Kid's Stay & Eat Free in GRENADA!

Grenada's Blue Horizons Garden Resort is offering families a Kid’s Stay & Eat Free plan offering free stays for children under age 16 plus free stays and meals for children 12 and under (maximum two kids per room). Off-season rates for a deluxe one-bedroom suite start at $165 per room, based on double occupancy.

For families seeking an adjoining suite, Blue Horizons is also offering a 50 percent discount off a second room for kids 16 years and under. The 32-room property also provides free babysitting for two hours per stay. The free stays and meals for children are valid for travel through Dec. 15, 2011.

{As with all promos, restrictions apply.}


While Grenada might not have as many options for flights as other islands, there are still deals to be found on most major airlines, most importantly American Airlines.

Our Caribbean Travel Agents are standing by... waiting to help you plan your vacation to Grenada! Call us - 866-236-1924 to get started today! 

Elite Island Resorts Offers Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!

Elite Island Resorts is offering a buy one, get one free policy for all bookings for travel through Dec. 20, 2011. The package also offers VIP treatment and a complimentary room category upgrade when available at the time of booking. The booking window opened at midnight on May 2 and extends through 11:59 p.m. on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2011.

{This is La Source}

Elite properties include: 

St. James’s Club & Villas in Antigua 

The Verandah Resort & Spa in Antigua 

Galley Bay Resort & Spa in Antigua

Palm Island Resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Long Bay Beach Resort & Villas in Tortola, British Virgin Islands

LaSource in Grenada

Drop us a line if you want to see package rates for any of these properties!

{As with all promos, restrictions apply.}

Best,

Grenada Sailing Festival 2011

If I could click my heels and go anywhere, leaving the dreary cold rain of Atlanta behind, it would be the Grenada Sailing Festival. I love the excitement of good competition and if the ocean and a tropical island are involved, even better! This year's festival runs from January 28 to February 1. Can't make it this year? Let's get started on your trip for next year! 

For full festival details - go here.

Check out the photo gallery of the Marina Headquarters.

Cheers,

Cancun's Underwater Sculpture Museum

Cancun's Underwater Museum gives divers and snorkelers the opportunity to admire more than 400 original sculptures in depths ranging from 9 to 20 feet. 

The amazing sculptures are by the artist Jason de Caires Taylor. {be sure and check his other projects to read about the installment in Grenada.}

Enjoy!

My be there NOW moment today...

You too?

Fall Special to Grenada! 3 Nights Starting at $269

Just say the word Grenada and I think of my first visit... lured to the 'island of spice' at the recommendation of a local who kept referring to the island as "Greens"... because it was just that - super lush. It seems almost every plant flowers in Grenada and every flower turns into an exotic spice, spices that are sold in the colorful markets around the island. To think of Grenada, makes me smile. And now it’s your turn! Grenada is ON SALE! Here is a sample of the rates you will find:

Grenadian by Rex Resorts is $269/per person - 3 nights
Coyaba Beach Resort is $505/per person - 3 nights

3 nights not long enough for you? I know, me neither!

Enjoy these other resorts offer 7 night stays:
Mont Cinnamon is $1019/per person
La Source Grenada is $1625/per person - all inclusive!
Spice Island Resort is $$2615/per person - all inclusive too!

Ready to book? Email me or book online with my friends at TripCrave.com! (Hurry, you must book by 11/15 and travel by 12/15.)

Meet Mount Cinnamon - a little hotel with big style

A sweet boutique hotel, designed by Peter de Savary, overlooking Grand Anse Bay on Grenada...

Packs BIG style with bright colors... And all around comfort...

Many of the villas have full kitchens... I'll take one of those fridges please! And two of the lime green side tables too...
Or maybe canary yellow will look best in my island home... anyway, back to this cool little spot...

Tennis Anyone? On real grass courts... the best way to play...

Are it's stylish ways calling to you yet?

What about dinner al fresco with uninterrupted views of a twinkling Caribbean bay town? And dancing sunsets?

If all this style doesn't convince you.... let the perfect white sand beach and crystal clear waters do the trick... then call me, email me... just let me know when you want to go and maybe I'll see you there!

16 rooms

... dozens of places to lounge... read... cuddle... whatever... here:

Or here:...a warm and friendly place to share a meal...
...a sea to swim in... small waves... float much...

Or dip in the pool... super cool... like here:

Or here:...freshen up in fresh air... to little birdies singing...

....sleep here... rest... repeat...

You know if this sounds like you...

Only 16 rooms. La Luna. Grenada.

HUGE Air Jamaica Sale! Buy by December 11!!!!

CaribbeanJourney.com is offering great CARIBBEAN VACATIONS including the following sale on Air Jamaica! Book by December 11 for travel January 9 to March 31, 2009! Rates are ONE WAY and exclusive of TAXES - but still a GREAT deal!

