An Un-Caribbean Special

Saba is often referred to as the un-Caribbean island. Not for its lack of pristine water, spicy island cuisine, or colorful local population... but because absent are throngs of cruise ship passengers crowding stores to buy made-in-china wears stamped with Caribbean designs. Absent are beach vendors persuasively suggesting you MUST buy their wares. (One reason for this, is Saba has no beaches. Read on.) Absent are over-built mega all-inclusive hotels taking advantage of clients looking to drink themselves silly. Instead what you will find is a tranquil "rock" in the middle of the Caribbean Sea... a hotspot for world renowned artists looking for simple retreats, gourmet cuisine that competes on a first class scale due to the variety of visiting chefs in the high-season.


Any list of off-the-beaten Caribbean must include Saba. If you are interested in visiting this incredibly unique island, let me know and I will put together a great package for you. Enjoy!

Winter Special at Eden House Villa in Anguilla!

Visit ARUBA.... Now!

Aruba's beaches are the ones copied on postcards sold worldwide. The perfect white sand, peaceful waves, and crystal clear water welcome hundreds of my clients every year. This is where I send my beach lovers who also require plenty of upmarket dining establishments. The beaches are long and welcoming, not small bays that house the beaches of many other Caribbean islands. You can't walk for miles because it is a small island - but you can walk until your legs are tired and you must stop to refuel with a cool beverage.

There are two main beaches, Eagle & Palm. This is Palm Beach:

And this is Eagle Beach:
Palm is where you will find the high rises like the Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, and Radisson. Eagle Beach is where you find the smaller, boutique hotels like the Manchebo and Bucuti.

And that upmarket cuisine I mentioned? Well, just so you know, I would visit Aruba just to eat. Many of the restaurants are simply that good. My favorites are Madame Janette, Gasparito, and Hosteria Da' Vittorio. Should you be in doubt, the island has a Gastronomic Association to set you on the right path to perfection.

There is plenty of shopping on the island and nightlife in downtown Oranjestad. It is easy to get there from any hotel... jump on the local bus, pay $1 and cruise on down. Safe and easy.

What some say Aruba might lack in true island culture, it certainly makes up for with its great beaches and supreme dining so don't wait, book your trip now! Here are few of the specials I found today:

Radisson Aruba - discounted rates and $100 food and beverage credit.

Renaissance Marina Hotel - 4th night free and 25% off local vendors.

Tamarijn Aruba - reduced rates.

Here's a little video from the Aruba Tourist Board:

Test Drive Your Travel Wardrobe Before You Buy

What if there was a site that scanned the items for sale on the Internet and logged them in a searchable database that you could browse and create perfect outfits for any occasion, say perhaps for your next Caribbean vacation? Well, meet Polyvore, a site that does just that. I've been having fun on this site for a few months now... here are a couple of my favorite Caribbean worthy creations. I was channeling lazy days wandering through Caribbean markets and leisurely dining seaside...
You can also upload pictures of the clothes you already have and use the service to try and find the missing link to making your outfits fabulous. I love it! Enjoy!

Caribbean Crab Race

If you are bored on your next Caribbean vacation, then what you do is this. Find 4 or more cutie-pie hermit crabs (or Soldier Crabs as they are called in the Caribbean) and set them to race. That's right, race. We have done this with our kids on occasion and couldn't resist a race in their honor on our recent adults only trip to the Bahamas.

These little guys were so adorable and so well behaved!

But they weren't too into the race. The prizes we were offering must not have been enticing enough...
Yea! The Gold Medalist winner!

Save 50% on Last Minute Travel to Barbados & St. Lucia

WHO - Almond Resorts
WHAT - Save 50% off you All-inclusive Caribbean Vacation

WHEN - Book between November 17 & December 19, 2008 for travel between December 1-20, 2009 and January 3 to February 9, 2009

Almond Causarina Resort

Almond Beach Village

Almond Beach Club & Spa

Deep-Sea Fishing & A Private Island - Mexico Style

Listen up ladies, plenty of you ask me to design guy-loving trips for your special someone... well, this post is for you! On two days of our trip, Mr. Sangster was lucky enough to enjoy top-notch deep sea fishing. Remind you, Mr. Sangster has visited 70 countries, participated on winning teams in Caribbean Marlin Tournaments, and fished the world over - but not the Pacific Coast of Mexico. And oh boy, was he in for a treat! Big fish make big splash:

After only a few hours on the boat...

All the hard work paid off! The day's catch was a 320lb Blue Marlin and an 80lb Sailfish: (Ask me about the 620lb rare Black Marlin Julie's husband caught on their last trip!)

What happens to the catch, might you ask? The captain and his team sell them at the fish market and keep the profits. Who took our men on this fabulous trip? The Captain, Mr. Alfredo Vargas. And is he available to take your husband out to sea too? Why yes, check out his website here.

And here is the fabulous Captain with his granddaughter Diana, the following day when we took the boat to Ixtapa Island - a private island about a mile off the coast of Ixtapa:

On the approach and the kids were excited:
Brace yourselves, the following is very rare indeed. So, as we approached Ixtapa Island, we saw from a distance what we thought were flying fish. As we moved closer, we decided they were sting rays - and even closer, the final observation was telling, they were Manta Rays. And they were jumping. 20-30 of them, in an orchestrated performance that is sure to top even the prized water show at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. There was no noise, except for the rhythmic splash as they landed back in the water. It was unreal. We slowly moved closer and looked over the edge of the boat, there must have been 50+ rays swimming in the clear water with a few sea turtles in the mix. It was science up close and personal and something our kids will not soon forget:
Finally, we landed and enjoyed the pristine beach and clear water. Jules & I snorkeled over coral reefs and brightly colored fish, dodged a few Barracuda looking things that turned out to be needle fish. The kids rented water bikes and rode "the banana". All this while the Captain arranged for the kitchen on the island to cook us up a feast...
We started with this... Mexican style ceviche with fresh Bonita Fish - less than 1 hour old:

And then the real deal, a bounty of lobster tails and snapper grilled two ways served with rice, guacamole, and fresh tortillas. Heaven. And our friendly El Capitan ready to enjoy. Such a delight!
We explored much of the island, walking to the beach on the other side where the guys had been snorkeling earlier. The beach was just as lovely:
We stepped into the water. And then we looked down. And swimming around our ankles were an abundance of Parrot Fish, Angel Fish, and school-master Snapper. The kids had a ball with the harmless fish. And Julie & I shared knowing glances of the guilt of taking our kids out of school for this trip erasing because this experience was more then they could ever learn in the classroom:

Restaurant Review - La Sirena Gorda, Zihuatanejo

Lucky for us, a few doors down from the casa was La Sirena Gorda a delightful restaurant with such flair. La Sirena Gorda is "the fat mermaid" in Spanish. I pocketed a few of these coasters and plan on making something crafty with them:

The Tides Zihautanejo

This is where we spent our days, The Tides Zihuatanejo. It is a 5 star resort that Travel & Leisure included in their 2008 List of Top 100 Hotels and Conde Nast included in their 2008 Top 15 Latin American Hotels... justifiably so! We had an amazing time enjoying their top-rate cuisine and impeccable service. Ronaldo, our beach attendant and waiter arranged a table on the beach adjacent to our palapa, complete with linens and high chairs for the little ones: