Caribbean
Anguilla
This island, pronounced an-GWILL-a and meaning eel in Spanish and Italian, is especially popular with the rich and famous. It boasts some of the Caribbean’s finest beaches and unbelievably blue waters, plus the ultra-exclusive Malliouhana and Cap Juluca resorts, with winter rates starting in the $400 range.
Anguilla made headlines in 1969 when British paratroopers rained from the skies. They were sent to put down an alleged rebellion involving independence and politics. British forces found no one to fight. Indeed, the island Eden was quite peaceable and more than content with the British Colonial status it continues to enjoy.
The bizarre affair became known as Britain’s Bay of Piglets in Time magazine and Newsweek headlined the invasion as; The Lion That Meowed.
Antigua and Barbuda
The hill and cove-enhanced isle of Antigua claims 365 beaches, one for each day of your vacation provided you are a year-long sabbatical. Capital city of the twin administered Antigua & Barbuda is St John’s. It was a thriving seaport in its 17th century heyday and tall sailing vessels occasionally still grace its sheltered cove of a harbour. The most imposing and historic building in the capital is the Cathedral of St John the Divine. Originally a wooden structure, it was ordered by the royal governor, Sir Christopher Codrington in 1745. The church was rebuilt in 1845 and elevated to cathedral status three years later, thereby making St Johns officially a city in the British Empire. A museum nearby displays artifacts of the 18th and 19th centuries when sugar plantations brought great wealth as the “petroleum” of that time’s economy.
You won’t need to collect shells from the 365 beaches. Just pop into the Museum of Marine Art and there they all are, along with shipwreck artifacts.
Just outside St Johns is Fort James, named in honour of King James II of England and overseas domains, including Antigua and Barbuda. The Admiral’s House displays memorabilia from Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson’s time spent in Antigua and environs. English Harbour, viewed from Shirley Heights, is drop-dead gorgeous.
Watersports abound. At night you can dance under the stars to reggae and steel drum traditional music. There is also a gaming casino.
After taking in the sights, sounds and shops of Antigua, all aboard for the day trip to Barbuda, 25 miles to the north. Basically, there are so many Antigua/Barbuda beaches, so many scenic isles, and probably so little time–unless you are blessed with the aforementioned sabbatical.
Aruba
Blessed with a climate much sunnier and drier than other Caribbean destinations, Aruba is Dutch, delightful and has a desert. Basking on Aruba’s beaches, where it’s almost always breezy and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, is only one of the island’s many attractions. Its Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, incidentally, stretch for some seven miles and the world famous Fishermans Huts attracts thousands of windsurfers annually for some of the best sail boarding conditions on the globe.
Technically a part of The Netherlands, Aruba inherited Dutch architecture with distinctive facades straight out of Amsterdam. The island even has a mountain, the 541-foot Hooiberg, from which you can sometimes see the South American country of Venezuela.
Bahamas
Blessed with near-perfect, year-round barefoot weather, some 700 Bahama islands and islets sprawl across 100,000 square miles of multi-coloured, mostly gin-clear Atlantic waters. Fully independent since 1973, this former British Colony has entwined Old World charm with New World modern conveniences…
Barbados
In its British Empire days, Barbados was known as Little England. It was the first colony to declare war in 1939 and cheered Britons with a cable that read: “Don’t worry. Little England is with you.”
Today, the island is independent but still cherishes Anglo-Saxon civility, cricket and high tea. After 350 years of colonization, Britain has left its mark and added much to the beguiling charm of “Little England in the Tropics.”
The capital city, Bridgetown, sports a Trafalgar Square in its downtown heart–complete with a bronze statue of British hero Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Green fields and hills further emphasize the Britishness of Barbados. Bajans, as the islanders call themselves, take education seriously. The literacy rate is close to 100 percent.
Bermuda
Dreaming of Bermuda? Think pink and green. Pink for the soft pastel shades that wash this 22-square-mile island, and green for the colour of money that Bermudaís offshore banking and insurance sectors generate (though in reality the islandís currency is as colourful as its British founders).
Bermuda is too far north ‚ 600 miles due East of Cape Hattaras in North Carolina ‚ to be considered geographically part of the Caribbean, and it boasts an island culture all its own. Actually, make that plural ‚ as in islands ‚ since Bermuda is really an archipelago, or a series of islands joined by causeways and bridges.
Bermudaís isolation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe, coupled with a history of English settlement, make it unique. It is spotlessly clean, quaint, orderly (almost to a fault) and extraordinarily pretty. There are no slums, no billboards, and very, very few fast food outlets. From the colonial architecture of the tidy homes that line its roads, to the fragrant tropical flowers that drape its old stone walls, Bermuda is a sight for sore eyes. Indeed, that is surely what the islandís first English settlers must have thought when their ship, the Sea Venture, wrecked off Bermudaís coast in 1609. Prior to this fateful encounter, the island was a navigational point for the Spanish. Throughout its early history, Bermuda had to defend itself against the Spanish, the French and the threat of invasion by the newly formed Republic of the United States to its west. During the Second World War, the tiny island played a significant role in keeping the vital North Atlantic sea lanes open. As a result of this colourful past, Bermuda boasts a number of forts and historical points of interest worth visiting. It remains a British colony to this day.
