2015 Delta caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Guide - (Page 12)

ANTIGUA ARUBA ANTIGUA You might almost think this island's shores had been shaped with pinking shears: The coast undulates with coves and harbors that, according to lore, yield precisely 365 beaches. Between those coves and all the unclaimed beaches, Antigua is beloved by sailors. Indeed, English Harbour functioned for centuries as a British Royal Navy base; today, Nelson's Dockyard is a UNESCO Heritage site. Antigua also has wonderful resorts, including independent all-inclusives that offer prime locations, seriously ﬁve-star service and accommodations, tennis, terriﬁc wine lists, the works. Indeed, the only reason to ever leave this island is to ﬁnd a 101 percent escape, and that would be Barbuda, for which Antigua is the gateway. SEE: Nelson's Dockyard, a place offering both historical insights and plenty of fun, is a must. But before visiting the Dockyard Museum, which occupies the former ofﬁcers' quarters, and the swell shops and pubs, clients can get the big picture by visiting the Dows Hill Interpretation Centre (free for people with a Nelson's Dockyard ticket), which offers ﬁne views of the harbor and multimedia displays tracing Antigua's pre-Columbian and colonial-era history. SAVOR: Everyone from middle class locals to sailors to country club tourists loves the Sunday evening barbecue on Shirley Heights, an old fort above English Harbour. The party begins at 4 p.m., the bartenders don't make you wait, the down-home food is fabulous, the sunsets will test your clients' camera batteries, and the bands are so good that people who haven't danced since their high school proms cannot resist strutting their stuff. SIGNATURE EVENT: Antigua Racing Week, April 25 through May 1 this year, is one of the world's best sailing events. Prefaced by a race from Guadeloupe to Antigua, the main events include sprints off several vantage points, a roundtrip race, and, perhaps most important, a full week of partying. The bands, brews, and music are so terriﬁc that even people who know nothing about sailing have a ball. STAY: Hermitage Bay offers a setting on a gorgeous beach hugging the southwest coast and an all-inclusive approach that features sophisticated service and cuisine (the resort raises its own organic produce), activities that range from non-motorized watersports to ﬁshing and snorkeling trips, and island tours by car, van, or helicopter. With just 25 spacious suites featuring white walls and polished wood ﬂoors, this resort feels like a privileged private island. FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: November through May FUN FACT: Lacking formaldehyde, Lord Admiral Nelson's crew stored extra rum when he departed Antigua, just in case The Great Man died and needed to be preserved GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and New York (JFK) to Antigua ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Eastern Caribbean Dollar MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: The local "black" pineapple, which is sweetest when its skin is darkest BEST BUYS: Ceramics by Nancy Nicholson, as in Nicholson Yacht Charters, which virtually invented the yacht rental business INFORMATION PLEASE: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority- antigua-barbuda.org ARUBA FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: Year-round-Aruba lies south of the hurricane belt FUN FACT: The Arawaks survived on Aruba because neither the Caribs nor the Europeans craved this dry island GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and New York (JFK & LGA) to Aruba ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Aruba Florin, U.S. Dollars are also accepted MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: Keshi Yena, a chicken stew with cheese and okra BEST BUYS: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and other worldrenowned brands have well-stocked stores in the Renaissance Mall INFORMATION PLEASE: Aruba Tourism Authority-aruba.com Famous for its miles of beaches, friendly and multi-lingual islanders, resorts for every taste and budget, fantastic shopping, moonscape wilderness areas, world-class diving and snorkeling sites, Aruba can also boast a location south of the hurricane belt that makes for blue skies even during hurricane season. This island is so copasetic, so easy, that it even has safer, cleaner, and faster public transportation than a lot of North American cities. SEE: The irresistible residents of the Donkey Sanctuary, which rescues critters who've escaped or been set free and were in danger of starvation or being on the wrong end of a trafﬁc accident. Visitors who make this their ﬁrst stop of the day may help brush and feed the donkeys, but just as the sanctuary accepts donations (there is no admission charge), the donkeys accept treats and a little petting any time of the day. SAVOR: The new street car in Oranjestad. Oranjestad is one of the best and most innovative cities in the Caribbean, with safe streets, restaurants and shops of every stripe, clubs, casinos, etc., and these high-tech, open-air, hybrid/electric vehicles on tracks make it much easier to get around town-with or without shopping bags. SIGNATURE EVENT: The Aruba Sea Jazz Festival. In less than 10 years, this October event has wowed the world with jazz, funk, hip-hop, and pop stars like Chaka Khan, Fourplay, Richard Bona, and Lily Warﬁeld as well as terriﬁc Caribbean bands and tomorrow's stars. Oranjestad, site of the concerts, turns into party central, and because the musicians are on the island for the week, many of them perform and/or hang out at clubs and hotels. STAY: The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino is a Palm Beach classic, with prime real estate on Palm Beach, six bars/lounges, six restaurants with utterly different menus and designs, a bustling casino, a large and peaceful spa, state-of-the-art ﬁtness equipment, and tennis courts lit at night. Hyatt's patented Camp Hyatt for kids from 3-12 is one of the best, they-think-of-everything children's programs in the resort world. The views of this splendid beach and clear water should not be missed, so it pays to book an oceanview room. 12 12-17.indd 12 12/18/14 12:04 PM MAMC http://www.antigua-barbuda.org http://www.Authority-aruba.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2015 Delta caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Guide

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk Outrigger Resorts
Tour Talk Journeys by CH
The Unexplored Danube River, Explored
2015 Delta Air Lines Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Guide
Hip & Traditional Japan
South Africa Shines
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Irpinia, Italy

2015 Delta caribbean, Mexico and Latin America Guide