From Baltimore & Philadelphia

$123 to Jamaica

$167 to Barbardos

$167 to Grenada

$176 to Curacao

From New York

$123 to Jamaica

$167 to Barbados

$167 to Grenada

$182 to Curacao

From Miami/Fort Lauderdale

$47 to Jamaica

$137 to Barbados

From Orlando

$77 to Jamaica

From Atlanta

$93 to Jamaica

$161 to Barbados

$161 to Grenada

$167 to Curacao

From Chicago

$133 to Jamaica

$190 to Curacao

$218 to Grenada

From LA

$157 to Jamaica

$208 to Curacao

Contact ME to book your Caribbean Vacation and take advantage of this great sale!

A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean

Gary Buslik claims to be a rotten person. But I don't think so. After reading his self-titled book, "A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean". I think he is just human and humorous. The book details his chance encounters with Idi Amin and Princess Diana and his persuasive quest to encounter the ghost of Ernest Hemingway to his severe Cuban Cigar induced panic attack all to the backdrop of the glorious Caribbean. Mr. Buslik has seen it all. (If I really believed that, I would have to stop trying to convince him to take another trip and that, of course, is my job.) From gruesome cock-fights in Grenada to pre and post volcanic eruption on Monsterrat and many of the touristy places in between. When Mr. Buslik isn't island-hopping through the tropics he can be found teaching literature and creative writing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.His favorite souvenirs? Letter from aforementioned Princess... and well, I had to ask what else:

Laura: Aside from Cuban Cigars, what are your favorite items to bring back to Chicago from the islands?

Gary: Local newspapers. On some smaller islands, these can be a hoot. In one, there is an advice column written by an "island man," Love Vibes, and here is one of his actual letters and answers:

Dear Love Vibes:

I have got a serious problem. I love my boyfriend with all my might, but he has one "shortcoming" that I have tried to ignore but now find it's really starting to bug me. As much as I've tried, I find that I'm not being satisfied totally in bed.
Mind you, I love him with all my heart, and he is sweet and handsome. He treat me with respect and generosity and would never bite me with another woman, but I'm beginning to think I might need something more. What should I do? Should length really matter?

-- SaraFina of High Ground

Dear SaraFina:

Dump him. Here is why. Take our cruise-ship port. When the massive boats that look like God is on board come to island, they can tie right up to jetty? No. Why so? Because they too big. Jetty can't handle them, so they have to park way offshore and God have to take dinghy to town, which is undignified. And the farther these gigantic vessels are from dock, the smaller they appear to the human eyeball. So tell me, what good all those restaurants and jewelry stores and luxury suites and such on board if you look tiny to poor island people, the very souls you trying to impress? So here they are on jetty, thinking, Who is this coming to our quay in that miserable little skiff, God's cleaning lady?

Now, continuing with my splendid nautical analogy, imagine taking a Caribbean cruise in a rowboat. What you think? You ain't eating in restaurant with steak and wine and sorbet. No, gal, you going to be eating raw jellyfish and flossing with tentacle. The luxury swimming pool is over the side, and the only Lido deck you going to jog around is in you brain when it start to hallucinate.

You see what I am getting at? Moderation. Luckily, here comes a nice ship around the bend, just the right size, name of SS Love Vibes, sleek and handsome in the sunlight or under a full moon, it don't matter, just the right girth to slip into any dock nice and snug, and which will give you smooth ride and never make you puke. Plenty of onboard recreation, don't worry. Full speed ahead!

-- Yours in Spirit and Flesh, "Love Vibes"

It's also interesting to see, from our years of taking home local newspapers and comparing the old ones with the new, how small-island culture has changed over the last couple of decades. In the 1980s, the most serious crimes reported on police blotters were things like, "Mrs. Sanders' goat wandered into Mr. Gerard's yard and was found eating his dasheen." Now, even on out-of-the-way islands, we frequently see reports like this:

Miss Lilly Weatherbottom, cashier of Happy Shop Grocery Store at Cane SettlementVillage, reported being hit over the head with a cinder block and being robbed of EC $3.15 and a bag of salted pumpkin nuts. When asked by police if she got any kind of description of her assailant, she replied, "Yes, man. It was my cousin Ronal Henderson, who live up the road. When I get me hand on him, I will thump the devil out him. Then you will have a damn report."

Laura: You've had many strange encounters with animals of the islands—cock fighters, stray dogs…what's up with the animal magnetism?

Gary: This is a terrific question, because it lets me promote one of my favorite causes, saving island stray dogs. We've all seen these friendly, hardy, "beach dogs" wandering around town or on the sand. Did you know these strays actually are an officially recognized sub-breed? They are called potcakes (supposedly from their habit of eating crud from the bottoms of dishware) and they all have similar features because of their many years of in-breeding. Their presence at beachside bars and restaurants are as much a part of island culture as cocktail umbrellas and coconuts. The problem is, West Indians (perhaps understandably) don't embrace their dogs and cats in the same member-of-the-family way we do in North America and Europe, so they more or less leave it up to animal-loving expats to round up these sweet strays, neuter them, and try to find them good homes. On a couple of islands now, these loving and dedicated volunteers can actually send your new pet back home with you. Check out a few of these terrific Internet sites:

http://www.potcakeplace.com/
http://www.potcake.org/
http://www.potcakefoundation.com/

Or just google "Potcakes," and you'll learn tons about these happy, love-deserving pups.

