The New Barbados

Barbados was named the World's number 1 hotspot for celebrities in 2007 and received the Caribbean's first, and only, Zagat rating in 2008; a recognition for superior hospitality. A 'Best of' guide was released this year, highlighting Barbados' most worthy attractions and serving as a manual to allow visitors the chance to wring a pure, satisfying experience from their next vacation.

If there is a predominant theme to the guide and, in turn, the island, it is the high level of diversity saturating the tiny (166 sq. miles) Caribbean island. New attractions breed a unique flavor throughout Barbados, while older and established testaments to its history are renovated and find new life in the flattering sentences of Zagat's guide. With so much to see and do, it would be virtually impossible to tackle its every recommendation. Below, in chocolate-sampler form, is an eclectic taste of the island.

The Lexy Piano Bar claims to be "sufystikated, elegantly-casual and air-conditioned". Cheesy pun aside, the new night spot boasts a swank slice of New York and provides a half show, half party, atmosphere that lasts until 2 in the morning. According to the Zagat guide, "Locals and visitors make requests and join in… mixed drinks, wine and champagne ensure that all inhibitions are banished."

To indulge on the island's famous flying fish and rum punch, visitors must make a stop at the newly renovated Oistins Fish Fry on Friday and Saturday evenings. The event is a popular forum to mix with the Barbados locals, eat rich seafood, and hear great music.

Hands-on dining presides over the Elbow Room, instituting a do-it-yourself experience where you "choose from a number of pre-seasoned meats—beef, chicken and fish—and then grill it yourself on hot lava stone.

The Arlington House Museum recently underwent an elaborate renovation. Reopening under a month ago, the 3-story building has become an interactive tribute to Barbados' history and culture. The ground floor, 'Speightstown Memories', gives insight to the early life of the island's township. The story of the island's colonization and sugar cane industry is found at 'Plantation Memories', on the second floor. And a talking pirate guides the third floor's 'Wharf Memories' exhibit, a tribute to Speightstown's former trades glory.

Barbados' most popular visitor attraction, Harrison's Cave, is once again open after a year's renovation. The newly improved cavern, a haven for crystallized limestone and stalactite and stalagmite formations, features six new wheelchair-accessible trams as well as a new ventilation, drainage, electrical, and lighting system. Other facilities have been added to the site, including interactive displays, a souvenir shop, and a snack bar.

The Zagat guide especially highlights Barbados' rich culture, namely cuisine, and natural attractions in colorful descriptions that leap from the page, tempting you to book that next departing flight. By receiving the Zagat approval, the future visitor can feel confident of their vacation to the island, knowing that there are no embellishments to the guide—that every vibrant adjective is authentic.

Summer in the Caymans

It's not too late to spend your summer vacation in the Caymans Islands! Don't let high air prices scare you away because if you book and travel between now and October 15, 2008, you will receive up to $400 in Air Credit upon check-out from your hotel! The air credit is not the only incentive the Cayman Islands are offering to lure vacationers. Check some of the other promos I found: (**restrictions apply!)

• Free Trip to Stingray City
• Kids eat free
• Kids fly 25% off on Cayman Airways
• Pay with your AMEX and receive a $100 AMEX Gift Check
• 5th Night Free at Participating Hotels
• 2 for 1 Coupon Books
• 10-25% off Dive Packages

Bring your kids to the Caymans before August 29, 2008 and let them enjoy meeting Diego from Dora the Explorer at the Cayman Islands Sea School sponsored by Nickelodeon.

Still not convinced? Watch this video brochure and contact us today for great vacation packages to the Cayman Islands!

Just Back - Rose Hall Resort & Country Club

My personal relationship with this property, goes way back. On one of my first trips to Jamaica, I toured this property with my host, the Jamaican Tourist Board. I was very impressed with the Sales & Marketing Director who gave the tour... in a twist of fate, 5 years later I married her brother! Speaking of weddings, I have booked several Rose Hall Resort Destination Weddings and all brides have been thrilled! Anyway, this hotel was formerly the Wyndham Rose Hall and became an independent property a few years ago. After changing ownership, the hotel has undergone a $35 million renovation and is all sparkly and new! $12 million of those funds were allotted to the new water park which is a smash hit with kids of all ages! I am booking this property on a weekly basis and ALL of my clients are coming home smiling. Here are some pics from Duncan Magee, a client who returned in May... Enjoy! (Thanks Duncan!)

The trend in Caribbean resorts is to create leisure pools with Miami-style cabanas catering to adults:

Adults Only Caribbean Resorts

Lately, the most frequent question I hear is "What resorts in the Caribbean are for Adults Only?" Below is my short list of faves and you can view more on my website! Picture is from one that always tops my list of recommendations, Couples Swept Away in Negril, Jamaica.





ALL Couples Resorts in Jamaica
ALL Sandals Resorts, Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas, St. Lucia
Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Galley Bay in Antigua
Dian Bay in Antigua
Almond Beach Club & Spa in Barbados
La Source in Grenada
Grand Lido in Negril, Jamaica
The Caves in Negril, Jamaica
Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Grand Lido Braco in Runaway Bay, Jamaica
Le Sport in St. Lucia
Rendezvous in St. Lucia
Palm Island Resort in the Grenadines

Check back for a list for Mexico's Playa del Carmen and Mayan Rivera!

