The French Caribbean island of St Barth officially began welcoming back visitors to the island on Monday. 

The reopening of the luxury hotspot comes with a number of health and safety measures, most notably the requirement that all travelers present a COVID-negative RT-PCR (swab) test performed within three days prior to arrival in St Barth. 

If visitors cannot arrange a test, they must be tested within 24 hours of arrival, with a “strict quarantine” in their villa or hotel room until test results are known. 

So what’s open? Many of the island’s signature villas from companies like WIMCO and St Barth Properties are open and accepting visitors, and more hotels continue to open, including the ultra-luxe Hotel Le Toiny, St Jean’s Les Ilets de la Plage and Pearl Beach.

“We see St Barth as one of the safest places in the world to vacation in right now,” Stiles Bennet, president and chief marketing officer at WIMCO. “It’s one of the few places where there are no active Covid-19 cases. Private villas are the ideal type of accommodation in this era of social distancing, and with the enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols we are rolled out to all the house keepers on the island, we think clients will see our villas as a safe oasis.”

Notably, the 14-villa Le Toiny has rebranded itself as Le Toiny “Private Club,” meaning the hotel’s beach club and eateries will not be open to the public, only to hotel guests.

And the island’s beaches, eateries, bars and lounges are open again, including the signature Rhum Room in Gustavia.

The Manapany hotel in Anse des Cayes will open in July. 

A number of other hotels like Le Barthelemy, Barriere Le Carl Gustaf and others will be reopening in October, however. 

While the Eden Rock St Barths is not yet open, it has reopened its famous beach club and its pool of villas. 

“We are thankful for the quick action the island took in March to ensure the safety of the residents,” said Tom Smyth, Vice President & Co-Owner of St Barth Properties. “St Barth has been COVID-free for more than two months and we are thrilled to begin welcoming our clients back to the island and to see such a positive response with new reservations.”

And if you’re looking to get there, the best option is flying Tradewind Aviation out of San Juan. 

— CJ

The post St Barth Is Open for Tourism appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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On June 15, The Bahamas officially reopened its borders to boaters and private aviation — but on July 1, the destination will officially welcome back tourists from around the world. 

That means all of The Bahamas, from Grand Bahama to Nassau and Paradise Island to the far reaches of the Out Islands.

It’s the second phase of the country’s “Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan,” and The Bahamas has put in place a series of protocols for travelers entering the country. 

So what does it all mean?

Most importantly, all incoming visitors to The Bahamas must present a COVID-19 RT-PCR negative test upon arrival (that’s the “swab” test). Results must be no more than 10 days old. 

All travelers will be required to fill out an “electronic health visa.”

No quarantine is required on arrival, but travelers who show symptoms of COVID-19 “may be transferred to an area away from other passengers for further testing and evaluation.”

And those who travel between the islands of The Bahamas must also complete an “electronic domestic travel form” at travel.gov.bs. 

“This is a crucial step for contact tracing purposes,” officials said. 

And all airports and seaports in The Bahamas will conduct temperature screenings for incoming visitors. 

When travelers reach the destination, health protocols will be in place like requiring a face mask “in any situation where it is necessary to enforce physical distancing guidelines” — that means when travelers enter airports, go through customs, and the like. 

Many hotels and vacation rentals (like Airbnb and HomeAway) will be open for the relaunch of tourism (the country’s famous Atlantis resort is reopening part of its resort on July 7, for example). 

And what about flights?

Delta Air Lines will be relaunching its twice-daily flights from Atlanta to Nassau on July 2. 

United Airlines will be resuming daily service from Houston to Nassau on July 6, with Denver-Nassau Saturday flights relaunching July 11. 

American Airlines will resume flights to Nassau and Exuma on July 7, while Air Canada will be once again flying from Toronto to Nassau on July 3. 

“This July 1 tourism re-entry builds on and supports existing government rules and regulations, which already allows for the resumption of travel for international boaters, yachters and those traveling on private aviation as well as inter-island domestic travel for Bahamian citizens and residents,” the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said in a statement. 

For more, visit Bahamas Travel Updates.

Find a Bahamas Travel Health Card here.

— CJ

The post How to Visit The Bahamas When It Reopens for Tourism appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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St Barth’s Le Barthelemy boutique hotel is planning an October relaunch, the property announced this week. 

Le Barthelemy will be reopening on Oct. 28 with a host of new health and safety protocols that “preserve our unpretentious approach to our couture hospitality but that also ensure the highest standards of health and hygiene prescribed by world health organizations,” according to the hotel. 

The 44-room boutique hotel is set in the Grand Cul de Sac neighborhood of St Barth.

The island of St Barth is reopening for tourism this week, subject to COVID-19 conditions on travelers. 

Le Barthelemy first opened its doors in 2016. 

For more, visit Le Barthelemy. 

— CJ

The post St Barth’s Le Barthelemy to Reopen in October appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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