In 2006, Jamaica experienced a record-breaking year with more that three million arrivals, one million of which were from the U.S. alone.  Last year about 1,000 new rooms were added to the island, and there are 1,200 more planned.  Also, the JAPEX, Jamaica’s annual tourism exchange meeting, featured a number of Spanish-owned all-inclusive chains that are building on the island, and that are aiming at attracting visitors from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Eastern Europe and North America.

 A few of the big names in Jamaica are Riu and Iberostar, and Gran Bahia Principe.  Riu has two resorts in Negril – Club Riu and Riu Tropical Bay – and one in Ochos Rios.  The Riu group will also be opening a resort in Montego Bay, Hotel Riu Montego Bay.  All of these resorts are 24-hour all-inclusive, offering meals at one of their many restaurants, and activities on Bloody Bay beach in Negril, and Dunn’s River Falls in Ochos Rios.  The Iberostar has the Iberostar Rose Hall in Montego Bay.  This all-inclusive resort offer 3 specialty restaurants, 1 buffet restaurant, and infinity pool and more.  The Gran Bahia Principe is a five-star, all-inclusive resort, with nearly 600 rooms, seven restaurants, five bars, a disco and an amphitheatre.

  The 37 square foot island of St. Maarten/Saint Martin is home to versatile environments, beautiful beaches, and activities to keep you occupied.  The northern part of the island, Saint Martin, belongs to France, and the southern half of the island, Sint Maarten, is Netherlands territory.  This island has a European/Caribbean feel, but the main language is English.

 There are over 30 beaches on the island.  The activity beaches offer horseback riding, volleyball, snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, surfing, jet skiing, body boarding, and sailing.  Among the 30, there are also many quiet calm beaches and romantic coves.  Orient Beach, on the French side, St. Martin, is one of the most popular beaches.  It is ideal for snorkeling and many other water sports.  Thought this beach is clothing optional, people tend to wear more clothes on the northern end of the beach near the hotels.

 If you’re looking to stray from the beaches, gambling can be found on the Dutch side in many of the larger hotels, which offer everything from high stakes to penny slots.  Casino Royal in on Maho Beach and the Atlantis Casino is in Cupecoy.  The island is also home to 300 restaurants, ranging from BBQ to fine French cuisine.  The Nightlife on this island is also something to take part in.  at night you can see live entertainment from around the world, along with nightclubs, discos, and bars on both sides of the island.

 Due to the island’s many attractions, there are many resorts to choose from as well.  On the Dutch side, the Wyndham Sapphire Beach Club & Resort is good for families; the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Sonesta Great Bay are both close to the airport.  Also on the Dutch side is Westin Resort at Oyster Bay.  This four star rated resort is on a beautiful beach with a wonderful staff, they have activities for their guests such as scuba and horse back riding. On the French side, Hotel Beach Plaza features great nightlife, and the Grand Case Beach Club is just steps away from the village of Grand Case.

 The Calabash Hotel and Villas is a luxury resort in Grenada, and was recently voted the best hotel on the island at the 2007 world Travel Awards.  The voting was open to over 160,000 travel professionals, and was given to the Calabash for them to add alongside their other achievements such as their 4 diamond standard with the AAA.

 They have put a lot of effort into training their people, and after their multi-million dollar face-lift, were chosen for this award.  This resort’s hotels and villas sit on 8 acres of tropical gardens, near the sands of L’Anse Aux Epines beach and Prickley Bay, whose warm waters are ideal for swimming and scuba diving.

 The Calabash Hotel is also known for their Rhodes Restaurant.  This restaurant came to be as an agreement between Leo Garbutt and celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.  It combines traditional Caribbean cuisine with Rhodes’ trademark European flair and detail.  They provide excellent quality with using products from local suppliers and quality produce.

  Cap Maison Resort is a five-star, 50 room, and 22 villa estate being built on an ocean bluff above their own secluded beach.  This resort will offer views over historic Pigeon Island and to neighboring Matinique.

