Palm Island Beach Resort is the quintessential private island resort. This 135 acre island is located in The Grenadines, a chain of idyllic islands that are part of St. Vincent. The easiest way to get there is by short flight from Barbados to neighboring Union Island. Palm's private launch meets the plane and after a ten minute boat trip you've arrived at one of the most exclusive getaways in the Caribbean. Featuring 37 bungalows, the resort is an all-inclusive of the highest order.

Food: Table service featuring a changing menu of steak, fish, lobster. All the wine you can drink. A buffet happens one night a week, featuring a tremendous selection of meat and fish.

What to do?: Day sail on Yannis catamaran to the Tobago Cays. Full day at sea, checking out the reknown Cays, which are four uninhabited isles floating in the clearest, bluest water you have ever seen. Includes lunch, beer, rum punch, snorkeling gear.

Internet: Available in the library and game room, free of charge

Beach: One of my favorites, the golden sand of Casuarina beach will make a beach lover weep. Also a pool for you landlubbers. Hammocks swing between palm trees

Prices: $650-$875 daily for a double in low season
$850-$1075 daily for a double at Christmas

Website: http://www.eliteislandresorts.com

One of my favorite haunts is Julie's Guest House in Bequia, which is just south of the 'mainland' of St. Vincent, one hour by ferry. Julie (a man), runs a wonderful local hotel, that caters to travellers. OK, so maybe it's a one star, but....for about $60 a day you get a hotel room, breakfast and dinner. Tip: The air-con rooms are in another building, and costs a bit more. At Julie's it's still the old Caribbean, where everyone says good day, please and thank you - a lot. There are mosquito nets in the rooms ( bring some deet, anyway). There is a small bar, serving up some of the best rum punches on the planet. And---it's a place to meet other travellers, you'll love it. Totally, OFF the beaten track! (784) 458-3530 or (784) 457-3497

Peace Haven Guest House

My old friend Lucelle runs her variety store with the help of Danelle. These ladies are the salt of the earth, and knowing them just makes you feel fuzzy all over to be in the 'real' Caribbean.

The store is on the main street of Hillborough, which is really the only town in Carriacou. There are a few settlements around this small island, but all the 'action' is here.

Behind the store is Lucelles home. There are a couple of rooms built above it. They are clean, self catering and on the beach. This has got to be the best value in the Caribbean, and I almost hesitate to let people know about it, except that Lucelle has bills like the rest of us, and could surely use the income she would get if the rooms were full all the time.

There is a fridge, and a propane-fired hotplate, as well as a toaster oven. There is a sink and some pots and pans and cutlery, although if you plan on doing some serious cooking, you'd better bring some of your own. Actually, there is a really limited amount of foodstuffs for sale on the island. So, consider bringing as much food as you can haul from the supermarkets in Grenada.

The beach in front of her place is spectacular, in spite of being so close to the town. The main dock is just a few hundred feet away.

The rooms both have balconies overlooking the sea, and come equipped with two double beds and a grainy TV. It's not luxury, but for $45 a night, it's clearly a great deal! Bring mosquito repellent.

Lucelle Akins, Peace Haven Guest House, Main Street, Carriacou, Grenada
(473) 443-7475 or (473) 443-8365
just tell her 'Don from Toronto' sent you

The long beach at Grand Case in French St. Martin is divided into two sections - Grand and Petit. Grand plage stretches out behind some of the Caribbean's best restaurants and lolo's, the local equivalent of bbq joints. Pictured is petit plage, in front of the Grand Case Beach Club. The Sunset restaurant, with waiter service on the beach for hotel guests, is built onto a cliff and looks out onto the golden sands. This is a strand for beachcombers who don't mind being lured away from their stroll by an aromatic baguette freshly baked by a local patisserie or a spiced rum offered up at any number of bars along the route.

Music, rum and mojitos. Not necessarily in that order - Montserrate Bar is in central Havana, a stones throw from Parque Central, just up the street from the famous El Floridita, which is said to be the birthplace of the daiquiri. The Montserrate is friendly and inexpensive, offering up lunch and dinner, usually pork and chicken. Alcohol flows as easily as the music does - choose the national drink, a mojito or beer or rum. Don't look for wine in this joint. No cover for the music, which plays all day and night, just leave a tip for the band.

Off the beaten track, and away from civilization and development, La Sagesse is a romantic getaway offering just twelve rooms. It is located on the south coast of Grenada, at the far end of an old road that cuts through the old La Sagesse plantation.

The main building, The Manor House has five rooms. The rest of the accommodation is spread out in a few other small buildings, some of which are almost touching the beach.