Most every part of the island ‚ sectioned off into nine districts called parishes ‚ can be reached by bus. The routes are well marked and the service is efficient. Be sure to carry exact change or you will find yourself walking! Tourists and non-citizens may rent scooters, but cars are reserved for Bermudians to prevent the kind of traffic congestion that plagues many of the Caribbean islands. With a maximum speed of 20 mph, the pace is still slow. And beware ‚ the rules of the road are strictly enforced.
Bonaire
Sunny Bonaire is a Dutch treat featuring photo, sports and sightseeing opportunities galore. Its picturesque capital with the improbable name of Kralendjik has a rich Dutch heritage and a rebuilt “downtown” that is a must-see. Dutch is the official language but not to worry. English is commonly spoken, also Spanish (the island is just north of the Venezuelan mainland) and Papiamento, a wild mixture of Dutch, Spanish, English and only God knows.
Bonaire is world-famous for its relatively dry and sunny climate, crystal clear seas and the finest in diving and snorkelling facilities. It’s also a bird-watcher’s paradise. A 135-acre flamingo sanctuary provides a home for almost as many pink birds as there are people on the island. For more “vie en rose”, go see Pink Beach. It is especially pink when wet.
Tropical ecology is serious business here, and both the land and sea environments are loved and zealously guarded.
When you have had your share of windsurfing, sailing and the like–take a hike through the 13,500-acre Washington-Slagbaai National Park. Over 180 miles of trails and dirt roads suitable for biking provide a lively way to view lizards, goats, birds and guanas in their natural state.
After all of the above, you will be more than ready for seaside dining al fresco. Somehow, Bonaire’s culinary offerings taste better in the outdoors.
Currency is the Dutch guilder but US dollars are widely accepted.
British Virgin Islands
These 60-or-so islands in the tropical sun have near-perfect conditions for “yachties.” The most frequently visited isles are: Tortola, the largest and with some 13,000 population; Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada and Peter Island.
As might be expected in a British colony, Tortola has a superb, “veddy British” four-acre Botanic Gardens perfect for studying rain forest creatures, orchids, cactus and magnificent tropical plants. Sage Mountain National Park on Tortola has a 1,780-foot peak.
Privately owned Peter Island, accessible by water, has about five miles of secluded beaches. Norman Island, with four caves, is thought to be the place Robert Louis Stevenson had in mind when he wrote his masterpiece: Treasure Island.
Cayman Islands
Here is fun in the sun you can take all the way to the hundreds of banks in this offshore tax haven. Comprising three islands and a population just over 30,000, the Cayman Islands were recently the setting for the hit Tom Cruise film: The Firm.
Diving is big in the Caymans. In fact, treasure hunter and expert diver Herbert Humphreys is headquartered in the island capital of George Town.
The Caymans were “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1503 and settled by the British in 1655, they still retain much of the British heritage. They are a British Crown Colony complete with a Royal Governor who represents Britain’s monarch as Head of State. For those arriving by cruise ship, there is a mini-bus tour that costs $20. One of the stops is called Hell and has a post office for mailing such messages as: “You told me to go to Hell and here I am.” The hamlet of Hell sports “hellis” outcroppings of black rock.
For a more heavenly experience, visit the Turtle Farm, combination zoo/sanctuary/breeding farm for the endangered green sea turtle. Another popular attraction is Conch House, a cottage with 2,000 of these pink shells and resembling a gingerbread house lost in the tropics.
Other attractions include the two-storey Cayman Islands National Museum, the 3-year-old Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and the secluded beach at Rum Point.
For truly tasty dining, try grilled fresh-caught fish in a spicy Cayman Island gravy with rice and beans cooked in coconut milk.
Cuba
This alligator-shaped island is by far the largest and most populated of Caribbean countries. Once the No 1 travel destination in the area and known as the Pearl of the Antilles, Cuba became a Red Pearl after a revolution placed communist Fidel Castro in charge.
Known for the finest rum and cigars, the People’s Republic of Cuba has been off-limits to most Americans for the past 35 years. Canada has partially filled the trade gap with an export business which doubled in the past four years and now amounts to more than $400 million.
The island of 11 million inhabitants played host to more than a million visitors in 1996, 30 percent more than in 1995. Old Havana is slowly being restored as an open-air museum. Art and culture thrives.
For the most part, food is not on par with other Caribbean tourist destinations. Black beans and rice, nicknamed Cuban Caviar, still remains a basic everyday dish. Not recommended are government hamburger establishments popularly known as “McCastro’s”. Highly recommended is the ice cream made in Havana and featured in the Oscar nominated Cuban film, Strawberry or Chocolate.
