Haapai Tonga

Without a doubt, our favorite part of Tonga was Haapai. We only had a week to spend in this beautiful island group but we enjoyed every minute. Once we found our anchorage, we loved it so much we didn’t move. If you ever visit the Kingdom of Tonga, don’t miss Haapai.

About Haapai Tonga

Ha’apai is pronounced “Ha a pie.” Located south of Vavau, the Haapai island group includes 51 islands plus atolls and coral reefs. We spent our week there in one perfect anchorage, and also walked to the main island a couple of times.

Sailboat anchored in beautifful waters in Tonga
Sava alone in her anchorage in Haapai

After weeks waiting in Vavau for a starting engine, Haapai was just what we needed! Less populated and quieter, we found it beautiful and relaxing.

We anchored by Foa island, home to two resorts and several beautiful beaches. Just south of Foa and across a bridge is Haapai’s main island of Lifuka and the port town of Pangai.

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Where to Eat in Cartagena Now

We love Cartagena! It’s fun, scenic, and the food is delicious. While Colombians complain that Cartagena is expensive, we found the prices reasonable compared to most other parts of the world, demonstrating how affordable the rest of Colombia is! In our five months in Cartagena, with side trips here and there, we ate out a lot. Why not? Cartagena’s restaurant scene is vibrant, varied, and affordable. I did a lot of research before coming, but many acclaimed restaurants closed during the pandemic, so my list is where to eat in Cartagena now.

When we first got to Cartagena, there was a curfew in effect and the town was empty. We ate a lot of lunches rather than have to rush through dinner at 6PM. Now hours are back to normal, and tourists are back, so I recommend reservations.

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A Weekend in Iles des Saintes

The French islands of Guadeloupe are close to Antigua so we decided to spend a weekend in Iles des Saintes. Les Saintes, as they are affectionately called, are a group of tiny islands to the south of the main islands of Guadeloupe. We didn’t have time to visit the rest of Guadeloupe, but this little taste leaves us wanting more from this region. 

Map Iles des Saintes
Map from Antigua to Iles des Saintes

Beauty Everywhere

The French know style and good looks and the beauty on display in Îles des Saintes certainly proves that.

Every view, from the beautiful islands in the anchorage, to the well- appointed flowerboxes on the homes in town, makes this a lovely place to visit.

Charming French burg

I haven’t been to France in close to twenty years, but the moment we set foot in Bourg des Saintes, the only town in Les Saintes, I felt transported.

We anchored in a bay off the island of Terre De-Haut and enjoyed our surroundings. It was a 70+ mile trip from English Harbour, but these islands are worlds apart!

Terre de haut
Sunset colors from the anchorage in Terre-de-Haut

This town is straight from your fantasies of France only it’s on the Caribbean with palm trees and beaches.

Bourg de Saintes
A street worth strolling in Bourg de Saintes

Charming describes Bourg de Saintes perfectly. The entire island is home to approximately 2000 people and you can feel the friendly and relaxed small town vibe.

The narrow winding streets are perfect for pedestrians, scooters and e-bikes, and some only permit foot traffic. Homes and businesses are brightly colored with windowframes and boxes.

The town is inviting and the people are warm, saying “bonjour” to you as you stroll along, and chatting with each other while window shopping and buying baguettes and ice cream.

A ferry ride away

The Saintes are a quick ferry ride away from the main island of Guadeloupe, so ferries were coming and going all the time. These high speed boats passed by the anchorage frequently and made it a little uncomfortable for those of us in the harbor.

The ferries do however bring an influx of life to the Saintes, and maybe more than usual because of the Monday holiday. Some of the visitors were from other parts of Guadeloupe, plus French and non-French speaking tourists.

Attractions

Les Saintes offer beautiful beaches and old forts.

The beaches are mostly difficult to reach, with cliffs to climb and descend, but when spending a weekend in Les Saintes, a beach is a must visit.

On our first day, after checking in via the customs computer at the dock, we hiked the hill to the main tourist attraction, the beautiful old Fort Napoleon. The 17th century fort is only open in the morning and you can drive there, but after sitting on the boat all day, stretching our legs was nice.

