The Occidental Grand Aruba is the new luxury, all-inclusive resort on the beautiful Palm Beach in Aruba.  They offer some of the finest accommodations on the island in all of their 348 deluxe rooms and suites and 50 Royal Club level rooms and suites.

 All of their rooms feature luxurious aspects such as marble floors, balcony or terrace with views, full bathrooms with shower and bathtub, satellite television, mini bar, air conditioning, in-room safe, telephone with data port, and clock radio.  Within the Royal Club rooms you will find nothing but top luxury.  All Royal Club rooms and suites feature pristine ocean views, hydro-massage bathtubs, CD and DVD players, exceptional room service (such as champagne and strawberries at breakfast and Godiva chocolates at turndown), personal concierge, exclusive check-in at the Royal Club level floor, business center with meeting rooms, internet access, private lounge, restaurant and other boutique VIP services.

 Nearly everything is included in the all-inclusive plan throughout the resort, such as tennis, snorkeling, scuba clinics, kayaking, sailing, and daily activities and amenities (such as chaise lounges, cabanas and towel services) at the pool or beach.  And the parents can take part in such activities without worrying, while their children take part in many activities at the supervised Kids Club.

 Other options available for a small fee, is a nearby 18-hole championship golf course, motorized water sports (such as water-ski, Jet Ski and parasailing), scuba diving trips and equipment rental, horseback riding, and private tennis lessons.  Also on the property is a logo shop, boutique, newspaper stand, car rental, babysitting, fax and telephone service, conference facilities, 24-hour medical service and laundry.

 Occidental Grand Aruba features four bars: Cocktail (featured in the lobby), Sound (located in the lounge and features nightly entertainment, music and shows), Splash (located next to the pool oasis), and Bikini (is perfect for a snack or a toast at sunset, with the best views from the beach).  And six restaurants: Palm (with an international buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner), L’Olio (serving exceptional Italian), El Olivido (serving up festive Mexican cuisine), Zen (where you’ll find a variety of Asian specialties, such as Tepenyaki, Sushi, and Tatame), Beach Club (with a menu featuring progressive Caribbean cookery), and an exclusive restaurant available just for Royal club guests.

Galley Bay in Antigua is located on forty acres of beautiful tropical gardens on the west coast of the island.  Set within lush gardens, the resort is bordered, with a bird sanctuary lagoon on one side and a three-quarter-mile beach on the other.  This resort offers luxurious comfort with total privacy within their secluded paradise.

 After being completely rebuilt in 1995, their 70 rooms are beautifully accommodated and ideal for relaxation.  Here, you can stay in one of their 10 beach-front rooms, 29 deluxe beachfront rooms, 16 beachfront suites, or 14 Gauguin Cottages.  The rooms and suites offer louvered windows, air conditioning, ceiling fans, baths with showers, and design aspects with natural materials such as bamboo, terra cotta and thatch.  Their cottages come equipped with private plunge pools and lie on the edge of the bird sanctuary.  They consist of two adjoining cottages with a bedroom and a bath/dressing room.

 You can relax in their salon and take advantage of their Swedish massages, aromatherapy, and hair and nail care.  Their private pools feature cascading waterfalls, and their air-conditioned fitness center comes with up-to-date equipment.  When it comes to activities, you will have no need to leave the resort.  They offer watersports such as Sunfish and hobie cat sailboats, kayaks, snorkeling off the wreck of the Andes, and PADI diving certification.

 Within the resort you can dine elegantly at one of their two restaurants and bars.  The SeaGrape is a la carte dining that serves both lunch and dinner.  And the Gauguin Restaurant is great for romantic and intimate lunches and dinners.  The European chef serves dishes at both and specializes in Euro-Caribbean cuisine menus that centers around the locally grown produce and freshly caught fish.  The Teepee Bar is a favorite for appetizers at cocktail hour, and you can enjoy a Banana Slide, the resort’s specialty cocktail, at the Lounge bar while you listen to steel drums in the background.

 Antigua is beautiful and easy to explore, with rental cars available for excursions to the island’s sites.  Popular day trips include: Shirley Heights, the island highest point, which provides views of neighboring Montserrat and Guadeloupe; and English Harbour, where bicycle tours of the island are available.  From Galley Bay you can arrange Catamaran trips to Cades Reef or bird island, helicopter tours of Antigua, Yacht charters, and swims with the dolphins in the warm waters of the island.

