The Islands - Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean: Lovetripper Guide - page 311

Electricity: Dutch side: 110 volts, 50 cyles, same as the US.
French side: 220 volts, 60 cycles; Americans needs converters.

Information: In the US, the Sint Maarten Tourist Office is lo-
cated at 675 Third Ave., Suite 1806, New York 10017, 800-ST

MAARTEN (800-786-2278) or 212-953-2084, fax [phone].
For information on French St. Martin, contact the French West
Indies Tourist Board at 444 Madison Avenue, New York 10022,

212-757-1125, ext. 227 or 877-956-1234, fax [phone]. In
Canada: French Government Tourist Office, 30 St. Patrick St.,
Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario,

416-593-6427. Website: www.st-
martin.org (French side); www.st-maarten.com (Dutch side).

Trinidad & Tobago
T Trinidad and Tobago share membership in the same inde-
pendent republic. They share the Trinidad-Tobago currency, the
TT dollar. And they both enjoy the same idyllic climate, located
south of the hurricane zone and rarely disturbed by the storms
that can ravage other Caribbean islands in the summer and fall
months.

But that's where the similarities between these two islands
end. Like city and country cousins, Trinidad and Tobago both
have a unique personality and distinct attractions.

Geography
Trinidad is by far the largest, both in terms of population and
size. This anvil-shaped island bustles with activity in Port of
Spain, the capital city that's also a capital in the world of Ca-
ribbean commerce. Here, you'll hear accents from residents
who have relocated from around the world to work in this mod-
ern metropolis. The Indian influence is stronger here than any-
where else in the Caribbean, and is seen in the faces of
islanders, the architecture, the food, and the religion, where
nearly one quarter of all residents are Hindu.

Port of Spain lies on the northwest coast, an area bordered by a
mountain range to the north and a dense, wildlife-filled swamp