Island Journeys: The Philippines & Grenada

On this week's show we'll catch with Travel Expert Onanta Forbes as she winds up her stay in the Philippines. Plus we'll find out if she's encountered any travel disruptions with the jet fuel shortage that's effecting many places. Then later in the show we'll hear from the Grenada Tourism Authority on why Grenada is a great choice for your next Caribbean vacation. 

Transcript

Philippines

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast, a weekly travel podcast where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveler, and I'm your host, Randy Charman. On this week's show, we'll catch up with travel expert Onanta Forbes as she winds up her stay in the Philippines. We'll see what she's been up to this past week, plus we'll find out if she's encountered any travel disruptions with the jet fuel shortage that's affecting many places. Then later in the show, we'll hear from the Grenada Tourism Authority on why Grenada is a great choice for your next Caribbean vacation. But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert Onanda Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss some of the travel news and travel trends. You can follow her adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. OnantaForbes.com is her website. I have been following you on Facebook, Instagram, and X because uh your adventures in the Philippines. Hello, by the way, in the Philippines look amazing. Hello, Ananta. Hello, Mabuhe. Mabuhe. Okay, what did I just say to you? I hope I wasn't swearing at you.

SPEAKER_04 1:13

It's a it's a lovely um Filipino exclamation exclamation that literally means to live or long live, and it's used um to welcome somebody, a toast to life, like cheers, or wish someone prosperity, generally signifying high hospitality, honor or celebration. And one thing that it comes out very clear when you visit the Philippines is they are a gracious, kind, and hospitable people. They're quite lovely.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Well, yes, uh, I think most people can experience that uh through the Filipino uh community in just about any city in North America, I think. And in the world, very polite and they're very kind, and you are very true.

