Affordable Luxury in the BVI

I had the chance to escape to Virgin Gorda's luxury all-inclusive Biras Creek Resort recently and I couldn't have had a more indulgent week...gorgeous oceanfront accommodations, quiet walking trails, a secluded private beach, three yummy meals per day and seven long days to relax and take it all in.

But at some point while sipping on a glass of cabernet over a romantic dinner for one, it definitely hit me that it would have been amazing to share the experience with friends and family. That's why the resort's latest promotion caught my attention today. For vacations through August 31, you'll get 50-percent off your second room on minimum three night stays, and you'll still enjoy all of the dining and amenities that come with the full room rate. Rooms start at $700 for a garden suite in low season, so the savings are at least $350 per night.

Just log on to the Biras web site or call 877-883-0756 to book your stay.

Affordable Luxury in the BVI

Watch It Now: Affordable Barbados

Missed the premiere of our new Affordable Caribbean TV show on the Travel Channel last weekend? No worries, because you can watch webisodes right here and on the official site - caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean.





Don't forget to tune in this Saturday at 8:00 AM Eastern to watch the next episode, Affordable Antigua! Then surf over to our Antigua destination page to learn even more about the island and to start planning your trip.

Watch It Now: Affordable Barbados

New Low Fares to Nassau on JetBlue

Floridians already know it's easy to get to the Bahamas, but JetBlue just announced new fares between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Nassau (NAS) that will make visiting the islands a no-brainer this fall. Book your short hop between the two cities by August 5, and you'll pay just $29 each way when traveling between September 8 and December 16. The fare is exclusive of taxes and mandatory government fees, but still...it's a pretty sweet deal for a Caribbean escape. Just log on to the JetBlue web site to book your next vacation - then surf over to our Travel Specials and Editor's Pick pages to find your perfect hotel deal.

New Low Fares to Nassau on JetBlue

Packing for the Cold

You do everything you can to avoid it - loading up on vitamins for weeks before you leave and praying to the travel gods to keep you healthy - but if you venture out often enough, it's just unavoidable: sooner or later, you're going to get sick on a trip. Coming down with something on the road is one of life's cruelest ironies since most of us enjoy so few vacation days per year...but between congested airplanes, germy taxis and entire menus of unfamiliar foods in your new destination, catching something seems inevitable.

I've been in Martinique all week sampling delectable French and Creole cuisine, sailing to hidden coves and snorkeling spots, and generally enjoying the warm hospitality of the islanders. But somewhere between my layover in San Juan and checking into the lovely Hôtel Plein Soleil on my first evening here, I had already begun to feel the familiar nudge of an oncoming cold - and this one was a bully.

Not wanting to miss a minute of fun on Martinique, I was relieved that I always carry my trusty bag of over-the-counter cure-alls in my luggage - like ibuprofin, allergy meds and band-aids - no matter how healthy I'm feeling when I'm packing. Had I arrived unarmed with my Theraflu and cough drops in this entirely French-speaking country, well...I'm sure I could have gestured and Pictionaried my way through purchasing something at a local pharmacy. But having your own meds definitely beats the hassle. And the cost in Euro.

What are some of your own tips and tricks for staying healthy on the road?

Packing for the Cold

Culinary Escapade on Martinique

The island of Martinique just announced a new late-summer event that's perfect for you foodies out there. In partnership with Tour de Forks, a stateside operator of special culinary events, the new Martinique Culinary Escapade will combine five nights accommodations at the très chic Hôtel Plein Soleil in Le François (pictured), with six days of mouthwatering food and wine events that will please even the pickiest of palates. The package is available from August 26-31 and includes...

• Daily breakfast at Hôtel Plein Soleil
• Four dinners and one lunch
  
• A private tour and tasting at the 18th century Habitation Clément rum distillery - one of the Caribbean's most impeccably maintained distilleries (and I've seen quite a few in my travels) - as well as at the Neisson Distillery
• A culinary demonstration with Plein Soleil's wunderkind executive chef, Nathanael Ducteil - the former apprentice to celebrity chef, Alain Ducasse, and a regional celebrity in his own right at just 25 years old
• An excursion to the Marché Couvert for some local produce and rum shopping
• A full-day catamaran excursion to Josephine's Bath, the legendary sandbar believed to have been visited often by Napoleon's wife, the Empress Josephine

While you're in Martinique, you'll also have the chance to sample scrumptious French, Creole, Caribbean and fusion cuisine around the island, from Fort de France to Trois-Îlets across the bay. I've actually been wining and dining my way around Martinique all this week, and I'll tell you plainly...this is some good food. The package starts at $1,700 per person and also includes airport transfers. To book, just log on to the Tour de Forks web site, call 888-345-3005 or email melissa@tourdeforks.com.

