As The Bahamas continues its multi-phased tourism reopening, the country is currently requiring a 14-day quarantine for travelers in the destination.

That means travelers are looking for places where they can “quarantine” with all of the amenities they need for prolonged stays. 

And it’s also putting a spotlight on one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean villa market: the island of Grand Bahama. 

Grand Bahama, the beach-laden (there are 43, to be exact), 530-square-mile island just 56 miles from Palm Beach has long been a haven for boaters and shorter-stay visitors — but in recent years, travelers have begun discovering what is a rather enviable portfolio of luxury homes and villas. 

“It’s the perfect fit for every type of traveler,” says Jennifer Bohmann of Grand Bahama Villas, which has a broad collection of luxury properties on the island. “Whether you are looking for a beach getaway, fishing trip or the ultimate in luxury pampering.”

And the range of villa options is broad, Bohmann tells Caribbean Journal.

Prices tend to start at $300 and range all the way to $13,500 per night. 

That means you can find everything from Nandana, the stunning, fully-staffed private villa compound that is the crown jewel of the island’s villa product, to eco-luxe retreats like the treehouse villa at Grand Bahama Birders’, an eco-retreat near Freeport.

Lately, Grand Bahama’s luxury villas tend to draw a particular kind of luxury traveler: boaters. 

“Grand Bahama is a boater’s paradise,” she says. 

Indeed, most of Grand Bahama Villas’ properties come with their own private boat docks, fish cleaning stations and grills, an amenity that’s hard to find anywhere else in the Caribbean in similar supply. 

But in the age of COVID-19, Grand Bahama has an even greater draw: privacy. 

“It’s even more important in today’s social-distancing world,” Bohmann says. 

For now, there are two primary ways to reach the island: by private boat or by private aviation on carriers like Tropic Ocean Airways, which operates a fleet of seaplanes out of South Florida. 

“West End is just 56 miles from Florida, so it’s an easy hop by boat or plane,” Bohmann said. “There’s even a private airport right in West End.”

You can find The Bahamas’ entry travel protocols, see here. 

For more, visit Grand Bahama Villas and the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board.

— CJ

The post Grand Bahama, The Bahamas’ Secret Luxury Villa Destination appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Royalton is reopening three Saint Lucia resorts in November, according to parent company Blue Diamond Resorts. 

On Nov. 1, three Royalton-branded resorts will relaunch: Mystique Saint Lucia by Royalton; Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia and the Royalton Saint Lucia Resort and Spa. 

A fourth Blue Diamond property in Saint Lucia, the Starfish Saint Lucia, is slated to reopen its doors on Dec. 15. 

All of the properties will be welcoming guests under the company’s new “Safety Assured Vacations” health and hygiene protocols. 

Saint Lucia reopened for tourism in June; you can find the destination’s current COVID-19 entry protocols here. 

For more, visit Royalton Saint Lucia. 

— CJ

The post Royalton to Reopen Three Saint Lucia Resorts in November appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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After a little over a month of closure, the United States Virgin Islands is reopening for tourism once again, Caribbean Journal has confirmed. 

US Virgin Islands Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte confirmed to Caribbean Journal that the destination would be reopening for leisure tourism on Sept. 19. 

The US Virgin Islands’ USVI Update website said hotel and accommodations providers, including charter vessels, can now already take new leisure travel reservations. 

And beginning Sept. 19, hotels and accommodations providers, including charter vessels, can accept new guests. 

The US Virgin Islands has also introduced a new travel protocol for visitors to the territory: all travelers must have a COVID-19 test result taken within five days prior to arrival in the territory. 

Travelers must also fill out a travel health form (you can find it here).

The move comes just over a month after the USVI “put the brakes” on tourism, with Governor Albert Bryan, citing what he called at the time an “alarming level of risk.”

One of the destination’s most popular hotels, the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St Thomas, has confirmed a reopening date of Oct. 1 in the wake of the news.

For more. visit US Virgin Islands Travel Update. 

— CJ

The post The US Virgin Islands Is Reopening for Tourism on Sept. 19 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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