SPEAKER_04 2:03

Yes, yeah, and not just North America, but the world. I think they are grand um explorers and they they go where um they need to to work and to support their families, which is again part of their culture with regards, yeah, with regards to how they um um family is first here, and you see that you know when they have a meal together, when they travel together, when they how they live together, because they support their elders and their um it it's an extended family life. Um so it's it's quite lovely, and uh being here, you definitely get to see it. And um this week that we're entering my second week in the Philippines, and it's all about island hopping. So there's two ways to consider island hopping in the Philippines. One, you can be at a destination like um an island itself, like Borque or Palawan, and you can take a local boat for the day with other people and go from island to island. Um, and you know, that's nearby to your base. Or what we have been doing is like we're flying or we're taking a ferry to another island um in the chain that's a bit further away. So most of our flights are just over an hour. So when I last talked to you, um I was heading to Cebu, and that's after Palawan. And I have to say, like we arrived not late at night, like around seven in the evening. So it was dark. It's Sunday night, it was Mother's Day. Um, belated happy Mother's Day to all. And it was um busy. There was traffic everywhere, there was people everywhere. It wasn't just because it was Sunday and your day off, or it was Mother's Day, it was busy. And um traffic drams, galore, and it was um people would after we were here days, so would say like it's becoming like another manila. So this was a surprise to me because we've been enjoying very beautiful islands here, you know, walk on the beach, walk into town. Here it was being in a big city. Yes, um, our property that we stayed at um was uh located on the ocean and very beautiful. So you got to experience the ocean life, but it's still a big city. They have huge summits. They actually just had a summit where all the Asian leaders um from the area um came together because they want to be able to communicate each other and create Asia as still a destination for people to come, enjoy, and and have commerce in. So um it it's uh so that was my that was kind of a uh a new impression of the islands was coming to Cebu because I always heard a lot about Cebu before I got here. I've had acquaintances that they're they're of Filipino origin and their daughters coming back here to get married, and I'm thinking, oh, this is gonna be like Hawaii, it's paradise. Um it can be in certain areas, but not in not not not as a general sense. Um staying in Cebu, we stayed at the Crimson Resort Spa Um and Spa Macan. And it's right on the ocean, like I said. It feels like a very tropical escape from the chaos outside, um, infinity pools, very beautiful spa, has a uh Spanish-rated um uh Michelin-rated uh tappa restaurant that was very good. We enjoyed that the first night. Um, and then the next day we spent a half day exploring Cebu City, which is um perfectly blends like history and culture, mountain views, and yes, the traffic definitely tests everyone's patients. Um, not that anybody was hurt, but you know, you do there's a lot of motorcycles, so you there you see some mishaps happen between this was between a taxi um and a motorcycle, and the our guide says, I bet you that neither one of those people have insurance, and neither one can afford it, and you know, you can kind of see it um happening there. Um so we started at Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencias, um, soaking up like some good Spanish-era atmosphere because that the Spanish were here before the Americans were here, and so you do see some influence of that. Um and interestingly enough, though, the Spanish language didn't take here, but the English language take took here. So everybody speaks English and perhaps their dialect of where their family is from. And then we got to see um Magellan Cross, where it's like where history and and uh the faith of the the of how the the city was created, um, and it's right in the heart of the city. And then we um went to this really beautifully preserved Yap San Diego um ancestral home, and it it it was it's owned by a local family um throughout the years, and it's just packed with different um artifacts and and different everyday um living furniture and bedrooms and um just you know what you would accumulate as a family over the years, and it's very well preserved. And um the family actually comes back every weekend and sleeps in it because they don't want the house to be empty. It was it's kind of it's very beautiful. And then um we went to this, we escaped the city buzz a bit and went to a see the Cebu Taos Temple, and it's very well maintained, um, very peaceful views of the city. Um it it's uh um the it it's not like a practicing um place where religious uh people would go, but it it's just so well maintained. But people do go to pray there, but like monks aren't there, I guess is what I'm trying to say. Um, and then they it's very well decor decorated with like this uh dragon, and our guide had shared that the dragon has different um parts of animals, so like the skin is of a snake, the eyes of a dragon, and I wish I wrote down all of it because it was very interesting because I'll never look at a dragon the same, thinking that you know they're they're created. Um so it it we didn't spend a lot of time here, too nice. Um, it's enough unless you are into snorkeling and diving because of the ocean. That's a definitely a draw for people. And then from Cebu, we took the ocean ferry versus a plane to go to Bohol, which is another island, and it's a UNESCO um heritage site, and they it was um granted that um acclamation not on um like a site, like when we went to uh the underground cave and and river, but on the people because they're focused on preserving um the sustainability of of uh the island itself. So that was new, and it was it's all of Bohol, and it's like over 1700 islands within this area here. So to go on the ferry, it's just like going like airport-level security. So you had to have your ticket, you had to show your passport before you're allowed to enter the terminal, and then there were sniffer dogs, multiple um security checkpoints before boarding. Um, so very um, very safe, I guess, for the lack of you know, all these things that are happening. It's very safe. And then two hours later, you arrive um in Pangalow, and we check into the Amarita Resort, which is perched above Alona Beach. It's it's got really nice ocean views. Again, infinity pools. They have villas here that have their own infidelity, infinity pools. I am not in one, but I do I did sneak in and check some out. And um, it's it's uh it's it's quite it's it's a really nice calm atmosphere. Um what I notice here, and again, I notice it everywhere, lots of uh domestic tourism. So, and and not just internally uh of Filipinos, but people from other parts of Asia, like Taiwan and Korea and South Korea and Japan. Um, as well as I I found a lot of um French and Australian people are here as well. Um so it it's nice, it it's a nice combination. And then today we went on a full day tour of the island. We went to a couple of different churches, went to see how um uh traditional salt making process happened. Um, and then it looks like um uh like a very hard ball, but then when you are served the salt in restaurants, they actually kind of um shave it like a ch a cheese grater. Um yeah, it's quite interesting. And then we went to see these tarsies, and they they reminded it's like an animal, reminded me of the um uh the Tasmanian devil, very small, and really, and but they are nocturnal uh uh um animals. So you're taken in by the handlers or the guides, and they actually they take your camera and they take the picture, they don't want you crowding it because these animals are very sensitive to light and to sound. In fact, if they are too um, I guess rattled or scared, I've never heard of this of an animal before that they actually commit suicide. So that they would yeah, they would hit themselves against a rock or they would starve themselves. That was quite, I know it was very, it was very um eye-opening. So yeah, they encourage you not to talk and not to take with flashes, and um, they have a little uh informational video um to share this with you before you actually get taken into the sanctuary. Um and then after all that we went to the Chocolate Hills and it's over like it's like it's over a thousand perfectly shaped green hills, like and it just stretches across the landscape. You have to walk up 220 steps to have a very good view. So if you're mobile challenged, it might not be the place for you, but there's other ways to view it. And then um there, and I said, Well, is it named Chocolate Hills because it produces cocoa or cakeo? And she he goes, No. Um, when the Americans were here, um he there's this one person that saw these hills, and at that time they were not at different parts of the uh year, they're not covered by greenery, they're dry, and they look like chocolate hills. That's how it came about. So it was yeah, yeah. So it was quite interesting in, and you do see some influence of when the American army was in the Philippines. Um you I don't know if you've heard of a term called or a vehicle called a jeepney, and um they are uh like a the um the uh the army had jeeps, they brought jeeps here with guns to protect them. So after that there were a few left when they were they left, but then um the Filipinos they created um a vehicle in the same kind of structure as it, but they embellished it and they made it very colorful, or they originally were called Jeep's, but it then it became Jeep Jeep, like really quick, then it became Jeep. And then the knees, so there's um two benches on either side in the back. So a person that's in a Jeep knee, their knees would touch the other person's knees.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 14:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

