New Spa Experiences at Sandy Lane

Here's one for all the spa lovers out there: The Spa at Sandy Lane – one of the Caribbean's largest (at 47,000 square feet) and most comprehensive spas – just introduced nine personalized Spa Experiences to their menu. Each one integrates various massage techniques and body wraps with fresh, local ingredients such as Bajan sugar cane, coconut oil and banana leaves, and guests can enjoy the services in one of the spa's 11 newly renovated treatment rooms.

Even better, many of the luxury resort's vacation packages for 2010 – such as the wellness-centered Rejuvenating Adventure package or the ooh-la-la Romance in Paradise package – include $100 spa vouchers and additional spa treatments, so it's easy to sample some of the spa's new menu on your next stay. Log on to sandylane.com to book your stay and learn more about the spa services.

New Spa Experiences at Sandy Lane

Sarah's 2009 Caribbean Highlights

The new year is just around the corner, but before it arrives I'm taking a moment to reminisce about some of my favorite Caribbean adventures in 2009.

In January, I rode the rails – and enjoyed a killer rum punch – on the Sugar Train in St Kitts.


In April, I spent four days in San Juan munching my way through the Saborea Puerto Rico food festival and getting up close and personal with giant avocados.


In May, I did a six-day Jamaican road trip that took me from Port Antonio to Ochi, Mo'Bay and Negril, where the cliff divers at Rick's Cafe demonstrated their prowess.


Come June, I discovered the bohemian pleasures of Tulum for the first time - and passed this this gargantuan furniture store display along the way.


Then in August I made my maiden voyage on crewed yacht charter through the BVIs, where we shot an episode of our TV show, CT+L's Affordable Caribbean.


I squeezed in a whistle-stop trip back to Jamaica in November, staying just long enough to enjoy a heaping plate of ackee and saltfish, the island's national dish.



My final jaunt of 2009 was to Provo in the Turks and Caicos Islands in December. Beautiful beaches, luxury resorts: what's not to love?



Where did your Caribbean travels take you in 2009?

Sarah's 2009 Caribbean Highlights

Fourth Night Free in the Riviera Maya

The Deal: Book a three-night stay at select AQUA (pictured), Fiesta Americana and Fiesta Americana Grand resorts in Mexico this winter and get your fourth night free – or book six nights and get two free – plus, you'll save an additional 10 to 25 percent on dining and spa services during your stay.

Why We Love It: With upscale properties in Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, you'll have your choice of Mexican beach destinations – and saving 25 percent on room rates can be a substantial savings in high season.

How to Book It: You can book your stay through February 2, and travel between January 3 and April 10, 2010. Just log on to fiestaamericana.com/warmerwinter or call 800-FIESTA-1 to reserve your room.

Fourth Night Free in the Riviera Maya

New Direct Flights on Cayman Airways

Cayman Airways just announced new seasonal service between Chicago (O'Hare) and Grand Cayman that will make winter travel a breeze. Through March 13, you can fly direct between the two cities twice per week – on Wednesdays and Sundays – and once you're on the island, you can also take advantage of a range of specials like discounted excursions and dive trips. Log on to caymanairways.com for more info and to book your trip.

New Direct Flights on Cayman Airways

Winter Care Package in the Turks and Caicos

The Deal: Book a five-night minimum stay at the all-suite Point Grace resort through January 31 and you'll get a complimentary Winter Care Package that includes a three-course dinner for two at Grace's Cottage, a bottle of sparkling champagne, and two 30-minute massages.

Why We Love It: Since you can easily combine it with other promotions, the Care Package is great added value for your winter stay of five nights or more. Add it to the Pay 5 Get 7 package and you'll also get two nights free.

How to Book It: Call 866-924-7223 or log on to pointgrace.com to book your stay by January 31, 2010. Blackout dates between December 18, 2009 and January 5, 2010 apply.

Winter Care Package in the Turks and Caicos

Doing The Laid-Off Take-Off

Like all the other CT+L editors, I get a daily deluge of press releases in my e-box touting industry news, vacation deals, travel gadgets and resort openings. One that caught my eye earlier this month was from the ad agency J Walter Thompson, which has just released the results of their Travel Trends For 2010 report.

One standout was a trend that’s being called “funemployment.” Apparently growing numbers of people who’ve been laid off are using the unexpected time off to travel, often to far-flung places that they’ve always dreamed of seeing but which they'd never had enough free time to visit. Which made me wonder where in the Caribbean I'd go if, God forbid, my CT+L days came to a screeching halt.

