WHAT YOU'LL LIKE

* Drop-dead-gorgeous landscapes and seascapes.

* South-end beaches.

* French style and cosmopolitan atmosphere of luxury hotels.

* Welcoming Creole islanders.

* Exploring tropical forest and waterfalls in the mountainous interior.

* Touring the north end by car.

WHAT YOU MAY NOT CARE FOR

* French attitude in tourist enclaves.

* Attempting to speak French to Continentals.

BEST ADVICE

* Do take a French-English phrasebook.

* Do get away from the beaches and head up into the highlands.

Posted online 12/01/98.