The
Caribbean
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Puerto Rico
Old San Juan, with its cobblestone streets and historic
Spanish buildings, is one of the unique places of the
Caribbean. A great city for walking, shopping, eating
and exploring. The area along the waterfront, skirting
the old city, has been upgraded and is now a pleasant
area enjoyed by many cruise ship passengers and tourists
as well as locals. Beyond the city, Puerto Rico is
a beautiful island.ages/StLucia_Pitons.jpg |
Viv's Picks
+ For a taste of Puerto Rico, stay a night or two before or after a Caribbean
cruise
--you will be glad you did
+ Wyndham Hotel in old town facing the bay and cruise ship piers
+ Ritz Carlton
+ El San Juan Hotel
+ Westin Rio Mar
+ Hyatt Dorado Beach
+ Horned Dorset Primavera
Cuba
For 40 years our neighbor Cuba has been mostly off limits to U.S. travelers,
shut out by cold war politics and a thin fence of only 90 miles of ocean.
But while American tourists and companies have been shut out, the rest of
the world hasn't. In the 1990's Cuba received approximately 1.8 million visitors
a year, with a relatively small but growing number of Americans among them.
Those Americans who have visited have found that most Cubans are genuinely
welcoming and eager for friendship. Meanwhile relaxed Cuban government laws
and incentives are bringing about a very fast development in tourism infrastructure.
The post-Castro future of Cuba will undoubtedly see an economy
based on tourism. Right now may very well be the best time ever to visit Cuba.
It's an exciting time of change in Cuba. One can experience the charms of a "journey
back in time" with Havana streets full of 1950's cars and architectural
beauties, as well as the energy of a place enjoying a kind of Renaissance.
Havana is the Cuba of "The Buena Vista Social Club" and beyond
the city is the Cuba of sugar cane, colonial towns and the sea. World class
beaches are found on both its Atlantic side where 11 new resort complexes are
being developed, and on its Caribbean coast which is less developed but also
likely to change.
To experience the real Cuba before everyone else goes, book a
trip now. I work with Island Travel and Tours which is licensed by the
U.S. Government to make all travel arrangements for legal travel to Cuba by
individuals and groups. In January 1999 President Clinton relaxed the licensing
process to make it easier for Americans to travel legally to Cuba. There are
now regular charter flights to Havana operated from New York, Miami and Los
Angeles. There are also cruise ship sailings from Miami, or Cuba may be reached
via Cancun or Jamaica.
Viv's Picks - Best places to stay
+ Hotel Nacional
+ Hotel Inglaterra
+ Golden Tulip Parque Central
+ The Sevilla
Link
www.islandtraveltours.com
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The British Virgin Islands
Located about 60 miles from Puerto Rico, there are 60 of them strung
along Sir Francis Drake Channel, where the wily Elizabethan mustered his ships
before attacking the Spanish garrison at El Morro in San Juan. The main islands
are Tortola (Spanish for turtle dove), Beef Island, Peter Island and Virgin
Gorda (the fat virgin). The are quiet islands surrounded by glorious sea and
the best way to see them is by boat.
Viv's Picks
+ A sailboat charter through Moorings.
+ The Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda.
+ Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda.
US Virgin Islands, St. John
Only 28 square miles, almost half of them National Park. Cruz Bay, the main
town, is lovely wiht its little bay full of yachts and its open air ferry
terminal where you can catch your ferry to/from St. Thomas of islands in
the B.V.I. St. John is a lush and rugged island with gorgeous beaches and
hidden coves.
Viv's Picks
+ Caneel Bay
Dominica
The island of Dominica (pronounced dom-i-NEE-ka) is the Caribbean as it must
have been at the turn of the century, or as it must have been when Columbus
arrived one Sunday (Domingo) in 1493. This is an island of untamed landscapes,
wild mountains, primeval rain forests, waterfalls, plants and animals that
exist nowhere else and flowers of rare beauty. There are also communities
of the last remnants of the Carib Indians whose fierce ancestors kept the
Europeans off the island for years.
Viv's Picks: Best things to do
+ Princess Cruises Ocean Princess exotic southern itinerary includes
a port stop in Dominica for a day.
+ See Emerald Pool, fern grotto fed by a waterfall.
+ A visit to the Barib territory.
Jamaica
Jamaica is the third largest Caribbean island (after Cuba and Puerto Rico).
A former British colony it is an English-speaking country with a primarily
black, educated population. The island has a varied geography, with a range
of mountains, wild rivers, lush forests and beautiful beaches. Jamaica has
rich history and a Caribbean culture unique among the islands. It is home
to reggae music and the late Bob Marley, the most internationally-recognized
and beloved popular music artist of the 20th Century.
Originally inhabited by Indians, the Spanish, beginning with
Chris Columbus, occupied the island until the English captured it and made
it a colony in 1655. The English turned it into a vast sugar plantation, importing
slaves in great numbers from West Africa to work the plantations, while making
vast fortunes. When the slaves were freed in 1838 most of them escaped into
the mountains and established independent communities that they fiercely defended.
Descendants of these people, the Maroons, still live today in the hilly Cockpit
Country in western Jamaica.
Kingston is the largest English-speaking city south of
Miami. It is a bustling commercial center with an international airport, hotels,
restaurants, shopping and museums. But the main tourist destinations lie in
other areas:
Montego Bay, on the North Coast, has a modern cruise ship
pier, a wide range of hotels, numerous golf courses, restaurants and opportunities
for all water sports and other sports.
Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay/Discovery Bay areas in the middle
of the island's long north coast boast a wide range of resort hotels, tourist
facilities and attractions, as well as a cruise ship pier. This area is lush
with spectacular waterfalls including Dunn's River Falls and tropical
gardens.
Negril is at the western tip of the island and is famous
for its endless white sand beaches, great diving and water sports of all kinds,
and a very laid-back ambiance with sun-baked air that often smells of local
herb. Accommodations range from modest Jamaican-style cottages and inns to
lavish all-inclusive resorts.
Port Antonio, located on Jamaica's eastern coast, has
preserved its charm as a sleepy fishing village while offering the exotic comfort
of a vacation hideaway. Historically this has been a retreat spot for artists,
romantics and Hollywood celebrities--and it still is. Accommodations are in
private villas or small villa (apartment) resorts, where rates usually include
cooks and caretakers and drivers can be arranged.
South Coast. With its rolling hills, quaint towns and
pristine beaches, this area is being developed as a new resort area. The charming
and historic mountain town of Mandeville has quaint inns to welcome
the adventurous traveler.
Viv's Picks - Best Places to Stay
In Negril Area
+ Swept Away Resort
+ Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa
+ Grand Lido Negril
In Ocho Rios Area
+ Sans Souci Lido
+ Beaches Grande Sport at Ciboney
+ Beaches Grande Sport
In Montego Bay Area
+ Sandals Montego Bay
+ Wyndham Rose Hall Resort and Country Club
+ Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall
+ Round Hill Hotel and Villas
In Port Antonio Area
+ Goblin Hill Villas at San San
+ Dragon Bay Beach Resort
Other LIsts and Information
Reading List
Bob Marley biography and modern politics and social history of Jamaica
Sunspash Music Festival
Jamaican Food
Useful links
The Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands consists of a trio of islands, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman
and Cayman Brac, located in the Caribbean just 480 miles and a 70-minute
direct flight south of Miami. The capital, Georgetown, is located on
Grand Cayman, as well as famous Seven Mile Beach and all the high end
resorts. Cayman Islands is still a British Overseas Territory, and Georgetown
is a world financial center with a plenitude of banks.
The islands are limestone outcroppings, the tops of a submarine mountain range,
and because of the porous nature of the rock the islands lack rivers and streams.
It is this lack of runoff that gives the surrounding seas exceptional visibility
and has made the islands a cherished mecca for scuba divers. Underwater photographers
and divers of all levels will be dazzled by the breathtaking wall diving, the
acres of healthy coral reefs, old shipwrecks, underwater caves and the amazing
variety of approachable marine creatures. Visibility averages 80-150 feet in
warm, clear, generally current-free waters whose temperature ranges between
78 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 86 degrees in summer and fall. The Cayman
Wall is the most famous attraction luring novice and experienced divers.
Within a quarter mile from the shores surrounding all three islands (they are
mountaintops remember) the ocean floor falls away, as either a sloping or a
sheer vertical cliff, plummeting 6000 feet into a blue abyss. A diver may float
weightless at the edge of that abyss.
Grand Cayman also offers world class sport fishing. Because of
the sharp drop off, big fish run close to the coastlines. On the main island,
golf, sports including tennis, squash and the martial arts, hikes in botanic
parks, duty-free shopping, local arts and crafts and fine dining are some of
the activities available to visitors. On the small islands of Cayman Brac and Little
Cayman diving is the main attraction, as well as deep sea and bone fishing
with excellent local guides. The three islands are connected by daily air service.
Viv's Picks - Best Places to Stay
+ Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman
+ Britannia: A Hyatt Beach, Villas and Golf Resort
+ Plantation Village Beach Resort
Barbados
Barbados has a long tradition of providing an exciting island escape for wealthy
Brits. A bygone era of colonial elegance lives on in exclusive club-like
resort retreats located in lush beach-front locations, mostly along the west
coast of the island. But Barbados is an island with a vibrant local culture
too, and a visitor here will find it to be a wonderful destination with much
to discover, a wealth of activities and a full range of accommodations from
ultra luxurious to modest and charming inns.
Barbados boasts 70 square miles of beaches, with the wild Atlantic
to the east and placid turquoise Caribbean waters to the west. The island has
a rich cultural heritage with historical sites and museums to explore, such
as the majestic great houses and plantations of the sugar barons, some going
back to the 1600's. The capital Bridgetown is a hub of activity with great
tax-free shopping. Golfing on renowned courses, horseback riding, mountain
biking, sailing, scuba, snorkeling, surfing, tennis, stargazing, walking tours
of botanical gardens and wildlife reserves--these are just a few of the things
a visitor may choose to do by day. In the evening one can enjoy fine dining
in an amazing variety of international cuisines. There is also exotic and wonderful
Caribbean cuisine including Bajan food. The national dish, Flying Fish, must
be sampled, as well as fantastic seafood and other dishes. Dining can be enjoyed
in a range of island settings, from classic plantation elegance to ocean-front
eateries. Barbados offers great nighttime entertainment including dinner theatre,
floor shows and discos. There are clubs one can go to to hear jazz, soca, calypso
and reggae music. There are lively pubs and live music at many island hotels.
Barbados is a beautiful and sophisticated island with all the
ingredients to provide a vacation with real relaxation and pampering, along
with all the stimulation and activity one may desire.
Festivals
and Events
Viv's Picks - Best Places to Stay
+ Sandy Lane
+ Cobbler's Cove
+ The Savannah
+ Casuarina Beach Club
Other Lists - Festivals and Events (see above)
Links:
www.barbados.org
www.caribnet.net
www.caribtourism.com/go/barbados
www.insandouts-barbados.com
www.one-on-one-scuba.com
St. Lucia
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