Hmmm ... I’d love to spend some extended down time in Provo in the Turks and Caicos  Islands but I fear that lofty prices in the boutique destination would decimate my savings in no time. Maybe in the Dom Rep  or Jamaica ? I could hole up at an all-inclusive resort and practice deep denial over frosty Dirty Bananas at the pool bar. Or perhaps I'd head for the Grenadines  (check out our Beach Lover's Guide in the March 2010 ish) or the BVI , where I'd downshift to island time and spend a few weeks hopping from one barefoot casual outpost to another. But there are also plenty of voluntourism opportunities around the region, such as helping to preserve the forest at Trinidad 's Asa Wright Nature Centre, so maybe my time would be best spent doing something for the environment or for those less fortunate.

What about you? If you suddenly found yourself jobless, where in the Caribbean would you go to put the "fun" in funemployment and why?

Doing The Laid-Off Take-Off

With Pomp and Circumstance, Antigua Honors Obama

On the island of Antigua, Shirley has his Heights, Nelson has his Dockyard, and now Obama has his Mount — radio antenna and all. Last August, in a ceremony brimming with Antiguan pomp and circumstance, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer made good on his promise to rename his island’s loftiest summit — 1,300-foot Boggy Peak — after the 44th president of the United States. “This great political achievement by Barack Obama resonated with me in a way that I felt compelled to do something symbolic and inspiring for the people of Antigua and Barbuda and the rest of the Caribbean,” he said.

And that’s just what he did. But there’s more to recommend a visit to Mount Obama than just the chance to admire the plaque-affixed stone monument at the base of the hill. The area constitutes the nascent Mount Obama National Park, a woodsy haven aflutter with birds and thick with rare plants. Two hiking trails and a narrow access road squiggle toward the summit. From there, you’ll enjoy a pretty dramatic panorama of Antigua, as well as views of neighboring Montserrat, Redonda, Nevis and Guadeloupe.

Get some fresh advice on where to stay, where to play, and where to eat on Antigua: Check out the January/February issue of CT+L — on newsstands December 22 — for my full report.

With Pomp and Circumstance, Antigua Honors Obama

Barbados Sale on Delta

If you're dreaming of a trip to Barbados this winter, getting there just got a little cheaper with Delta's latest sale. For vacations booked by December 28, 2009, you can take advantage of one-way flights from the carrier's Atlanta hub, between January 16 and February 28, 2010, starting at just $229. To book your flights, log on to delta.com – then surf over to our destination pages and our recent feature "Barbados: Pursuit of Happiness" to learn more about the island before you go.

Barbados Sale on Delta

Someone's Gotta Do It

I just returned from an extremely restful four days at the Iberostar Punta Cana in Punta Cana , DR. (Here's the view from my hotel room). And I gotta say, there's something great about an all-inclusive resort. Let me break down my days for you: Awaken slowly, stretch out on comfy bed. Don swimsuit and coverup, place towel on beach chair to guard it while I hit the breakfast buffet. Enjoy delicious food in abundance, complete with Bloody Mary. (Free!) Return to room, retrieve Sudoku book, pen and book. Waddle to beach chair, with quick stop at beach bar. Sit completely still, turning over to baste both sides evenly for hours, liberally sprinkled with bathroom and beach bar visits. As the sun made its way across the sky, I'd make my way back to the room to freshen up for dinner at any of five delicious restaurants. Five delicious restaurants, might I add, that were all included in my stay. After (over)eating, I'd make my way to the floor show (also free!) Retire to room, full and happy, repeat the next day. If this sounds good to you too, might I suggest the Iberostar?

Someone's Gotta Do It

CT+L on Scribd

Did you know you can access fully interactive PDF versions of featured Caribbean Travel + Life articles right on our Scribd page? It's free and easy to navigate – like this Grenada feature from the November 2009 issue. Don't see the article you're looking for? You can also search our archives here on the CT+L site, or download full digital issues on our Zinio page. Stay tuned for even more great destination spotlights to come!

Grenada: Island in the Sun

CT+L on Scribd

Conch If You Love Provo

I've just returned from a week-long trip to Provo, and I think I might be in love.

What's not to enjoy about an island that's small enough to drive around in a couple of hours, big enough that it never feels crowded, and offers some of the Caribbean's ritziest hotels? I was completely enchanted by the 38-square mile island's small-town feel, the white-sand wonder of Grace Bay, and the friendliness of the people, who seemed genuinely pleased to see me. But ask me what I loved the most, and I gotta tell ya: it's the conch.