 Added to this resort will be the Caribbean’s newest spa, Spa Maison, set to open in July 2008.  Spa Maison will feature three treatment rooms (one double and two single rooms), outdoor showers, manicure and pedicure suite and hair salon, classes in shiatsu, reflexology, tai chi, yoga and Pilates, a well-equipped gym (where personal trainers will be on hand), a St. Lucian herbal garden that will provide natural products for the spa’s herbal treatments, and a relaxation verandah for post treatment refreshment.  Six full time therapists will be on call here, and personal trainers will be on hand at the gym.  The spa’s main treatment products will be provide by renowned French company, Sothy’s.  Guests at the hotel will be given a complementary 30-minute welcome massage in the spa as well.  The rooms will all have natural lighting, and for guests, treatments will be available in the privacy of their own suites or on the cliff edge which overlooks the secluded beach.  The Spa Maison will give you a warm and embracing spa environment, rather than a clinical one.

 St. Vincent is a thirty-two-island chain on the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Grenada.  St. Vincent is home to 100,000 people, and is considered a mini Jamaica.  They discourage mass tourism, and offer much to the traveler.  And found in St. Vincent is the four-thousand-foot La Soufriere volcano, which last erupted in 1979.

 Of its islands, Mayreau is the tiniest, and is home to less than 200 people.  The five uninhabited islands of Tobago Cays are protected as a marine reserve, and have played host to Johnny Depp and more for the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean.  The Grenadines stretch forty-five miles north to south, and are ideal for kayaking.  Bequia is a compact and hilly island, covered in cactuses.  They are known for their boat building, fishing, and due to their proximity to a migratory path of the humpback whales, makes it an important whaling station.  On the Atlantic side of Bequia, Park Bay is where you will find Orton “Brother” King’s Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary.  This Sanctuary started in 1995 to raise endangered hawksbill hatchlings that have been rescued from neighboring islands.  These turtles are taken care of here until they are three years old and then are released into the sea.  And Union Island, which was originally one giant cotton plantation, rises within two peaks, Mount Olympus and Mount Parnassus.

 The Almond Resorts in Barbados and St. Lucia puts into effect their For You, About You program, which caters to your needs and desires. Included in their all-inclusive plan is all meals (including lunch and dinner room service), all snacks, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, taxes and tips, non-motorized watersports, land sports (including tennis, volleyball and squash), use of the fitness center, sauna and steam room, island picnics with transportation, shuttle service to Bridgetown and Castries for shopping, guided activities (like aerobics, cooking classes, dance lessons and yoga), kids’ clubs and nursery for children and teens, and live entertainment.  St. Lucia is one of the most beautiful, romantic destinations in the Caribbean, and where you will find the Piton Mountains.  The Piton Mountains bring you soft adventure and beautiful landscape.  You can drive or sail to the mountains, and once there you can hike its trails, or dine at Ladera’s Dasheene restaurant, which offers great views of the twin peaks and the ocean.

 The Elite Island Resorts open up destinations like Antigua and the Grenadines for the all-inclusive options.  One of their resorts, Galley Bay, is set between a bird sanctuary and the beach in Antigua, the Palm Island Resort is a private island with just 37 guestrooms, and the brand-new Verandah Resort & Spa just opened in October.  Their all-inclusive options vary widely from resort to resort, but at all Elite Island Resorts you can expect meals, non-motorized watersports, and alcoholic beverages.  And the Verandah Resort & Spa in Antigua offers windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking and hobie cats, along with three restaurants and four bars.  And if you plan to leave your resort, in Antigua you can take a trip to English Harbour, the island’s historic district, where you will find Nelson’s Dockyard, an 18th century British Naval port that has been restored.  You can also join the party at Shirley Heights, where locals and tourists join together for goof, music and dancing every Sunday.