French fashion/fragrance mogul Pierre Cardin reportedly wants to establish a Havana version of Maxim of Paris, one of the world’s most starred, toqued and forked eateries. French bread is now available and Club Med plans a village at Varadero Beach. All this should boost Cuban gastronomy.
Curacao
Fans of Curacao label it the Caribbean Dutch treat that can’t be beat. Think near perfect, relatively arid weather with capital city Willemstad basking in the sun as a tropical Amsterdam. Daytime temperatures range from the 70s to the low 80s with cool tradewinds at night.
Although Dutch and Papiamento are the official lingos, nearly everyone speaks English. Papiamento? That is a language unique to the Dutch Caribbean and is a combination of tongues reflecting the Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, English, African and Amerindian roots of Curacao.
Located just 35 miles north of Venezuela, Curacao is the largest and most populous of the Dutch Antilles. This multi-ethnic island is nominally part of the Netherlands and the Queen of that European nation is Head of State.
As one might expect, the Dutch Antilles guilder is the official currency but US dollars are widely accepted.
Sightseeing amid the red-tiled Dutch architecture of capital city Willemstad is an absolute joy. So is shopping in this world-class trading mecca with low import duties and no sales taxes.
As for beaches, there are officially 38 seashores, some of them well-attended hotel venues and others secluded coves worthy of a film set.
Orchids are everywhere in the 4,500 acre Christoffel National Park, complete with caves and a mountain.
The most celebrated of Curacao vegatetion is the divi-divi tree with its branches twisted into exotic Oriental shapes by the constant trade winds.
There is a wide range of restaurants in every price category. Try the local specialities: keshi yena, a meat filled cheese casserole, or perhaps funchi, a cornmeal cake of aboriginal origin. Atmospheric seaside clubs have been built into an ancient Dutch fort’s stone walls. Go there to sip a drink and watch the sun set before dining and gambling under a sparkling canopy of stars – planets, too, for that matter. Its European charm attracts many the moST There are all the modern conveniences as well as the Old World flair.
Dominica
Think Hollywood film set. Here is a fantasy island of rain forest greenery and bloomery nestling alongside rugged mountain peaks, sometimes obscured by clouds and fog. There is a boiling-hot sulfuric spring, some 365 rushing streams and an Emerald Pool grotto with a waterfall and jungly “tarzanic” surroundings. It’s more “reel” than real. Bring plenty film. Three peaks, one rising to 4,747 feet, reign over a 17,000-acre ecological treasure that has earned Dominica the pet name: Nature Island of the Caribbean.
Bird fans will go bananas. There are more than 160 bird species, including the Dominica trademark imperial parrot and the purple-throated carib hummingbird. It is little wonder the aborigine Caribs battled the hardest to possess Dominica. Brits and French fought for the island but subsequently turned it over to the Caribs in 1748.
Today, about 3,000 descendants of this once-fierce warrior tribe live in historic Dominica, one of the islands “discovered” by Columbus. Carib handicrafts make wonderful gifts and mementos of your stay on Dominica. Incidentally, Carib comes from Cariba or Caniba, as in Cannibal. Strictly speaking, Caribbean means Cannibal Country. But not to worry. Current “Today’s Special” is crapaud, pronounced crop-OH. That may not sound appetizing in Creole French, but neither is the English translation: large frog. Locals call it “mountain chicken.” If you pass on the “poultry,” try the manicou. It means small opossum.
Dominica takes its cooking to heart. Aside from the aforementioned, there is no dearth of fresh seafood, pumpkin soup, conch dishes and Creole cuisine to tantalize every taste. Do yourself a flavour and sample such Dominica staples as breadfruit, sweet green bananas, guavas, kushkush yams and dasheen.
Nightlife is low key. Las Vegas Dominica is not. The island’s underworld of black coral, enormous sponges and sunken mountains makes Dominica a world-class dive spot. Near the capital, sleepy Anglo-French Roseau, lies a 40-acre Botanical Garden with all manner of Caribbean plants, including many orchids. During the summer, savour the splendour of orchid-shaped, red-orange Royal Poinciana blossoms.
English is the official language in this independent Commonwealth within the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly British colonies. A French-based patois is also spoken. The population is only about 82,000. Coin of the realm is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar but locals don’t mind “working for the Yankee dollah,” as a popular Calypso goes.
Dominican Republic
This mountainous, beach-fringed country occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, second-largest of the Caribees. Santo Domingo, oldest city in the New World, is the historical capital and revels in restored treasures of its Spanish imperial days.
As in Havana, there is a waterfront drive known as the malecon. There are also strong ties to the Columbus legend. Both Santo Domingo and Havana once housed Columbus’ remains. Again, like Cuba, the national sport is baseball. The two islands have nurtured some of the best baseball stars in the business. The Quincentennial of Columbus’ arrival in the New World was marked with the lighting and dedication of the Columbus Memorial Lighthouse. It is a huge structure shaped as a crucifix with powerful beams of light outlining the image of a cross in the Dominican night sky.