Who knew there were so many way to enjoy the chewy mollusc? On a lunchtime visit to beachfront Da Conch Shack I made a meal of hearty conch chowder; a bowl of lime-drenched ceviche-style conch salad; and a combo platter of battered and fried "cracked" conch and piping hot conch fritters. I admit it, I'm a glutton for the gastropod, baby.

The next day, I went in search of the conch wontons that have bested the competition in the island's annual conch festival four years in a row and found my bliss at Sibonne's Bay Bistro, where a plate of the light, crisply fried conch-filled envelopes went down real easy.

Following my obsession to its source, on Day Three I headed east to The Conch Farm, the only only one in the world. At the modest operation I marveled as I watched trays of the fingernail-sized babies (or veligers) being hand fed, and was almost as delighted as the four-year-olds in our group when introduced to longtime residents Sally and Jerry, the farm's "stunt conchs," who emerge from their algae-covered shells on command.

"The average egg mass contains more than half a million conch, but in the wild only one conch will survive," our tour guide told us. "But here at the conch farm we raise more than 1.5 million conch each year, which we export all over the world and sell to local restaurants and hotels for visitors like you to enjoy. So before you leave, make sure you try some."

He didn't have to tell me twice.

Conch If You Love Provo

Holiday Savings in Curacao

The Deal: Book a holiday stay at Curacao's five-star boutique Hotel Kura Hulanda between December 24 and January 2 and you'll get 30 percent off your stay.


Why We Love It: With the Holiday Savings promotion, room rates at the 18th century Dutch Colonial property start at just $232 per night double occupancy – a great value for holiday travel and a substantial discount from normal high season rack rates. If you want to break out of Willemstad for a bit, you can also stay at the Lodge Kura Hulanda on the quiet west end for just $335 per night during the same period. Before you go, learn more about the island and sister properties in our feature Wowed by Curacao.


How to Book It: Call 877-264-3106 or surf over to kurahulanda.com to book your stay between December 24, 2009 and January 2, 2010.

Holiday Savings in Curacao

Guest Blog: Cancun Celebrity Golf Invitational

Don't get me wrong. We CT+L editors would love to be in the islands all the time. But of course, duty calls back here in the office sometimes, so we can't always make it to cover certain Caribbean festivals and events ourselves – like this year's Cancun Celebrity Golf Invitational. Luckily, freelance travel writer Craig Zabransky, frequent contributor to Cheapflights.com and featured guest on Fox & Friends and Sirius radio, was on the ground covering the event, and he provided this special guest blog just for CT+L. Take it away, Craig...

Mexico. Many remain cautious, and some tourists still seem hesitant to travel to its beautiful beaches, experience its colorful culture and enjoy its “mañana” mantra. But just this last weekend, Dec 3-6, over twenty world-recognizable athletes, actors, and Olympic champions traveled to Mexico’s Caribbean coast to join amateur golfers for four days in the sun.
Known best for its resorts, clear blue water and nightlife, the Riviera Maya is also home to some of the best golf courses in Mexico, and it was the perfect setting for the first annual Cancun Celebrity Golf Invitational, an event that essentially (and unofficially) reopened tourism to one of Mexico’s most important travel destinations.

The event selected Los Playa Mujeres Golf Course to host both the Friday skins game and the main Pro-Am on Saturday.  The challenging links course, designed by Greg Norman, proved difficult at times, but the hospitality and camaraderie established in the foursomes created a festive atmosphere.

I camped out on the par three 11th hole. There I watched as each foursome (comprised of one celebrity and three amateurs) designated one player to hit for the official 197-yard “hole in one.” The prize: A $450,000 condo in Cancun. A difficult shot. Most foursomes selected the celebrity guest to take the chance and actually Bob Beamon, the US Olympic Gold Medal Long jumper from the ’68 Mexico City games gave it the best ride. But, no condo. In fact, only one participant (an amateur) came close. He left it just six feet from the hole.

The Hacienda TresRios opened its doors to host the celebrities and all of the invitational’s related events. A pioneer on the Riviera Maya, the resort and spa has earned numerous environmental and sustainable awards including the Green Global Certification. Constructed on land that was once a national park altered by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the recently opened luxury Hacienda did not forget its roots. Today, guests can snorkel, kayak or even just learn about the resort's three rivers, ten Cenotes and diverse ecosystem.

Each night, the all-inclusive provided an idyllic setting for the event's many cocktail receptions, the Texas Hold’em tournament, and the final awards dinner. All elegant. All enjoyable.

