TRAVEL SOLO OVER 40 TO GUADELOUPE (TRAVEL GUIDE)

Melissa Banigan
Aug 2, 2017
5 min read

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH GUADELOUPE

A French Caribbean territory with a landmass resembling a butterfly, Guadeloupe is known for its white beaches, waterfalls, rainforests, and rich French-Creole culture. I've visited the territory many times over the last five years, staying for months at a time, but how I first found myself there was due to an extraordinary bit of serendipity.

An economically unstable single mom living in Brooklyn, for many years I made ends meet by renting out a room in my loft apartment to interesting people from destinations around the world that I hoped to visit. Algeria, Morocco, Japan, Mexico. Sweden, Germany, China. Dozens of interesting people, many of whom became friends. Then, one day I accepted guests from Guadeloupe, and with that, my life was forever changed.

Pascal and Freddie became fast friends. Pascal - an amazing cook - warmed my kitchen with his spicy French-Creole cooking, and Freddie - with her easy laugh and welcome nature, was perhaps one of the most delightful people I had ever met. They had teen children, and I also had a teen daughter, and after I told them that I was the founder of Advice Project Media, a media, writing, and travel adventure nonprofit organization for teens and women, they enthusiastically invited me to lead a writing workshop and help organize adventures for a group of teens during a week-long vacation-camp.

It sounded too good to be true, but a couple months later, Pascal and Freddie secured flights for me and my daughter, and off we went for three glorious weeks in Guadeloupe. My friends welcomed me into their home in Gosier - a small, but vibrant Guadeloupean city with a stretch of beach and a warm Caribbean vibe - and they treated us like family, bringing us along on family holidays and to traditional culinary events, music festivals, and countless adventures, many of which weren't listed in tourist guidebooks.

My nonprofit focuses on gender equality and environmental issues, and it quickly became apparent that Guadeloupe would be a great location for me to develop a new program that focused on empowering young women who want to write about environmental issues. The research to develop this program has been an incredible amount of fun. I've transversed Guadeloupe to find the best ecofriendly adventure outfitters, kayaked through the mangrove forests and to the small islets of Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, and trekked most of the territory's rainforest trails, including one with amazing views of the rugged Caribbean Sea. I've learned about how climate change is affecting this small island territory, and I've seen first-hand how quickly the rising, acidifying ocean is affecting delicate seagrass beds and coral reefs.

I've visited Memorial ACTe, a museum dedicated to the history of slavery, as well as most of the other museums dedicated to the art, music, archeology, and culture of the islands, and I've immersed myself into the study of the territory's history of colonization, slavery, revolution, and contemporary racial and gender disparity.

I'm proud to say that I've led a few month-long writing and adventure intensive programs through my nonprofit, taking my students with me to many of the places I've come to love. In short: Guadeloupe is no longer just a vacation destination - it has become my second home and it constantly challenges and changes my worldview. I'm excited to share everything I know about this gorgeous, complicated, and rich corner of the world with you.

Although I brought my teenage daughter during my first few trips to Guadeloupe, I often travel solo. What considerations have I make as a solo woman over 40 (with a child, and without!) when traveling to this gorgeous corner of the Caribbean? Can people get by without speaking French or French Creole? What have I done when I've fallen ill or when I've needed to head to the hospital? What travel insurance have I used? What is the etiquette for dating in Guadeloupe, and what sort of customs have I learned (sometimes the hard way!) by heading to new friends' homes for dinner or afternoon drinks? My travel guide for Guadeloupe should answer all of these questions, and it will also set you on course to find the best adventures, drinking holes, restaurants, and places to stay on the territory!

Please note that this isn't your typical travel guide! Just as I would do for a good friend, I offer you my experiences and stories, which means each entry below is either a part of my own personal travelogue peppered with what I hope will be useful travel tips, or it's an article or essay recounting the experience I've had in a particular place - these stories are meant to inspire you to visit what I believe is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Make sure to return often and subscribe (at the bottom of this page), as I'm going to keep added articles until November, 2017!

MY ARTICLES ABOUT GUADELOUPE IN THE MEDIA

Atlas Obscura: The Politics of Sunbathing on Human Remains

BBC Travel: An Island Where Rocks Have Faces

CNN Travel: (FORTHCOMING ARTICLE) 10 Reasons to go to Guadeloupe (photos & words)

Extra Crispy: The "Sorrow of Love" Is the Sweetest of Tarts

Fodor's: 10 French Créole Culinary Traditions to Try in Guadeloupe

Hidden Compass: The Nautical Alchemist

Munchies (VICE): (FORTHCOMING ARTICLE) How to drink rum like a local in Guadeloupe

NPR (The Salt): Boudin: A Story of Sausage, Slavery And Rebellion In The Caribbean

ZiNG Magazine (Liat's inflight magazine): Following the Slave Route in Guadeloupe (photos & words)

LOGISTICS

Why visit Guadeloupe as a solo traveling woman over 40?
How do I get there?
Preparing for my trip (vaccinations, etc.)
Passport and visa
Packing list
Do I need to speak French or French Creole?
Where should I stay?
Transportation: renting a car/motorbike and taking the bus
Banks, cash machines, and money
Travel insurance
Who will help me when I'm sick (and solo!)? Doctors, clinics, and hospitals
Zika, dengue, and chikungunya

HISTORY

History: what visitors to Guadeloupe need to know about slavery, colonialism, post-colonialism, current race relations, and the local fight for equality
Boudin: a story of sausage, slavery, and rebellion (First published with NPR's 'The Salt')
An Island Where Rocks Have Faces (First published with BBC Travel)
The politics of sunbathing on human remains (First published with Atlas Obscura)
"La Route de l'esclave - Traces-Mémoires en Guadeloupe" (The Slave Route — Traces — Memories in Guadeloupe)
Gwo' ka: Guadeloupe's traditional folk music (photo essay)

SOLO WOMEN (TRULY ALONE, OR WITH KIDS)

Treatment of women
LGTBQ in Guadeloupe
Finding community
Traveling to Guadeloupe as a single mom with children

FOOD & DRINK

Introduction to food and drink in Guadeloupe
Boudin: a story of sausage, slavery, and rebellion (First published with NPR's 'The Salt')
Drinking traditions in Guadeloupe (AKA, don't be an asshole)
National drink
Visiting distilleries
"Eating local," veganism, allergies, "eating invasives," pesticides, and other dietary concerns

ADVENTURE (BY ACTIVITIES)

Waterfalls & Hot Springs

Chutes du Carbet
Paradis
Le Sentier de la Grande Pointe, or the ‘Great Point Trail’ (First published with BBC Travel)

Hiking

Le Sentier de la Grande Pointe, or the ‘Great Point Trail’ (First published with BBC Travel)
"La Route de l'esclave — Traces-Mémoires en Guadeloupe" (The slave Route — Traces — Memories in Guadeloupe)
La Porte d'Enfer
Parc National de la Guadeloupe
La Soufriere

Kayaking, Boating, Snorkeling

Kayaking & Boating
Jacques Cousteau Underwater Réserve & Pigeon Island
Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin

Volcano

La Soufriere

Camping

BEACHES

The politics of sunbathing on human remains (Raisins Clairs Beach, which rests over a slave cemetery) (First published in Atlas Obscura)
Islet du Gosier & Plage de la Datcha
Petite Havre
Plage Caravelle
Pointe des Salines
Le Moule
La Porte d'Enfer
Plage de Clugny
Plage de Malendure
La Grande-Anse
Anse de St-Anne