Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine

If you're reading this, you likely get a large portion of your news online and probably use the Internet to research most of your vacations too. Its so easy, isn't it? And now, the Internet is more portable than ever with iPads, SmartPhones, and shrinking laptops. But there is still beauty in paper. An electronic device simply can't replace the feel of paper. So what are my agents getting for Christmas this year? *spoiler alert* A subscription to Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine! 

Get your copy today!

Enjoy,

Caribbean Journey mentioned in the Wall Street Journal!

What a lovely late holiday present - a little mention in the Wall Street Journal!

A few weeks ago I gave an interview about the current status of the Caribbean Airfare Market - not my favorite subject, as reflected in the article. Even though many discount airlines, such as Jet Blue, are increasing their airlift to the Caribbean, it hasn't had enough of an overall effect to help bring down prices or create more seat availability. If you are reading this post, I likely don't need to tell you this because if you've tried planning a Caribbean trip in the past 12-18 months you know that there are fewer nonstop options, ticket prices are more expensive, and all of the extra fees are nothing but a headache. 

Read the full article here and contact me if you'd like help maneuvering the wild airfare market and planning your Caribbean Vacation.


{image from Cerulean Villa, Anguilla}

Enjoy,

RumShopRyan's List of 2010's Top Caribbean Travel Blogs

Thanks RumShopRyan for including this little blog on your list of 2010's Top Caribbean Travel Blogs!

Merci,

British West Indies Style by Michael Connors

Another stunning book by Michael Connors, British West Indies Style features over 50 homes on the islands of Antigua, Jamaica, Barbados, and the smaller islands of St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent and more.

About the Book:

Breathtaking photographs capture the history and unique design of the English island great houses, detailing the hardwood furniture, terraced gardens, walled courtyards, and interiors. Perhaps the most admired and influential of tropical styles, the English island style transformed residences into private paradises. British West Indies Style is a lavish account of the interiors, architecture, and lifestyle of the English colonial great houses and historic town houses in the Caribbean—from Antigua, Jamaica, Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts, Mustique to the less-traveled islands of Bequia and Dominica. Close to fifty private homes are featured, with unique collections of antique, indigenous, and colonial furniture: a southern plantation style scaled and refreshingly adapted to the airy, sunny climate of the Windward and Leeward Islands. Presenting a world rarely seen by visitors—the homes of the islands’ affluent planters, both historical and contemporary—the English island styles are elegant yet practical and accessible, giving ideas for the use of local materials, painting and stenciling techniques, environment-enhancing design, and indoor/outdoor living—all of which are ubiquitous in contemporary interior design.

About the Author

Michael Connors, an expert in West Indies antiques, is a contributor to numerous publications, including Art & Antiques, Antiques and Fine Art, and The Magazine Antiques. He has written many books, including Caribbean Houses: History, Style, and Architecture(Rizzoli, 2009).

Enjoy my previous posts about Michael Connors here and here. Mr. Connors books would make wonderful holiday gifts for any Caribbean enthusiast. Buy a copy on on Amazon.

Cheers,

An Inside View of Dominica

This weekend I had the opportunity to interview Anna McCanse - a Peace Corps Volunteer who served for two years on the island of Dominica. Since returning to the US, she's been writing an in-depth guide book about Dominica and was happy to share a little about her experience with us:

LAURA: When did you first visit Dominica and how long did you stay?

ANNA: I first stepped foot on Dominica as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 2006 and worked as an education volunteer in the village of Grand Bay for two years. Because the island is relatively small and I was there for so long I was able to really spend time and get to know all the different areas of the island, especially the Carib Territory which is one of my all-time favorite places in the world. I went back again in 2010 to do research for the book and it was just as charming the second time around.

 L

  LAURA: The Peace Corp is an amazing organization – were you able to choose Dominica?  Or did you just get lucky that they assigned you to such an amazing island?

ANNA: I didn’t get to choose where I was placed.  All I knew when I got my assignment was that I’d be in the Eastern Caribbean.  We were first sent to St. Lucia where we did a month of training and on one of the last days of training they revealed which island we’d be spending the next two years of our lives.  We had a day to soak it in and were shipped out the following the day.  I feel incredibly lucky to have been placed in Dominica.  When the plane landed I was overwhelmed with relief and excitement, knowing that if all else fails, I was in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I can’t imagine a better place to spend two years.   And coincidentally, my parents had just spent a couple of weeks in Dominica before I was assigned there.  They knew they wanted to go on a vacation to the Caribbean but didn’t want a “touristy” destination since they prefer to travel places where they can get to know the culture and the people and they fell in love with it.  So they were really excited when I was placed there and came back to visit me twice.

 LAURA: I’ve always considered Dominica a fantastic off-the-beaten path destination for singles, couples, and families – would you agree?

ANNA: Definitely- Dominica’s tourism industry has been growing leaps and bounds in the past few years and they are really marketing themselves as an eco-destination for people who are interested in the outdoors, cultural activities, and sustainable development.  And the range of activities is endless. For families there is horseback riding, whale watching,  hikes to waterfalls, snorkeling, kayaking, beaches, and rivers.  And for those who want a more extreme vacation there are some really outstanding and challenging hikes to places like the boiling lake (yep, it’s actually boiling), secret beaches, hidden waterfalls, and a new canyoning (think rappelling through waterfalls) company just opened up in the interior.   The office of tourism just started doing “community tours” which are day-long outings that highlight local farms, culture and areas of interest in villages throughout the island.  I highly recommend visiting a local farm- it’s fascinating to see where our fruits, spices, and nuts come from-including chocolate, which is seriously delicious as a fruit. 

