roads to the waterfalls are now clear and they can all be seen as before. With the amazing rainfall of the last month they were a spectacular sight.

Rum distilleries Some are open and are taking visitor tours again.

Nutmeg and cocoa stations Working to some degree and again taking visitors once more. We were welcomed with open arms at the Dougalstown Cocoa plantation and had a lovely tour with a friendly guide.

Other attractions like Plantation Houses and Gardens will soon be open.

During our week on Grenada we saw literally hundreds of tourists around the island, visiting attractions, buying their spices from local people, talking to people about their experiences and receiving the warmest of welcomes from the people of Grenada.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

What about watersports and activities?

This aspect of Grenada has not been affected to any great extent. The hotels that we feature that used to feature free watersports are still able to offer this service as before.

The specialist Yacht Charter company that we deal with – Horizon Yacht Charter - is fully operational and is already almost booked for Christmas. They will be able to organise day sails as well as their very popular Grenadine cruises and we are more than happy to quote for the wonderful ship ‘n shore holiday. The other islands in the Grenadines were unaffected by Hurricane Ivan.
See the Horizon website at www.horizonyachtcharters.com

The Sub-aqua teams are already in action and speaking to Rob Bryant of ScubaTech recently he confirmed that the famous Grenada dive sites have not been affected at all by what was happening above the water! Visibility is just as good as ever and that of course applies to snorkeling as well.

Many of the smaller yacht charter companies are starting to sail again and the very popular whale watching and dolphin watching cruises will be starting before Christmas.

The island's high-speed hydrofoil service, The Osprey, is back on schedule already and that means that a day trip to the interesting little island of Carriacou is easy to arrange. Take the morning ferry, explore the island, maybe take a water-taxi out to the famous tiny sand-spit Sandy Island and see some great snorkeling, back to Carriacou to take the tea-time ferry back to Grenada.

See details of this and many other great ways to spend a half or whole day at our agent's website www.caribbeanhorizons.com

Organised hikes in the rain forest are going to be very dramatic for the next year or so as the guides explain what happened and show you the recovery of this famous landmark first hand.

If you have any queries about other activities please give us a call.

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This 12-page report by Gerry Copsey, Managing Director of Just Grenada, is also available as a PDF file (76k). Click here to download it.

Conclusion

The purpose of this report is to tell you what Janet and I saw during our visit between November 19th and 26th.

We visited every hotel and villa mentioned in this report and we travelled around the island extensively, meeting with locals and talking to those involved in the tourism industry about the future.

We were absolutely astonished to see the level of the recovery on the island and to see what phenomenal progress has been made in just 10 weeks.

We saw hundreds of visitors during our stay, both from cruise ships and those staying in hotels. We ate wonderful food, drank cool drinks and swam in the blue ocean. We walked in the rainforest and we shopped in town. We drove into outlying areas and stopped at local shacks for a snack and a chat.

We can honestly see no reason why visitors should not feel entirely happy to go to Grenada this week – and there are over three weeks to go until our first guests fly out on December 19th.

So why not take advantage of some of the wonderful “Welcome Back” offers that we have put together for January to April and see for yourselves?

Finally

we met a crew from the BBC Travel Show team who were filming a programme about post-hurricane Grenada. From conversations with them it is clear that they share our view about the recovery and you can see this for yourself on the Travel Programme. Watch the Radio Times for schedules – it is planned for January 10th but this may change.

I sincerely hope you find this report useful but please do feel free to telephone me or Janet – or any of my staff - to discuss a holiday in Grenada.

The island is ready and so are we!

Best regards

Gerry Copsey
Just Grenada

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