Martinique: Places To Go

Entertainment

Nightclubs abound and tend to be very expensive (70F to get in and the same price for a drink, whether orange juice or a large whisky). Nightclubs include Le New Hippo, 24 Boulevard Allègre, Fort-de-France, T602022; Le Cheyenne, 4 rue Garnier Pagès; Le West Indies, rue Ernest Deproge; Zipp's Club, Dumaine, François, T546545. Casinos charge 60F entrance fee if you are not staying at the hotel, take passport or identification card. There are several bars (piano bar or café théâtre) where you can listen to various types of music. At Coco Loco, rue Ernest Deproge in Fort-de-France, regular jazz sessions are held, T636377. Others include Manikou Night, Jazz Club St-James, rue Pietonne des Villages de Rivière Roche, Fort-de-France, Le Papagayno, Rond Point du Vietnam Héroïque, in Fort-de-France. Out of town, Crazy Night, on the road to Diamant, recommended. Most large hotels lay on Caribbean-style evening entertainment for tourists; limbo dancers, steelbands, etc. The new, main casino is at Schoelcher, the Casino Plaza, with tables and slot machines, near the Hôtel Framissima. Hôtel Meridien has a casino 2300-0300, proof of identity is required for entry. Choubouloute, the local entertainments guide, is found in most bars and hotels.

For those whose visit does not coincide with any festivals, there is plenty of other entertainment. The Ballet Martiniquais (T634388) is one of the world's most prestigious traditional ballet companies. Representing everyday scenes in their dance, they wear colourful local costume and are accompanied by traditional rhythms. Information about performances and venues, usually one of the large hotels (Novotel, Caritan, Carayou, Méridien, Bakoua) can be obtained from the tourist office. Every year in July, SERMAC (Parc Floral et Culturel and at the Théâtre Municipal) organizes a two-week arts festival in Fort-de-France with local and foreign artistes performing plays and dance, T716625. CMAC (Centre Martiniquais d'Action Culturelle, Av Franz Fanon, Fort-de-France, T617676) organizes plays, concerts, the showing of films and documentaries all year round and an annual festival in December.

Cinemas

There are several comfortable, a/c cinemas in Fort-de-France and the various communes. No film is in English; tickets cost 30F. A state-of-the-art multiscreen complex is in the Palais de Congres de Madiana, T721515, northwest of the centre of Fort-de-France at Schoelcher. Turn off the main highway just before Anse Madame, taking the road right, leading to the university. The road to the Palais is the first on the right.

Theatres

The main theatres are theThéâtre Municipal in the lovely old Hôtel de Ville building and Théâtre de la Soif Nouvelle in the Place Clemenceau. The Théâtre Atrium, on the corner of rue de la Redoute du Marouba, opened in 1998, state of the art hall, shows every evening, operas, plays, concerts, dance etc, T607878, F608820, atrium-info@cgste.mq