All posts tagged Caribbean

Discovering Exotic Vacation Spots in the Caribbean

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The term “exotic” is often used too frequently to falsely describe areas that could more appropriately be called ordinary or commonplace. Places like Jamaica and Aruba, for example, are often referred to as exotic, when in truth they have become very popular destinations which attract thousands of tourists each year. However there are still a few truly exotic vacation spots in the Caribbeanspots offering a combination of privacy, seclusion and luxurythat are quickly making a name for themselves. In this article we will discuss two such locales in a little more detail: Barbados and Turks and Caicos.

Exotic Vacation Spots in the Caribbean: Barbados

Barbados is a skillfully blended incorporation of British Colonialism and African belief systems and culture. From the moment you land on this beautiful island, youll notice that this exotic vacation spot features over 100 miles of pristine, coral beaches which are just minutes away from thick tropical jungles just teeming with local wildlife. The people in Barbados are very friendly and speak English as their first language which should make it very easy to get around and explore all the island has to offer. At a Barbados exotic vacation spot you can:

* Hire a tour guide and explore the entire island
* Lose yourself shopping at Pelican Village
* Participate in water sports such as scuba, snorkeling and saltwater fishing
* Visit the Barbados wildlife preserve
* Dine and drink at one of the hundreds of restaurants and bars located on the island
* And much, much more

Exotic Vacation Spots in the Caribbean: Turks and Caicos

While the island of Turks and Caicos may be lesser known than some of the larger, more tourist-catering island groups in the Caribbean, this wonderful location is the perfect exotic vacation spot. Featuring some of the finest beaches and sea activities in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos will make you feelat timeslike youve left civilization altogether.

At Turks and Caicos you can:

* Find luxury, all-inclusive resort locations
* Go diving or snorkeling with the help of real underwater professionals
* Take a boat out for some whale watching
* And more

Turks and Caicos features a number of National parks and historical landmarks, with open-air shopping and fine dining to round out each and very special day on the island.

Whether youre planning to travel to Bermuda, Turks and Caicos or both, you can be sure that these exotic locations are still virtually untouched by man and nature, offering wondrous things to see and plenty to do while youre there.

Tropical Vacation What To Pack List

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It’s easy to modify your basic packing list into a tropical vacation packing list. We are always amazed at the amount of luggage that some people take to Hawaii or the Caribbean or any tropical destination. If a destination is tropical, it is by definition hot and humid… how many clothes do you really need?

Tropical destinations ring the earth around the equator where the sun is stronger, so be prepared for sun with plenty of sunscreen and a broad brimmed hat. If you’re sensitive to the sun, you might want to pack a lightweight long sleeved shirt and long pants…. There are some companies that make clothing with sun blocking material.

The dress in most tropical destinations is casual because of the heat and humidity, so that makes it easy to pack light. Take your basic packing list and go “heavy” on short sleeves and bathing suits.

You need to take into consideration what kind of culture you will be visiting. We think travelers should always try to dress appropriately for the countries they are traveling to. If you are going to Malaysia, remember it’s predominately Muslim, and to be sensitive to their culture, you should dress conservatively. You’ll want to cover up more than you will need to in Hawaii or the Caribbean.

Of course, what you include in that tropical vacation packing list will depend on what you plan to do on your vacation. Will you be scuba diving? Bicycling or sailing? Hiking in rain forests? Sitting on the beach all day?

It’s a good idea to get clothing that washes easily in your room and drip dries overnight. Hot and humid means you will be perspiring more than usual.

Some of the articles on your tropical vacation packing list will be on all of your packing lists… there are just some things you need to take with you on every trip. Those things pretty much never come out of our suitcases. Here’s our starting list… you can use it for YOUR tropical vacation packing list… but, as always, you have to modify it and make it your own.

For women… shorts, culottes, and T-shirts or cotton blouses are great.
Take one long sleeved blouse, and a sweater.
You’ll need long pants for the evening.
Two swim suits (so you’ll always have a dry one to put on.)
A cover up for public areas away from the pool or beach.
A skirt for dress up.

For men… you’ll also want shorts and t-shirts.
One long sleeved shirt and a sweater
One or two pairs of long pants
Collared shirts for evening.
Two swim suits.

Everyone should take a light rain jacket or poncho… it rains in the tropics! Sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat are musts. You’ll want sandals for beach wear… try to take something that you can wear off the beach too. Shoes for walking.