Choosing a Resort to Match Your Personality

There is that old saying "you can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear." Whatever truth that may carry, and my best guess is not very much, it goes without saying that your vacation is a reflection of who you are. College kids travel in hoards to the beaches of Mexico in search of relaxed laws. Some of us, we flock to opposite poles of the world for different flavors of cultural experience. In Punta Cana, the variation between hotels offers a similar range of diversity, truly offering something for everybody.

Punta Cana's resorts span from the personalized,all-about-you services of smaller hotels to the overwhelming extravagance of the chains and boldnamers. What remains constant throughout most of the country and trend to most of the Dominican Republic's hospitality industry are the all-inclusive packages that fulfill almost every demand of a successful vacation. That covered, identifying a hotel that matches your personality, or your shoes, is the next step to finalizing your retreat.

For traveling families, TheStreet.com recommends nothing but the all-inclusives, as they tend to offer special family rates and activities to keep children to tweens occupied. The site suggests booking a reservation at larger reputable hotels.

"Sol Melia's Paradisus Punta Cana gets consistently good reviews." TheStreet.com said, "The sprawling but stylish property has four swimming pools, four tennis courts, a spa and health club, and on-call medical staff. For meals, there are eight a la carte and two buffet restaurants to choose from. Family activities include horseback riding, dance classes, snorkeling and scuba diving. The Family Concierge Suite starts at about $400 per day, including meals and activities. Kids are given t-shirts, floaters and walkie talkies to communicate with their parents."

Vacation planning with a golfing or fishing agenda should look not further than Casa de Campo, home to 3 courses designed by Peter Dye. The greens host international tournaments year-round and are frequented by professionals. Beside the golf, the hotel has over 300 rooms, 9 restaurants, 3 pools, and charters deep-sea fishing expeditions that see its visitors hooking tuna, kingfish, marlin, and barracuda.

In North-East Dominican Republic, the little town of Cabarete, population 20000, attracts a kiteboarding and windsurfing following. Velero Beach Resort, situated on a corner of the main beach, is a minute's walk out the lobby to all of Cabaretes' wind-sports. In the evening, a younger crowd invades the shoreline as the clubs open their doors and DJs spin their records.

To escape the hotel genres and wane to semi-seclusion, Casa Colonial, a hotel that resembles a manor, offer 50 modern luxury-resorts stocked with flat-screen televisions, high-speed internet, mini-bars, and a beach you can walk to just by stepping out your front door. Its spa features 13 treatment rooms and an assortment of massages and facials.

Contrary to popular pigeonholing, Dominican resorts are casually veering from the gimmicky nature of the all-inclusives of yore. Long past is the cattle-hearding of buffet lines and the screaming children darting wildly through the corridors. Hotels now opt for the serene and assimilate what comes naturally to the Dominican Republic as their sole theme.

Make a Difference - The Peacock Ball

The 4th Annual Peacock Ball was held Saturday May 10th, 2008 at the Ritz Carlton, Coconut Grove in Miami Florida. The annual event is hosted by the American Friends of Jamaica and includes a Gala and silent Auction. The American Friends of Jamaica organization consists of a group of Jamaican and American business persons, social sector leaders, political figures, and members of the diplomatic corp who come together to strategical connect resources from North American to Jamaica. To date, the organization has helped send over $11 Million in donations to Jamaican charities benefiting the educational, health, and economic sectors. In short, the AFJ helps to raise funds and overseas that they are deposited to the necessary recipients. The organization also honors extraordinary people with their International Humanitarian Award. One of this year's award recipients was Father Richard Ho Lung, founder of the Missionaries of the Poor based in Kingston. I was lucky enough to experience Father Ho Lung in his fundraising mission firsthand by attending a lovely concert of Jamaican musicians at a local church in Atlanta. Past honorees have included Chris Blackwell, American fashion icon Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky, Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, Sandals' founder Gordon "Butch" Stewart, Canada's Michael Lee-Chin, the Jamaican-born billionaire, philanthropist, and high-profile investor, GraceKennedy, Former President Ronald Reagan and Diageo, to name a few.

Keepin' it Real - Pictures from Jamaica

Most of my clients know I am comfortable on any island, tromping through the rain forest sans guide, or mingling with the locals at the city markets or listening patiently to hour-long fish tales at rustic beach bars. (All this adventure is tolerable because I know the splendid bed on which I will rest my head come night...) While the majority of my clients still prefer the safety of their resort and organized tours only, some are brave enough to venture out and really get to know their island hosts. With this in mind, I would like to share a really neat website I found: Pictures of Jamaica. While some of the pictures document the poverty and crime that are a reality on ANY island, most showcase off-the-beaten path spots of paradise that the island offers. Please view with an open mind. Enjoy!