Bon Appétit!

Culinary Escapade on Martinique

Oh, Happy J!

I couldn’t let this week go by without commenting on Jamaica being voted the third-happiest country in the world. According to the authors of the Happy Planet Index, which rates 143 countries, the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean comes second only to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in terms of happiness, life expectancy and eco footprint. (The U.S., it should be noted, was 114th.)

It’s certainly great news for a nation that has had its share of economic, political and social challenges but frankly, I’m not surprised. One of the most striking things about Jamaicans is their irrepressible lust for life and unwavering confidence, whether they’re living high on the hog or barely making ends meet. I lived there for about half my life and I’m sure that much of the confidence I enjoy as an adult comes from growing up around people who are proud, loud and never ashamed to make their presence felt. Rich or poor, most Jamaicans have a healthy sense of entitlement combined with an uncanny ability to make something out of nothing, so it stands to reason that the country is being recognized for its “no-problem” attitude.

So how can you get happy? The authors of the index have come up with a lofty manifesto of 10 steps, including eradicating hunger and tackling climate change. Allow me to add an 11th option: Come to Jamaica and feel alright.

Oh, Happy J!

CT+L on TV

Whether you're planning your next island vacation or just daydreaming about one, look no further than your television this summer for a Caribbean escape. In case you've missed our promotions on the home page and on our Facebook and Twitter pages, Caribbean Travel + Life has recently partnered with the Travel Channel to develop a brand new TV series, Affordable Caribbean, giving you insider information on where to stay and what to do in the exotic - and surprisingly accessible - Caribbean.

To complement the new series, we've also launched a brand-new Affordable Caribbean web site packed with video webisodes, features and deals for all of your favorite destinations, and contests that could help get you there for free:

caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean

Surf over to the site and check it out, then enter to win our first contest for a 6-night stay at The Crane in Barbados!

The first episode of the new series premieres this Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 AM, so set those DVRs...

CT+L on TV

Best Fish Tacos Ever

From the second I set foot in Tulum I knew I'd be back. It's a total beach town, just the way you think a beach town should be - lazy, funky, not touristy or overbuilt, with friendly locals and an amazing beach. The kind of beach with sand like flour and so few people that you could land a plane on it. But what really completed the package was the fish tacos at Zamas (left), a rustic little hotel along the Tulum strip.

Senior Editor, Sarah Greaves Gabbadon and I heard they were good. Good doesn't cut it. They were incredible. I could've eaten them every day three times a day. Fresh local fish, perfectly spiced with authentic Mexican guacamole, and a splash of lime juice. All of it running down my arm as I shoved them in my face. Then there was the chelada (lime juice and beer) made with Mexican Sol cerveza, and, of course, an unobstructed view of the beach. I can't recall having a better lunch. Wow, I'm hungry.

Best Fish Tacos Ever

Beyond the Beach

For a bona fide beach-a-holic like myself, time spent away from the sand on a Caribbean vacation is merely an interlude until my next sandy sojourn. But on my recent trip to St. Kitts I got a chance to check out Brimstone Hill, which it just happens to be one of the forts we covered in our August + September issue ("Towers of Power"). And it was well worth the trip, if only for the sweeping views of nearby Nevis and Statia. We spent an hour or so wandering the grounds of the fort (the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage site in the Eastern Caribbean, BTW), checking out where the soldiers ate and slept, and managed to pop into the gift shop to peruse the tacky magnets and postcards. If you can tear yourself away from the beach on your next trip to St. Kitts, make time for the fortress too — and if you wouldn't mind, I forgot to get that magnet.

Beyond the Beach

It Might Be Addiction

It's a balmy 87 degrees on this beautiful BVI morning, but insistent trade winds are sweeping through the palm-fringed beaches and cooling the warm sandy paths that weave throughout Biras Creek. The sun is out, the water is calm, and it's just about the prettiest day I've seen yet during my week here on Virgin Gorda. It's also T-minus 24 hours till the flight that will take me away from this slice of heaven, which all means only one thing for me: Early-onset post-tripum depression. It's my technical term for that unmistakable collection of emotions that follows any truly amazing Caribbean escape...there's the fond reflection on a week well spent, and the sadness of knowing that another travel chapter is coming to a close.

I'm not sure how most people cope with the bittersweet feeling of leaving a tropical paradise, but as a travel addict myself, I find that the only cure is to plan another trip. Immediately. So along with my travel companion and friend Jayanthi from CT+L's sister magazine, Saveur, I've just cooked up a four-day Labor Day vacation right back here in the BVI. Is it wrong to return somewhere familiar when there are still so many new places left to explore? Take a look at some of my snapshots from the week and see for yourself...

