I recently returned from a week in Trinidad & Tobago. Before you look outside at the wintry weather and curse me for basking in the warmth of the Caribbean, let me tell you that it was not all bath-warm water and coral beaches. Some of it was, I won’t lie, but I was there for Carnival. Trinidadians take their Carnival seriously and their celebration is the largest in the Caribbean—and one of the biggest and wildest in the world. Hmm, that doesn’t seem to be eliciting much pity from you either. Understandable, I suppose, but you are also looking at it with a chilly and rested eye. Carnival is all about sleep-deprivation. They say that when Trinidadians are not celebrating Carnival, they spend their time talking about how great last year’s party was, or how great next year’s is going to be. They’re not kidding; I’ve never seen people dance, drink, party, and generally revel in an event like Trinis at Carnival.

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Posted in Caribbean, Festivals & Events
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Reading the New York Times travel section this weekend made me yearn for a quick getaway to someplace sunny and warm. Or at least someplace that felt better than here (New York City aka The Big Apple.) Usually I just love fall but it has been a bit of a disappointing fall this year, you know, with the wacky weather and the leaves not quite performing as we’d like all like. Although the air has only just turned chilly this passed week I’m already thinking about what’s next on my travel horizon…

The New York Times seemed to be leaning toward the Caribbean and the call of the warm blue waters. The section was dominated by an opening with a fruity umbrella topped cooler and the allure of soft, sandy beaches. They’re clearly not the only ones with some beach-time on their mind. Maybe it’s a result of the increased access with new flights to the Caribbean but I’ve looked at the data for thanksgiving and noticed that the share of travel to the Caribbean is up 20% this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving? you ask. Sure thing. It’s trendy to take turkey abroad. Mexico’s share is up by 17%. Even Europe’s is up too. (And I thought the whole Western Hemisphere Passport Initiative and the new passport rules combined with the weak dollar was supposed to be deterring people from traveling? Well apparently not.) What’s more is that these people aren’t like me and thinking I need a little break, uh, now! They’re booking in advance. WAY in advance. The average domestic ticket for thanksgiving this year was booked 85 days prior to departure, international tickets were booked over 100 days in advance. Given that math, that means right now I should be booking for sometime in January possibly more like February.

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Posted in Air Travel, Beaches, Caribbean, International Travel, Thanksgiving '07, Travel News
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After pounding several Caribbean islands over the weekend, Hurricane Dean hit Mexico's Caribbean coast Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, according to USA Today. The hurricane was downgraded to Category 2, but is expected to regain strength as it heads towards central Mexico.

Travelers with plans to visit Mexico, especially the Yucatan Peninsula, should check with their hotel for information on rebooking. Most hotels and tour operators in impacted destinations will waive cancellation fees and allow travelers to rebook for a later date, based on availability. Customers with cruise itineraries that include Mexico ports will experience itinerary changes; check with your cruise line for updates and schedule changes. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Carnival Cruise Lines shifted the itineraries of six ships, while Royal Caribbean International changed at least two.

Island by Island Conditions
On Grand Cayman, Owen Roberts International Airport is open and the visitor restriction has been lifted. Visitors should check with individual properties for inofrmation on hotel opening status.

Jamaica was spared a direct hit by the hurricane and hotel damage was limited. Many hotels, particularly in western Jamaica, are fully operational. Montego Bay Airport is now open and ready to receive flights. Norman Manley Airport in Kingston is expected to open on Tuesday.

On Martinique, Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport is open. All island hotels are open, though some have suffered landscaping damage. No structural damage was reported.

On St. Lucia, both airports are open and hurricane damage was minimal.

On St. Kitts, airline service remains normal and all hotels are open. The island suffered very little impact from the storm.

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Posted in Air Travel, Caribbean, Travel Alerts
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I’ve just returned from the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John after a week of sunset swimming and amateur snorkeling attempts. If you’re interested in that sort of thing—and in hiking, boating, sunbathing, and pina-colada drinking—then the good news is that, according to the Boston Globe, prices on Caribbean vacations and cruises are remaining refreshingly low for summer.

St. John is unique in that two-thirds of it is national park (so pristine!), and this extends under the sea to its rich coral gardens. On the island, just five minutes outside of Cruz Bay, each bend of the jungle road leads to another unspoiled beach, no two alike but all equally blessed with the fabled white sands and clear waters so touted in all the brochures.

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Posted in Beaches, Caribbean, Nature & Outdoors
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You can set the clock back sooner but you can't fool me – I still feel that hum-drum feeling that I get every winter (albeit I usually get this in February) and thus I find myself desperate for a beach fix. So while I started looking for places to go I noticed something was up. The prices were down, surprisingly, to all kinds of beach destinations. I thought I should share my findings. Because really, what's better than a trip to the beach than a trip to the beach that's on sale?!

This March and April I'm seeing unanticipated deals to the Caribbean: as much as 25-50% off and great value deals like stay for 7 nights but pay for 5. Let me remind you that this is a year where you'll be hard pressed to find a hotel that's selling for less than it did last year. All around the globe hotel rates are higher than last year. With the exception perhaps in the Caribbean this spring. Now doesn't grabbing a bargain make you want to pack up and dip your toe in the turquoise blue waters?

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Posted in Beaches, Budget Travel, Caribbean, Q & A
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Nothing says I love you like getting your Valentine tipsy off an herb-laced aphrodisiac nicknamed The Baby Maker and Vitality in a Bottle. Mamajuana hails from the Dominican Republic, and until today, Americans who wanted to taste the Caribbean love potion had to travel there to get it.

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Posted in Caribbean, Culinary Travel, Dominican Republic
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I’ve gotten close to Cuba a time or two. There was that time my girlfriends and I ventured through Miami's Little Havana, absorbing the rich culture of this ethnic enclave, where Cuban traditions infuse everything from its bustling eateries and coffee stands to its vibrant murals, music and art galleries.

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Posted in Caribbean, Cuba, International Travel, Miami, Travel News
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