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The
Caribbean Sea and hundreds of tropical isles some call paradise.
As befits heaven-on-earth, there is much to enjoy, see and
do.
Beaches,
boats, banks and bikinis are Caribbean menu essentials. But
the No 1 playground for the Americas also comprises movie-set
beauty, coconut-tree-clad mountains, verdant valleys of sugar
cane and bananas, and seashore galore.
Long
desired by foreign powers, Caribbean islands come in basic
British, Dutch, Spanish, American, French, Danish and there
is even a Swedish town named Gustavia after His Swedish Majesty
at the time.
Grenada
Although Grenada is still largely known as the turf on which
the US military made one of its more blustery stands in the
name of democracy in the 1980s, savvy Caribbean travelers
know Grenada as a colorful, robust travel destination that's
wonderfully rough around the edges. Dubbed the 'Spice Island'
because of its impressive production of nutmeg, mace, cinnamon,
ginger and cloves, it has a rugged mountainous interior of
rainforests and waterfalls and an indented coastline with
protected bays and beaches. Its capital, St George's, has
one of the prettiest harbor settings in the Caribbean.
Tourist
infrastructure is still generally small-scale and locally
owned, offering a good balance between comfort and price,
making Grenada a great getaway for those travelers wanting
to avoid the Caribbean resort experience. The secret to a
successful visit to Grenada is to mix up the beach (in)activity
with getting out and about in the island's interior with a
good pair of hiking boots.
US
Virgin Islands
If people are going to persist with an American dream, they
may as well wake up to some of this. The three islands and
60-odd cays that comprise the US Virgin Islands include some
of the most magnificent coast on earth. This tiny addendum
to the stars and stripes earns its crust providing a taste
of paradise and a bit of light relief to nearly two million
vacationers each year. Swanky resorts, an armada of cruise
ships and a massive yacht charter industry hardly sound like
the turf of the indie traveler. However, it is possible to
travel the Virgin Islands - especially low-key St John - without
joining Bud and Barbara on the poop deck with a piña
colada in hand.
Caribbean
Flight from UK
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