Montserrat -- An Undiscovered Volcanic Gem

When I walked into the Quiet Mon Irish pub yesterday in St. John I didn't know which island I would head to next. So I whipped out my trusty laptop (cutest laptop in the world), and about 4 beers later I decided to go to Montserrat. All the information I got indicated that it is a pretty unique place off the beaten path with very few tourists, and it had an active volcano! (How many islands have you been to with an active volcano?? Ok, not counting Hawaii). Anyway, these are the types of place that appeal to me and it sounded pretty cool. Getting there is not trivial either; it was an adventure and that was part of the attraction too. It took a 6-hop journey: St. John -> West End Tortola (ferry) -> Beef Island (taxi) -> St. Maarten -> St. Kitt -> Antigua -> Montserrat. The first thing that impressed me was the immigration officials. They were actually friendly and said "Welcome to Montserrat!", as opposed to the stern, official businesslike demeanor that is nearly universal around the world. Second thing was my hotel. I could say it's the best hotel in Montserrat but that wouldn't be saying much. It's the only hotel in Montserrat! Still, it's quite elegant. My back balcony opens up to southern views toward the volcano and Katy Hill. My front balcony yields panoramic views of the entire northern coastline. The room even has a kitchenette. It's the best hotel I've stayed at so far on this trip! And it's definitely off the beaten path. I'm told there might be a couple other tourists on the island, but I haven't seen them. Everyone I meet here asks how/why I decided to come here, of all places. I don't really have a good answer for them. I just say something about this place struck me as unique and special, and I decided to check it out for myself.

Although it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to come here, it's clear to me that I made the right decision.