The Last Headphones You'll Ever Buy

If you're a traveling audiophile who likes the idea of those bulky Bose noise-canceling headphones but just can't bring yourself to spend 300 bucks on something that looks so ... well ... nerdy, here's a word of advice: don't.

The folks over at Ultimate Ears sent me a pair of their UE 700 noise-isolating headphones, which I test drove on a flight to Jamaica last weekend, and I have to say: if you're the type of person who's prepared to spend big bucks on big, rich sound, these are for you.

I liked that once I inserted the tiny earbuds, absolutely nothing came between me and my tunes, and I could get lost in music, despite the seemingly endless in-cabin announcements. With five included foam and silicone buds to choose from I got a comfy fit, and the airplane jack (also included) enriched the listening experience on the inflight programming –now if only they'd show something other than Olympics re-runs. Best of all, the earphones are so diminutive that I can even fit my Shuffle into the 'phones' nifty plastic case.

At around $200 a pair the headphones are certainly no bargain; but if you demand great sound, want noise-canceling features without the dork factor, and are prepared to pay a premium for it, check these babies out.

The Last Headphones You'll Ever Buy

Latitude Adjustment

It's not every day that you get to straddle the Tropic of Cancer line. But a couple of weekends ago, on Island Routes' Bahamian Bus Tour on Great Exuma in the Bahamas, I did.

Latitude Adjustment

Retail Refund

Good news for travelers who plan to drop some dinero in Cancun: under the destination's new Tax Back program, shoppers will be refunded the 10-percent value-added tax paid on cash purchases between 1,200 and 3,000 pesos (roughly $90 and $225) and on credit card purchases of any amount over 1,200 pesos.

Just ask for a receipt in participating stores (look for the orange sticker in the window), and on your way out present it at the Tax Back desk in Terminal 2 or 3. Depending on the amount, tax will be refunded in a combo of cash and a credit to your plastic or reimbursed entirely to your credit card. Big spenders should note that items that cost more than 5,000 pesos (about $370) must be presented for inspection.

Retail Refund

Small Packages

When you travel as much as the CT+L editors do, you quickly pick up tips and tricks to get you out the door and on the plane with as little hassle as possible. One I've learned: always keeping a bag of toiletries and travel essentials packed and ready to go. But because I'm a carry-on-only kinda gal, they've got to be in those teeny-tiny, TSA-approved containers – which means that I've invested more time than I care to admit painstakingly decanting my various lotions and potions into three-ounce plastic bottles. But now I don't have to.

On minimus.biz travelers can find an array of pint-sized personal care and household products, everything from nail polish remover to Febreze, sunscreen to contact lens solution to ... ahem ... individually wrapped condoms. You'll find all the brand names you recognize from the pharmacy aisle at prices that start from less than 20 cents to around five bucks.

For a less pedestrian - but pricier – collection of portables, check out 3floz.com. If you're a prestige skincare and makeup fan, bookmark this site for travel-friendly favorites from companies such as Dr Hauschka, DDF and Weleda. The site also offers an impressive selection of organic products, and there's a men's section with all the aftershave, shaving balms, creams and facial washes the well-groomed gentleman traveler could desire.

Of course, once you've loaded up on diminutive deodorant and other petite essentials, you're going to need a chic, transparent bag to stow them in, right? (Please don't tell me you were considering a boring zip-lock Glad bag. Perish the thought!) But that's a post for another day ...

Small Packages

Cover Up, Buttercup

You may have heard that come May 1, American Airlines will no longer provide blankets in the coach cabin on flights less than two hours long, and will begin charging passengers $8 for a blanket+ pillow combo on flights longer than two hours. The new policy applies not only to travel in the US and Canada but to Mexico and the Caribbean as well. So what's a comfort-craving, penny-pinching coach-class flier to do?

Here are three travel blankets you might consider making part of your travel kit. Sure, they cost more than AA's $8 version, but if you're one of those people who really feels the frigid in-cabin temps, we think the convenience of having your own in-flight cover-up is worth it.

The Lug Life Nap Sac Blanket + Pillow (pictured above) set is made of supersoft fleece. Fold the blanket, put it in the zip-up pouch/pillow case and use it as a pillow, or for firmer support, use the included inflatable pillow insert. The cozy comforter comes in 10 colors and features a handy-dandy pocket for your glasses or iPod. $22-$30 (depending on the color) from Amazon.