Known for its high-quality amber – the stuff of Jurassic Park fame – the resort town of Puerto Plata, or Silver Port, graces the DR’s north or Amber CoaST Here, you can ride a cable car to a massive statue of Christ, reminiscent of one which rises over Rio de Janeiro.
East of Puerto Plata is the relatively new resort area of Sosúa, with two villages connected by a wide beach. Lost Charamicos is to the west and El Batey to the east The area was founded by Jewish settlers fleeing Hitler in 1940.
To the west of Puerto Plata is La Isabela, named for Columbus’ Queen Isabela. This first European settlement in the New World is world-renowned for its collection of Columbian and pre-Columbian artefacts. Current digs are revealing still more of the history and culture of the Taino aborigines. Historic Montecristi is known for its guarantee of sunshine all but five days of the year.
Shopping, sports and nightlife complete the DR’s list of options offering something for every taste under the sun.
For great golf, first-class accommodations and 5-star service, the Dominican place to consider is Casa de Campo, a 7,000-acre luxury resort on the southeastern tip of the republic. The resort was decorated by the Dominican Republic’s noted designer Oscar de la Renta. Of nine on-site restaurants, four are in Altos de Chavon, designed as the ultimate 16th century Mediterranean village. It has to be seen to be believed. The village of faux-ancient walls and cobblestones boasts a 5,000 seat Romanesque amphitheatre. It has hosted some of the world’s best known entertainers since Frank Sinatra opened the place in 1982. The resort is closed off to locals, so you may want to savour local flavour by joining local residents in La Romana.
Grenada
Spice up your life with a serving of Grenada, with its many fields of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger and cocoa. The “Isle of Spices” has soil so rich that a few dropped seeds and you have an instant garden. Or so they say.
The capital is St George, blessed with sloping hills around a magnificent harbour. This is where the action is, or at least the commercial and social activities. This mini-nation includes Grenada with 120 square miles, Carriacou with 13 square miles and Petit Martinique with only 486 acres.
Both France and Britain fought for possession of this choice tropical real estate. The British took control in 1791 and built Fort Frederick to make their occupation stick. Americans, during the Ronald Reagan administration, again brought war to the island when its Cuban allies were chased away by bombing and invasion. Today, Americans go there to play not slay.
Be sure to shop for perfumes and handicrafts involving spices. They are widely available at The Carenage, waterfront venue of a few duty-free shops and unique boutiques with items unavailable anywhere else. When it’s time to dine, expect a wide variety of seafood, fruits, vegetables-often served with steel band, calypso and jazz music in the background.
The language is English but a French patois is sometimes used. Currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar but the US dollar is accepted as coin of the realm, despite the place being a British realm.
Guadeloupe
This butterfly-shaped island – actually two isles – is one of few Caribbean places where tourism is not king. Sugar is.
Since Guadeloupe is essentially an oversees department of France, expect fine cuisine, tasteful surroundings and a clothing-optional beach or three.The central market in bustling Pointe-a-Pitre is a beehive of people bargaining and buying piles of papayas, tomatoes, breadfruit and assorted other goodies.
For a commanding view of this French Riviera-styled city, visit the 18th century Fort Fleur d’Epee. Then take the Riviera Road at least as far as the Guadeloupe Aquarium, there to view a fine collection of colourful tropicals. Guadeloupe also comprises the island beauties: Marie Galante, Isle Desirade and Des Saintes. Joined with St Martin and St Barts, they form an overseas French Region. The official language is French, the currency French francs. Many speak English as well as a French-based Creole.
Scuba divers adore Pigeon Island and Cousteau Underwater Park, one of the world’s 10 best dive destinations, according to the late marine-explorer Jacques Cousteau.
Guadeloupe has more than 100 restaurants, this being a part of Overseas France. Every summer, women chefs stage a lively Fete des Cuisinieres, or Festival of Women Cooks. As for entertainment, there are casinos, discos, piano bars, night clubs, French-styled cafes and night clubs. For French-Caribbean Gallic charm, class and culture, it is hard to surpass Guadeloupe.
Guyana
Formerly British Guiana, Guyana is now an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is located on the northeast shores of South America. English is spoken by most of the inhabitants.
Guyana is one of the most magical eco-tourism destinations on God’s green earth. Its Amerindian name means Land of Many Waters and the country is indeed laced with countless creeks and rivers. As if all this tropical beauty is not enough, there are diamonds and gold deposited in the hillsides and river bottoms.
You will step inside stunning jungle and mountain country just beyond the borders of Guyana’s picturesque capital: Georgetown. The capital is dotted with charming 19th century homes and mansions made accessible via tree-lined boulevards along the path of canals built during the Dutch colonial days.