Fort Napoleon in Iles de Saintes
Fort Napoleon in Iles de Saintes

The grounds are immaculate with a little garden, the buildings are in good repair, and inside is an extensive museum. Some rooms contain art from the islands, some artifacts from marine animals, and others offer nautical history. One could spend a few hours soaking it in, and it only costs $5 to visit.

Scooter through the hills

Our friend Chuck from S/V Virtual Reality rented a scooter and loaned it to us for a few hours. We saw more of the island from the scooter seat, and rode up and down the hillside outside of the main metropolis.

weekend in Iles de Saintes with scooter
Brian and the scooter in Iles de Saintes

We took in some gorgeous views, saw lots of goats, the ruins of another fort and some cool beaches. On Sunday, the beaches are crowded.

As I mentioned, none of the beaches are easy to reach. Many require climbs down rocky paths and the beaches themselves are quite small. The payoff, at least on the lee side of the island where Pain de Sucre beach is, is calm clear seas perfect for swimming and wading.

Pain de Sucre Beach
The beautiful – and rugged – Pain de Sucre beach

The Food!

French food in the Caribbean; of course it’s good.

The boulangerie is crowded everytime we pass, but finally on Sunday morning we line up with the locals and purchase café au lait, croissants, and baguettes.

boulangerie
Bread in the boulangerie Bourg de Saintes

I don’t know if it’s the Sunday norm or because Monday was a holiday, but the locals buy multiple baguettes, and true to the stereotype, they carry them in shoulder bags, under their arms and on their scooters. Maybe they don’t want to wait in line anymore than we do!

We dined out a couple times during the brief 3 days we spent in The Saintes, and enjoyed the bread, locally made tarts, fresh fish, and ice cream.

What to Eat and Drink in a Weekend in Iles des Saintes

There are lots of restaurants on the island and all are tempting. French food is a treat after so long!

The croissants and baguettes are already gone. We will buy more when we get to Martinique. And they will go fast.

Ti Punch

This is the local rum drink. It’s a bit stronger and less fruity than typical rum punch. Make ti punch using rhum, sugar and lime juice. One was plenty for me! We had ours in the front patio at Le Citrus, a great bar with good wifi near the dinghy dock. This place filled up with drinkers on Saturday night.

Ti Punch Iles de Saintes
You can find Ti Punch all over Iles de Saintes

Ice Cream.

We don’t get a lot of ice cream on Sava, so when we see a quality gelateria, we can’t help ourselves. We got two scoops each!

ice cream flavors
Ice cream from Les Saintes

Seafood

Les Pieds Dans l’Eau is the happening seafront spot where we ate lunch. We had a tasty seafood terrine on excellent bread and the local cod fritters. Everything looked good here, and the service and view can’t be beat.

cod fritters
Cod Fritters from Les Pieds dans l’Eau

The local pastry

All over the streets are ladies (always ladies) selling miniature pastries. We found out what they were and had to buy them for ourselves. Called Tourment d’Amour, or Love’s Torment, they are tiny little pies with a layer of fruit custard on the bottom. Options include passion fruit, coconut, pineapple, guava and more. We got a 4 pack from a nice older woman selling them out of her home – assorted so we wouldn’t miss any of the flavors. Recommend!

After sampling a bit of Guadeloupe life with a weekend in Iles des Saintes, next season we will have to explore more of this charming French territory!

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Eating and Drinking in San Juan del Sur

I am getting 3 square meals a day in my home stay, but sometimes a girl needs a change from Nica cuisine. There’s only so much rice and beans and chicken one can take, and I like that food! So I have been exploring the local restaurants and have some recommendations for eating and drinking in San Juan del Sur.

Fortunately, San Juan del Sur has tons of options for eating and drinking. For a small Nicaraguan beach town, SJDS holds a huge variety of bars, cafes and restaurants. Most cuisines are represented: Italian, vegetarian, sushi, Chinese, Indian etc.

Below are my favorite dining spots I have visited since coming to this Nicaraguan surfing town.

San Juan del Sur Cerveceria

Cerveceria eating and drinking in San Juan del Sur
SJDS Cerveceria
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