For full-on, full-body coverage, how 'bout the Cabin Cuddler (left)? Wrap yourself up burrito-like in the folds of this oversize microfleece, which looks kinda like a giant Snuggie with "wings" that cover each arm and a pocket for your feet. It also comes with an inflatable pillow and a bag that attaches to your carry-on. $28 from here.

Westin hotels are famous for their comfy Heavenly Bed, and now you can duplicate the experience on the go (or at least come close to it) with their Heavenly Travel Blanket. Fold the plush, washable full-size blanket into its hidden pocket and use it as a pillow, or just snuggle up and make the other people in your row jealous. $60 from Westin At Home.

Cover Up, Buttercup

Editors Inflight

It's the first day of February, the Caribbean's high season is in full swing, and CT+L 's editors are getting ready to jet off to the region's balmy shores. At this point were not sure exactly where our assignments will take us – although our intrepid photographer Zach Stovall is already happily snapping his way around St. Croix – but we sure do know where we'd like to go in 2010.

Editor at Large Dave Herndon picks St John. "I'm dying to find out what all the love is about," he says of the idyllic US Virgin that attracts a back-to-nature bohemian crowd. (One of our favorite writers even considered packing up and moving to the USVI. Check out her story here.)

Online Editor Reagan Johnson just got back from Barbuda (above right), but she's already got her eye on The Grenadines. "I love sailing and I've always wanted to island-hop around the chain, checking out Bequia, Carraicou, Young Island and some of the smaller islets and cays," says our webby wonder woman. "Moonsplash on Anguilla is a close second, though!"

Managing Editor Becky Strauss has Bonaire on the brain. "I've been certified for 13 years now, and I'm desperate to check out one of the world's premiere diving destinations," she says. (If going deep also tops your to-do list, check out Provo, too.)

Executive Editor Matt Phenix is prepping for 4x4 safari through Belize later this month (read all about it in our upcoming May issue) and will put his driving skills to work again later in the year as he tours Barbados (left) by Mini moke for an upcoming feature.

As for me: Like Reagan, I'm hoping to set sail on my maiden voyage to The Grenadines, and I'm curious about the French Caribbean, particularly Martinique and Guadeloupe. It'd be a great opportunity to see somewhere new and to brush up on my Francais. Of course, I'm always up for a trip back to my beloved Jamaica, and I'm excited about the ever-increasing lineup of luxury hotels along Mexico's Riviera Maya (We'll be featuring one of the best in our annual all-inclusive feature, coming up in April).

Now over to you: Which destinations are on your Caribbean wish-list this year?

Editors Inflight

Divers Do It ... In Concrete

Longtime CT+L readers will remember my November 2007 feature on British dive instructor and artist Jason de Caires Taylor, whose compelling concrete figures were submerged in the water off Grenada's west coast to form an underwater sculpture "garden" for divers and snorkelers.

Late last year, Taylor completed the first four pieces for his newest submarine installation, this time located off the coast of Cancun. Over time, the ph-neutral concrete pieces should attract algae and marine life – and snorkelers and divers in their wake – easing environmental pressure on the ecosystem and coral reef, which has been compromised by hurricanes and heavy human traffic.



The figures are the first attractions in what Taylor plans to be the largest underwater art museum in the world, with more than 400 life-sized figures for visitors' gawking pleasure. For more information about Taylor's projects or to buy limited-edition prints of his haunting work, just click here.

Divers Do It ... In Concrete

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

Reading On The Road

On a recent flight I sat next to a woman who was deeply engrossed in a reading a book on her Kindle. We started chatting and she couldn’t stop raving about how perfect the e-reader is for travel.

“I can carry as many books as I like with me on a machine that weighs next to nothing; there’s no glare on the screen, even when I’m reading in full sun; and if I get sand or sea spray on it, no big deal - I just wipe it off,” she said.

Which got me thinking that maybe this bookworm should add a Kindle to her Christmas list. Then I heard about Barnes & Noble’s “Kindle Killer” the Nook, which releases on November 30.


