CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009 - (Page PXI)

Variations on a romantic island theme, counterclockwise from left: Torchlit beach dinner at Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, Bermuda; newlyweds on a scenic overlook in St. Kitts; Spa del Sol, Manchebo Beach Resort, Aruba; Grande Luxe Plantation Villa at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach, Jamaica. front capital, Charlotte Amalie, and upscale resorts nestled into the ﬂowerﬁlled hillsides and cove beaches that scallop the island. A short ferry ride from St. Thomas, pristine St. John has two-thirds of its land set aside as a U.S. National Park and accommodations range from a luxury resort to upscale camping. St. Croix is dotted with historic plantation houses and sugar mills for couples to explore, as well as a variety of resorts, villas and cottages. Americans tend to feel right at home in the Cayman Islands, where honeymooners with an active lifestyle will appreciate its coral reefs, whose steep “walls” attract divers from around the world. Grand Cayman has everything from four-star resorts to the modest but romantic inns. Aruba’s beaches, considered among the best in the world, are marked by white sands and cyrstal clear waters. Party-hearty couples can ﬁnd clubs and casinos near resort beaches, as well as more secluded hotels for those who want to be near but not in the scene. British-toned Barbados is sometimes called “little England.” Polo and cricket matches are part of the island experience and elegant resorts have hosted notables from Queen Elizabeth II to Jennifer Lopez. British charm also reigns in Bermuda, where ferries and motorbikes are the main modes of transportation, people dress up for dinner at intimate boutique reSpas are one way to enhance the romance sorts, and the island’s pink sands, of a Caribbean stay for honeymooners hibiscus-lined roads, white roofs and and other loving couples. Here is a small stone-arch “honeymoon gates” make sampling of the myriad spa options availthe island picture perfect. able to your clients. St. Vincent and the Grenadines The Couples In-Suite Tequila Experifulﬁlls castaway fantasies with private island accommodations such as ence at The Royal in Cancún and The Petit St. Vincent, Palm Island, Young Royal in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Island Resort and Petit Byahaut. includes a body brushing, salt scrub, sage They offer supreme pampering and oil body massage, plus a tequila, lime and secluded strands, plus private sailing honey bath with a glass of ﬁne tequila. tours through remote islands. Romantic elements at the Fern Tree The upscale plantation inns of spa at Half Moon in Rose Hall, Jamaica, Nevis appeal to romantic couples include beautifully landscaped gardens, with genteel service. Here guests sculpture garden, couples massage, and can take horse-drawn carriage rides duet rooms with outdoor shower, soaking through historic sugar plantations tub and private garden patio. with lovely sea views. These are just some of the honeyJamaica Inn in Ocho Rios recently moon-friendly islands of the Caribadded the Tree House Massage Hut and bean. Whatever the couples’ special the Sea Spray Massage Hut over the interest, the Caribbean can pair it water. The spa links with local organic with a great beach, a frothy drink farmers for treatment ingredients such as and friendly service. soursop and sorrel. Sandals Resorts entice couples with tropical treatments using island cane sugar or Blue Mountain Coffee at the Red Lane Spa. Couples may want to experience a dual massage in a garden gazebo or on the beach, or learn to massage each other with the In Each Other’s Hands massage. Galley Bay in Antigua recently SPAS PUT THE ‘TREAT’ IN TREATMENTS opened a Gauguin-inspired, thatched-roof spa called Indulge. It’s built on stilts and overlooks a bird sanctuary lagoon. Couples will especially enjoy the Sundowner for Two massage in the open-air VIP suite. The 25,000 -square-foot Mandara Spa at Atlantis, Paradise Island, in The Bahamas features14 lavish treatment suites for both private and couples use, state-of-the-art Alpha Capsule and the luxurious open-air heated Thalassotherapy pool. Along Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, in-room spa treatments are the specialty of the house at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, while the spa at The Ritz-Carlton features the world-renowned European spa treatments of La Prairie. Elsewhere on Grand Cayman, yoga, meditation, massage and more are available at the Body Works Holistic Wellness Centre. The all-inclusive LaSource in Grenada includes spa treatments in standard rates; each guest over age 16 gets a spa treatment every day after arrival. Highlights at the resort’s Oasis Spa are the seaweed wrap and Arawak Indian head massage. The Regent Spa at The Regent Palms in Turks and Caicos features treatment cottages ﬂoating in a reﬂecting pool. The signature treatment is the Mother of Pearl Body Exfoliation, a polish of handcrushed local queen conch shells mixed with aromatherapy oil. PREFACE I XI

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009

CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009 Contents Beaches and Water Sports Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Golf Courses Romance Spas Destination Websites Caribbean Map Caribbean Hotel Association Members Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Aruba The Islands Of The Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cancún, Cozumel, Riviera Maya Cayman Islands Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Guyana Haiti Jamaica Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Martinique St. Barthelemy St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius St. Martin St. Vincent & The Grenadines Suriname Trinidad & Tobago Turks & Caicos U.S. Virgin Islands

CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009

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