e've been wading through stacks and piles of statistical data about Caribbean tourism. A few highlights we've stumble onto: Which island has the largest number of weekly cruise ship visits in high season? St. Thomas (averaging almost 30 per week), followed by Barbados, St. Maarten, Grand Cayman and Puerto Rico. What country has the most overnight visitors? The Dominican Republic (which had more than 2.6 million arrivals in 1999), followed by Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. And which island has the highest population density? St. Maarten/St. Martin (over 1,800 residents per square mile), followed by St. Thomas, Barbados, Aruba and Puerto Rico. And which Caribbean country came away with the most metals at the 2000 Olympics? Cuba (a total of 29, which is 1 more than Great Britain snared), followed by Jamaica with seven, Trinidad and Tobago with two, and Barbados with one.

ut there are still places left to discover in the Caribbean - islands where the ravages of tourism have yet to scar the landscape and culture. We've raved about lovely les Saintes off Guadeloupe for years, but it wasn't until this summer that we finally made it to nearby Marie-Galante. Though it's a large island (almost twice the size of St. Martin/St. Maarten for instance), we wouldn't dedicate an entire vacation to visiting Marie-Galante, unless our exclusive focus was beaches - it has several gorgeous strands. Nonetheless, it makes a terrific side trip from busy Guadeloupe and easily can be seen in a long day or two.

Marie-Galante is shaped in a near perfect circle, and the highest point is just a few hundred feet above sea level. In looks, it reminds us of Antigua's rolling fields of cane; there is little in the way of forests as Marie-Galante is fairly dry. The island has a population of 12,400, yielding a bucolic charm - tourism is a very recent, but fast-growing notion. The dominant industry is sugar cane, still hauled by ox from the extensive fields of cane blanketing much of the island. About 95 percent of the crop is exported to foreign markets, while the remainder is used by three distilleries to produce Marie-Galante's increasingly famous rum, which is unique for two reasons. First, it is produced from fresh cane juice (common in the French islands), instead of molasses (as is standard in the non-French Caribbean). This creates a product similar to fine cognac, and is labeled rhum agricole. Second, Marie-Galante produces rum with an unusually strong 59 percent alcohol content — the rhum agricole of that strength is exclusive to this island (in the Caribbean, at least). Actually, the excellent rum is something we haven't seen for sale anywhere outside of the French islands or in Parisian specialty shops. So, while you're here, spend a couple hours touring the rum plants and bring a few bottles home.

Marie-Galante is not an action-packed destination - nightlife is virtually nonexistent. But if you're content with very light sightseeing excursions, or to curl up with a book on the beach, it might be just right for a few days of serious decompression. Until recently, there was little in the way of tourist facilities, but the island's first resort opened in 1999 - the modest and moderately priced Cohoba, which sits just behind a fine beach. A series of one- and two-story buildings sprawl about undernourished gardens - a fair-sized pool is the focal point. Three categories of rooms are fairly simple, but appealing in their minimalist design; bungalows are nicest, with a semi-private patio. Junior Suites have kitchenettes on the balconies. There's a fairly good restaurant here, but don't tie yourself down to the meal plan as there are a number of decent restaurants on Marie-Galante. Water sports and tennis are available. Rates are NOT SO CHEAP, and reservations can be made through 800-322-2223, or on island at 590-0097-50-50.

y the way - we think the word Cohoba is associated with smoking weed, which might have something to do with the beach it sits on, named Folle Anse - Crazy Bay. Actually, anyone who's traveled to the Caribbean knows how ganja (in small quantities anyway) is pretty much an accepted part of the social landscape, even though it illegal on all of the islands. Just how accepted came amusingly to light on Dominica recently, where the Caribbean Rastafarian Organization held an eight-day conference in August. It is said that in the opening meeting, marijuana - which is considered a sacrament by Rastas - was openly smoked in front of Dominica's Attorney General, Bernard Wiltshire, and three of his police officers. After protests had been lodged by some islanders, a few days later Wiltshire met with the organizers about this "rather embarrassing" situation and further huffing and puffing was closeted by the religious sect.

h dear, the Caymans are in the news again - and it's not pretty. First, as you may know, Grand Cayman is the world's fifth largest banking center. It's no secret why there's $500 billion in funds lodged in the island's 590-plus offshore banks (mostly to avoid paying taxes at home, while some of it is going through a deep rinse cycle). In the past, the Cayman government has been rather smug about its position in global banking, even allowing the industry to be glamorized in the Tom Cruise movie, The Firm. Not any more. With increased scrutiny being placed on offshore banking centers by the U.S., Great Britain and other countries, Cayman is becoming a little defensive about its major revenue earner. On September 19, Associated Press issued a report about Swiss banks being warned to exercise care in dealing with Cayman's financial operations. But you wouldn't have heard about it on island. According to informed sources, management at Radio Cayman - the island's primary news radio station - was pressured by the Cayman Financial Secretary to kill the story. The newsroom erupted in fury when staff was told that the report would not be aired, and the day's 6 p.m. newscast was delayed by 15 minutes as the News Director "stormed out in protest." Cayman's Chief Secretary James Ryan then issued a statement taking responsibility for the action, and stating how he "fully supports freedom of expression." But apparently, only as long as it's not in conflict with the government's spin of the moment.

Then, the local Department of Labour charged that the Hyatt Regency resort (probably Grand Cayman's top hotel) illegally withheld $1.5 million from its employees. The money in question was collected as part of the resort's usual 15% service charge, which is added to final bills when guests check out (in lieu of tips, and as is standard on most Caribbean islands). But the government says that some of this service charge money was diverted to Hyatt Regency's mid-management and clerical staff - employees not qualified for gratuities under local law. We think the service charge policy is murky enough - after all, an employee gets the same "tip" if service is lousy at a resort as if their ministrations were great. Further, we hear that some islands allow hotels to deduct a percentage from the service charges to pay for breakages, employee transportation costs, and other non-service related costs. So, do us a favor: next time you check out of a Caribbean resort, ask the management to explain exactly how your "tip" will be distributed.

he winter season typically heralds the debut of new air service to the Caribbean and there's lots of new routes this year. United Airlines will establish a once-weekly flight between Chicago and Aruba starting November 11, while USAirways begins a daily flight to Aruba from Philadelphia starting November 12. Continental has announced four-times-weekly service between Newark and Grand Cayman, beginning December 14. USAirways has set new daily service between Philadelphia and Santo Domingo starting November 12. Delta will offer double SkyMiles through February 28 for its three new Caribbean routes: daily San Juan service out of Cincinnati, and daily Grand Cayman and Aruba flights from JFK - all starting November 1. Also check out Air Jamaica's current mileage bonuses (for members of Delta's SkyMiles program): bonus miles for round-trip flights to Jamaica through December 15 - as many as 10,000 for trips originating in Los Angeles or Phoenix (note that the most economical fares don't qualify for this offer).

nd American Eagle is starting up inter-island service between several points in the eastern Caribbean; St. Thomas-St. Kitts, Santo Domingo-St. Maarten, St. Lucia-St. Vincent, St. Thomas-Anguilla, Tortola-St. Maarten and St. Maarten-St. Kitts - all starting by November 2. There are introductory fares for the American Eagle routes that offer round-trips as low as $78 this fall. Hmmm - coupled with the new EC Xpress (a subsidiary of Air Jamaica), could this be a death knell for local inter-island carrier LIAT?

e're off to Anguilla this month, where we'll be checking out that new resort named after a common kitchen appliance. Yes, we mean The CuisinArt, and we'll tell you whether the food lives up to the name when we return!