Priced the same as the Kindle at $259, this e-reader looks and performs a lot like it ­– except for two major features. One: in place of the keyboard it has a second screen, a color touch screen that can function either as a virtual keyboard (kinda like the iPhone) or which you can use to scroll through all the books in the B&N Nook library. Two: Nook readers can lend friends e-books by sending them to other Nooks, iPhones, BlackBerrys and computers – something you can’t yet do with the Kindle.

But I gotta admit, what really has me jonesing for a Nook is the range of stylish accessories and covers. Come on, people; how cute is this?!

So tell me dear reader: Do you have an e-reader on your gift list? If you already own one, do you love it? Should I go with the tried-and-true Kindle or get into the Nook?

Reading On The Road

Gotta Have It

When I’m on assignment, it’s my enviable task to check out chic restaurants, beachfront resorts and luxurious spas. (I know, it’s a tough life). But on a personal level, there’s nothing I enjoy more than shopping, and as our staff shutterbug (and my frequent sidekick) Zach can attest, no matter where my work travels take me, I always find time to ferret out a funky boutique or craft store where I can snag a unique memento of the trip.

Mexico, it turns out, is a treasure trove of souvenirs. Most recently, I brought home this enchanting handcarved blue-eyed angel, courtesy of tiny beachfront Tulum craft store called Mixik. I’d seen larger versions used as decorative accents in hotels on previous trips, so I was excited to bag one of my own, which now watches over me from its perch on the wall opposite my bed.

On my first trip to Playa, I fell in love with Fifth Avenue and came away with this piece of folk art made from a lottery card, which brightened up my dreary cube quite nicely.

And if I’d had somewhere to put it, I definitely would have bagged one of these charming Jellyfish lamps, made from gourds, colored marbles and shells. You’ll find lower priced copycats all along the Riviera Maya but trust me, it’s worth spending a few extra bucks to get the real deal (look for the Jellyfish tag) from the company’s two Playa stores.

Perhaps my funkiest purchase was this pair of sassy scarlet cowboy boots, courtesy of Rogers Boots in the departure lounge at Cancun airport. The moment I spotted them across the crowded terminal it was love at first sight. They were a total impulse purchase and they weren’t cheap, but they fit like a glove and every time I wear them I remember Mexico ­– and feel like a million bucks.

So if you’re going to Mexico any time soon, PLEASE back away from those obnoxiously oversized sombreros, and instead keep your eyes peeled for something unique and authentic that you won’t be embarrassed to wear or display once you get home. In Mexico ­– and all over the Caribbean – there’s a bounty of handcrafted souvenirs that truly merit space in your carry-on. What's your favorite Caribbean souvenir?

Gotta Have It

True Confessions of a Travel Junkie

It’s been about a month since I was last in the Caribbean (swanning along Mexico’s Riviera Maya reporting a variety of stories for upcoming issues) and I gotta say, I’m already itching to go back. My carry-on sized toiletries have been replenished, I’ve had the wonky wheel on my rollaboard suitcase replaced, and while it’s been great sleeping in my own bed for the last few weeks, jetting off to somewhere exciting and new sounds pretty good right about now.

Now the only question is, where to go?

Truth is, the decision belongs to our ed-in-chief, Dave, who gives all the editors marching orders according to our (many) individual talents and the magazine’s editorial schedule. I’m not sure where he plans to deploy me next, but on the off chance that he’s reading, here are some of the destinations at the top of my Caribbean wish list:

The British Virgin Islands
I’ve not yet been to this English territory, but I’m dying to experience the pleasure of wending my way through its 60-something isles and islets. I want to swim at The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel off Cooper Island, and drop anchor for a cocktail (or two) at Foxy’s and The Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke. (We’ll be featuring the BVI on an upcoming episode of our Affordable Caribbean TV show, so tune in and see for yourself what makes them so special.)

The Grenadines
One of the first articles I edited when I joined CT+L was a Day Trip (June/July 2007) about a day sail through the Grenadines. Baz Dreisinger’s account of her idyllic voyage from Union Island through the 600-islet chain that runs between St. Vincent and Grenada was instantly captivating, and her description of the Tobago Cays’ ocean floor being tiled with starfish is an image that has stayed with me ever since. Must. Go. Soon.