 On the Dominican Republic’s east coast, the small region of La Romana offers an unspoiled, quite area that lacks the commercial elements found in the more popular destinations, which makes it ideal for relaxation and getting away, and is one of the most authentic regions in the country.  La Romana is covered in hidden beaches and miles of natural landscape, making it an extremely beautiful destination. 

 And in La Romana, you will find the 7,00-acre Casa de Campo resort.  Built in 1990, it was designed to resemble a 16th century Mediterranean village.  They achieved this goal with cobblestone streets, stone carvings, fountains, shaded pathways, and arts to celebrate the culture of the Dominican Republic.

 Within this village you will find 300 hotel rooms, 1,600 villas, 10 restaurants, eight bars, 250-slip marina and yacht club, 18 swimming pools, shopping plazas, the private Minitas beach, a 5,000-seat open-air amphitheater, an equestrian center, museums, the luxury Cygalle Healing Spa, the artist’s community of Altos de Chavon, and golf carts provided for free for you to easily commute through the resort.

 All 300 hotel rooms come with patios, large bathrooms and all-inclusive options.  Their Los Altos residence features one, two and three bedroom, luxury units.  And most of their 1,600 villas have their own private pools and butlers, and some come with beachfront locations.  They are looking to add more villas through their renovation.  Celebrities such as Sammy Sosa, Oscar de la Renta and Beyonce, have chose to stay in these rooms and villas in the past.

 Casa de Campo is also known for its three award-winning, 18-hole, Pete Dye designed golf courses.  Top golfers visit here regularly for both tournaments and leisure.  And their legendary “Teeth of the Dog” course is the only known course with seven holes along the Caribbean Sea.

Hotels

Tobago is home to a large selection of hotels from the budget to the luxury.

Coco Reef Resort & Spa is located in Crown Point.  This 135 room property is conveniently located near some of the island’s best beaches, such as Pigeon Point, and offers amenities such as spa, tennis, watersports and golf.

Hilton Tobago Golf & Spa Resort is located just 15 minutes from the airport and includes many spa features.  The Equilibrium spa features the latest treatments, such as microdermabrasion, and electrolysis.  And through out the resort there are many amenities including championship golf, three pools, and kids’ club.  This resort is located next to 60 acres of protected mangrove forest, which will offer you all the exploration you could want.

Mount Irving Bay Hotel features an 18-hole golf course, a great beach (perfect for snorkeling, windsurfing, water-skiing and relaxing), three restaurants, six bars, tennis and more.

Golf

On the island of Tobago, you will find two golf courses that will easily feed your cravings for golf on your vacation.

The Mount Irving Golf Club is part of the Mount Irving Bay Hotel and is set on the grounds of a former coconut plantation.  Near the 18 holes, on the fairways lined by coconut trees, you will have view of the Caribbean sea from every corner, with a highlighting view of Bucco Point and Bucco Reef from the ninth hole.  They also feature a clubhouse, a restaurant and an equipment rental center.

Tobago Plantations Golf & Country Club features an 18 hole championship course, excellent attractions, such as the third hole, which is located on a peninsula, set between the Atlantic Ocean and a view of Scarborough (Tobago’s capital).

Both of these courses are located about 10 to 15 minutes away from Scarborough and the Crown Point Airport.  You should also go in the summer months, when the Tobago Open is held annually in June, also when the Southern Caribbean Open takes place in July.

Hiking

Not only is Tobago ideal for kayaking, snorkeling, birdwatching, and more, but it is also exquisitely picturesque for hiking.

The Main Ridge Rainforest Reserve is home to the Argyle Waterfall, which is the highest of falls on the island, and is located at the end of a beautiful and brisk 15-minute hike along a shaded trail lined by cocoanut trees, and is perfect for first-timers.

Kayaking

Kayaking is perfect in the turquoise waters of Bucco Bay and Bon Accord Lagoon.  The seas here are calm and protected by coral reefs, leaving you time to truly appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.  In places like Speyside, kayaking is more of a mode of transportation than just a leisure activity.