Besides the usual amenities of shampoo and toothpaste and cosmetics, you’ll want sunscreen and insect repellant. You want a camera and any electronics you can’t do without.

We shouldn’t have to remind you to take an ample amount of any prescription medications you take on a routine basis…. And pack any medications you need for this trip… things like malaria pills as well as aspirin and a small first aid kit.

A tropical vacation should be light and fun… your tropical vacation packing list should reflect that. Pack light!

Why Cuba Vacations Are So Popular In World

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Today, more travelers are choosing Cuba as their vacation destination. As the Caribbean’s largest island, Cuba attracts most of its tourists from Europe and Canada. Other tourists come from South America. There are a number of reasons why more people are choosing to book Cuba vacations.

More travellers are seeking cheap flights to Cuba and cheap Cuba vacation packages due to the allure of Cubas amazing beaches, rich culture and heritage, outstanding ecological marvels, and magnificent diving. Havana is the capital of Cuba. The city is described as an exotic city and for hundreds of years it has been the entryway to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1982, Old Havana, the citys historic centre, was listed by UNESCO for its neoclassical and Baroque buildings. Havanas theatres, museums, concert halls, and galleries are a tourists dream and they are adjacent to the exciting night clubs and bars that serve the renowned mojitos. Havana is a very popular tourist destination.

Much more Caribbean than Havana and world famous for its Carnival, the city of Santiago de Cuba, is an amazing city with a fascinating history, colorful music tradition, and gorgeous squares.
One major tourist draw is Cuba’s beaches, particularly the famous Varadero Beach. This famous beach offers tourists a spacious and sandy place to relax and it stretches into the waters of the Atlantic. There is also the Cayo Largo de Sur and the Isle of Youth, on the Caribbean side. These beautiful beaches offer incredible dive sites and white soft sand.

Cubas climate is typically hot however summer tends to be the wettest season. The winter months are a popular time to travel (from December to March) because the weather is very lovely, with not much rain, warm sunny days, and comfortable cooler evenings. Between May and October tourists will come across a fair amount of rain and eighty percent humidity. Hurricanes and other coastal storms tend to occur in late October and early November which is the tourist off season. Daring travellers can save money by visiting Cuba at this time. The drier season begins at the end of November and lasts until April.

Most travellers are booking cheap flights to Cuba between December and April which is the peak season. Christmas and New Years, July and August, and July 26 which is the anniversary of the revolution, are also popular times to travel to Cuba. Generally, Santiago de Cuba and Havana have peak seasons that run throughout the year.

Many travellers on cheap flights to Cuba tend to head to Old Havana. There are also other popular places such as the tourist-friendly barrio of Jaimanitas where renowned Cuban artist Jos Fuster lives. Also, Ernest Hemingways house, Finca La Vigia, look out over the village of San Francisco de Paula is a museum. At the Ambos Mundos Hotel, Hemingways Room 511, was where Hemingway wrote the first chapter of For Whom the Bell Tolls. The room has been preserved as it was then, with a typewriter and copies of notes. The lobby is filled with Hemingway memorabilia. As you can see, Cuba is a fantastic place to vacation. Best of all, you can get cheap flights to Cuba when you book through an online discount travel website.

Tips For Taking A Caribbean Vacation During Hurricane Season

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The official Caribbean hurricane season stretches from June 1 – November 30. It’s rare to see a large storm in either June or November and most major hurricanes occur between August and October, with the peak season usually being September.

The upside is that prices are lower for the Caribbean during this time and resorts are less crowded. So what do you do if you want to get away during hurricane season?

Buy Travel Insurance
You must buy the trip cancellation insurance before the storm is announced, otherwise it will be deemed a pre-existing condition, so always purchase insurance the same day you book your trip to be safe. Most travel insurance policies will cover a trip disrupted because of a hurricane when you are forced to arrive late or leave early for your trip, but you’ll be reimbursed only for the affected days until the airport or resort reopens. You will usually be reimbursed for the days you are forced to stay at a resort during a hurricane, but be sure to always read the fine print on your policy to make sure you know what they will actually cover.

Try to Avoid the Storms
Track hurricanes online with weather websites during the season. Some good sites include:

The National Weather Service – National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Hurricane & Storm Tracking for the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
http://hurricane.terrapin.com

Hurricane News and Information
http://www.hurricanetrack.com

Weather.com Tropical Storm Center
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/

Pick Your Location Well
When planning a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season, it is good to know that hurricanes are less likely the further south you go. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Vincent, including the islands below them, are the least hit by hurricanes. However, as Grenada discovered in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan, never say never and keep in mind that hurricanes are unpredictable.

