By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

How do you remember your vacation?

At Jamaica’s Hedonism II, the clothing-optional, adults-only all-inclusive resort in Negril, it’s done through hundreds of painted stones commemorating guests’ visits.

Scattered in flowerbeds, along the beach, and beneath tropical trees on the 22-acre beachfront property, the colorful stones are either painted by a local artist, who visits the property daily and creates custom designs starting at $30, or are brought to the hotel by guests themselves.

Guests put the stones wherever they like, with the understanding that they’ll forever remain in the same location they placed them, a permanent symbol of their loyalty to the racy resort, which enjoys a returning guest rate of more than 50 percent and turns 35-years-old in November.

Since 2014, the hotel affectionately known as “Hedo” has also begun selling “legacy bricks,” stone pavers that are embedded in the courtyard between the dining room and the piano bar, and can be engraved with a customized message and logo.

For Hedo’s die-hard fans it’s a tangible and enduring way to show their love for the adult playground, which, despite its location on a traditionally conservative island, has a reputation as a come-as-you-are, judgment-free zone.

It’s a reputation that, after more than three decades, you could say is … ahem … rock solid.

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There’s something special about this island, something you realize the moment you step out the doors of Maurice Bishop International Airport. That’s because it’s in the air — literally. Fragrances of spices from nutmeg to cinnamon abound in the air,  reminding you that you’ve come to a unique Caribbean isle. So where do you stay? Here are the best hotels in Grenada. Planning a trip to the Spice Isle? Good idea! Here are our favorite places to stay on the island of nutmeg, chocolate and waterfalls. CJ Travel Editor Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon has the details. (Note: CJ’s “Hotel” lists do not include all-inclusives, which are covered in separate articles).

Laluna The Caribbean meets Indonesia at this romantic 16-cottage resort near Morne Rouge Beach, where you can wile away the hours with your sweetie lounging on a teak day bed on your veranda or by the pool. Relax even more with a treatment at the Asia-inspired spa or restorative class in the oceanview yoga pavilion. In other words, this is the best hotel in Grenada.

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Jamaica is looking to revive the country’s rail service.

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country was currently negotiating with a “major investor” for a planned $270 million project.

Holness said the revitalization project was expected to employ “thousands” of people and help stimulate local economies along the country’s train routes.

“Furthermore, the reintroduction of train service is also expected to increase access to markets and improve the country’s prosperity,” Holness said.

The project would include an overhaul of 58 kilometers of the Montego Bay to Appleton leg, along with upgrades to routes including Spanish Town to Ewarton, Spanish Town to Clarendon Park and Spanish Town to Kingston.

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School’s out for the summer. Rates are low and adventure is high. Summer travel is in the air, and now is the best time of the year for a vacation, whether with your family or your significant other. Few places are better for summer vacations than the Caribbean. Relative temperatures on the beach are consistent and comfortable, the water is warmer and better for swimming and water sports and, best of all, you’ll find some great deals and extras.  Here are the best Caribbean summer vacations for 2016.

Learn to Sail

Get out on the water and do something you’ll never forget — learn to sail. And there’s nowhere better than the Caribbean’s best hotel for watersports, Virgin Gorda’s Bitter End Yacht Club. The resort has a fleet of more than 100 boats that you can use for free, unlimited — but it’s got an even better sailing school. And when you’re not out on the water, you can either hit the beach or enjoy the property’s daily excursions to neighboring islands in the BVI. This just might be the ultimate summer vacation.

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Maybe you’re looking for a different kind of holiday, or an extended break.

Or maybe you need to learn French for a job.

Either way, why not do it in the Caribbean?

Enter France Langue, a French school in Fort-de-France, Martinique that offers the best of both worlds: intensive French language instruction and a Caribbean escape.

France Langue, which has schools in Paris, Nice, Bordeaux, Biarritz and Fort-de-France, has a school near the harbor in Martinique’s capital.

The programs are about full language immersion, with courses ranging from French for Beginners to intensive weekly courses to long-term intensive courses of several months.

Students can stay in tourism residences, with host families, in guest houses or hotels.

Allons y!

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