Enjoy cricket world cup & St Patrick’s Day in Montserrat

With over 70,000 cricket fans expected in the Caribbean for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, accommodation and flights are booking up fast. So why not escape the crowds and inflated prices with a stay on the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean?

The pear-shaped island of Montserrat is just a short hop from nearby host nations Antigua and St Kitts, making it possible to commute to matches on either island, returning later that evening or the following day. In addition, cricket fans visiting the island in mid-March will be able to enjoy the craic of Montserrat’s week-long St Patrick’s Day festival.

Commuting to matches

Group A matches between Australia, South Africa, Scotland and the Netherlands will be held between 13th-25th March 2007 in St Kitts, which is a 30-minute flight from Montserrat.

Antigua, which is only a 15-minute flight away, will host the second stage Super 8 matches from 27th March - 8th April 2007.

Daily scheduled flights between Antigua and Montserrat are operated by Winair (fly-winair.com ), whilst charter airline Air Montserrat (airmontserrat.com ) will run services to both Antigua and St Kitts. Antigua-based Caribbean Helicopters (caribbeanhelicopters.com ) and Carib Aviation (carib-aviation.com ) also offer charter services.

With a large range of rental villas available, in addition to hotel and guesthouse accommodation, fans staying in Montserrat will find commuting a cost-effective and viable way of enjoying the tournament without breaking the bank.

Montserrat’s director of tourism Ernestine Cassell comments, “Demand for accommodation on the host islands is so high that prices are being doubled or even tripled. Here in Montserrat we have guesthouse accommodation from US$60 per room and rental villas for as little as US$250 per person for a whole week. As most of the cricket visitors will be in the Caribbean for several weeks, this will translate into an enormous cost saving to them. Additionally, they can experience everything else Montserrat has to offer - a laid back, friendly atmosphere, beautiful nature and scuba diving and even our active volcano.”

UK citizens do not need a visa to enter Montserrat or any of the Cricket World Cup host nations, making island hopping relatively simple. As such, Montserrat also hopes to welcome day-trip visitors and private boats to its shores. Boats and yachts can anchor at Little Bay in the northwest of Montserrat.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations

What is the Caribbean without a little carnival? After soaking up the atmosphere at the cricket, fans staying in Montserrat in mid-March will be able to enjoy one of the island’s biggest festivals – St Patrick’s Week – from 12th-19th March 2007.

With a strong Irish heritage, Montserrat is the only country in the world outside Ireland where St Patrick’s Day is a national holiday. The occasion is marked with a whole week of activities including exhibitions and events showcasing the island’s history, culture, arts and crafts. Highlights of the festival include a calypso competition; a fun-run; a guided nature Hike; a kite festival and many other activities. Fans are invited to kick back with a Guinness - or a rum punch – and enjoy the sound of Irish music played on steel pan drums.

Further information

There are no direct flights to Montserrat from the UK. Fly with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic or XL Airways to Antigua, from where connecting flights are operated by Winair (fly-winair.com ).

Villa rentals are available through Tradewinds Real Estate (tradewindsmontserrat.com ) and Montserrat Enterprises
(montserratenterprises.com ).

For further information on travelling to and staying in Montserrat, please see visitmontserrat.com.