There’s something about the rum punch in the sand, the beer on the beach, the gregarious proprietor, that seems to etch itself in the mind of every traveler to the Caribbean.

Plainly, the Caribbean beach bar epitomizes the Caribbean vacation fantasy. When you’re in a cold place, when you’re stuck at your desk, the beach bar is what you dream about.

So for our latest look into the world of Caribbean beach bars, we’ve brought you a mix of unknown, world-famous and recently-reopened beach bars, all themselves worth the trip to the Caribbean right now.

Here are 10 terrific beach bars to try on your next Caribbean getaway.

Tortuga Beach Bar, Aruba One of the Caribbean’s newest beach bars is also the region’s new beach bar destination, set on a far-off beach on Aruba’s rugged eastern coast.

The post 11 Caribbean Beach Bars to Visit in 2018 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Maybe you know the world of Caribbean hotels.

Maybe you’ve visited the legendary places in the Caribbean: the Eden Rocks, the Round Hills, the Ocean Clubs of the world.

Well, you may not know about this one.

Tucked away on a shoreline in Curaçao is the Baoase Luxury Resort, the 23-unit boutique hotel that’s the best Caribbean hotel you’ve never heard of.

It never ceases to impress, from the chic, Bali-meets-the-Dutch-Caribbean design to an out-of-this-world culinary experience helmed by Chef René Klop.

But it’s in no way a cookie-cutter resort — everything feels unique, creative, inspired. This isn’t like other luxury resorts you’ve tried in the Caribbean.

The rooms are large and marvelous (half of them have private plunge pools), and there’s even a villa set on the property’s own private island just across the protected beach.

But it’s the service that puts it over the top: attentive, knowledgeable and thorough.

It’s the sort of place where turndown service doesn’t just mean a chocolate on the pillow — it means an exhaustive re-cleaning of the entire room.

Baoase is the pinnacle of Caribbean luxury — gourmet and cosmopolitan without losing its Caribbean cool.

See more in the latest CJ video at the top of the page.

For more information, visit Baoase Luxury Resort.

— CJ

The post Baoase: The Luxury Resort That’s Curaçao’s Best-Kept Secret appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Members of the Caribbean community have planned the first annual live “Caribbean Relief Concert” to raise money for natural disaster relief efforts for those countries impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, January 19 at Union Stage, 740 Water Street SW, Washington D.C.

Headlines performers include Dollarman and Grammy-nominated artist Th3rd as well as Ras Slick & Dutty Bus Crew with music by DJ Knightrin, DJ Mystic Vices and DJ Majestic.

Tickets are available through the venue, and are $30 for General Admission and $50 for Premier Plus which offers reserved seats and tables in a raised area with optimal views of the performers.

All proceeds from ticket sales will be collected through the Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief Fund, with funds raised being sent directly to CTO-impacted member states.

Dollarman is “a force straight out of Brooklyn,” known for his dynamically gritty voice and innovative rhyme flow, who has been capturing his audience with his rhythms and rhymes for over 15 years.

Dollarman is the featured Dancehall artist on “Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now),” produced by Bob Sinclair.

The track went to number one on the Billboard Dance Chart in five weeks and won Dollarman a gold record for his vocals.

Leo Sibilly III, better known as the Th3rd, is a singer, songwriter, and music producer who was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

He was Grammy nominated for Musiq Soul Child’s single, “I Do.”

The concert is organized by Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, a founding partner of the Caribbean Relief Concert.

The organization will also preview the 10th annual Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge, an international food competition that features the unique flavors of more than 40 embassies, including numerous Caribbean countries, in a culinary competition.

The post A Big Caribbean Hurricane Relief Concert appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Delta Airlines is adding a major new route to the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

The carrier announced this week that it would be launching new nonstop service between Boston and Aruba.

The new flights, which will operate weekly on Saturdays, will officially launch on June 9.

“This summer, Delta will proudly offer Bostonians more options with 113 daily departures to 44 top business and leisure destinations said, Joe Esposito, Delta’s Vice President — Network Planning, Americas.” Delta people have been hard at work during the last two years to give our Boston customers the global airline they deserve and we’re looking forward to continuing these expansions and enhancements for our Boston customers in 2018 and beyond.”

The Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort in Aruba.

The nonstop Aruba service will operate between June 9 and Aug. 18 on Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 16 seats in first class, 36 in Comfort+ and 108 in the main cabin.

It’s a big boost for Aruba as it looks to grow as a year-round Caribbean destination.

Aruba.

“Delta continues to be a great partner at Logan International Airport and they have had incredible growth over the last decade,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “Millions travel through Logan each year, many on Delta flights, and we look forward to offering more choices for our passengers.”

The new service complements existing flights between Boston and Aruba on fellow air carrier JetBlue.

Heading to Aruba? Check out our list of the Best Hotels in Aruba and the top Aruba All-Inclusive resorts.

The post Delta Launching New Nonstop Boston-Aruba Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Saint Lucia’s multimillion-dollar cruise berth expansion project has officially opened in Castries.

The Pointe Seraphine Berth One extension was formally opened this weekend, welcoming Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, the first-ever mega ship to visit Saint Lucia.

“In 2014, Royal Caribbean International indicated their intention to introduce the Freedom and Quantum Class Vessels to the Southern Caribbean for the 2015/2016 cruise season as well as plans to make Saint Lucia an anchor call for that voyage,” said Daren Cenac, acting general manager of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority. “In response to that opportunity and noting the cruise industry’s trend of increasingly larger vessels, SLASPA saw it necessary to ensure Port Castries’ ability to accommodate mega vessels such as the Anthem of the Seas, if Saint Lucia were to maintain its preferred cruise status within the region.”

The $18.8 million USD project is just the beginning of several other investments in tourism, according to Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

“We have entered into a partnership which we will be announcing shortly with regard to the redevelopment of the commercial activity here at Pointe Seraphine, which will also include the construction of a new hotel at this site,’ he said. “We’ve got to use Pointe Seraphine for more than just the cruise ship passengers, a regular call for locals, business people, and the guests staying at the other hotels.

The post Saint Lucia Debuts Expanded Cruise Port appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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