Diving

There are around 300 species of coral in the waters of Tobago, which are the home to the likes of tropical fish, sponges, dolphins, whale sharks, turtles and other marine creatures that populate the reefs.  The water is warm year-round here, and the currents are gentle.  The most popular places for diving are Speyside, the St. Giles Islands, Man O’ War Bay, Columbus Passage, and the Manta Reef, where it fills with giant rays during the months of March through J

 Do you find it hard to figure out where to eat when on vacation?  In Trinidad and Tobago they offer such a diverse dining scene that you may not be able to distinguish between the good restaurants and the ones that aren’t worth your business.  But there is good news; here is a cheat sheet to all the great dining on the islands from the casual to the luxurious, along with tips on what it is you’re actually ordering.

 We’ll start off with Trinidad.  Trinidad is made-up of many ethnicities throughout it’s population, with cultures that range from India, Thailand, China, Spain and more, and is filled with experts on authentic cuisine from around that world.  History and the culinary often mix with each other, painting a picture of the reason why these dishes are served where they are, as it is in Trinidad.  Brought to the island from Africa ages ago, Creole food is a mix of African recipes made into dishes that are purely Trinidadian.  Dishes such as macaroni pie (a casserole of macaroni, milk, eggs, and cheese) and stews of caramelized chicken or red beans, are the most popular and authentic of Creole food in Trinidad. 

 East Indian influences are found through the island as well.  Curry is found flavoring everything from duck, to chicken, to goat.  Other favorites influenced from this region are roti (flatbread pastry stuffed with curried meat and vegetables), chokas (roasted and pounded vegetables usually served for breakfast), aloo pies (fried potato pies), barfi (coconut fudge), and ras gulla (milk balls served with sweet syrup.  The best area in Trinidad to find these dishes at their best is in the town of Debe, in the south of the island.

 Authentic Trinidadian cuisine can be found at one of the many vendors in crowded areas like Queen’s Park Savannah.  From these vendors, you can order jerk meats, homemade ice cream, Creole corn soup and more.

 Upscale dining in Trinidad can be found in many restaurants that serve dishes from around the world, such as Italian, French, Indian, Japanese, Thai and Spanish Cuisine.  Known as the “restaurant strip,” Ariapita Avenue is perfect for finding somewhere to dine, along with Woodbrook, St. Clair and around Queen’s Park Savannah.  In Queen’s Park you can fid excellent tastes of India at Apsara (“celestial dancer”), such as spicy curry, and tandoori flavored with Indian and Caribbean spices.  Inside the Coblentz Inn boutique Hotel you will find Battimamzelle Restaurant, which is one of the areas most upscale dining venues.  Here they serve up Caribbean-style cuisine with touches of European and Indian flavor and style.  Melange restaurant in Woodbrook serves international dishes like snapper risotto and other pastas.  La Grande Almandier offers authentic Creole food, with some of the freshest seafood around, with the local fishermen supplying them with the catch of the day.

 In Tobago, most of the dining gets its inspiration from the African heritage of its people.  The Creole cuisine found in Store Bay offers specialties like crab dumplings in coconut and curry sauce and pacro water (a local spicy libation) within some of the best restaurants on the island.  also in Crown Point, places like Buccoo are known for the international gourmet restaurants.  And excellent Creole cuisine set in the form of a 4-couse meal is served at the Arnos Vale Waterwheel in the Arnos Vale Hotel.

 There are also three food festivals that occur yearly on both the islands.  In Trinidad, you can go to the Taste T&T Festival, a 2-night event that brings the top restaurants and more under the same roof.  In Tobago, you can go to the Blue Food Festival in October, where cooks from the villages create dishes out of local ingredients.  And in the summer months you can go to the Tobago Heritage Festival, where they put culinary and cultural achievements on display.

 Also, many shops with serve the regular favorites, but the names don’t exactly explain what you will be eating, so here are a few definitions of local favorites:  Bake and shark is a sandwich consisting of deep-fried shark between fried dough, and is usually topped with the likes of vegetables, pineapple, ketchup, tartar sauce, spicy chutneys and more; Fruit chows are local fruits (such as plums, pineapple) cut up and mixed with lime juice, garlic, pepper and cilantro; Souse is boiled pig trotters or chicken feet, served cold in a lime, cucumber, pepper and onion broth; Chip-chip is a small shellfish (similar to clams) that is served curried or with a cocktail sauce; and Cascadura is a small freshwater fish that is usually served curried.