It Might Be Addiction

Necker Island: The Good Life

The first of this year's Winemakers Dinners kicked off last night at Necker Island, the private BVI estate of billionaire Virgin magnate Sir Richard Branson. While Branson takes residence on Necker throughout the year, the private island also functions as an ultra-exclusive resort and can be experienced for around $51,000 per night - a price tag that includes accommodations for up to 28 people as well as private chefs, personal butlers and whatever food, wine and activities you can dream up for the day. But even splitting that cost with my closest friends, I stand pretty much zero chance of ever staying on Necker Island on my own dime, so I was thrilled to have the chance to check it out before the dinner yesterday!

I'm no professional photographer, but here are a few snapshots from our day at Necker Island yesterday, in case you don't have the $51,000 saved up just yet either...

Necker Island: The Good Life

A Secret Worth Telling

A couple of weeks ago I spent a long weekend at Secrets Maroma Beach on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and enjoyed an enchanted couple of hours chillaxing in their spa. Cossetted in a plush robe, I sipped herbal tea in the relaxation lounge; frolicked like a 9-year-old beneath the water jets in the hydrotherapy pool; and blissed out under the muscle-melting ministrations of my therapist during the Moon and Stars massage. Ahh … good times.

Now, to celebrate the opening of their brand new Pevonia spa, guests staying in a deluxe room at Maroma’s sister all-inclusive resort Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun can sample as many as four spa treatments per person per day absolutely free until December 23. Complimentary treatments run 25 minutes each, must be booked in advance with the concierge, and exclude facials, manis and pedis. Almost two hours of spa time a day for FREE? You can't beat that with a stick.

For more information about the Unlimited Spa Package – which starts at $220 all-inclusive per person per night, double occupancy – go to www.secretsresorts.com.

A Secret Worth Telling

BVI Escape

Despite the proximity to my home in Florida, the British Virgin Islands are about a 12-hour expedition by commercial air. I learned this the hard way as I zigzagged my way through four airports, two car shuttles and a ferry yesterday trying to get here. But after the long, delay-ridden travel day, I finally arrived in Tortola last night and hopped a 30-minute charter boat over to my home-away-from-home for the week, Biras Creek Resort - a sprawling luxury resort that unfolds across a narrow strip of land on Virgin Gorda's quiet northeastern side, and is only accessible by boat or helicopter. To say all of my travel stresses melted away when I set foot on the property would be an understatement, if not a cliché. This place is so blissfully peaceful, I really don't even remember having a tedious travel day yesterday. And as an unexpected bonus, my blackberry doesn't seem to work in many spots here either. No work emails - score!

As I found last night while settling into my room, the seclusion of the property isn't the only reason I feel far removed from everything here...at check-in, guests are golf-carted over to their own private villa without any room keys. Out here, no one bothers with door locks. Which is handy because I always lose my keys anyway. And there are no TVs in most of the rooms - one surefire way to disconnect from the world. And of course, there's the fact that my shower is outside - which took a moment of getting used to this morning, but now I'm totally on board with it. What better way to connect with Mother Nature than by showing her what you've got?

And so this afternoon I'm sitting in Biras Creek's hilltop, open-air Arawak lounge for just long enough to score some free wifi - just for a minute! - to post this blog. But you see the jaw-dropping view I'm dealing with right now? It's time to sign off and enjoy it.

BVI Escape

Days Gone By

Today, as I sit in my cube on yet another rainy central Florida afternoon, I find myself reminiscing. Casting my mind back to sunnier, happier days. Days spent in this swimming pool at the St. Kitts Marriott, with no computer mouse in my hand, but only a delicious, refreshing happy-hour plastic cup of Carib beer. With no "ergonomic" office chair to support my weight, just a pool noodle upon which to rely. With no decision to be made for dinner (Vietnamese takeout or pizza?), but rather, a reservation at the delicious Blu Seafood restaurant, which you see below. Now, as I get ready to go to the gym, I remember mornings spent jogging on this pillow-soft beach. Okay, fine; I remember mornings spent thinking about jogging on this pillowy beach. Memories have a way of getting hazy with time, right? Speaking of which, I'd better be off to the gym before I forget.

Days Gone By

A Week In the BVI: Someone Has To Do It

I'm off to the British Virgin Islands tomorrow to check out the 2009 Winemakers Dinners event - a series of six- and seven-course food and wine pairings prepared by award-winning chefs and winemakers from around the world. I know, it sounds dreadful, right? But I'm a professional, and I'll suffer my way through a week of delicately sampling (i.e. stuffing my face with) gourmet food and vino knowing that proceeds from the event will benefit local charities and organizations like the BVI Red Cross, St. George's School on Tortola, St. Mary's School on Virgin Gorda, and the Youth Empowerment Project on Tortola.