Jeep knees.

SPEAKER_04 14:40

So yes, yeah, but and they're very and you can find them everywhere in um in the Philippines. They're quite they're quite amazing. Um we're flying, it's been a great time. The heat is pretty intense, like it's um 32 to 35 a day, very humid, and it's um uh you do have to very much hydrate, wear a hat, wear sunscreen, do all the things that your mom tells you to do because she's right. Because uh it really does sap your energy, it may take away your um appetite. Um, but it it's a it's then you have the beautiful pool in the ocean to um relax by and to get into and so on. Uh so to yes, so tomorrow we're flying back to Manila because we're spending one night there before we fly home, and we're gonna take a half-day tour, which will include um Ritzel Park, and this is uh where you know a historical figure called Jose Ritzel was executed during the fight against colonial rule, and then we're gonna go um to Intramuras, which is an old Spanish wall city that survived centuries of wars and disasters, and then we're gonna explore um Fort Santiago, Casa Manila, and a UNESCO-listed um church called St. Augustine, and hopefully hear some good stories about the Spanish colonial period and and and uh how you know to to date how um the you know the country has evolved and such. And again, Manila, I don't know if I said this last week. Manila isn't really the place that tourists come to explore and to visit for long periods of time. Right, to go to the island, the uh the outer islands, and it's more of a commercial um destination and business and so on. But uh yeah, it's it's been lovely. I I'm really grateful for the opportunity to have come here. Um Asia is is um quite um attractive to visitors. Like we're finding that the Philippine peso is it buys a lot you know when you're comparing it to the Canadian currency. So a good place to come in a world that sometimes isn't uh friendly to our Canadian dollar.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Um speaking of world and world events and things like that, have you noticed any shortages uh or travel disruptions due due to maybe jet fuel shortages or or anything like that?

SPEAKER_04 17:26

Any disruptions or yes yes, so before we even got here, um a few uh flights uh that we were going between islands, um, instead of them offering it every day, they combined it so it maybe is a a few times a week. So we had to adjust accordingly. And then so that's like route consolidations and reduced fright flight frequency, and then time schedule changes as well. Um one of our flights uh with a local carrier, Cebu Pacific, um, was canceled, and so then we they we we were rebooked on Philippine Airlines. So, yes, we did see it in Palawan. Um, when we were having a very lovely lunch on the ocean, it was in front of um some like almost glamping or like tents, um, but it was so quiet, it was very empty. So the the hotelier told us that they've seen a wave of cancellation because many international travelers assumed suddenly it's just too fly too too expensive to fly to the Philippines. And that's like Europeans coming, or maybe even North Americans and such. Um, they used to have tons of uh visitors from South Korea, and that's um kind of trickled down a bit as well. So I think people are maybe thinking of shorter trips versus a long haul trip in this jet fuel crisis. I have clients that are going on European river cruises, and you know, I've had multiple questions about well, what happens if we're there and our flight cancels or you know, what to do, or and so on. So it's on people's mind, definitely. And it it is part of um uh I think people still want to travel, but they may be changing where to.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Well, here's to uh Safe Travels Back Home and uh for enlightening us on the Filipino culture and traveling around the Philippines. So Nanta Forbes is a travel expert. You can follow her uh on Facebook, Instagram, and X at Onanta Forbes. That's where you'll find lots of amazing photos of the Philippines. And OnantaForbes.com is her website. And uh thanks again.

SPEAKER_04 19:50

Thank you. Have a good week.