Georgetown’s St George’s Cathedral is a white Victorian landmark and is one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings. The major religions, incidentally, are Christianity, Islam and Hindu. The latter two are the result of massive immigration from Asia. Stabroek Market is the heart and soul of Georgetown. Also recommendable is a visit to the city’s fine Botanical Gardens and Zoo.
It is, however, outside the zoo where you will see the most awe inspiring of Guyana rain forest creatures: lizards, iguanas colourful birds, snakes and maybe even a bush tiger. Centrepiece of all this natural beauty is Kaieteur Falls, five times as high as Niagara and noted for its shimmering rainbows in the mist and sunshine of the jungle.
It was from historic Guyana that many of the Amerindians set sail to set up housekeeping in Caribbean islands and The Bahamas. Today, the aborigines are nearly extinct. With so much beauty in Guyana, one has to wonder why these people ever packed up and sailed away.
Speaking of Guyanese travel opportunities, there are wonderful jungle lodges where you can pig out on wild game, jumbo shrimp and tropical fruits and veggies. For the adventurous soul seeking the ultimate different vacation, it would be hard to top Guyana.
Haiti
Ah, Haiti, where vaudou drums echo from the jungle during moonlit nights. Here is one of the most exotic destinations on earth. In Haiti, just about everybody is involved in the creative arts. The best of its painters sell their works for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Of late, tourists have by-passed Haiti because of its political instability. Today, the country seems to be on the rebound. Haiti was once the New World’s richest place and the crown jewel of the French overseas empire. Today, poverty is everywhere in evidence.
Still, there is much to see and do. In the north is the mountain-top Citadelle la Ferriere, built by Henry Christopher, born a slave in the English Caribbean. He rose from stable boy to His Haitian Majesty, King Henri Christophe.
Aided by the UN, efforts are under way to restore the king’s 18th century Sans Souci, named for and copied after Frederick the Great’s palace in Germany.
British writer Christopher Nicole, in his book Black Majesty, Book Two, Wild Harvest, describes San Souci as: “Christophe’s palace outside his capital city of Millot was unashamedly a copy of its European namesake, a fabulous accumulation of halls and marble pillars, of ballrooms and reception rooms, built around a staircase which even when surrounded by a hundred and fifty years of decay takes away the breath.”
Equally intriguing is the current rich lifestyle of Petionville overlooking the capital at Port-au-Prince. Here is the French colonial gingerbread Olofsson, a favourite resort-hotel setting in novels about colourful Haiti. If you are a connoisseur of the finest in rum, be sure to sample Haiti’s fabulous 5-star Barbancourt.
Jamaica
Jamaicans are experts in tourism, as witness the “export” of their expertise. More and more Jamaicans have branched out with hotels and resorts now based in The Bahamas and even Cuba. Foremost among these entrepreneurs are “Butch” Stewart of Sandals fame, John Issa of SuperClubs and Chris Blackwell, music mogul turned hotelier.
In Jamaica itself, most of the action is concentrated in Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Negril, the Blue Mountains with its gourmet coffee, and Montego Bay, affectionately known as Mo Bay. With such a colourful history novels by the dozens have portrayed the life and times of multi-racial Jamaicans with zest for life. One of the most famous novels is about Annie Palmer, mistress of Rose Hall and known as the plantation’s “White Witch.” She was the island’s first mass murderer, having wasted three husbands and a number of slaves.
The island is quite large. Give it enough time to thoroughly enjoy its offerings; bamboo rafting for instance. The northwest coast resort at Montego Bay is world-famous for beaches and luxury resorts. It is a thriving port and Jamaica’s largest city after the capital, Kingston.
For dining, beaches, sports, shopping and nightlife, Jamaica takes top honours as a world-class travel destination. A recent Conde-Naste Traveller article featured Jamaica as “the soul of the Caribbean…..its proud and passionate spirit…keeps the legendary luxury resort full of life all year round.”
Martinique
Technically an integral part or department of France, Martinique is an isle of French charm, class, culture, cuisine and chic at their Gallic best Beautiful beyond words, Martinique captured the attention of Paul Gauguin, whose paintings of Martinique are among the world’s most prized treasures.
Renowned for the beauty of its women, Martinique has been the birthplace of three famous royals: Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s first empress; Madame de Maintenon, morganic wife of Sun King Louis XIV and a girl friend of Josephine who became Sultana of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Go to the secluded beaches of this French Antilles Eden and you are apt to see island beauties not wearing royal crowns–or anything else. Nudity and monkinis, or one-piece bikinis, are as commonplace here as in the south of France.
Martinique is also famous for its volcano, Mont Pelee, near the town of St Pierre and the site of Gauguin’s studio, now a museum. St Pierre, once the thriving Paris of the Caribbean, was destroyed when Mont Pelee blew its top in 1902. All 30,000 inhabitants, except one, died when lava, poisonous gas, ashes and boulders rained on St Pierre. The lone survivor was a jailed prisoner named: Cyparis.
