Caribbean (Plus) Corner

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…

Started by Jordan Simon

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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);…

Started by Tripatini

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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…

Started by Tripatini

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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…

Started by Helen Brown

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David Lawrence October 17, 2010 at 11:34pm

Barbados says they want to improve infrastructure, like water storage and maybe that means roads too. But I was down there a few months ago, on the east coast and not the west coast, where everybody else goes, because I wanted to do some surfing. I had no problem with water or roads or other infrastrusture things. Have you?
Tripatini October 4, 2010 at 11:52pm

OK, technically the Bahamas are not exactly in the Caribbean. Whatever. Tripatini's current Read of the Week is The Bahamas: A Great Destination, by member Chelle Koster Walton.
Tony King September 8, 2010 at 1:16am

Not too many Road Warriors in the Caribbean, I used to be one years ago and it was arguably the cushiest job in the Ford Motor Company ; I don't think anyone in Detroit even knew that the job existed - would have probably been fired instantly.... !! Incidentally, I was never restricted as to the use of US hotels as opposed to non-US. ones.
Anil September 4, 2010 at 8:30am

David,Tony,Patricia,Julie et. al. People do stay in Hyatt,JWM,Hilton when travelling internationally. That is the distinct segment known as road-warriors, business traveller and governmental types who have to use US carriers and US hotels. Discussing the nuances of this group is a topic in itself. The right question should be, what security blanket kind of a purpose do the American chains serve that other hotels might not ? Many frequent flyers who do international travel very often say - A Hyatt/Marriott/Starwood removes anxiety and allows them to focus on their business. Now, a leisure resort or island is another story.
BTW: Not all Caribbean islands have a distinct local cusine. In fact some of the islands import everything from US as nothing of substance grows locally.
David Lawrence September 3, 2010 at 1:08am

Shoutout to Tony for the best solution.
Northeast News September 3, 2010 at 12:11am

"It probably depends on the person" is right. When it comes to travel preferences (and culture, and religion, and politics, and spending power) there are no typical Americans. The marketing and branding pros must be walking on eggshells these days.
Tony King September 2, 2010 at 10:21pm

Best solution, close all the hotels, charter a yacht, call me...!!
Julie September 2, 2010 at 9:52pm

It probably depends on the person. My personal preference is definitely small, independent hotels. But I also enjoy eating local cuisine and experiencing the local culture when I travel. However, I also have friends who prefer American chain hotels even when they travel internationally.
Patricia Borns September 2, 2010 at 9:21pm

David raises an important question. How many Americans share or don't share his travel preference? For many years, the Caribbean was on an all-inclusive corporate hotel binge that erased its cultural distinctiveness, because that's what governments believed Americans wanted. Now, the talk is of small footprint boutique hotels and local rentals. To paraphrase Freud, what do Americans really want?
David Lawrence September 2, 2010 at 8:26pm

Good Q, Northeast, 2 good answers. Also as an American, I don't want to stay at a Hyatt or Hilton, especially in another country. Would we go all the way to Japan to stay at a dude ranch?

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