Grenada

SPEAKER_02 19:59

This is the Informed Traveler Podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, theinformedraveler.org. That's where you'll find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast or any show segment ideas. You can also email me too with any questions you might have. My email address is randy at the informedtraveler.org. You can check out our social media pages too at facebook.com slash informed traveler, Instagram at informtraveler, or on x at informed traveler. That's where you'll find a number of videos and reels from our adventures throughout the year and audio clips from our past shows. Plus, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our May issue is available now. Just go to our website, theinformtraveler.org, click on the newsletter button, and it'll take you right there. Or better yet, you can subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox each month. Well, let's head to a place now that calls itself the Spice of the Caribbean. It's also a place where you can get three Caribbean islands for the price of one. I'm talking about the islands of Grenada, and joining me now to share all the fun things to enjoy in Grenada is Melinda Tellas Ford. She is the marketing executive for Grenada Tourism. PureGrenada.com is their website. Hi, Melinda.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Hello, Randy. It's a pleasure. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

I am looking on your website. It says uh well, it's it's showing me what Grenada is known for. So uh I could read it, but I'd rather you tell me what in your own words, as he used to say in school. Tell me in your own words what Grenada is known for and what makes it so popular.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

So Grenada is a world class destination. It is located in the Southern Caribbean. It is in the Windward Islands, it is just about 133 square miles and has a population of about 115,000 people. So Grenada is a tri island state, so you get to experience Three destinations in one. That is mainland Grenada, Caraku, and Petit Martinique. And Grenada is known mainly for its spices and chocolates. And it's also a culinary capital. So you can expect a lot of amazing culinary experiences. And it is also rich in unspoiled beauty, making it a perfect destination for wellness travels.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

I'm glad you said there's three islands because when I think Grenada, I always think, okay, it's one island. But no, it is three islands. Is it easy to kind of uh travel between the three, or do most people kind of just stay on the main island of Grenada?

SPEAKER_03 22:37

No, it is very easy to uh connect among the three islands. In fact, Carakou, which is the second largest of our tri-island state, it is located just about 37 miles off the north coast of Grenada. And you can get there uh either by ferry or plane. If you choose to go by the ferry, which is the Osprey Shuttle, it will take you about two to two and a half hours to get over there, which is not bad. I mean, you get to enjoy the coastline, the beauty of the coastline. And then you have the option of going by the plane. So from Mars Bishop International Airport, you can get over to Carakou uh in just 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 23:17

So you can explore all three. Do most people do that though? On a seven-day vacation, for example, do you find that most visitors stay on the main island of Grenada or do they explore to the other islands?

SPEAKER_03 23:30

Oh, they certainly certainly do explore to the other islands. Um, I mean, you can spend about two, three days on mainland Grenada, and then you can spend another day in Cariku. Um, you know, Caracou in itself is really good if you're looking for, you know, experiencing, you know, the quiet, intimate community spirit. Um, you can also enjoy like boat rides along the Grenadine Islands. You can go to Sandy Island, you can go to Celine Island, you can swim with the turtles, um, you can have lunch on the beach. So there's you know, a lot of amazing things to do while in Cariku. So, I mean, and you can do all of that in just a day trip. All right. And then getting over to Caricou, sorry, getting over to Petit Martinique is just about 25 minutes boat ride from Carikou. And it is a smaller island, it's just a population of about a thousand people, and it's a closely knit community. So, you know, travelers who are looking for that immersive cultural experience in getting over to the islands, then you know, Caracou and Petit Martinik is a Muslim experience. So a lot of our visitors do that, you know, and and like I said, you know, a week is a perfect time to enjoy all of the experiences among the tree islands.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

Mm-hmm. Well, once again, I am looking on your website, uh puregrenada.com, and you uh it it maps it out quite uh easily what you just said, how easy it is to get across in the ferry to uh Carakou to Petite, Martinique, if you wanted to do such. Are there planned tours to do that? Like once I'm in uh uh Grenada, can I or do I have to sort of set that up myself?

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Well, you have the you have the option to set it up yourself as well as you know working through tour operators who can plan your experiences for you. So, and then that can be done even before you get on the island. So if you know you're coming for a seven-day trip or a 10-day trip, then you can connect it with one of our prominent tour operators on the island to help you curate that experience.

SPEAKER_02 25:38

And your uh little map that I was referring to uh on your website also shows uh uh access from North America, from the UK, and uh other parts too. So people can figure out just uh that as well.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

Yes, there is a healthy airlift into the destination from all of those locations. Um in Canada, uh, for instance, you have on Air Canada, you can get into Grenada three times weekly at the moment. Uh that is on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So, you know, it makes it easy to plan a week-long trip or if you want to do three days or four days. And there is also a seasonal service on WestJet that is once per week on Sundays during the winter period. So that would start about let's say November, December to the end of April. And but you have consistent service on Air Canada throughout the year.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

We are coming uh towards the uh end of the winter uh travel season, anyways. Uh, how is the how has the visitation been so far? I'm not looking for specific numbers, but in general overall, has it been a good year for visitors?

