Adventures by Morgan

I took a solo Virgin Voyages cruise and here is how I spent my day in Martinique! I headed up to Jardin De Balata and spent the day wandering through the botanical gardens! Read more to find out how I got there!

This was one of my favorite days on the cruise, and different than my usual vibe. When I go to the Caribbean, I like to sit on the beach, try some local cuisine, and enjoy the sunshine. This day, I decided to switch things up when I saw the pictures from Jardin De Balata.

As a solo traveler, I’m well aware that a lot of things are going to be slightly more difficult. During this cruise however, this was the first day that I had any issue with being a solo traveler. When I exited the ship, I immediately tried to find a taxi to get over to the gardens. Just like other cruise ports, there were plenty of taxi drivers right outside the port ready to take you anywhere you needed to go. When I started asking some of the drivers, it was very clear that many of them did not want to take the ride up to the garden for just one person. I waited for a few minutes with one driver who talked with some other groups. There were no other groups that wanted to ride with this particular driver for either the price, the wait, or they simply were heading elsewhere.

To solve this problem, I found another group of two that also wanted to head up to the botanical gardens. We found another taxi driver that was willing to take the 3 of us up to the botanical garden. It also helped with price because he charged us as a group and not individually. Connecting with another group was also helpful as one of the people in the other group spoke French.

Note: The primary language spoken in Martinique is French. Of all the destinations I have visited in the Caribbean (10 different islands), Martinique was one of the more difficult places to communicate without knowing French. As an American, I never expect people to speak English when I travel. The people in Martinique DO speak English, it just isn’t nearly as common as it is in other locations. Having a French speaker with us was extremely helpful and made the situation much easier. It would not have been impossible to communicate and get where I needed to go, but this is just something to keep in mind if you are going to Martinique.

It probably took an hour from the time I got off the ship to starting the drive up to the gardens. We arranged for our taxi driver to come back and get us at a certain time, which was something we had to negotiate. Initially, the time they were going to come pick us up would have only given us about 30 minutes in the gardens. Myself, and the other party, both agreed that wasn’t long enough and were able to convince him to move the time. Another time when having a French speaker was very helpful.

Note: All of the logistics and pricing for this taxi ride was agreed upon before we even left the cruise port. Make sure you have all of the agreements in place beforehand and agree on the price for the sake of you and the drivers in the area.

Once we arrived at the gardens, I can tell you with 100% confidence that all of the logistics were worth it. This was one of the most stunning places I have ever been. The pictures did not do this garden justice. The gardens are not free, but it costs about 18 USD for full day access to the gardens. That included entry as well as access to the tree bridges! (More on that later!)

I separated from my group and wandered around the gardens taking in all the scenery and plants. Around every corner was more and more beauty. There was a koi fish pond, more flowers than I could count, mountain views, and even ocean views! Included with entry was access to the tree bridges which were not only fun but offered even better views!

After an amazing day in the botanical gardens, my new friends and I headed for the exit and met our cab driver. By the time we got back to Fort-de-France, there was still plenty of time before I had to be back on the ship. Fort-de-France is different than a lot of other cruise ports. Most of the time, ships dock and have that traditional cruise port area. You normally find stores, duty free, areas to set up tours, etc.

Fort-de-France is not like this at all. When you get off the ship, you enter right into a city. It’s not a far walk, it’s not separated, you really are right in Fort-de-France which is really cool and different. Even in other places without a traditional cruise port, there are still a lot of logistics to get out of the port area. It was really refreshing to just be able to walk into the city and explore.

I spent another hour wandering around Fort-de-France exploring, wandered into another gorgeous church, and admired the architecture of the city. I definitely marked Fort-de-France on my “must return” list!

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Fort-de-France, Martinique is a beautiful cruise port with so much to offer. If you are stopping here on a cruise, or just traveling to Martinique, you definitely don’t want to miss Jardin De Balata. Enjoy the views of the city, and even take in some of the history around!

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