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

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

Bélè Beats

When I hit an island, the first thing I do is ditch the iPod and channel surf past the island talk radio for the good stuff - local tunes. I'm from Louisiana, and I learned from an early age that music isn't just something that makes you dance. It's part of the culture. It's a way to experience yet another level; to connect. Whether it's in an off-the-beaten-track Belizean village or the welcome terminal of the San Juan airport, I'm not satisfied until I've had my fix.

I landed on Martinique just in time for their Emancipation Day festivities. That's where I first heard Bélè, a mix of traditional drumming and singing from the era of slavery, which eventually evolved into zouk. The drums, called ta mbou in Creole, are handmade like a rum barrel, with wooden slats shaped by metal rings and fired from the inside. We watched Bwa Mabi perform a few cadences in the Slave Savannah heritage village, led by Max Telephe (the one standing). He's kind of a big deal - a local celebrity for his singing, acting and musical instrumentation.

In their cadences, Max sang in the traditional call-and-response style. In other words, he called, and the rest of the band repeated. Simple, but rhythmic. He also played the flute and shaker, and another member played ti bois, the bamboo drum. They were fascinating to watch.

The accompanying dance (bottom), also called Bélè, is a form of quadrille, where four couples dance in a square formation. It got pretty raunchy (if you've ever been in a late night club in the Caribbean, you know what I'm talking about). Let's just say I'm still blushing. Apparently that's not a new invention from the whippersnappers. Now that I've seen the dance, felt the beat and heard the lyrics, I know Martinique a little better (maybe even intimately).

Bélè Beats

Getting to Martinique

You may have heard about the general strike in Martinique last month, which caused weeks of social unrest among the locals and a bit of tension for visitors...But thankfully the strikes have been peacefully resolved, and the island is eager to open its shores to travelers again. So American Eagle Airlines' latest announcement of increased service to Fort-de-France from its hub in San Juan couldn't have come at a better time. Starting May 1, the airline will begin running daily service to and from the island - up from four flights per week, previously - making it easier than ever to visit the French Antilles beauty. Just bring your appetite...with its fusion of French, Caribbean and Creole flavors, Martinique is a gourmand's paradise.

Getting to Martinique