I had over 30 visitors when I lived there of all ages and ability levels and when they left, they all had the same sentiments: I wish I had stayed longer, I have to come back.

LAURA: What was your favorite local dish on the island?

ANNA: That’s a tough one.  I love chicken paleau- it’s a spiced rice dish with vegetables and chicken.  But second place winners are steamed fish dishes, rotis (an Indian-inspired wrap), any and all ital food (organic vegan food that many Rastafarians ascribe to) and if I’m at a festival or street party I’m a happy gal if I can get my hands on a roasted plantain, a fresh coconut, and some local juice.   There’s also this guy in Roseau (the capital) that makes the most amazing smoothies on the planet.  His name is J.B., also called Juice Man, and he blends up organic local fruits and juice into these incredible concoctions.  It’s making me thirsty just thinking about it…

    

LAURA: What do you consider the Top 3 MUST SEE places on the island?

ANNA: Well that’s a tough one also.  If you’re in good physical shape, the boiling lake hike is a must: you get a taste of everything on that hike: hot pools, a waterfall at Titou Gorge,  a peak ascent with amazing views, parrot sightings in the rainforest, and some really interesting geological features in the Valley of Desolation that you have to pass through.  It’s tough but really fascinating the entire way.  And I would recommend visiting a waterfall: Sari Sari is my favorite, and then I would spend at least part of a day diving or snorkeling in the southwest.  Dominica was rated one of the top dive destinations in the Caribbean because of it’s unspoiled reefs and it’s common to find yourself swimming alongside a sea turtle when diving or snorkeling in the Soufrieré/Scotts Head Marine Reserve. 

LAURA: Thanks so much Anna! I look forward to reading your guidebook as soon as it comes out!

ANNA: Thanks to you as well.  The book should be on shelves in January and part of the proceeds of each book sold will be donated to a charitable organization in Dominica.   Check out the website closer to publication for more info on that: Dominica by Others Places Publishing

There are two more Other Places Publishing books about the Caribbean as well that your readers may be interested in: Antigua, which is already out and the Dominican Republic, which will be out in late 2011.  Both of which are also written by former Peace Corps Volunteers.  Thanks, Laura!

Enjoy,

{in my own words} Two Hot New Caribbean Spa Hotels!

Travel Agent Magazine ran my takes on this season's hottest new Caribbean Spa Hotels. My top picks are the new Viceroy in Anguilla and the new W Retreat in Vieques, Puerto Rico. You may read what I have to say right here... in the little purple box. Sound like your type of vacation style?

Luxury Living International

Luxury Living International magazine is now the most
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living the good life in tropics.

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Photo is Punta Mita Bahia Golf Course... read more here.

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Have You Visited Fodor's Lately?

The Internet is overflowing with review sites... sites hosting forums for travellers to post their own personal account of their vacations. TripAdvisor, IgoUgo, and VirtualTourist, to name a few. While these sites serve a purpose as we all strive to become authors in our own right and need to feel validated when we have a negative or surprising experience, there is something wonderful about a well written, thoroughly researched travel review. Enter Fodors.com.

Many of the authors at Fodors are well-traveled and their point of references for noting details about a certain destination are many and varied. I have never understood why travellers would prefer to only read the reviews of "real" travellers and ignore the professional review. There simply is no comparison to a review of a Caribbean hotel by someone who has visited over 100 others. They know what to look for, what questions to ask of the staff, and what details you and I might just overlook in our research. So next time you are researching an island getaway, add Fodors to your list!

Book Review - An Embarrasment of Mangoes

If you've ever dreamed of leaving "it" all behind and sailing the Caribbean in the wake of explorers and pirates many years ago, then you will love this book! An Embarrassment of Mangoes takes the reader on a literary tour of the dreamy islands of the Caribbean. The story is narrated by the author and gives readers a glimpse into the way of life for the husband and wife duo who traded in their desk jobs for the job of sailing into the sunset. The tale is littered with culinary delights and left me wanting more! Buy it HERE!

Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine debuts on the Travel Channel

Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine has partnered with the Travel Channel to give viewers a glimpse of all the wonders the Caribbean has to offer in a new series called "Affordable Caribbean". The series starts this weekend, featuring Barbados! Coming soon are shows dedicated to Antigua & the Bahamas. Click HERE for more info!

For the Love of Palm Trees

They are the quintessential sign that you have arrived... in the tropics. I haven't met a person who does not love them, in all their varied forms. From short and stubby to tall and proud, palm trees are as diverse as they are grand. Here is an except from A Passion for Palms, originally printed in Caribbean Homes & Lifestyle Magazine in the Autumn 2007 issue. Words and pictures by Janie Conley:The image of the palm tree has long been a recognisable emblem associated with the Caribbean region. Whether to illustrate palm fringed beaches or as a symbol of pride incorporated into designs for coats of arms by several nations: the Palm Tree is an important icon firmly attached to the Caribbean. Our most celebrated palm is the Coconut - a member of the arecaeae palm family and ubiquitous within our region. Our love for the palm is one of a passionate nature and in visiting Andrew Goodenough’s garden at Rotten Hill in Antigua I have been able to witness this passion in its most creative form. Andrew is more acclaimed for his architectural designs rather than for his ‘green fingers’, but he is nevertheless an enthusiastic amateur gardener. He was first introduced to the subtle pleasures of gardening at an early age in the rather cooler climes of rural England. A member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Andrew has been practising and living in Antigua for over 25 years, having set sail from England for the Caribbean in 1979. The gardens of Andrew’s hilltop home pay tribute to his sailing past... read more here.

Let me know if I can help send you on search for the perfect palm tree vacation!