Now, after the successful tournament (which had an impressive list of celebrities in attendance including actor Chris Tucker, NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, Olympic Gold Medalist Dan Jansen, and the tournament champion Darryl Talley among others), I expect the event to grow.  Next year’s 2nd annual tournament might just be that special weekend to circle on your calendar and head to the Caribbean coast of Mexico. – Craig Zabransky

To read more from Craig, you can follow him on Twitter: @StayAdventurous – and don't forget to follow us too (@CaribTravelLife) for travel deals, contest announcements and more!

Guest Blog: Cancun Celebrity Golf Invitational

Table for One

Oh, it was so romantic. The beach, the sun, the sand, the six — count them, six — various towel sculptures placed delicately in my room at the lovely Iberostar Punta Cana on Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic; the pictured kissing swans were surely the pièce de résistance. How nice for them that they were getting some action. I, sadly, was there solo. The job hazards I face, truly. Each morning, I gently woke myself with sweet murmurings about how I’d be with myself forever; this was true love after all. Each day, I took myself for long, intimate walks along the beautiful, creamy beach. At night, I wined myself; I dined myself. I told myself how beautiful I looked in the moonlight. It was, in a word, magical. The swans in my room stared me down for days; I hadn’t the heart to dismantle them. I did remove the flowers each day as they wilted, but every evening, upon returning to my room, I found that Cupid had come in my absence and replaced them with fresh ones. I felt the love. Really, I did.   

Table for One

Belize Deals for Spring

If you've been considering a Belize vacation, now may be the perfect time to book a trip. American Airlines just announced limited-time low fares for travel between Belize and a handful of U.S. gateway cities – like Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas – when traveling by March 27, 2010. One-way fares start at just $149 when booked by December 22, 2009.

And to sweeten the deal, some of Belize's top eco-resorts have created Spring packages starting as low as $240 per night double occupancy. That rate will buy you a one-bedroom beachfront cabana at Tranquility Bay Resort; or for $300 per night, you can stay in a an oceanfront cabana at the Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort right next to the country's Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's first jaguar preserve. If you're ready to splurge, you can even stay at the luxe St. George's Caye – a private island resort off the Belize Barrier Reef – for just $246 per person each night, all-inclusive.

Surf over to AA.com to book your airfare, then hit up the resort web site of your choice to book a room – and for you adrenaline junkies, don't forget to check out our Water Sports Lover's Guide to Ambergris Caye before you go.

Belize Deals for Spring

Anguilla Golf

Great news for golfers: Anguilla's first and only course – the $50 million Greg Norman-designed Temenos Golf Course – is set to reopen later this month following a face lift and a change in ownership. Previously showcased as one of our Featured Golf properties, the 7,063-yard championship track will be managed by the five-star Cap Juluca Resort starting on December 19 – and to celebrate the reopening, guests can take advantage of special limited-time promotions like the Unlimited Package and the Shark Package.

With the Unlimited Package, an extra $100 per night will buy as many rounds as you can possibly squeeze in for one guest per room, including cart fees and ground transfers from the resort. The Shark Package gets you one complimentary round per three-night stay (two rounds for a five-night stay) and it also includes daily breakfast. To book either package, surf over to capjuluca.com – then check out our Featured Golf article to learn more about the course.

Anguilla Golf

Holiday Savings in the BVI

The Deal: Book a five-night stay at Peter Island Resort & Spa between December 20 and December 27 and you'll only pay for four – a savings of at least $952 – plus you'll get a ton of sweet stocking stuffers for your stay.

Why We Love It: The holiday package lets you save 20 percent on oceanview rooms and beachfront junior suites during the holidays – and let's face it, we could all use a break this year. Included in your rate, you'll enjoy the full American meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner for two each day. Plus, you'll get a little holiday cheer with perks like complimentary turndown surprises, hand-painted signature ornaments, a Peter Island tote bag and a special stocking filled with chocolates and other goodies. Bonus: if you plan your trip to arrive on either December 20 or 21, you'll also enjoy a $150 resort credit.

How to Book It: Book your five-night minimum stay between December 20 and December 27, 2009 by calling 800-346-4451 or by surfing over to peterisland.com.

Holiday Savings in the BVI

Vieques Biking Adventure

It’s still dark when Garry Lowe’s baby blue Chevy pickup – its bed loaded with a couple of mean-looking mountain bikes – roars to life. “This is my favorite time to ride,” says Lowe, Vieques’ answer to survivalist extraordinaire Bear Grylls.

Owner of the biking/kayaking/fishing tour outfit, Vieques Adventure Company, Lowe is half Puerto Rican, half Canadian and more agile on two wheels than most people are on two feet. Before the sun peeks over the hills, we’ve mounted up and we’re zipping through the crisp air past a herd of free-roaming horses. Abandoned U.S. Navy bunkers, an old radar installation, a crumbling brick sugar mill and untamed beaches are all within quick reach via trails and access roads known only to Garry, many of them accessible only by bike.