Product Review - Wet Bathing Suit Bags

Let's face it, the price of an airline ticket is more expensive than ever before and any deals to be found are usually at offbeat times. Times that certainly don't mesh with hotel's strict check-in and check-out times. Solution for arriving at the resort before your room is ready? Pack your bathing suit in your carry-on, use a common changing room to shed your airplane outfit, and hit the sand! Solution for a flight leaving long after you've checked out? Same deal - hit the sand! (Or the pool... for some of you!) Don't want to travel home with a wet suit? Bring along one of these super cut "Wet Bikini" bags from Uncommon Goods, with a waterproof lining this bikini bag can be tossed in with the rest of your luggage... Presto!

Top Secluded Beaches of Puerto Rico

What many will consider the most striking beaches of Puerto Rico—with the exception of Coco Beach—are not actually part of its mainland. Instead, they can be found on islands off the coast. What is often the case with these beaches is that instead of overcrowding and gimmicky tourism ploy, what you get, instead, is a scarcely populated beach that paints a traditional, tropical paradise.

Topping the list is a beach unlike any other in Puerto Rico. It's ecosystem is seemingly unrivaled, and there are no hotels to spoil your line of sight. Mona Island is often referred to as the Galapagos Island of the Caribbean, and like the Galapagos, some of the more bizarre species of animals call it home, roaming its land and waters, openly. As a result, the island is closed to tourists during hunting season (January – April).

To add to exclusivity, tours to the island are only offered from May through November and to visit the island, you'll need permits from the Natural Resources and Environmental Department.

Coco Beach is not quite as elusive as Mona Island, but it does share some similar qualities. It offers lingering stretches of virginal beach and colorful contrast between greenery, sand, and vibrant blue ocean. On the beach, however, are as casual scatter of chic resorts; Gran Melia Puerto Rico and Coco Beach Golf and Country Club, just to name a few.

Shacks Beach, also known as Bajuras, of Isabela Island is known for spectacular waters that facilitate the best snorkeling, surfing, and windsurfing in Puerto Rico. What many notice are the sleepy coconut palms that line the beach and offer ideal conditions for napping or relaxing.

Another deserted beach still absent of hotels (we think), is the Northeast Corridor of Luquillo. The island is not as exclusive as Mona and still offers an impressive amount of exotic wildlife and lush vegetation.

What is particularly appealing about the beaches of Puerto Rico is that, save a few of the overdeveloped areas, most of them are incredibly secluded. They project a sensation of unaware onto their visitors. It is a feeling of isolation that is strangely comforting and familiar.

Fall in Love with St. Kitts!

Many of St. Kitt's best hotels are participating in a great promo valid all summer and through the fall! In addition to roundtrip airport transfers and taxes/service fees, the special includes:

The Container Store's Travel Sale is ON!

One of my favorite shops, The Container Store is having its annual Travel Sale. With the goal of making all travelers ORGANIZED travelers, the store stocks some of the coolest finds for travel junkies. From packing cubes and envelopes to help save space in your suitcase, to the funkiest luggage tags ever, this place has it all. One of my faves is the bungee cord for my Ipod Nano - necessity - YES!

Superclubs FAB5 Fall Sale!

Many of Superclubs FABULOUS resorts in Jamaica, Curacao, and the Bahamas are on sale if you book by June 30, 2008! Travel at these FABULOUS discounted rates is valid from August 15 to December 15, 2008. Rates below are for 5 night packages:

JAMAICA
Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa$150 Spa Credit - Oceanview Jr. Suite - $1019
Grand Lido Braco Resort & Spa$250 Spa Credit - Royal Beachfront Room - $945
Hedonism IIOceanview Room - $789
Hedonism IIIOceanfront Room - $789
Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Golf ClubPremium Room - $719
Breezes Montego BayDeluxe Oceanview Room - $645
Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa, An Affiliate ResortOceanview Room - $435
Rooms Ocho Rios, An Affiliate ResortContinental Breakfast Daily - Oceanview Jr. Suite - $299
CURAÇAO
Breezes Curacao Resort, Spa & CasinoOceanview Room - $709PLUS: Children 2-13 are FREE!
BAHAMAS
Breezes BahamasDeluxe Oceanview Room - $795

Or perhaps you would prefer one of the other FABULOUS Sales...
Choose the one that best fits your needs!
FABA - Drastically Reduced Guaranteed Single Supplement (Available at all resorts)
FABB - Specially Reduced Children's Rate (Availabale at Starfish Trelawny and Rooms Ocho Rios)
FABD - Reduced Room Rate PLUS TWO $5.00 30-minuite massages (Available at Grand Lido Negril, Grand Lido Braco, Hedonism II, Hedonism III, Breezes Runaway Bay, Breezes Montego Bay, Breezes Bahamas, Breezes Curacao and Starfish Trelawny)
FABE - Reduced Room Rate PLUS $5.00 Cart/Caddie once per stay (Available at Grand Lido Braco, Breezes Runaway Bay, Breezes Montego Bay and Starfish Trelawny)

Contact CaribbeanJourney.com for a personalized quotes!