For the latest and greatest in French couture and fragrances, shop in the capital city of Fort-de-France. Then take the ferry for a trip across one of the most beautiful bays in the world and explore the resort hotels and secluded beaches across the bay from Fort-de-France. In the culture-vulture mode? Then you best attend a performance by the world-renowned Grands Ballets de Martinique. It helps considerably, by the way, if you at least attempt to “parley-vous” Francais.
French-speaking Martinique is especially proud of its French heritage, to say nothing of the generous French welfare system, 5-week paid vacations and affordable air fares for visits and an education in La Belle France.
Puerto Rico
The United States Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is considering a 1998 referendum on whether to become the 51st state, become an independent nation, or retain current status as a U.S. Commonwealth.
Currently, the island’s 3.7 million residents are American citizens but do not pay federal taxes and cannot vote in general presidential elections. The Spanish-speaking island was colonized by Spain after its 15th century “discovery” by Christopher Columbus. The island became a U.S. possession in 1898 after the Spanish-American War.
San Juan, the capital, is steeped in history. Restoration of Old San Juan has created one of the most enchanting places anywhere in the Caribbean. The city was founded in 1521 by the island’s first governor, Juan Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer who sought the fabled Fountain of Youth and found Florida instead.
Head for Puerto Rico if you seek world-class resort hotels, Grade A gourmet and gourmand gastronomy, a lush rain forest, wonderful beaches and baroque Moorish-Spanish architecture. As in Havana, the harbour is dominated by an ancient fort called El Morro, rising 140 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.
For the nature lover, Puerto Rico offers El Yunque, only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Park system. This 28,000 acre national forest has 240 different species of tropical trees, flowers and plants. There are many trails and waterfalls and also the 3,523-foot Pico El Toro–Bull Peak in English.
There is all of the above, plus shopping, dining, night life, sports and beachcombing par excellence.
Saba
Just a short ferry ride from Dutch St Maarten is another Dutch treat called Saba. This island cone of an extinct volcano is lush, green and hilly with outrageous undersea coral gardens and picture-postcard hamlets and villages.
Saba is a special high for nature lovers. There is only one road, appropriately called The Road. So you can’t get lost on this five-square-mile isle once owned by France, Spain and Great Britain but now an overseas part of The Netherlands. Head for Windwardside to see the Saba Museum, once “home port” of a Dutch sea captain. Among its antiques is a four-poster mahogany bed with carvings of pineapples, that quintessential symbol of hospitality. There are also artifacts from pre-Columbian times and 1772 hurricane mementos. There is a bust of Simon Bolivar, “South America’s George Washington” who came to Saba seeking soldiers in Bolivar’s efforts to free South America from Spanish rule.
Among Saba shopping opportunities is the island’s special lace with its unique needlework.
There are no beaches but the scuba diving and snorkelling are awesome at the Saba Marine Park, established in 1987. Some 29 deep and shallow dives can be arranged.
The local drink speciality is Saba Spice, a blend of 151-proof cask rum, brown sugar, anise seed, cinnamon and nutmeg. Casual outdoor dining on West Indian, American, Chinese and fresh-caught seafood is the order of the day. There are only a couple of night clubs but no shortage of small bars where you can relax in tropical tranquillity or chat away into the “whee” hours.
Saba’s capital is appropriately called The Bottom. It reclines at the bottom of a green valley 820 feet above sea level. Look for The Gap, where you can descend 524 steps to Ladder Bay, the site where the first settlers brought their worldly goods “up to The Bottom,” so to speak.
St Barthelemy
St. Barthelemy is the official handle of this glitzy, ritzy resort. But everybody calls it St Barts. It is the first choice for the champagne and caviar set who pour their cash and cachet into St Barts with ever-increasing enthusiasm.
At the very least, take a day trip from St Martin so that you can imply membership in the big-bucks league, so de rigueur in this tres chic emporium of all the luxuries of La Belle France. Alas, all this is available at a price usually “trop cher” for the working class.
St Barts is also the only Caribbean spot with a Swedish heritage. Its film-set capital was named Gustavia in honour of Sweden’s King Gustaf. Sweden returned St Barts to France in 1878. Its Swedish heritage and freeport, tax-advantaged status remain alive and well to this day.
Since there were no plantations or need for labour-intensive carryings-on, St Barts was populated by a nearly all-white population from Sweden and the French provinces of Brittany and Normandy.
You can engage in the usual Caribbean rainbow of watersports. As befits a French island, epicures will be treated to some of the finest cuisine on earth.
Although French is the official lingo, English is widely used. It can help to know a few French phrases, at least merci and pardon.
The French consider informality with strangers a bit tacky.
Include a title with bonjour and bonsoir, as in monsieur, madame or mademoiselle, as the case may be.
St Eustatius
Like St Barthelemy/St Barts, St Eustatius is better known by its No. 2 name, Statia. Its relatively dry tropical climate is among the island plusses. Statia is basically a bit of green land dominated by The Quill, an extinct volcano with an altitude of 1,940 feet.
