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!

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11 of the best experiences in Haiti

  SPC Gibran Torres Haiti, really? You´re no doubt wondering. Well, yes, the Americas´ most impoverished country has been an abject basket case for many years, and its current tragic vicissitudes with violence and instability make it seem unlikely to recover any time soon. But here´s a reminder of what a fundamentally beautiful country this is, how rich is its history, how vibrant its culture, and how friendly its people – as I can attest when I visited way back in 26 years ago. This, then, is…

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The jewel in Puerto Rico's eco crown: El Yunque rainforest

Javier_Art_Photography The "Isle of Enchantment" offers an amazingly diverse menu of options to visitors, in capital San Juan and well beyond - history and culture, for sure, but also tasty eating, drinking, and beaching, along with memorable partying and much much more. But one side of Puerto Rico you should definitely not miss is its wealth of eco opportunities, from glowing "bioluminescent" bays to spectacular waterfalls, and most especially a large swath about an hour's drive from San Juan:…

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St. Lucia is one of ´7 of the Top Destination Brands of 2023´

govt.lc Ditto for the Caribbean, where Saint Lucia took “World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination” thanks to its romantic landscapes (especially its irresistibly photogenic twink peaks, the Pitons) and beaches. Meanwhile, Jamaica of course continues to be one of the region´s top tourism powerhouses, and these awards came away with the twin honors of the top family and cruise destination.   read post    

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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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