Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2015 i Caribbean Living

There are two ways, to me, that indicate a holiday has begun. The first is that smell when I first get off the plane – the sweet, sticky scent of heat that immediately commands my shoulders to drop a few inches. The second is the first sight of sand. I know that the latter is at risk of sounding like a budget travel ad – but from my home town in Dorset on the south coast of England to our second home on the island of Antigua, it is always the soft grains between my toes and a view of the sea that signals down time. Well, initially anyway. A simple pleasure though those first steps are once you’ve slipped off your flip-flops, the beach is a cruel mistress. Heat…

Like any sibling rivalry, the relationship between the sister islands of Trinidad and Tobago is both loving and competitive. Tucked away in the southeastern Caribbean just seven miles from Venezuela, this tropical destination feels a million miles away from the pressures and responsibilities of everyday life. Both islands offer a true opportunity to experience Caribbean culture, year-round celebrations, ecoadventures, and my personal favorite, gastronomic delights. As unique as they are similar, these tropical “sibs” are the perfect choice for a short getaway and offer the opportunity to experience the Caribbean with a flair all their own. A country that knows how to celebrate Like a loving parent, I quickly realized that these two “sisters” certainly share a common bond yet each boasts a distinctive personality all their own. Trinidad, with…

TAKES A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD CLASSIC “Events heat up when Hudson’s son David hooks a massive catch in a sequence that shows glimmers of The Old Man and the Sea.” Set against the tropical backdrop of the Caribbean in the 1930s, Islands in the Stream feels like we’re drinking a beer with Hemingway as he battles sharks, Nazis, and loneliness. Published posthumously by Mary Hemingway, Islands in the Stream is divided into three parts: ‘Bimini’, ‘Cuba’, and ‘At Sea’ (originally there was an idea for a fourth part which instead evolved into The Old Man and the Sea). This tale follows the life of Thomas Hudson, a well-known artist who’s traveled the world, divorced twice, and now seeks refuge fishing, painting, and drinking on the beautiful Bahamian island…

As I pass between the heavy wooden doors on their extended brass hinges and enter the reception area, I am reminded of the timeless elegance of Round Hill, where they’ve paid homage to the past while keeping abreast of the latest luxuries. My bags are handled and I’m sipping a Jamaican fruit punch. On the short escorted trip to my oceanfront room, glimpses of the beach and gardens are a promise of things to come. Once in my room, the all-white, tropical chic motif gives me a sensation of floating inside a cloud, these oceanfront rooms and their adjacent infinity pool are Ralph Lauren-designed, and evoke the sensation of simple understated elegance. Further up the Round Hill lie this boutique hotel’s more expansive accommodation, as they cater to guests who…

Once upon a time, certain Club Meds, promising that alluring “antidote to civilization” were the sole refuge for couples or singles seeking child-free frolics. But today numerous retreats, romantic to racy, offer ooh-la-lasciviousness: “Adult-only” resorts comprise one of the hottest trends in travel. Many top-notch all-inclusive chains now impose age limits, while even some historic B&Bs don’t want to risk great-great-great-grandma’s Chippendale chairs. The latest entry in the high-end grownup sweepstakes to put the sin in scintillating? CHIC Punta Cana, which opened late last December, as the first of a new ultra high-end “all-Exclusive” brand within Blue Diamond’s already luxurious Royalton portfolio (Cancun, Jamaica and Panama City outposts will follow). It takes 40 minutes via private transfer from chaotic Punta Cana International Airport to Uvero Alto, arguably the most shimmering…

Admittedly, they got me… right in the heart! You know those “Aha!” moments when everything clicks? I had one at Ladera. The resort is definitely geared towards couples, and I knew that going in, but had to make this journey alone. As it turned out, I got to connect on a much deeper level: connected with nature, myself, and with the man I love. St. Lucia has that effect on all of its visitors but this resort has a magnificent way of amplifying all of those connections. You are perched amidst the Pitons -- not a lengthy car ride away, not miles of switch-back between you and these geographic spectacles, but immediately in the middle of them. This is an unbeatable place to vacation. Although my stay was as a…