Dutch is the official language and the Netherlands Antilles guilder is the local currency. But you won’t be “in Dutch” if you speak English and spend American–US dollars, that is.
The island opened for business in the 1700s and was a bustling freeport and tax haven for French and English traders. As they were wont to do, the English in 1816 captured and looted the island. Statia exchanged hands 22 times over the years, it was just that desirable.
The only city is Oranjestad, named for the Dutch royal family. This unique capital is divided into Upper and Lower Town, occupying land above and below coastal cliffs. Sights include historic Fort Orange, the island’s Historical Foundation Museum and the former Government’s Guesthouse. The latter was opened formally by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix in 1992.
The small volcanic beaches have such unusual names as Smoke Alley Beach, Banana Bay and Crooks Castle. Hurricanes, abandoned warehouses and shipwrecks have made for interesting underwater ruins rich in marine life.
Despite Statia’s “teeny” size, there is no dearth of culinary delights ranging from pizza, hot dogs and barbecue to Italian, Asian and French specialities. Nightlife? Well, you best bring your own.
St Kitts
These twin islands have all the best in Caribbean vacation offerings packaged up in Lilliputian dimensions. There is even a carnival with masked dancers on St Kitts. The islands are separated by a 2-mile channel. St Kitts is all greenery and mountains. Nevis has scenic hills, gorgeous gardens and glorious coves with the Caribbean’s ubiquitous pink sand beaches. Although independent, the islands have retained their English heritage. They play cricket a lot and, of course, traffic moves to the left.
Basseterre is the capital. The name is French because it was that nationality who founded the town in 1625, the same year the French made an unsuccessful attempt to set up a colony in The Bahamas.
Wars have been frequent, beginning in 1626 when Carib natives were massacred at a place now called Bloody Point. If you are staying on St Kitts, take a ferry to Nevis and its peaceful village of Charlestown. Nevis was the home of North American patriot and statesman Alexander Hamilton of American Revolution fame. Memorabilia of his time are major tourist attractions in Nevis. Photo opps include views from Nelson’s Lookout. From here you can see forever, well, at least Antigua, Montserrat with its active volcano, Redonda, Saba and St Kitts.
Cuisine options are in the superior category. Nightlife may be limited to strolls down a moonlit beach with amazing tropical beauty in the background.
St Lucia
After bouncing from French to British ownership 14 times, this awesomely beautiful island is an intriguing combo of sophisticated France and nature-loving Britain. Visitors are especially impressed by the island’s forest-covered mountains with its bird, turtle and nature-study options.
St Lucia has perhaps the most dramatic of tropical splendours in its twin peaks: The Pitons. They are near black volcanic sands and romantic settings worthy of a Hollywood musical extravaganza.
The capital city is Castries. Britain subsequently took permanent possession of St Lucia in 1814. They established sugar plantations operated by West African slaves. Today St Lucia is an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth II has been retained as Head of State.
For an adventure straight out of National Geographic, go see the piles exotic fruits and veggies at the Castries Market and Vendors Arcade. In the centre of the capital is Derek Walcott Square, named after St Lucia’s Nobel Prize for Literature winner.
Still in the mood for “something different?” Then high-tail to the sleepy fishing village of Soufriere. Its main square boasts fine French colonial architecture in a town that was once a volcanic crater.
The Friday night “jump up” at Gros Islet is considered to be the grandest block party in the Caribbean. The skewered conch (lambi in St Lucian Creole/French) are umm-umm good. So is the other St Lucian cuisine hailing from the US, China, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Jamaica and India.
As for sports, round up the usual suspects in the Caribbean–diving, snorkelling, scuba diving, water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing and deep-sea fishing. The underwater scenery has to be seen to be believed.
St Martin
A bit more than half the island is French St Martin. The remainder is Dutch St Maarten, complete with windmills and peope who don’t take their dogs to restaurants as do the French. True, there aren’t many windmills but the same can be said for Holland itself.
First, let’s parlez-vous about St Martin. It is the High Cuisine Mecca of the region, and its capital city of Marigot is lined with shops as chic as any you might find in the south of France. If you haven’t a thing to wear, head for the beaches where topless and even bottomless is as acceptable as in France. The French side of this Edenic isle has breathtaking scenery with or without the bikinis and “naturists.” With such crystal-clear water and near-perfect weather, sports are a viable option. On the Southern 16 square miles of this 37 square mile island is Dutch St Maarten. Its Old Street in the capital city of Philipsburg evokes the tall, narrow buildings of Amsterdam in Holland.
There are beaches and sports to suit all tastes. You can shop till you drop, then get up again and shop some more. The bargains are everywhere because St Maarten is a truly duty-free, tax-free island.
Try your luck at any of some 10 casinos on this swinging island shared by two of Europe’s most colourful cultures.
