3 Nights Free at the Hermitage Inn - Nevis
Low Season Special! Book 7 nights and receive 3 FREE at the Hermitage!
The Hermitage is charming historic Caribbean Plantation Inn on the island of Nevis. It offers true West Indian-style cottages in a lush tropical location, with swimming pools, tennis courts, horses, great nature walk opportunities and gourmet dinning.
The Hermitage is perched about 800 feet on the side of Mount Nevis -the perfect location, cool mountain breezes at night and the beaches are only 15 minutes away!
Our frequently returning guests help create a wonderful house party. With only 15 rooms, the atmosphere is always intimate.
Caribbean Journey - World Travel Awards Nominee
I am so excited to announce that my travel company, Caribbean Journey, has been nominated for a 2010 World Travel Award. Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "Travel industry's equivalent to the Oscar's", the World Travel Awards are the most comprehensive and most prestigious awards program in the global travel industry.
As a World Travel Award Nominee, Caribbean Journey will be put forward into the final round of voting. The results will then be announced in September. Voting is extended to over 183,000 travel industry professionals and the general public. If you've used my travel planning services or simply appreciate learning about the Caribbean from this blog, please take a minute and vote for us! Check back in September to see if we won. Thank you!
Frazier the Tree Guy
Walt Frazier, a Hall of Fame player for the New York Knicks basketball team, shed his peacock Clyde alter ego to become Frazier the tree guy, as locals call him on St. Croix. He's owned property on the island of St. Croix since 1979 and lived through some a few of the worst hurricanes in recent history... that makes anyone a native. Read the full story "The Transition Game" from the New York Times.
His properties are an extension of his oversized personality and can actually be rented a vacation villas through Calabash Realtors.
{I love this photo. Dreamy}
A little truth about hotel review sites...
As a travel consultant, clients often come to me with a short list of hotels they are most intersted in and want my professional opinion on which one is the "perfect match" for their vacation. When I ask how they arrived at their choices on the list, the most common response is that they spent a little time on hotel review sites, ruling out any property with negative reviews. Thanks to Christopher Elliott and the Washington Post for this overdue article which supports my feelings that review sites shouldn't always be trusted..."Oh, the things hotels will do for a good review. It's not enough to ask guests for a write-up on a popular site such as TripAdvisor or Yelp after they've checked out. Lately, some innkeepers have been pressuring their guests to say positive things online -- in extreme cases, even before they've checked in. Take what happened to Pam Stucky when she recently made a reservation at a small hotel in Scotland. Before she arrived, the owner sent her an e-mail soliciting a recommendation on TripAdvisor, even though she'd never been to the hotel... read the full article here."
Caribbean Travel by the Numbers
In years past, the requests my clients had centered around finding THE place to go, the most popular resorts on the most visited islands, the in & trendy "must visits". Fast forward to 2010, and the hectic lives most of us lead, and the requests for "off the beaten Caribbean" are on the rise. So here's a list, courtesy of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, showing just how many visitors sought sun on each Caribbean island in 2009, from the popular to the quiet. The visitors are totals, coming from the US, Europe, and beyond.
The list is as I excepted, only Cuba & Martinique's numbers were a surprise to me. It must be all of the cheap flights from Europe and Canada that boost these island's visitors. Cuba is not on my radar as I am banned from selling the island. Martinque remains one of the few islands I haven't yet visited nor do I get many requests for it. After seeing this list, I'm ready to visit and see what 443,202 other people enjoy about it!
1. Dominican Republic - 3,992,303
2. Cuba - 2,429,809
3. Jamaica - 1,831,097
4. Cancun - 1,434,416
5. Bahamas - 1,116,195
6. Puerto Rico - 1,082,423
7. Aruba - 812,623
8. US Virgin Islands - 666,051
9. Barbados - 518,564
10. Martinique - 443,202
11. St. Maarten - 440,185
12. Curacao - 333,866
13. St. Lucia - 278,491
14. Cayman Islands - 271,958
15. Trinidad & Tobago - 251,975
16. Bermuda - 235,860
17. Antigua & Barbuda - 211,107
18. British Virgin Islands - 205,914
19. Belize - 192,155
20. Guyana - 141,053
21. Grenada - 113,370
22. Dominica - 64,402
23. St. Vincent & the Grenadines -60,442
24. Bonaire - 49,316
25. Anguilla - 30,716
26. Saba - 8,707
27. Montserrat - 4,897
28. St. Eustatius - 4,025
Down in Mexico by Amanda Julca
Amanda Julca is a photographer who returned recently from a vacation to Mexico and shared these fantastic photos with me in support of my "be there now" campaign. She captured the ocean in the most perfect lighting...
...making it seem as if even the waves are quiet...
Viva Mexico!
For more on the talented Amanda Juluca - go here. Enjoy!
Best Caribbean Travel Apps for iPhone
This is a very ambitious post for me because I have not yet reached the ideal level of comfort one desires with today's technology. However, I am a recent convert to the cult of Mac and am enjoying the honeymoon stage with my iPhone.
I'll be taking a Caribbean Vacation for two weeks at the end of this month and I have begun my research for the apps I want to use on my trip. I've downloaded them, read the reviews, and tested them out as best I can from home. Check back in mid-April to see my reviews of each.
Skype - Who doesn't love Skype? Ok - I am sure there are plenty of you. In our house it is a staple because my husband and I have settled in a town where we have no family. Our relatives are keeping house everywhere from San Francisco, Jamaica, Italy, New Zealand & more. Skype keeps us in touch and allows our kids to see a live picture of their relatives. I've heard that the Skype App, when connected to a local Wi-Fi, will allow you to make free calls. Its FREE, let's see how it works on the beach!
The Coconut Connection by RumShopRyan - I'm satisfied just by the name, but guess what? Ryan is a real person and is quickly developing his own cult of follows in the virtual Caribbean. His app will keep you connected to his Caribbean themed tweets and his guidebook coverage of the islands. The icon alone is worth the download, plus its FREE.
Oanda Currency Converter - US Dollars are widely accepted in the Caribbean but most avid travelers will agree, you will save a few pennies if you pay with local currency. We also like to exchange currency as a way to educate our daughter on the process. Good news! The Oanda Converter has exchange rates loaded for the Eastern Caribbean Dollar & Jamaican Dollar. FREE!
Gate Guru - I like to eat, so I like this one. GateGuru let's you know what restaurants are located near your gate and features a review forum so you can let others know how much you loved or hated your meal. It has listings for ATMs, children's play areas, and First Class Lounges too. This one likely won't have info on locations available at Caribbean airport we are arriving at - but should help us navigate the new terminal we are flying out of. FREE for now.
Flashlight - Have you ever been in the Caribbean when the power goes out? If it happens on your first or second night, you might not be familiar with your surroundings and after a few cocktails, this could be very dangerous. The Flashlight app will come in very handy. FREE!
Postman - Create and send virtual postcards to let friends & family know how your trip is going. This one is a tough sell for me, not because of the $1.99 price but because I am a huge fan of pretty paper and prefer pen & ink. However, this app would be a great tool for a bride or groom having a Destination Wedding and wanting a unique way to update any relatives unable to make the trip.
Are there any others you've found helpful on your Caribbean adventures?
Enjoy,