Evening star., 1947-11-16
By Jacques FutreIle, Jr.
The Sser's Travel Editor


itation Of existing facilities COM
lpleted and interesting new develop
ments under way. The large hotels
are in good shape for the coming
winter season.
to the summit of mountain which
commands magnificent view" ovel
the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. On
Jamaica he found consideration be.
ing given to cttage colonies to sup
plement hotels and guest houses
Similar developments, he says, are
planned in the vicinity of Maracas
Bay, in Trinidad. He found most OF
the roads there in good condition
with an adequate number OF auto
ombiles for sightseeing demands.
At many points he found shopping
facilities not yet up to prewar par
due to the scarcity Of imports from
Europe, but "this situation Is i'm
proving as more ships return to their
West Indies runs. st. Thomas at
present is one Of the most attractive
shopping ports, with excellent sup
plies of West Indian native handi-
crafts and reasonably good stocks OF
French perfumes and cosmetics
Danish silverware and other Euro
pean items"
Mr.. O'Connor says travel to the
West Indies is in great demand. spe-
cifically, he reports. advance res
ervations for Nassau and Montego
Bay, among other popular resorts
indicate heavy bookings from mid
December to mid-March.
X II
Other reports from Nassau fore
cast the islands most brilliant win
ter tourist season. In addition to
parties and various social functions
a lively season has been planned for
fishing, sailing, golf, polo and tennis
Horse racing, revived last winter,
and swimming will round out the
jor pastimes.
Winter visitors have been arriving
in Nassau since October, but the
opening Of the Fort Montagu Beach
and the British Colonial Hotels next
month will begin the season formal
ly. The Carlton. House, formerly
known as the Rozelda Apartment
Hotel, has been remodeled and re-
furnished, and its dining facilities
have been restored. The former
Shoreham has been renamed the
Drake and has been converted into
a Department hotel.
Nearly 100000 has been spent or
the Fort Montagu Beach Hotel
erasing all vestiges of wartime occu-
patton by troops, and in adding new
facilities. The Nassau Aviation Co
has announced its sightseeing
flights over many islands of the
Bahamas group will take OF from
Montague Bay, in front of the hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel, which
remains open all year, is arranging
for series Of picnics and week end
parties at nearby Rose Island, whose
strip Of white bathing sand is be-
coming as well known as Paradise
Beach.
But perhaps the traveller would
like to discover something different
down West Indies way" According
to Carmen Mccormack, who ex-
plores resort spots on the routes and
byways of the Pan American Clipper
planes and writes about them, Bar
bados can offer that. "A former
Washington girl, Miss Mccormack
flew from Trinidad to see this men,
Der of England's colonial family. and
had this to say:
Barbados is totally and delight
fully different from the better known
British colonies of Nassau, Jamaica
and Trinidad. You've probably
heard very little about it.
It well can be love at first sight.
1t isn't just because this island has
all the accoutrements-fine hotels,
superb food, excellent service-so
dear to a North Americans heart.
Nor is it because 1t Is one Of the