This is a place to relax, go swimming or take nature walks. It's a definite get-away-from-it-all kind of place. The postcard worthy horseshoe-shaped bay offers beach walkers a mile of sand to stroll while dreaming tropical thoughts.

Built to catch a cool breeze, the hotel's excellent beachside restaurant is directly on the sandy strand. This casual eatery features excellent fresh grilled fish like tuna and swordfish. As it is the only place to eat within walking distance, the dishes have been priced a bit high. Of course, this is nothing unusual as Grenada is typically pricier than some other nearby isles.

The picture perfect sandy beach on La Sagesse Bay offers some excellent shade due to a cluster of shade trees and coconut palms near the hotel. There are beach chairs for guests, and although the beach is open to everyone, getting there is problematic for anyone without a car, so normally the beach is quiet and tranquil. It is also an excellent beach for young children, as it's quite shallow and calm.

$130-$195 depending on season and room. +18% service & VAT

www.lasagesse.com

473-444-6458

Let's hope that common sense will prevail and that democratic principles will be applied. I'm talking about Los Estados Unidos, the good 'ole USA, that is. As it stands currently, American citizens can't travel to Cuba. Not legally and certainly not easily. Oh sure, you can fly direct from Miami (yes, there IS a flight), but it's not a 'normal' flight. Special permission must be obtained. Some Cuba-Americans get to go once in a while to visit family. And 'journalists' are allowed as well. So how about the rest of us. Not if you are American. Nope. It's a no go zone. Not allowed. Not possible. Well, not legally anyway.

Actually, the Cubans seem to love Americans and just about anything American, sans a takeover of the island. And, with a hearty welcome at passport control, they know not to stamp your passport, as they are aware that it can be hell trying to explain a stamped passport when you return to the USA.

This is you: For real officer, I was in Cancun all that time!

So, a lot of intrepid travelers, fly there by way of Canada (From Toronto you can fly to eight different cities in Cuba), Cancun, Nassau, Santo Domingo, Caracas, London, Rome, Madrid, well...you get the picture.

Let's say that you decide to travel to Cuba anyway. Here are some tips for visiting:

Continue reading "Dateline: Cuba" »

The Inn at Robert's Grove in Placencia, Belize has a secret offshore island or two that can be accessed by a rather long boat ride out into the Caribbean Sea. In addition to the Inn which is delightful, Robert's Caye is a postage stamp sized island topped with a few structures. You might have some other guests for company, and a caretaker or two. It's an all-inclusive with beer and rum on the menu. Want some crustaceans for lunch - go and grab some yourself! Also, bringing some books is essential. It's an ultimate get-away for those who 'want to be alone', or close to it anyway.

Rates: For 1 week- Spend 4 nights on the mainland at the Inn and three nights on one of their two private cayes, all-inclusive, with transportation from Belize City included. $1777-$1932 per person

www.robertsgrove.com

The destination is a gorgeous sandy offshore isle. To get there, boats depart from Bayahibe, a small fishing village on the SE coast. These trips are normally organized from hotels in Punta Cana, the nearby Domincus area, and from La Romana. Departing, a speed boat will bounce through the waves taking you to Saona, stopping in some nearby shallows for snorkeling. On the return you'll sail back on a rum-laden catamaran. Or possibly the other way around depending on the schedule. Included is a satisfying bbq lunch on the beach in Saona. Departing about 10am, the crew will have you back on the mainland by 4. Costs from Punta Cana with transportation (add 1.5 hours each way) are $90 or more. However, if you can make your own way to Bayahibe, It is possible to get passage from one of the captains for about $50. If you are staying in town, there are some small hotels starting at $30 a night. Scattered throughout the village are a few eateries, some good, some not. Try the Chinese restaurant for fresh fish.

It's a party thing. There's a fleet of them - school buses - painted up in psychedelic colours. You whoop it up, stick your head out of the windows, wear funny hats, shake your maracas and yell in strange dialects at the passing windsurfers coming back from a hard day at the beach. The guided tour takes you all over the island, beginning at the California Lighthouse, where you'll get something alcoholic to drink while you check out the sunset. Groovy man, let's party on to the next stop. Whoop some more, and have dinner, which is included. Then it's onto 3 more bars, with the first drink on the house (punch) - and then, more whoops. Tip: You may find yourself coughing up a lot more money on drinks as the tour continues. Drinks are for sale on the bus - no - it isn't all-inclusive. Pick up is at your hotel between 5-6:30pm, and back home by midnight. $59 for adults. For more info check their website on the internet for a discounted price.

http://www.kukookunuku.com