 Luxury has come to Anguilla in the Caribbean.  With their brand-new golf course, and the sheer beauty and privacy of the island, it’s no wonder that people are taking notice.  In Anguilla you can find serenity and peace in a beautiful island, which is surprisingly located only minutes away from one of the Caribbean’s biggest party destinations, St. Maarten.  The island is relatively unknown, and is located so close to other great islands.  With many luxury resorts already there, and many more new developments on the way, more high-end and privacy-focused travelers are drawn to Anguilla.

 Among Anguilla’s resorts, are the “big three,” that is, Cap Juluca, CuisinArt Resort & Spa, and Malliouhana, which have established themselves as some of the most luxurious places to stay in the Caribbean.  Cap Juluca is located on a mile-long stretch of beach on Maundays Bay on the southwest coast of the island, with all villas located along the beach.  This means there are no bad rooms, as each room is ocean view and you can step out of your room right on to the beach.  There are no TVs in the guestrooms, though they will provide one for you upon demand and they offer an up-to-date fitness center and full-service spa, water sports center, library, tennis, three restaurants and a 1,800-sq.-ft. swimming pool.

 At the CuisinArt Resort & Spa is focused on both dining and luxury.  This five-diamond award winner grows vegetables, fruits and herbs for use in the resort’s kitchens, and every Monday and Thursday night the executive chef prepares a 6-course meal for those who make reservations at the chef’s table.  Their Venus Spa includes an ocean-facing relaxation room, thalasso pool, expanded treatment rooms, new locker rooms with hammams and individual changing rooms, and a large fitness center that offers yoga, Pilates and personal training.

 The Malliouhana is the winner of awards from everyone from Conde Nast Traveler to Travel & Leisure.  This 53 room property is set tight on the Turtle Cove beach is ideal for traveling families.  Their children’s outdoor playground includes a pirate ship, a 60-ft. waterslide, splash pools, fountains, and larger diving pools for older kids and more.  They also feature a sun shelter with videos, ping-pong and PlayStation.  And to add, they offer water sports such as water-skiing, deep-sea-fishing and scuba diving.  The Malliouhana spa is located right on the ocean, and features Jacuzzis, steam and sauna rooms, a fully stocked and supervised fitness center with personal trainers, and a boutique.

 Half Moon in Jamaica has out-done themselves, with their brand-new, 68,000-sq.-ft. spa, the Fern Tree Spa, one of the Caribbean’s largest.  Given the size of this spa, one might think that it will give you that medical, impersonal feel, but they have achieved in providing a sense of intimacy in all of their rooms.  The spa is big enough to include all the amenities that you can hope for, but with personalized service and comfortable décor, you’ll feel like your their only guest.  Included in the 68,000-sq.-ft. are treatment rooms, fitness center, pavilions for yoga and Pilates, a spa café and other health club centers.  And the spa area is separated into sections:  a check-in desk, a spa shop, separate men and women’s locker rooms, and of course, the treatment rooms.

 Not only will you find all the amenities you hope for in the spa, but you will find equally satisfactory service in the locker rooms.  A spa attendant is always stations in the locker rooms, allowing you to have all that you want at your finger tips, even if you feel in the mood for refreshments.  Each locker room has its own outdoor sauna and steam room, along with access to an array of the Fern Tree Spa bath products.

 Their full-service spa features couple’s rooms, private showers, hydrotherapy tubs, and a 12-page menu of treatments and services.  For the Fern Tree experience, you can first indulge in the Fern Tree Signature Massage, which uses the scent of Jamaican all spice with ginger and orange throughout the 80-minute massage, which includes many techniques from Hawaiian, the Mediterranean and Asia.  This massage also includes foot baths, stretching and a 10-minute guided “power nap.”  The Fern Tree Signature Facial starts with a skin analysis, where the therapist combines Jamaican fruits and herbs to create a mask that is specific to your skincare needs.  This facial includes ingredients such as aloe, chamomile, green tea and vitamins, that will help improve the tone and texture of your skin, and is followed by a guided power nap.  For the more indulgent experience, the Aromatic Vital Relaxation Journey, is a 100-minute experience that includes meditation and spa techniques such as a Mediterranean-style scrub and wrap,  an Egyptian milk bath, and a massage that uses Indian and Chinese techniques. 

