Here’s the lowdown on the Caribbean’s best: beaches, sailing, shopping, authentic experiences, adventure, unspoiled nature and peace and quiet.
Anguilla | Grenadines | Bahamas | Nevis | Saba | St. Bart's | St. John | Vieques | Virgin Gorda
Best for beaches: Anguilla
Almost in the shadow of nearby St. Martin, with St. Bart’s visible on clear days, Anguilla is flat and sandy and remains relatively undeveloped compared with its neighbors—but it’s still home to some of the most luxurious resorts and villas in the region.
Worth the splurge: Having recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Mediterranean-style Malliouhana Hotel & Spa (800/835-0796 or 246/497-6111; malliouhana.com; doubles from $500) is still going strong, with a newish spa, chef Michel Rostang’s haute-French restaurant, and a 25,000-bottle wine cellar.
Best value: At a far lower price point is the 27-suite Kú (Shoal Bay East; 800/869-5827; ku-anguilla.com; doubles from $160), from the owners of Cap Juluca. Every spacious, if basic, suite comes with a kitchen.
Real estate: For those taken with the villa lifestyle, now is the time to invest. In 2008, the Temenos Resort & Residences from St. Regis (800/ 567-1845 or 264/498-7000; temenosanguilla.com; from $1.6 million) will unveil the first of 115 villas and estates. The Kor Hotel Group’s 35-acre Viceroy Anguilla (800/357-1930 or 264/497-0757; viceroyanguilla.com; from $1 million), also opening in 2008, will be selling 172 California-meets-Caribbean residences.
Top beach: On the Caribbean side, the best way to experience scenic Rendezvous Bay, with its view of St. Martin, is by staying at the CuisinArt Resort (800/943-3210 or 264/498-2000; cuisinartresort.com; doubles from $685).
Favorite restaurant: Run by Malliouhana chef Dale Carty, Tasty’s Restaurant (Main Rd., South Hill; 264/497-2737; lunch for two $60) lives up to its name. Islanders are almost obsessive about his peppery-hot goat-and-potato curry.
Local flavor: Unfussy roadside barbecue shacks are where you’ll find the most memorable (and affordable) meals. Try the fiery grilled ribs and fish at Tamarind Tree Bar & Restaurant (Coronation Ave., The Valley; 264/235-2415); at BBQ Grill (across from the People’s Market, The Valley; 264/772-6204), the specialty is sliced roasted pork, rubbed in lemon and lime.
Where to shop: The best souvenir can be found at the post office (The Valley; 264/497-2528), which sells colorful stamps that celebrate everything from the island’s cultural heritage to Princess Diana.
Don’t miss: Named after a 19th-century English shipping family, Planters Pyrat is the tipple of choice, distilled in Sandy Ground (Road Bay; 264/497-5003; tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
[Via - The Ultimate Caribbean]
Thursday, April 17, 2008
How to Find the Best All-Inclusive Resorts
Andrea Bennett shows you how to get the most for your money, not to mention top-notch service.
By Andrea Bennett, Travel+Leisure
My first experience with an all-inclusive resort was a decade ago during a freezing February in New York City. I was easy prey for this promise: a startlingly low price for a trip to Cancún, which included airfare, four nights in a double room, and meals at any of three "exciting, international" restaurants. What I got: an insipid buffet; a filthy, crowded beach; and many extra fees. Though piña coladas were included, bottled water wasn't. The only unexpected "extra" was the resort's own porn channel, blaring on my TV when I arrived. I would have settled for maid service.
These days, all-inclusives are going upscale with the same type of promise, but better delivery. At the Royal Hideaway Playacar, in Mexico, for example, a nightly rate starting at $850 per room includes meals by chef Sergi Arola—from Madrid's Michelin-starred La Broche restaurant—Spanish classes, and scuba lessons. You can find good deals at various price levels by asking yourself these questions:
Will I use what's included?
If you think you'll use everything a resort offers, even a pricey package can be a great value. Curtain Bluff, in Antigua, might seem expensive at $950 a night, but if you take advantage of the extras—scuba diving, waterskiing lessons, sailing, and drinks—the resort is a bargain. And large all-inclusive chains, which have improved their services, can be surprisingly affordable: I found a six-night stay for two in April at the Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa, in Jamaica, including airfare from Charleston, South Carolina; all meals; tennis; scuba diving; and laundry service, for $683 per night.
Will I want what's not included?
Figure out if you'll desire more than what the deal gives you. The Meliá Cabo Real, in Los Cabos, Mexico, is next door to a Robert Trent Jones II designed golf course. Stay in a links-view room for $460 per night in late February, and the all-inclusive rate delivers everything except golf, which is $252 per round. If you plan on playing a few rounds, wouldn't staying at an actual golf resort end up costing less, even at a higher nightly rate? Definitely.
How big a hassle will it be to cash in? The appeal of an all-inclusive is lost if you have to spend time jockeying for what you've been promised. In order to avoid the buffet at the 355-room Caribe Club Princess, in Punta Cana, you must queue up before 3 p.m. to get reservations at one of the five restaurants. Other red flags: water sports that are actually at a different location; "unlimited" sports where equipment rental is extra; or being confined to nine holes of an 18-hole course. To avoid these undesirable scenarios, know what's included with the hotel before you book.
[Via - How to Find the Best All-Inclusive Resorts]
By Andrea Bennett, Travel+Leisure
My first experience with an all-inclusive resort was a decade ago during a freezing February in New York City. I was easy prey for this promise: a startlingly low price for a trip to Cancún, which included airfare, four nights in a double room, and meals at any of three "exciting, international" restaurants. What I got: an insipid buffet; a filthy, crowded beach; and many extra fees. Though piña coladas were included, bottled water wasn't. The only unexpected "extra" was the resort's own porn channel, blaring on my TV when I arrived. I would have settled for maid service.
These days, all-inclusives are going upscale with the same type of promise, but better delivery. At the Royal Hideaway Playacar, in Mexico, for example, a nightly rate starting at $850 per room includes meals by chef Sergi Arola—from Madrid's Michelin-starred La Broche restaurant—Spanish classes, and scuba lessons. You can find good deals at various price levels by asking yourself these questions:
Will I use what's included?
If you think you'll use everything a resort offers, even a pricey package can be a great value. Curtain Bluff, in Antigua, might seem expensive at $950 a night, but if you take advantage of the extras—scuba diving, waterskiing lessons, sailing, and drinks—the resort is a bargain. And large all-inclusive chains, which have improved their services, can be surprisingly affordable: I found a six-night stay for two in April at the Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa, in Jamaica, including airfare from Charleston, South Carolina; all meals; tennis; scuba diving; and laundry service, for $683 per night.
Will I want what's not included?
Figure out if you'll desire more than what the deal gives you. The Meliá Cabo Real, in Los Cabos, Mexico, is next door to a Robert Trent Jones II designed golf course. Stay in a links-view room for $460 per night in late February, and the all-inclusive rate delivers everything except golf, which is $252 per round. If you plan on playing a few rounds, wouldn't staying at an actual golf resort end up costing less, even at a higher nightly rate? Definitely.
How big a hassle will it be to cash in? The appeal of an all-inclusive is lost if you have to spend time jockeying for what you've been promised. In order to avoid the buffet at the 355-room Caribe Club Princess, in Punta Cana, you must queue up before 3 p.m. to get reservations at one of the five restaurants. Other red flags: water sports that are actually at a different location; "unlimited" sports where equipment rental is extra; or being confined to nine holes of an 18-hole course. To avoid these undesirable scenarios, know what's included with the hotel before you book.
[Via - How to Find the Best All-Inclusive Resorts]
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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