St Vincent and The Grenadines
If the 32 islands in this chain, only eight are populated. St Vincent is the largest and its tropical splendours make the perfect setting for idyllic yachting and sailing. The tiny island of Mustique is the venue of Princess Margaret’s only real estate, a villa she named Les Eaux Jolies, or The Pretty Waters. In her salad days, the Queen of England’s pretty sister was known as the Calypso Princess. She could sing, dance and mime with near professional expertise. On at least one occasion, she was the victim of pesky papparazzi and was photographed on a Mustique beach along with three young nude males. Today, however, Princess Margaret is a model grandmother who makes at least 50 public appearances annually on behalf of various charities.
The southern palm-fringed Grenadines boast mountainous Union Island, a favourite port of call for “yachties” and parties. Further to the south are privately owned hideaway isles of Mayareau, Palm Island and Petit St Vincent.
When Italian Baron Carlo Amato and friends discovered Canouan in 1990, there were no cars and the tiny island was pretty much as Columbus saw it in 1498. The Baron had hoped to settle in Mustique, an island which sometimes turns people away. No problem in the Baron’s case, as he found the 1,800 undeveloped acres of Canouan quite to his liking in lieu of “royal” Mustique. Today, a complex of 130 apartments and 107 villas, plus 18-hole championship golf course and marina are under construction. The largest villa, costing $5 million and on a huge lot, is nearing completion. Amato imported Italian chefs for his 42-room Tamarind Beach Hotel and the food and hospitality is said to be first-class.
Trinidad and Tobago
Petroleum at one point made Trinidad one of the richest colonies in the British Empire. Today, the twin-island nation is independent and the first in the West Indies to become a republic rather than retaining the British monarch as Head of State.
The capital is Port of Spain; the language is English while the second official language is Spanish. The nation has its own dollar but US currency is widely accepted. The population of about 1.3 million comprises one of the most diverse mixtures on earth. They include descendants of immigrants from Africa, China, India, Europe, Middle East including Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Iran, and many other places. “Trinis,” as Trinidadians refer to themselves, are a friendly, ambitious, education-loving lot known for their fine, French-oriented cuisine.
The smaller laid-back island of Tobago is believed to be the place Robert Louis Stevenson had in mind when he wrote the famous novel, Treasure Island. The islands have produced an array of artists, writers (Sir V.S. Naipaul-who now lives in England, Balkrishna Naipaul-who now lives in Canada, C.L. R. James, Dr.Eric Eustace Williams, Michael Anthony, Winston Dookeran, Worldwide sports personalities (Clive Lloyd-former Cricket Captain for the Caribbean Team, Ato Bolton-famous Olympic sprinter, Hazel Crawford-former Olympic Sprinter, Brian Lara-Captain of the Caribbean Cricket Team, David Nakid (Lebanese Arab-Trinidadian International football (soccer) player who plays for Lebanon but lives in Trinidad and plays on the Trinidad national team at times), Singers (Billy Ocean, and many more to list here).
Turks and Caicos
Once a part of The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Colony with superb diving, sports and Club Med offerings. The capital is Cockburn (pronounced Co’burn) Town and the population is around 14,000. These low-lying mostly undeveloped island and cays have some of the finest beaches in the world. Dolphins leap offshore. Whales playing in the open sea are as popular an attraction as in the Hawaiian Islands.
The eight principal islands boast a living coral reef system that provides perfect diving conditions. Tropical treats include fresh sapodillas and sugar apples. Seafood specialties include grilled lobster, conch prepared in a variety of ways, soft-shelled crab and an international approach to create some of the best dining in the tropics. Entertainment via traditional island music is certain to be one of your most cherished memories of a holiday in the Turks and Caicos sunshine.
US Virgin Islands
Here is a touch of Denmark-in-the-tropics with all the modern conveniences of living in the U.S.A. Currently a box office smash hit in Florida is the Jimmy Buffett-Herman Wouk musical said to be about a U.S. Virgin Island. Called “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” the show depicts the ups and downs of an American who seeks to indulge his dream of owning a small hotel in “paradise.”
The U.S. Virgins were purchased from Denmark during World War I times when the U.S. worried about a possible German submarine base in these islands. Today, a bit of royal Denmark remains in such historic landmarks as Fort Christian. The royal crest of Europe’s oldest ruling family appears here and there on public buildings. In one respect, the U.S. Virgins are more Danish than Denmark. Traffic still moves to the left although Denmark has finally switched to the right, ala U.S.A.
The three principal islands are St Thomas; St John, with world-famous Cinnamon Bay National Park and Trunk Bay underwater snorkel trail; and St Croix, the largest, where Columbus anchored his ships and went ashore in 1493.
The capital city is hill-encircled Charlotte Amalie, named for a Queen of Denmark. Many duty-free shops line the streets of this St Thomas mini-metropolis.
Sight-seeing in these historic islands is a major tourism plus. Cuisine, culture, sports and night life complete the menu for the perfect U.S. Virgin Island vacation of a lifetime.