The Out Islands of the Bahamas
Unlike the rest of the CT+L team, I’m based in sunny South Florida, so you’d think I’d have been to this paradise that’s less than an hour’s flight away a million times, right? Wrong. For years I’ve had a vague idea that I wanted to one day tour the tiny outposts where deserted white- and pink-sand beaches seem to go on forever, but when our online editor Reagan returned and blogged about swimming with pigs off Big Majors Cay in the Exumas, I was sold.

I don’t know if I’ll make it to any of these places anytime soon, but I’m keeping hope alive. (Nudge-nudge, wink-wink, Dave.)

What about you? Which Caribbean destinations are you eyeing for your next trip?

True Confessions of a Travel Junkie

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!

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

Don’t Leave Home Without It

I’m off on a four-day assignment to Secrets Maroma Beach on Mexico’s Riviera Maya tomorrow morning, so tonight I’ll be hauling my trusty red Kipling rollaboard out from under the bed. For the last two years I’ve been traveling for work about once a month, so by now I've got the whole packing thing down to a science.

My carry-on essentials for a quick Caribbean trip? A swimsuit; shorts; a sarong that I use as a beach coverup, a blanket for the plane and a wrap for frigidly air-conditioned restaurants; a couple of no-ironing-required knit dresses (including a new maxi for those same fancy but frigidly air-conditioned restaurants); flip-flops for day and strappy wedge sandals for evening. I’ll also pack my workout gear so that I can take advantage of the hotel gym (after all those sumptuous hosted dinners, a girl’s gotta work up a sweat at least once); and because it’s a work trip, my BlackBerry and MacBook, my Moleskine hardcover notebook and a stack of business cards.

Summer’s upon us and I know that lots of you will be taking to the skies and touching down on Caribbean shores. What are the must-haves on your packing list? Tell us, then click here to find out how to pack everything you need into a single carry-on, and go here for a whole bunch of nifty travel tips from the peripatetic CT+L team.

Happy Travels!

Don’t Leave Home Without It

My Life in Ruins

You know how sometimes you dream about going somewhere and then when you finally visit it doesn’t look half as beautiful as it did in all the photos? Tulum is definitely not one of those places.

As I found out much to my delight on my maiden journey there last week, photos you’ve seen of the seemingly endless stretches of bone-white sand and post-card perfect turquoise waters hardly do it justice. Tulum is even more enchanting in the flesh, and nowhere is this more evident than at the Mayan ruins in the off-the-grid Mexican oasis.


It was a blustery and rainy day when staff photographer Zach and I joined the throng of day-trippers traipsing the dirt road towards the centuries-old site, but when we finally reached the ruins’ famous cliffside Castillo it was every bit as stunning as it appears in photos, even in less-than-perfect weather. The ruins themselves are totally awe-inspiring (beats me how they built those complex structures entirely by hand) and as for the beach … well, put it this way: once I caught sight of it, I charged down the wooden staircase and plunged straight into the surf, even though I didn’t have a towel or change of clothes.


Despite my amateur photo-taking skills, I think you can appreciate the raw beauty of the scene. Trust me; as I sit here in the throes of yet another sticky South Florida summer, I’m seriously contemplating booking the next flight back.

My Life in Ruins

Bienvenido a Mexico!

I’ve stayed at some nice hotels in my time, and more often than not there’s some little token of welcome waiting for me in my room. You know, cheese flights, fresh flowers, maybe a bottle of champagne or a fruit plate. But I can’t say that I’ve ever been welcomed quite like this:



Yep, right next to the fancy-pants espresso machine and the selection of teas in my suite at the posh Grand Velas on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is a bottle of Don Julio Reposado, complete with all the fixings for a celebratory shot – or two. And lest you think the resort is rolling out the red carpet just for me, my butler (ahem!) informs me that tequila service comes standard in every suite.

I'm not much of a tequila gal myself, but it's a nice touch, no?

Bienvenido a Mexico!

A Couples Thing

Sunday was the final day of my Jamaican adventure, which took me 550 kilometers along the island’s north coast, from Montego Bay to Negril in the west, then east to Port Antonio, westward again to Ocho Rios and finally back to Mo’Bay.

