This fabled sea, covering more than a million square miles and 7,000 islands with diverse languages, cultures, and ecosystems, has become probably the planet's premier vacation playground. Here it's all about its regional issues and allures. And yes, the (Plus) means we're including the Bahamas and Bermuda along with the Caribbean coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guayana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Suriname, and Panama.

For other individual island forums, check out Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Statia (St. Eustatius), St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten/Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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The French-flavored icon of low-key luxury that Is St. Barts, and its top highlights

David Stanley The small French Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy has with a population of roughly 11,000 people, yet it has developed an outsized reputation as one of the world’s most exclusive destinations. Located in the northeastern Caribbean near St. Martin, it´s just ten square miles in size—small enough to cross in about twenty minutes—yet rich in atmosphere and variety.Its history reflects a mix of influences. Originally inhabited by Arawak and Carib peoples, in 1648 it became a…

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What definitely not to miss in Havana

Eric Marshall   Deteriorated though much of it is, what might be the most surprising thing to travelers about Cuba´s capital - still the most beautiful in the Caribbean - is how well-rounded it also is. Especially culturally, with restaurants, cafés, shops and ubiquitous music joined by high-quality museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, with international as well as Cuban works, divided between a modern facility and the magnificent late-19th-century Centro Asturiano (Asturian social club);…

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Visiting Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas: experiences, tips, and essentials

Don Ramey Logan First opened in 1968 just offshore from Nassau, Atlantis Paradise Island is one of the Caribbean's most iconic resort destinations, which with its world-famous water park, marine habitats, luxury towers, and stunning beaches spread out over 154 acres attracts millions of visitors every year. Whether you're planning a family vacation, a honeymoon, or simply a subtropical getaway, this guide will help you plan the perfect trip—covering the best time to visit, must-do…

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5 highlights of Dutch Sint Maarten

Dave Senior Taking up 40 percent of the island of St. Martin and with a population of around 58,000, this territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands packs a whole lot of fun, flavor, and personality into a petite package. Whereas French St. Martin leans elegant and relaxed, the multicultural, largely English-speaking Dutch side offers its share of quiet corners, but also a livelier menu of casinos, nightlife, beach bars, waterfront dining – along some of the most photographed aircraft landings…

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  • Tripatini would like to congratulate member Steve Bennett on the launch of his fascinating new web site, www.UncommonCaribbean.com. Check it out!
  • CTO Forecasts Growth in 2010

    By Robert Kelly, eTN | Feb 10, 2010

    The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is forecasting a rebound in visitor arrivals in 2010 with moderate growth expected for the region on the heels of positive indicators from the fourth quarter of 2009.

    Keep reading...
  • Howdy folks,
    We have a very timely and provocative topic going in the Cruising group which I think you may wish to weigh in on. Just click here to put in your two cents' worth.
  • Last night I attended a French St. Martin dinner, presentation and mini-trade fair in Miami Beach. Great product, great people -- and famous artist Sir Roland Richardson was there, too! Anyone have any recent thoughts/observations on the island to share?
  • Front and center on the Tripatini blog this week: the Caribbean's best off-the-beaten-track shopping. Check it out!
    blog.TRIPATINI.COM
  • Especiallty all of us who love the Caribbean need to band together right now to support the relief agencies starting to pour aid into Haiti after the total devastation wrought by this week's earthquake...
  • History tells us that none of the colonial powers were all that great, but England tended to circle the wagons around their culture more than others. Perhaps that's contributed to problems today.
  • Funny thing is, Max, when I was a young high school teacher, we taught that all things being relative, the English handled their colonies better than the French or Spanish. Maybe so, yet as you know, the French islands (perhaps with the exception of Martinique) seem to indicate otherwise. That said, there's a lot to love in Grenada, the BVI, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, Anguilla....Just have to watch your back in some spots. And the governments of T/T, Jamaica, and Spanish-speaking DR, among other places, really must do a better job training cops to respond. That said, a murder rate that increases 38% may not be as bad as it sounds, given its foundation on such a small population (and, ergo, murder rate) in the first place. But thanks for posting this.
  • Wow, so now it looks like when it comes to security problems, Trinidad/Tobago may soon outstrip Jamaica! Another reason I'm not wild about the English Caribbean. Anybody care to comment?

    15 December, 2009
    Trinidad, Tobago emerge as murder capitals
    http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1140001.php

    Trinidad and Tobago have overtaken Jamaica in a dubious distinction: the “murder capital of the Caribbean.”

    “Although much of the violence is gang-related, in recent years tourists have increasingly become targets for robbery, sexual assault and murder,” says CDNN. INFO.

    While homicides increased two percent in Jamaica in 2008, murders were up 38 percent in Trinidad and Tobago.

    The US and the UK issued travel advisories warning travelers about increasing violence and the failure of police in Tobago to apprehend and prosecute criminals.

    A US travel advisory warns travelers that armed robbers have been trailing tourists as they depart international airports in Trinidad and Tobago. It said:

    “Violent crimes, including assault, kidnapping for ransom, sexual assault and murder, have involved foreign residents and tourists (and) incidents have been reported involving armed robbers trailing arriving passengers from the airport and accosting them in remote areas…the perpetrators of many of these crimes have not been arrested.”

    The English-speaking Caribbean, which extends from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, averages 30 murders per 100,000 inhabitants per year, one of the highest rates in the world, according to the Economist.

    With 550 homicides in 2008, Trinidad and Tobago has a rate of about 55 murders per 100,000 making it the most dangerous country in the Caribbean and one of the most dangerous in the world, according to press reports.

    The rate of assaults, robbery, kidnapping and rape in Trinidad and Tobago is also among the highest in the world.

    According to a report issued by the United States State Department, gang-related homicides and other crimes will continue to increase in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and 2010.
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