Ditto with stray cats. Most of the smaller islands don't have animal-control officers and shelters we take for granted up north, so it's up to caring volunteers to round up feral or abandoned felines, neuter them and either release them or find them good homes. Check out:

http://www.pawswatch.org/
http://www.caribbeananimaltourismsupport.org/
http://www.pegasusfoundation.org/

As far as I'm concerned, helping these little guys is more important than helping ourselves to more tan lines, carved coconut heads, and piña coladas.

Laura: Who would you like to take to the Caribbean with you?

Gary: My cat, Babs. Because I miss her so much when I'm gone, I don't travel nearly as much as I used to. I would love to take her overseas with me, but she would never be able to pass a visa background check. She has a criminal record a mile long, mostly for soliciting prostitution. When I found her, she had set up shop in my garage with a sign that said something I can't repeat here but, as a hint to your readers, involved the color black and a slang word for both cat and a female sex organ. I've since taken her into the house proper, surgically removed her obsession for intercourse—a rehabilitation requiring not only an expensive operation but years of intensive psychotherapy—and have taught her how to type, in order to start paying me back.

Laura: Where will you be going next?

Gary: To the bathroom. I drink a lot of tea when I'm writing. I recommend Tazo brand Earl Grey. This is a no-charge public service announcement for your readers, so they can't complain about wasting their lives on the Internet.

Laura: Any future books or article in the works?

Gary: I'm considering a Rotten Person sequel: A Rotten Person Does Vegas. I just came back from there and am now sitting in abject terror, trying to figure out a way to cover the check I wrote to the casino. Speaking of which—another public service announcement—I was forced at gunpoint to see Phantom of the Opera, whose audience exit featured every guy slapping the back of his wife's head. Also, at dinner one night, who should sit at the table next to us but O.J. Simpson, holding court, whooping it up, apparently believing that no one in his right mind would ever deprive the world of his magnificent presence. This was three days before a jury decided he should spend the rest of his life pooping into stainless steel. Maybe your readers would return my no-charge tea recommendation by writing to tell me what they think of the Rotten Person sequel idea. They can reach me at arottenperson@earthlink.net.

My advice? Buy this book before your next Caribbean adventure! Enjoy!

CookBook Reivew - Morgan Freeman & Friends Caribbean Cooking for a Cause

An important fact about me, if I wasn't in travel, I would be in food!

This is an excellent cookbook! It is a collaboration by celebrities with a Caribbean connection who came together to support the cause of the Grenada Relief Fund after Hurricane Ivan devastated the island in 2004. Originally, $5.00 from the $35.00 cover price were donated to the fund along with all of the author's proceeds. However, I have not been able to find any current information on the Grenada Relief Fund, and since most repairs from Hurricane Ivan have already been completed, it is likely now a defunct campaign and hence the reason why online booksellers are able to sell the book for as low as $23. Regardless, it is an excellent cookbook. The recipes I will touch on in a second, but the personal stories of why such celebrities as Kenny Chesney, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Orlando Bloom, and Terrance Howard are tied to the Caribbean is a source of excitement for a Caribbeanophile like myself. It has a varied collection of Caribbean staples such as Miss Pam's Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Lobster Curry a la Chez Bamboo on Virgin Gorda to pleasure palates like Coconut French Toast and Pineapple Tarte Tartin from The Restaurant at the Cove in Eluethera. Not to be overlooked are the Chocolate Port Wine Sorbet from the Ocean & Vine on St. Barths (sidenote - many of my yachting clients add St. Barths to their itinerary simply to dine... oh la la) and the Classic Conch Civeche from the Caymans... enjoy!

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!

Video Review - Spice Island Beach Resort

The Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada has always been one of my favorite resorts. Perhaps because there really isn't a hotel of comparable caliber in Grenada... Spice Island stands alone. This might have rung true as the reason a few years ago, but since Hurricane Ivan forced a massive renovation in 2004, the hotel has soared above resorts region wide, raking in dozens of prestigious awards. Spice Island earns my kudos because the renovation supposedly only cost $12 million. As you will see, it was certainly well spent. Enjoy this video:


Download your own brochure HERE and then contact us for great package rates!

Grenada’s Spice Island Resort Wins!

Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in the fall of 2004. The Spice Island Resort was not spared and had to undergo a $12 million renovation. Recently one of my favorite publications, Costal Living Magazines, awarded Spice Island with the Coastal Living Award 2007 for its success in keeping green technologies and practices at the forefront of its renovation. Great job!