Providing with a running lesson in local history, Garry calls his pedal-powered excursions “island orientations.” Besides a good ride, Garry’s visitors become familiar with the island in ways most tourists never do.

“It’s a better way to see the island,” he says. “It forces you to slow down and gets you to the places people have forgotten.” Morning bike tours run $75 per person.

(787-692-9162; viequesadventures.com)

Vieques Biking Adventure

Better Travel Options from Beantown

JetBlue is already a major player in the Caribbean travel game, but the airline just announced a new plan to increase flights between its Logan International (BOS) hub and the Caribbean by 25 percent – a move that will make it the single largest carrier out of Boston.

Beginning May 3, 2010, travelers can take advantage of new weekly routes to Aruba; Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Montego Bay, Jamaica – and the airline will also continue its regular daily service to Bermuda and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The decision comes right on the heels of US Airways' announcement to discontinue six of its eight current Caribbean routes next year, so the increased JetBlue schedule will help to pick up the slack in Caribbean flights – great news for the destinations in question and the island-hoppers wishing to visit them.

Check in with the JetBlue site for more information on the new routes and to book your trip.

Better Travel Options from Beantown

Holiday Savings in the Turks and Caicos

If you're planning a winter escape to the Caribbean, you've probably already seen our home page feature on this year's Top 25 Holiday Deals – but last-minute offers just keep coming in, like this vacation package from the Tuscany on Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos...

The Deal: Book seven nights from December 18 to December 25 in a three-bedroom suite (sleeps six) and your family will enjoy three nights free – a savings of over $4,000.

Why We Love It: Hey, it's the holidays...what's not to love about keeping a little extra cash in your pocket? Nightly rates for this suite category start at $1,425, but divided by six that's not bad for high season – especially given the resort's amenities and sublime Grace Bay location. Bonus: the well-appointed suites are around 2,000 square feet in size, and all three bedrooms feature en suite bathrooms, so it's easy to share the space with the whole family...yes, even the in laws.

How to Book It: Call 866-359-6466 or log on to thetuscanyresort.com. There are no booking dates but the travel window is December 18 to 25, 2009.

Holiday Savings in the Turks and Caicos

Writers! Space Is Still Available for Writing and Yoga in Jamaica

Resolved to banish writer's block once and for all but not sure how? You're in luck: Space is still available for Celia Jeffries and Jacqueline Sheehan's annual Caribbean writers retreat, Writing and Yoga: A Jamaican Adventure. Working writers themselves, Jeffries and Sheehan are faculty members at the literary workshop Writers in Progress in Northampton, Massachusetts.

The retreat brings a select group of 10 participants, from novice writers to working professionals, to Bromley, a grand hilltop estate close to Ocho Rios on Jamaica's north coast that's built atop the stone foundations of a 16th-century Spanish fort. A typical day starts with a yoga session intended to energize creativity — to get participants "in the flow," says Jeffries. There are lively communal meals as well, and morning and evening writing sessions with exercises carefully chosen to quiet the inner critic and release new writing or expand ongoing projects.

Afternoons are free, but Jeffries and Sheehan, along with retreat coordinator Patricia Perkins, plan to celebrate the setting by offering Jamaican excursions, including time on the sand at secluded Reggae Beach, a tour of lush Coyoba Gardens and Mahoe Falls, or a storytelling session with students at a nearby preschool.

The eight-day retreat is set to commence on March 20, with shared accommodations starting at $1,395 per person. Airfare isn't included, but room and board, excursions and airport transfers are. For more information and registration instructions, visit the retreat's page at Tropical Escapes, or call 212-731-2478.

Writers! Space Is Still Available for Writing and Yoga in Jamaica

Two Days Left for Huge Savings at Starwood

Our e-newsletter subscribers are privy to a ton of free information each week, like destination features, contest announcements and exclusive deals just for our readers – and today's email blast about Starwood's latest offer is not to be missed. Through tomorrow, December 2, vacationers can book spring vacations and cash in on low rates like $159 per night at the Sheraton Old San Juan; $199 per night at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort; and $275 per night at the Westin Aruba.

The savings are valid on stays between January 1 and April 30, 2010 – but you have to book by December 2 at midnight to take advantage. Surf over to the special Starwood promotion page to check out all the places you can save, then sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter to enjoy more great deals like this one!

Two Days Left for Huge Savings at Starwood