 All treatments star and end in the same way:  before the treatment, the therapist sprays a mist of herb-infused water around the room, while you inhale the steam, then you recite a short meditation focused on breathing; and at the end of all treatments, your feet are wiped with a warm towel of the same scent.  With 35 years of experience, Stella Gray, the chief spa elder, is an expert in indigenous herbs, flowers and plant life of all sorts, and has chosen allspice as a key ingredient in almost every treatment.  She holds private sessions with you, determining your needs, and uses ingredients from her own herb garden, that is on the grounds, to mix and match and create combinations suited for your skin.

 The hotel also features new spa suites, which all are ocean view rooms with oversized bathrooms, and are the closest location to the spa of all the Half Moon’s room.

Mount Cinnamon in Grenada
Mount Cinnamon is Grenada’s first boutique villa resort, featuring 21 beautiful, fully furnished and equipped one, two and three bedroom suites and villas, the smallest of which is over 1200 sq. feet.  Each unit comes with a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, plasma screen television, Bose DVD surround sound, cable, internet, and all the services expected from a five star resort.  Located on the two-mile white sand Grand Anse Beach, all of the rooms come with spectacular views of the beach and the Caribbean Sea.  They also feature a beachside cabana club with watersports, tennis, spa treatments, swimming pool and gymnasium.  You will find the best summer deals here between March 19 and November 15.

Point Village Resort in Negril, Jamaica
Located 90 minutes from the Montego Bay airport, this all-inclusive resort is set on 14 acres of lush tropical gardens on Rutland Point, where Negril’s seven-mile beach ends and Bloody Bay beach begins.  Their 150 rooms come with cable, air-conditioning, kitchenette, telephone, and a private balcony or patio with views of the sea or gardens.  Their all-inclusive plan includes:  taxes, service charges, all meals and beverages, daily activities, nightly entertainment, entrance into the Village Beat nightclub, snorkeling gear, sunfish sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, glass-bottom boat tours, and use of the Kiddies’ Centre.  The best time to take advantage of their summer deals is through April1 to December 20.

Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Located on a 110-acre peninsula, this resort offers beautiful gardens, a secluded golden sand beach, a world class spa at the edge of the sea, and more.  Their best deals are offered between May 1 and October 31.

Jamaica Inn in Ochos Rios, Jamaica
This inn has been in the same family for nearly 50 years, and offers great service and attention.  Located on a private cove, this six-acre property is home to a 700-foot private white sand beach, which has been called the most perfect beach in Jamaica.

Coco Palm Hotel in St. Lucia
This boutique hotel in St. Lucia has been chosen as a Best Value by Budget Travel Magazine, and is considered one of the best values in the Caribbean.  Located in the heart of Rodney Bay Village, this hotel is a local hotspot for cuisine and entertainment.  They offer unique accommodations, such as their swim-up rooms, where you can literally step into Coco Palm’s free form swimming pool form your terrace.  Amenities include free wi-fi service, hosts that will serve as personal guides throughout your stay, and their dining options.  Ti Bananne Caribbean Bistro & Bar is Rodney Bay Village’s hottest restaurant, and overlooks the pool.  Here you can dine on Caribbean Creole favorites, while enjoying the entertainment in this alfresco dining setting.
 

 The small island of Anguilla, stretches only 13 miles long and three miles wide, and has been the center of much attraction as a new hot destination in the Caribbean.  With the charming accommodations, beautiful greenery, and beaches such as Shoal Bay (named the best beach in the Caribbean by Travel & Leisure magazine), this island is not a main destination for travelers, and a booming environment.  Upgrades and progress is seen all throughout the island, and now that summer is upon us, many resorts are offering lush summer vacation deals.

 Located on Shoal Bay East, the 27-suite Ku Hotel, has grown as a favorite since its start in 2005.  Located close to Fountain Cave (one of the most important Indian ceremonial ground in the Eastern Caribbean) & being located on this popular beach, this Hotel is placed in a prime spot.  This summer, they offer their ‘Escape to Ku’ package, which includes four nights, breakfast daily, two dinners, two one-hour massages, bottle of wine and roundtrip transfers.  This package costs from $1392 to $1545 per person for a double.  Their ‘Love at Ku’ is a seven-night package including breakfast daily, four dinners, two one-hour massages, a bottle of Champagne, Prickly Pear excursion, a one-day car rental for exploring on your own and transfers.  This package costs from $2520 to $2785 per person double.