My last three nights I was ensconced at Couples Tower Isle (formerly Couples Ocho Rios), checking out the changes to the romantic, 226-room all-inclusive resort, which reopened on Easter Sunday after a yearlong, $30 million renovation. At 60, it is one of Jamaica’s oldest properties, and in its 1950s heyday as The Tower Isle Hotel welcomed royalty and Hollywood stars. The hotel became the Caribbean’s first all-inclusive resort when Jamaican owner Abe Issa (who is widely acknowledged as the father of the island’s tourism) introduced the concept to Jamaica in 1978, and renamed the hotel Couples Ocho Rios.

I stopped by for a quick visit last year, and while the hotel was clearly as popular as ever, it was showing some wear. So it was particularly gratifying to see how beautifully the grande dame of all-inclusive resorts has been restored to her former glory. Interior designer (and co-owner of Negril’s Idle Awhile) Jane Issa has revamped every inch in a retro-modern style that combines art deco- and mid-century modern- influenced furniture and lighting with contemporary accents. Twenty new rooms, a spa, two restaurants and a second pool have been added, and the guest rooms, piano bar, gym, original pool and public areas have all been renovated. The overall effect combines Rat Pack sleek with tropical chic, and homage is paid to the hotel’s heritage with Tower Isle memorabilia throughout.

I do have some small criticisms: Although the resort offers free Wi-Fi, travelers now expect it to be available in rooms and not just in the lobby. An open, walk-in shower is a great concept, but the entire bathroom floor flooded every time I bathed. And it seemed odd that a resort of Couples’ standard doesn’t have robes in the room (nor did I see them in the new spa).

Nevertheless, just over a month since reopening, CTI is looking better than ever, guests are clearly enjoying the enhancements, and once the inevitable re-opening bugs are worked out, they’ll be hard-pressed to find fault. With free horseback riding and glass bottom boat tours, as well as complimentary excursions to Ocho Rios for shopping and to Jamaica’s iconic Dunn’s River Falls, Couples remains one of the best values in the Caribbean all-inclusive resort category. Factor in attentive service and enhanced amenities, and you’ve got three good reasons to consider it for your next vacation.

A Couples Thing

A Delicious Departure

I was in Port Antonio for three days and inhaled more Jamaican jerk than I care to admit. Our home base Great Huts was literally steps away from the famous stands at Boston Beach,* so twice a day we’d take a seat at the counter at my favorite, Little David’s, for our daily dose of jerk pork, chicken and sausage dressed in a spicy/sweet mixture of ketchup and jerk seasoning, with festival and hardo (similar to sourdough) bread on the side.

But on a trip into the town of Port Antonio day before yesterday we stumbled upon one of the areas most elegant restaurants, Norma’s at the Marina. Its namesake is Norma Shirley, Jamaica’s most famous chef, and although she wasn’t there that day, the “nouveau Jamaican” fare we enjoyed certainly lived up to her reputation.

Seated on the cruise ship pier (apparently ships call here only once or twice a year) we lingered over a sumptuous feast that began with smoked marlin on garlic toast, and crab cakes accompanied by a flavorful and inventive yellow beetroot slaw.

The main event was a huge escoveitched snapper, fried to perfection then bathed in a tangy pickle. For the last few days we’d eaten almost every meal at a roadside counter, using our hands as utensils and pieces of foil as plates. To dine at a linen-draped table at the water’s edge, listening to the birds and taking in the view of Norma’s golden-sand beach and the tranquil bay beyond, was an unexpected delight and a relaxing and refreshing change.

Of course, no meal is complete without a cocktail, so we forced ourselves to try one of Norma’s specials, and bartender Trevor Hartley was kind enough to share the recipe. Since it calls for equal measures of all ingredients, the recipe is easily adaptable to make larger quantities, so why not whip up a pitcher and celebrate the holiday weekend Jamaican style?

Yellow Bird
1 oz overproof white rum
1 oz dark rum
1oz crème de banane
1oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
dash of Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients together with ice; add Angostura bitters; garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy.







*This just in: Jamaica has just announced plans to create a “jerk trail” that will take visitors on a culinary journey across the island sampling the fare of 10 of the best jerk stands, including those in the home of jerk, Boston Beach. For more info, go to www.visitjamaica.com/jerk.

A Delicious Departure