Go on a Cruise
The good thing about cruises is that they can usually sail around the worst of a storm. And today’s ships are extraordinarily safe and with the advanced weather tracking available today, bad weather is something they can avoid. The downside is that the cruise line always reserves the right to reschedule port calls and change itineraries for weather-related reasons and therefore you may not get to visit the places you had hoped to.

Pick a Resort That Offers a Hurricane Guarantee
Recently, many of the largest resorts and resort chains, have started instituting a hurricane guarantee, offering guests their money back for days lost to bad weather. For example, in the unlikely event that hurricane force winds (as defined by the U.S. National Weather Service) directly hit the Sandals or Beaches resorts while you are a guest, interrupting the use of all the included activities, Sandals or Beaches Resorts will offer a free replacement vacation to be taken at any Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice. Go to http://www.best-family-beach-vacations.com/caribbean-hurricane-season.html for more resorts that offer hurricane guarantees.

Make the Best of It.
If you do get caught on vacation during a hurricane, try to make the best of it. As long as there is no danger present, relax indoors and focus on other activities.

My husband and I got caught in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico during hurricane Keith in 2000. He was still my boyfriend at that time and unbeknownst to me, he planned to propose on our second evening there. We got dressed for dinner and arrived at the hotel restaurant to find it boarded up. We saw the line up in the hotel lobby, everyone was being evacuated from the hotel to one farther up the coast. We ran back to our room, packed and got on the next bus out – not the evening my husband had planned!

When we checked into our room at the new hotel a few hours later, he still had the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. The winds were blowing and it was raining so the romantic walk on the beach he had been hoping for was out. He couldnt put it off any longer so he dropped to one knee and proposed then and there. It was definitely a memorable evening, hurricane and all!

Would You Like 5 Reasons Why You Should Go On A Jamaica Vacation

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A Jamaica vacation has much to offer so it’s easy to understand why so many people want to visit Jamaica at some point in their lives. The beautiful weather, picture-perfect beaches and wide range of activities to keep almost anyone busy has led to Jamaica becoming a top vacation spot in the world. Here are 5 enticing reasons to make your next vacation a Jamaica vacation.

1. Beautiful weather

You simply cannot say it enough… the Jamaica weather is absolutely gorgeous. Jamaica is in the Caribbean so this means you’re almost guaranteed beautiful weather all year long. Generally it’s not too hot and definitely not too cool, which allows you to get maximum relaxation while on vacation. You can put on your bathing suit and lounge carelessly at the beautiful beaches Jamaica has to offer.

2. Jamaican beaches

With beautiful weather you know there are a number of beaches to choose from. In Jamaica, you’ll find it hard to run out of choices if you’re looking for a beach to enjoy. Many hotels are located right beside the beaches… so you’ll have quick and easy access. And there are numerous activities to keep you busy on the beaches from snorkeling to parasailing to just lazing under the sun. There are many things to do in Jamaica but the truth is, it’s the weather and beaches that entice most vacationers.

3. Wide array of activities

For many, the beaches alone sell because of how gorgeous they are. But if you’re looking for more than a beach vacation there’s no need to worry because you’ll be able to pick, choose and refuse from a long list of activities on your Jamaica vacation. From horseback riding to whitewater rafting to world-class golfing, you’ll never have enough time to experience everything that a Jamaica vacation has to offer.

4. Mountain ranges

While Jamaica is most known for its beaches and gorgeous water, it surprisingly has beautiful mountain ranges as well. During the day you may choose to hike through the different trails where you’ll experience scenery like nowhere else on earth. And if you wait around long enough, you’ll witness some of the most breathtaking sunsets on earth.

5. Many lodging options

Sometimes the lodging you opt for can have a significant impact on your vacation. But not to worry, the many lodging options available in Jamaica will allow you to plan your dream Jamaica vacation. Many people prefer the bed and breakfast option because it allows you to have a relaxing vacation… while at the same time encouraging closer interaction with the culture and people of Jamaica. In addition, a large number of mid-class hotels are available for you to choose from as well. And of course there are a number of all-inclusive resorts that give you everything you want and then some.

In all fairness, no other vacation can be compared to a Jamaica vacation. From the white sandy beaches to the mountain ranges to the varied lodging options, you will definitely leave satisfied when you take a Jamaica vacation.