Also while in the islands, I'll be checking out the latest and greatest hotels, restaurants and beach bars, as well as charting a course around all of the best beaches so I can report back here on the blog and update our destination pages with tons of info to help you plan your next trip.

So what do you want to know about the BVI? Let me know your questions here - or on our Facebook page - and I'll get the scoop.


View Larger Map

A Week In the BVI: Someone Has To Do It

A Three-Hour Tour

I was in St. Kitts a few weeks ago and was told by senior editor Sarah that I simply had to hop aboard the sugar train for a tour of the island. Hop aboard I did, and three scenic hours later, I can safely say that if were I stranded on a Caribbean island (oh, the suffering, the pain), with no money to buy food, I'd hope it was St. Kitts, because I saw enough sugar cane growing wild to satisfy even my sweet tooth for a lifetime. The sugar train (now known as the St. Kitts Scenic Railway) was born in 1912, when, struggling to maintain a niche in a global market, the government decided to build a narrow-gauge railway to bring cane from all around the island to one central factory near Basseterre. Completed in 1926, the train chugged along until 2005, when the government officially shut down the industry on the island. Nowdays, you'll pass through 30 miles of villages, cane fields, scores of children waving hello and all the rum punch and banana daquiris you can slurp down in three hours.

A Three-Hour Tour

Anguilla for Foodies

Anguilla just launched an island-wide promotion - Prix Fixe Summer - to help visitors on a budget sample some of its finest restaurants in low season. Got $35 on you? Then you'll enjoy a three-course tasting menu at venues like Tasty's, Roy's Bayside Grill, Sandy Ground's Ripples restaurant, and E's Oven. Or for just $10 more, you can splurge and enjoy fine dining at Blanchard's, Veya, and CuisinArt's Cafe Mediterraneo.

Even better, guests who sample the Prix Fixe promotion will also enjoy huge savings at hotels around the island, like two nights free on seven-night minimum stays at ritzy places like Malliouhana, Cap Juluca and more.

Check out the official Prix Fixe web site to learn more and to book your trip through August 31. Bon appetit!

Anguilla for Foodies

Huge Summer Savings at Hilton Caribbean Properties

Hilton just announced a new Summer Escapes promotion for its four resorts in Puerto Rico, so here's your chance to enjoy a Caribbean getaway for as little as $139 per night. The deal also includes your fourth night free, plus discounts and resort credits valued at nearly $400 per stay. The properties include the Caribe Hilton San Juan, the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, El San Juan Hotel & Casino and El Conquistador Resort & Spa - the latter two of which are part of the ritzy Waldorf Astoria Collection.

I spent a week in Puerto Rico recently and had the chance to stay in the newly renovated Conrad Condado Plaza (pictured), and I was definitely impressed with the rooms and great beachfront location - a cool bonus for such an urban hotel. And I'll just be honest, the mod lobby bar isn't bad either!

Ready to book your trip? Just make your reservation by July 15 and you can cash in on even more savings with a free-night certificate good toward a future stay.

Huge Summer Savings at Hilton Caribbean Properties

All-Inclusive for Commitment-Phobes

Say what you will about all-inclusive resorts, but it's hard to dispute that they're an affordable way to travel. With upfront pricing and all of your meals, drinks and gratuities included in your rate, it definitely takes the guesswork out of budgeting for a vacation. But what if you want to leave the resort and...oh, I don't know...explore the destination?

The Bahamas have an answer to that age-old question with their latest concept: the Island-Inclusive Vacation, which gives you a flexible way to enjoy the whole island of Grand Bahama with the convenience of all-inclusive pricing.

The new program - called Club Grand Bahama - just launched yesterday, and the idea is to give you your choice of five resorts around the island, from the oceanfront Our Lucaya Reef Village to the boutique Flamingo Bay Resort, as well as more than 21 dining options to sample throughout your stay...all at a predetermined rate. The "club" offers three pricing options to satisfy a range of budgets:

• SILVER - Starting at $88 per person per night
• GOLD - Starting at $149 per person per night
• PLATINUM - Starting at $198 per person per night

Just purchase your favorite package in advance and you'll receive a Club Grand Bahama card to be activated at check-in. From there, you can use the card around the island for dining, activities, and even shuttle bus service to around 50 attractions like golf and scuba diving spots.

Check out the Bahamas web site or call 888-270-1205 for more information and to book your very first island-inclusive stay.

All-Inclusive for Commitment-Phobes