 At Bird of Paradise Villas, each unit has its own private view of the Caribbean.  Their four-suite villas each have their own kitchen, and public areas include:  three swimming areas, four living and dining areas, and more.  With their summer package, you get a six night stay with Frette robe and slippers for each traveler, Bulgari toiletries, spa treatments, a boat charter with lunch, a gift package of food items, and access to a rental car.  This package is $4,400 each for four, $3,200 for six, and other options are available.

 At Paradise Cove Resort, they offer a four-night package for $720 in a studio suite for two (taxes and gratuities not included).  This package includes a one day car rental, picnic basket and bottle of wine for a picnic on your day out, plus hotel stay.  This package is valid from April to November this year.

 The Arawak Beach Inn offers their popular Isolation Vacation.  This package allows overworked guests unplug and separate themselves from their daily tasks, letting them enjoy the entire island as they would with no interference.  There are no TVs, no phones and no internet here, making it ideal for escaping.  This seven-night package includes such accommodations as daily breakfast, four dinners at the Inn’s Arawak Café, three-day car rental to explore on your own, a private day trip to an uninhabited island, a gourmet picnic lunch at this island, a deep sea fishing excursion, three days access to snorkel equipment, round-trip airport and ferry transfers.  Prices start at $999 per person, valid from June 1 to October 31.

 CuisinArt Resort & Spa is one of Anguilla’s most luxurious beachfront accommodations.  Not only do they feature world renowned cuisine, but also excellent service, and their award-winning Venus Spa.  Their Family & Friends package includes an airport greeting, daily breakfast, free use of the Health Club facilities, fitness classes, use of the three night-lit tennis courts, non-motorized water sports equipment, and hotel stay.  For a junior suite it’s $495 per night, which is a 50% savings off the normal rate.

 The Sheriva Villa Hotel has been awarded the AAA Four Diamond rating for 2008, and offers great summer deals.  This 20 room and suite, waterfront, 10-acre, boutique villa-hotel, was first started in 2006, and has everything from oversized one-bedroom private pool suites to luxurious 14,000 square foot, seven-bedroom villas.  They offer services like person chef, butler service, 24-hour concierge, in-villa spa treatments, private 8-seat golf cart, complimentary beach shuttle to Maundays Bay, and more.  Deals vary.

 Set on thirteen secluded acres of beautiful sand, slanting into the Caribbean Sea, is the five-star, all-inclusive, Royal Hideaway Playacar.  This Occidental resort, you are sure to feel like royalty, treated with activities, environment and service fit for a star.  Even when you arrive, the attentive staff welcomes you with chilled champagne and an iced-towel.

 All rooms here offer roomy living areas, private terraces, expansive baths, beautiful views, satellite TV with DVD, a stereo system with CD player and more, and through different packages and plans you can get amenities specific to you.  Through the Royal Memories package you are presented with a collector’s edition book, photograph in a Mexican pewter frame, a Mayan tour of either Tulum-Xelha or Chichen Itza, dinner on the beach, embroidered terry cloth robes, Bvlgari toiletries, and a fresh fruit basket.  Through the Royal Relaxation plan you get perks similar to those in the Royal Memories package, but it also includes a Royal Spa Experience, which includes a massage, facial, pedicure and manicure and nightly turndown service.  if you stay at the Royal Hideaway Duplex Suite you receive a high level of indulgence.  When staying in this suite you receive Moet champagne when you enter your two-story suite, where you will see the spacious living room, which is located downstairs, and the expansive bedroom upstairs.  Located in the bedroom is the marble bathroom with a hydro massage bathtub, and later on you are treated to a lobster dinner.  They also offer their two and three-story villas, decorated in Spanish and Mexican colonial-style.

 Also on the premises are winding rivers, tranquil waterfalls and fountains, six swimming pools, daily activity programs by the pool and on the beach, nightly entertainment, games, complimentary internet access in the business center, a video library, an outfitted fitness center, land and water activities, and six a la carte restaurants (serving everything from Caribbean, Mexican, Italian, to Asian and more).