 At Beaches, the other half of the Sandals empire, there is a complete turnaround when it comes to their target.  Rather than adults-only romance, Beaches has plenty additions designed to keep kids happy and families enjoying their time together.  Beaches caters perfectly to families.  The parents can enjoy the Beringer wines, romantic restaurants and included ceremonies for vow renewals and second marriages, while the kids spend time at the Xbox Game Oasis or the daily Sesame Street parades.  Included in their all-inclusive plan is all meals (including room service), all snacks, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, watersports (including scuba diving), basic wedding packages and vow renewals packages, airport transfers, golf at select resorts, butler service in select suites, entertainment (including theme nights like “black and white night” or “reggae night,” beach parties with fire-eaters and limbo dancers and supervised kids’ activities and entertainment.  Beaches in Jamaica has access to most of the same tours as available at Sandals.  And Beaches Turks & Caicos offers bonefishing excursions, bike tours of North Caicos Mountain, a beach cruise geared toward iguana sightings, and, if you go at the right time, nighttime cruises to see the waters of Provo which light up with glowworms in the moonlight.

 The Iberostar Hotels and Resorts perfected themselves in the Dominican Republic and are now moving across the Caribbean to other islands.  From watersports to dance lessons, Iberostar offers many accommodations for families.  Included in their all-inclusive plan is all means (room service varies from resort to resort), all snacks, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, entertainment (including after-dinner shows and kids’ club, land and non-motorized watersports (not including diving).  Outside of the resorts, you will find Punta Cana’s wide, white beaches, or Isla Saona, a government protected nature reserve.  You can also take a catamaran ride across the sea or snorkel and discover the undersea environment of starfish and more, or go birdwatching and spot the island’s many species of birds.

 Sunset Jamaica Grande and Sunset Beach Resort & Spa are kid-friendly all-inclusive links to the Sunset chain properties.  They offer water parks and high-rise accommodations.  Included in their all-inclusive plans are all meals, all drinks, all snacks, non-motorized watersports, fitness center access, use of tennis courts, evening entertainment, a weekly cocktail party.  At Sunset Beah Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, you can enjoy a free afternoon English tea, free entry to the Club Mongoose kids’ club, and the Pirates’ Paradise Water Park.  At Sunset Jamaica Grande includes weekly themed parties, Club Mongoose and a Jamrock Teen Center for kids above the age of 12.

 At Sandals Resorts, located in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua and The Bahamas, you will find a worry-free location for adults-only romance.  The adults-only atmosphere is perfect for areas like swimming pools, beaches and restaurants.  Included in the All-Inclusive plan here is all meals (including room service), all snacks, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including sandals-only Beringer wines), watersports (including scuba diving), basic wedding packages, airport transfers, golf at select resorts, and butler service in select suites, these accommodations are included in their “luxury included” promise.  Golfers at Sandals Dunn’s River Golf Resort & Spa, Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Resort & Golf Club, Sandals Regency St. Lucia Golf Resort & Spa, Sandals Grande St. Lucia Spa & Beach Resort or Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia save on greens fees.  Sandals Royal Bahamin and Sandals Royal Caribbean offer private islands, where you can escape the resort grounds, without really leaving the property.

 The adults-only Grand Lido Braco Resort & Spa in Runaway Bay and Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa of the SuperClubs company, you can enjoy in classic Jamaican comfort in an all-inclusive atmosphere.  These resorts offer free-form swimming pools, private couples’ spa pavilions and fine dining restaurants.  Both resorts offer 5 restaurants, ranging from Japanese to Italian to classic Jamaican favorites, along with in-room dining service, and afternoon tea on the menu every day.  Included in the All-inclusive plan is all meals (inclusding room service), all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, all entertainment (such as after-dinner shows), all rips and gratuities, watersports (including scuba diving), airport transfers, basic wedding packages and vow renewal services, golf at Grand Lido Braco (though without charge at Grand Lido Braco, golf is an additional charge at Grand Lido Negril), and laundry and dry cleaning services.  Each of the resorts offers eight or more restaurants to choose from.  Activities are also aplenty.  Beach volleyball games and watersports are found everywhere on the beaches, and both resorts have clothing-optional beaches.  at Grand Lido Negril you can take bicycle tours of the surrounding area for no extra charge, and many stop at Rick’s café.  This Cliffside bar is where tourists drink their beer together as the sun sets, and some take the rite of passage for tourists to the region-a plunge off the cliffs into the water below.  There are more natural attractions near Grand Lido Braco, such as Dunns River Falls, where you can climb the falls or gaze upon it from the observation deck, or the new Dolphin Cobe facility outside Ochos Rios, where you can have dolphin encounters at your comfort level, be it petting them from the dock, or swimming with them in deep water.