SPEAKER_03 26:46

Yes, it has been. Uh Canada continues to be one of our key source markets for visitor arrivals, and we continue to see the growth in the numbers. So currently we're in market doing uh sales mission, connecting with our tour operators and media partners. You know, they're very instrumental in connecting us with the visitors and connecting the destination with the visitors. And so we're here doing, you know, our outreach, we are doing some key destination updates and of course getting some valuable insights from them as well as to what you know the travelers are looking for, just so that we can ensure that we continue to be in alignment.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Mm-hmm. So tell me a bit about St. George's. Uh that I'm assuming that would be sort of your uh um main place, and then you kind of branch out visiting the island and the other islands from there, right?

SPEAKER_03 27:36

Yes. So St. George's is the capital of Grenada. Um, it is really what I would refer to as the tourist belt. So we have that's where we have all the cruise ships coming in. A lot of our hotels are based in that area in the south of the island, and you know, it's very populated with malls and restaurants, and you know, you have a lot of you know experiences that you can enjoy in St. George's. You can do the market tour, you can tour the forts, you know, and it's very easy to navigate through walking. You know, sometimes people think about you know, getting to a destination, is it easy to navigate? How do I move around? So St. George's is very easy because everything is centralized. You can literally walk from your hotel, getting to the beach, to the malls, the supermarkets, the restaurants. And you know, it's also a good way to interact with the population, with the community, you know, for those who are looking to, you know, uh rub shoulders with the locals, as we say, because we realize, you know, more and more that you know, travelers are looking for that kind of experience. They want to learn more about you know the way of life of the people. So that is one way you can do it.

SPEAKER_02 28:47

Another way is through food. Uh, tell me some of the dishes that I that I should try when I'm in Grenada.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Yes. Well, you know, I must say, it would be remiss of me to not say that Grenada is a culinary capital. All right. And this is one of the things that I'm always excited about because, you know, our history, we have a lot of um, our culinary landscape is shaped, you know, by the French, the Dutch, the Africans, and the Indians. And so it is just amazing what our local cooks and chefs were able to do over the years, you know, adding their special touch, of course, utilizing uh the spices that are grown on the island, the local produce, into curating amazing culinary dishes and experiences. And so this is one thing that I'm passionate about. So when you get to Grenada, it doesn't matter where you go, you know, you can count on getting the most authentic, you know, Grenadian culinary experience. So, first off, I would say when you get to Grenada, you need to try our oil dung. It is our national dish, and it is a one-pot dish that is made with breadfruit and fig and dasheen. Um, it also has uh kalaloo, or what you would refer to as spinach. Uh, in there you would have some salted meat, some chicken, you know, uh, but it's really, you know, marinated in coconut milk and spices, everything grown locally on the island. So it is very delicious, and I would encourage you to try that.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

What was it called again?

SPEAKER_03 30:21

Oil dung. I can assure you that there is no place in the Caribbean that you will go and enjoy oil dung the way you would in Grenada. In fact, oil dung is very unique to Grenada.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Well, it sounds very delicious. Uh and so now, is there any special desserts or anything like that that I could try?

SPEAKER_03 30:43

So I would recommend, definitely highly recommend the ice creams. Because Grenada, I don't know, Grenadians just have this way of making ice creams that that are flavored with spices like the cinnamon, the nutmeg, even the sour sub, the fruits that are grown on the island. And so when you when you get to Grenada, I mean to have that natural, you know, um experience of you know, desserts that are made from flavors grown on the island, it is just an amazing thing. I am not usually, you know, uh, you know, a sweet, I don't have a sweet tooth, but I tell you, when I'm in Grenada, I often crave the ice cream. So I would definitely recommend that.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Well, and the warm weather probably helps too to help you crave ice cream. Speaking of which, when is the best time to go to uh Grenada? I I'm assuming the weather is always nice. And because you're further down in the Caribbean, you're not really bothered by hurricanes as much, right?

