Delta 2014 - (Page 24)

Port-au-Prince JAMAICA HAITI FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: November through April FUN FACT: Haiti was the ﬁrst post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and New York (JFK) to Port-au-Prince ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Haitian Gourde MUST-TRY NATIVE FOOD: Legim, a stew with a beef or crab stock and mashed vegetables, peppers, garlic, and tomato paste BEST BUYS: Jacmel is the best place in Haiti to buy papier-mâche Carnival masks for gifts and wall decorations INFORMATION PLEASE: Haiti Tourism-visithaiti.gouv.ht Acknowledging that it missed out on the Caribbean tourism boom for decades, Haiti, sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, recently shifted into overdrive this year to make up for lost time. The government has invested millions in renovating the airport at Port-au-Prince, and it's spending another $40 million to restore historic Jacmel, where new shops and galleries have opened in mansions that once inﬂuenced the architecture of New Orleans. The beaches? The historic Citadelle and San Souci? They're pretty perfect just as is. BEST PLACE TO STAY Royal Oasis by Occidental Hotel opened one year ago in Petion-ville, the commercial heart of Haiti, which lies 30 miles from the Port-au-Prince airport. Its modern guestrooms feature tan and aqua hues, and the hotel has ﬁve bars and lounges, shops, bank services, an inﬁnity pool, massage therapists and up-to-date conference and events facilities. BEST NATURE EXPERIENCE Why are the three Bassin Bleu pools so, uh, blue? Minerals in the waterfalls that ﬁll them. Visit on a weekday, when these three jewels are less touristed and (it is said) when the forest nymphs might make an appearance. BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE Haitian art is collected worldwide, and Galerie Monnin in Petion-ville offers stunning exhibitions of traditional and, especially, contemporary artists. Is it a gallery or a museum? Both. BEST SPORTING LIFE A new outﬁtter on the north coast, Haiti Sport Fishing offers ﬁshing charters for mahimahi and other game ﬁsh as well as snorkeling trips in a new 26-ft. boat. BEST KEPT SECRET L'Observatoire, atop 3,000-ft.-high Mount Boutiliers, is a bar and white-linen restaurant serving mostly Haitian dishes, cocktails, and fabulous views of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's verdant countryside, and the Prussian blue sea. Kingston Big cities often take on an international air, but Kingston remains determinedly Jamaican. For proof, look no further than the dreads on some of the locals, museums like the National Gallery, William Grant Park (named after a follower of Marcus Garvey), the music scene, and the street food vendors serving sublime beef patties. BEST PLACE TO STAY One exception to Kingston's local vibe is the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, a cosmopolitan refuge in the business district. Although small, Terra Nova has a well-equipped ﬁtness center and spa, an outdoor pool, comprehensive business facilities, restaurants, a clubby bar, a casino, and better security than that enjoyed by some heads of state. BEST NATURE EXPERIENCE The nearby Blue Mountains feature waterfalls, forests, ﬂowers, hummingbirds, butterﬂies, and the best coffee on earth. BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE The Bob Marley Museum? Of course. But the Institute of Jamaica, which is this country's Smithsonian, is also worth a trip. It's home to the National Library and its collection of vintage maps and paintings, a Museum of Music connecting reggae to other styles of music, and good exhibitions on history and culture. BEST SPORTING LIFE Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours' 9- to 18-mile day trips include lunch and are mostly downhill, with stops for taking photos of the magniﬁcent vistas. BEST KEPT SECRET Devon House National Heritage Site is a grand 19th-century, plantation-style house with a twist: It was built by a black Jamaican. The grounds feature classic landscaping with palm trees and shrubs, while indoors are ﬁne Jamaican, English and French antiques. FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: December through July FUN FACT: South of the United States, Kingston is the largest English-speaking city in this hemisphere GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to Kingston, and from Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis and New York (JFK) to Montego Bay ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Jamaican Dollar MUST-TRY NATIVE FOOD: Ackee and saltﬁsh for breakfast BEST BUYS: Hand-made jewelry at South Parade INFORMATION PLEASE: Jamaica Tourist Board-visitjamaica.com 24 D20-D27.indd 24 12/20/13 8:56 AM http://Tourism-visithaiti.gouv.ht http://www.Board-visitjamaica.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Delta 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Aloft Hotels
Tour Talk: Swain Destinations
Uniworld's Queen Isabel
Disney Magic
Delta Air Lines Travel Guide 2014
Macau
Egypt Update
Scandinavia Exposed
B Hotels & Resorts
What's New in Las Vegas

Delta 2014