 And then comes Couples in Jamaica.  Couples offers four all-inclusive, adults-only resorts; Couples Swept Away in Negril , Couples Ochos Rios, Couples Sans Souci, and Couples Negril.  Included in their all-inclusive plan is all meals (including room service), all snacks, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, unlimited use of sports facilities (including equipment rental and instruction), watersports (including water-skiing and scuba diving), hotel taxes and tips, airport transfers, nightly entertainment (such as after-dinner shows), golf, internet access (including WiFi), and benefits for honeymooners (including couples’ massage and champagne.  Some accommodations are resort-specific as well, for example, Couple Sans Souci and Couples Ochos Rios offer glass-bottom boat tours, Dunns River Falls tours, a trip to Margaritaville and a free shopping shuttle to Island Village.  At Couples Ochos Rios they also include horse-back riding tours and catamaran cruises.  At Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril, they also include trips to a local sunset bar, a catamaran cruise, and a trip to Margaritaville.  Couples Negril also offers a free shopping shuttle as well.

 Aruba, with more than a dozen beaches, and an average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, is a hot spot for vacationing, and a beautiful spot to visit.  Now you can go online to many different sites and see all that Aruba has to offer with a click of your mouse.

 On Aruba.com you can navigate through the island, through events and aspect of Aruba.  By clicking on “What to do,” you can look at the Events Calendar (which will tell you details on the Carnival events and more).  Also on “What to do” and “Culture” you can view the many museums and the capital city of Oranjestad.  On “Weather update,” you can see the latest forecast, and view a live webshot at Eagle Beach.  Under “Specialized Vacations” you will see suggestions on family vacations, and tropical wedding and honeymoon trips.  By clicking on “Aruban Made” you can wander through Aruba’s local beers, rums, hot sauce and gifts.  The site also offers information on shopping, cuisine, nightlife, spas, and more.

 On Meet Aruba.com you can steer your way through the Dive Map, which gives you details on divers where you can see manta rays, morays, angel fish, coral reefs, and wrecks of ships and airplanes.  You can also get detailed information on Islands Butterfly Farm, the Green Flash, Bubali Bird Ponds, ruins of two of Aruba’s gold mines, Arikok National Park (where you will find the highest point on Aruba, 616 feet), horseback riding, cruises, casinos and diving in Aruba.

 Other sites worth looking at are Aruba-guide.com, where you can see information on activities, especially scuba gear and wrecks and reefs, Aruba Tourism.com, which offers virtual tours of Aruba, and Geographia, where you can look at the culture, tradition, and natural beauty of Aruba.

 The Island of Providenciales, or ‘Provo’ as it is more popularly known, in the Turks & Caicos is where you will find the Ocean Club Resorts.  These resorts lie along the 12-mile Grace Bay beach, ranked the “best beach” in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, and top-ranked for scuba diving.  The resorts range form 400-square-foot studios to 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom suites.  Individually owned, the units are all decorated differently, but all with bright colors.  The resorts also offer free high-speed internet, a supervised children’s program, and a small fitness room and spa services.

Many guests enjoy the convenience, and cost savings of cooking in their unit’s fully equipped kitchen, where they can prepare meals from the food they can pick up by cab at the large IGA grocery store.  But if you don’t feel like preparing food yourself, you can dine at the Ocean Club’s Gecko Grille, which is one of the best restaurants on the island.  Here you can dine by candle-light in the air-conditioned dining room or out in the garden.  You can also dine at the casual Cabana Bar & Grill by the beach pool, where you can simply take off your shoes when your done, and step right out into the sand and beach.