SPEAKER_03 31:41

No, so we are I would say uniquely located just outside of the hurricane belt. Um in recent times we have had some experiences, but it's you know, like I would say a one-off. It's not something that is, you know, we look forward to every year. Uh we have year-round appeal, our temperature is between 25 to 30 degrees and average year-round, which makes it really good. Um but in terms of traveling to the destination, like I said, we have year-round appeal. We have a very healthy events calendar, which makes it ideal for traveling throughout the year. So it doesn't matter whether you're traveling alone or you're traveling as a couple or as a family, there is something for everyone to do. And in particular, I want I just want to highlight uh the Lobster and Lambi festival that happens in January. Um, this year we did the inaugural festival. Uh, that happens on the sister island of Caruaku. So um it was an off-the-hook event. It was completely sold out, and we do look forward to the next event that is going to be happening in January next year. We have our chocolate festival in May. As I mentioned, Grenada is famous for its spices and chocolates. So we have a whole festival that's it that is designated to um to chocolate. And so that is pretty yes, and you know it's a week-long festival, so you can enjoy everything chocolate, ranging from um, you know, the the chocolate dinners to making your own chocolate bars. So yes, it's fully immersive. Um, you know, you're gonna learn a lot about the history of cocoa on the island and you know how it has evolved over the years. So it's really an immersive experience, and that's happening this year from the 22nd of May to the 27th. And then we also have our Spice Mass event in August. Now, Spice Mass is, I would say, the most anticipated event on our calendar. It is completely sold out. I don't know if you've been in tune with the content of our last um carnival, but you know, I can tell you this year, if you're now trying to book for carnival, you will not find accommodation. It is completely sold out.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

So, what you're saying is if you want to attend some of these events, you gotta plan well in advance.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

Definitely, you have to plan well in advance. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

So explain some of the activities. I know you touched on a little bit, but uh um some of the popular activities people like to do when in Grenada.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

All right, so I would say for experiences, you know, if you're a nature and adventure lover, Grenada is an unspoiled destination that is just naturally beautiful with uns on untouched landscapes. It offers a lot of off-the-beaten path experiences, you know, ranging from hikes, the island tours, you know, the waterfalls, snorkeling, and even deep diving. You know, we have a lot of um dive sites on the island. Um we're also home to the world's first underwater sculpture park, and that sculpture park has over a hundred sculptures. And what makes it unique is that all of these sculptures are just about 15 to 25 feet below the sea, which makes it ideal for snorkeling and deep diving.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

Mm-hmm. So I don't know, yeah, I'm not going in in dangerous waters to look at case, right?

SPEAKER_03 35:11

Yes. And and you know, Randy, I must say um I'm not a strong swimmer, and I've done diving at the underwater sculpture park before.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Good. Well, that's good to know. Anything else you want to add I might have missed?

SPEAKER_03 35:24

Yes, well, I also want to say that we have an underwater wedding chapel as well. So those who are traveling, um, you know, are thinking about planning a destination wedding and they're adventurous and they want to get married underwater, that can be done.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Um definitely say I do underwater.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

Well, you know, it it has happened. We have had uh the first black couple that got married underwater there um just about two years ago. So, and it was um, you know, that received global coverage. So it's possible, you know, and I guess the divers would understand whatever it's either a thumbs up or a thumbs down, right? Either way, either way, you know, the vows are gonna be um secured.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

Well, that's truly a memorable experience if you're getting married underwater.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

Definitely. So, you know, I just want to go back a little bit on the culinary offerings because you know, food is a universal language and a lot of people travel for food experiences. And so, as I mentioned, Grenada being a culinary capital, you know, um, you can enjoy some of the most amazing culinary experiences. And, you know, we we recognize that our visitors, you know, desire these experiences in different ways. So you can have them in the form of cooking demonstrations, you know, to culinary safaris and foodie tours. And of course, in fine dining experiences as well. You know, if you get into the hotel, especially some of the high-end accommodations, you know, you want to enjoy uh dinner under the moonlight on the beach, you know, all of that can be arranged. So, you know, you can be assured of enjoying some of the finest cuisine on the island, you know, in whatever way you desire to experience them.

SPEAKER_02 37:07

Come for the food, stay for the uh underwater weddings.

SPEAKER_03 37:11

Definitely, definitely. And I'll be there to support. I want to be a part of the wedding party.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Melinda Tellisford is the uh marketing executive for Grenada Tourism. You can find all the information on their website, puregrenada.com. There's an absolutely spectacular picture of uh St. George's uh aerial shot. So um, it's a beautiful island and it sounds like a lot of fun to visit. So I appreciate your time, Melinda. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 37:36

Thank you so much, Randy. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 37:43

And that is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is Randy at theinformed traveler.org. And if you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at theinformtraveler.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveler.