By Bob Friel
CJ Contributor

In the world of travel, some forms are more difficult to pull off successfully than others. Solo trekking to the North Pole, diving to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, landing a man on the moon; they all present their own challenges.

They’re all a walk in the park, however, compared to the most complicated type of travel known to man.

Hungry polar bears, crushing depths and the force of gravity are nothing compared with trying to please three generations of family on a single vacation.

Eight people, from teens to octogenarians, each with a different list of demands and desires, all satisfied by one island let alone a single resort? Travel agents trying to solve simpler problems have wound up in asylums. Fortunately, all we had to do was make one call.

The only common denominators on everyone’s lists were that we all wanted easy flights and a great beach. Boom: how about nonstops and one of the very best beaches in the world? We quickly narrowed it down to Providenciales Island in the Turks and Caicos, and Grace Bay Beach, its powdery paradise lapped by a warm, clear, turquoise-tinted sea.

After that, the wish lists deviated a bit. The grandparents wanted tranquility and accessibility.

The teens wanted lively and exciting while safe.

Us middle-agers just wanted a nap. And excellent food. And rum drinks. And a spa.

And then, once we’d recuperated for a bit, we’d be ready for some adventure and maybe even, if the stars aligned, some romance.

In a previous life, I spent decades exploring the Caribbean as a travel writer. Almost always solo, I nonetheless noted certain places and resorts that might fit future family needs. Now, faced with this waterfall of wish lists, I realized I already had the perfect answer: The Sands at Grace Bay, an elegant all-suite beach resort.

The Sands checked all the boxes. Directly on Grace Bay Beach, with three pools, a spa, and one of the island’s best restaurants right on site. And the rooms… It’s not even fair to call the accommodations the grandparents settled into a “suite.” Located on the top floor of an elevator-accessible beachfront building, their corner unit was more like a palace, with a huge wrap-around balcony featuring forever views of the brilliant-blue sea. This became the go-to spot for happy hours and family quality time whenever we weren’t out enjoying the beach and watersports.

The two teens had dreamed of scuba diving since they were wee little snorkelers. Dive Provo set them up with a resort course, and by the next day, five of us were finning among the grouper, snapper and angelfish out on the reef, even posing with a placid nurse shark.

The scuba divers came back bubbling over with so much excitement that everyone else wanted to get in on the watery action. The Sands staff arranged for a private family charter with Caicos Dream Tours, who brought their boat right to the resort’s beach to pick us up. The entertaining Dream crew took all eight of us on a day trip that included three snorkeling stops, an iguana safari, family high-diving Olympics and even an onboard lunch featuring fresh conch caught by the teens.

That evening, the Conch at Provo’s Thursday Night Fish Fry was nearly as fresh, and the lively market stalls with souvenirs, rum drinks, and all the fish and fritters we could eat plus live music and a crowd of both belongers and visitors gathered to dance and party gave us all our fill of local flavor and fun.

The night before we left Provo—everyone now tanned, relaxed, spa’d and adventured to their heart’s content—we gathered for one more family dinner at Hemingway’s Restaurant to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday. We all know that as matriarch and mom-mom, her number one wish-list item was simply that everyone else in the family have their best vacation ever.

After each of us recounted the highlights of our great week, we all held up our glasses and waited for her final assessment.

With her eyes glittering in the sparkler the staff lit atop her cake, she announced that the trip to The Sands had been a complete success.

For more, visit The Sands.

Bob Friel is a veteran travel writer based in Florida.

The post The Perfect Turks and Caicos Family Vacation appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Another day, another new Hilton-branded hotel project in the Caribbean.

Or at least it seems that way.

Hilton has continued its rapid Caribbean expansion in 2019 with the groundbreaking of a new $15 million Hampton by Hilton Punta Cana Airport and Commercial Center.

The 150-room hotel will be the first-ever Hilton-branded hotel in Punta Cana, easily the most popular destination in the Dominican Republic.

The property, which will be set next to the airport, will be set on three floors and combined with a commercial component — with the latter including restaurants, offices and a “Sky Bar” with a swimming pool with a view of the airport.

The hotel will also have meeting rooms and several pools, and offer free roundtrip transfers to the airport.

It is being developed by Bio Investment Group.

The post Hilton Is Opening Its First Hotel in Punta Cana appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

THERE’S A popular restaurant in the onetime library of a very old Dominican abbey in the Dutch city of Zwolle.

It’s called “The Library,” and it’s won a Michelin star every year since 1993 — now boasting three of them — one of fewer than 200 such restaurants on the planet to do so.

“De Librije,” the the brainchild of the husband and wife team of Jonnie & Thérèse Boer, has become one of the world’s destination restaurants, with a firm place in the culinary pantheon.

But it’s not their only restaurant.

At the end of 2017, the Boers opened another eatery, “Brass Boer,” on the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, a place long celebrated more for its remarkable diving than its cuisine.

Avocado with Indonesian spices at the Brass Boer.

But the Boers, who had been visiting the island for years, seemed to understand Bonaire.

There was something here. They just knew.

And they weren’t alone, either.

In recent years, tiny Bonaire has quietly developed an enviable culinary scene, filled with an impressive mix of high-end eateries, waterfront fare and gourmet food trucks — along with a robust offering of authentic local food.

La Cantina, a brewery-restaurant in the heart of the capital.

It’s a gastronomic renaissance that has been fueled by a group of adventurous chefs who were drawn here, aware of the potential in what was already one of the Caribbean’s most sophisticated — but equally laid back — places to visit.

That included eateries like the seafood-centric At Sea, the Italian hotspot Capriccio and another maritime-focused outlet, It Rains Fishes, or the venerable oceanfront Bistro de Paris.

At Sea.

Bonaire’s first craft brewery turned into another outstanding eatery, Chef Jeroen van der Kroft’s combination craft brewery and restaurant, the al fresco La Cantina that typifies the best of Bonaire eateries: unruffled charm, carefree cool and world-class food.

And the movement has only strengthened, in the manner of the best culinary destinations — high-end food, wonderful service and pervasive thoughtfulness have made its way from the Michelin to the mom-and-pop, begging travelers to explore beyond just a few popular seats.

The island’s quintessential local spot is Posada Para Mira in Rincon.

You can stop by Donkey Beach for a bite at Cactus Blue, the Caribbean’s only food truck specializing in lionfish burgers, or the beloved Kite City, now at its home in the heart of Kralendijk.

Or you can simply stroll the streets of the capital with an espresso and some gelato, or go have a dinner of Kuminda Krioyo at El Mundo.

Jovanka Clarenda and her family have owned this farm for generations.

And you can venture out to the island’s oldest town, Rincon, and visit Jovanka Clarenda and her Posada Para Mira, as authentic a spot as you’ll find in Bonaire, chowing down on fish balls or iguana stew (yes, iguana) — before stopping off for a sip at the nearby Cadushy Distillery, a family-owned company specializing in infused spirits and liqueurs.

Whether you’re on the water at Sebastian’s or having a romantic night at La Balandra, Bonaire passes the most difficult test for any budding gastronomic destination: it’s really, really hard to find a bad meal.

THAT’S CERTAINLY the sentiment just past noon at the Delfins Beach Resort, the newest and sleekest place to stay in Bonaire, where the beachfront food truck is already putting out burgers and Dutch treats like bitterballen.

There’s a palpable sense of cool in the air, cooler than the steak tartare and and the bottle of Polar beer.

Table 14 at Brass Boer.

It’s just a few meters here from Table 14, the thatched-roof overwater seating where the Brass Boer offers its five-course tastings and wine pairings, already the most sought-after dining location in Bonaire.

By night, the water at Table 14 glows with submarine lights, and you can see the tarpon and the barracuda approach, drawn in.

It’s almost like they know something.

— CJ

For more Bonaire eateries, visit Tourism Bonaire.

The post Bonaire Is the Caribbean’s Hottest Food Destination appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Anguilla is starting to see a major tourism rebound, according to new data from the Anguilla Tourist Board.

Stopover arrivals to the island rose by 22 percent in January compared to the same month in 2018, ahead of a 20 percent growth target set by the ATB.

It represents a significant step forward as the island continues its post-Hurricane Irma recovery.

That included a 50 percent jump in arrivals from the United Kingdom, along with a 27 percent increase from the United States market and a 13 percent improvement from the Canadian market.

Cap Juluca.

““We’re thrilled that 2019 has got off to a fantastic start and hope this will set the pace for a great year for the destination,” said Cardigan Connor, Anguilla’s Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism.

Indeed, the full slate of the island’s top hotels have reopened, from the venerable Malliouhana to the transformed Cap Juluca, along with its all-important villa market, from villa resorts like Long Bay Villas to ultra-luxe villas like Tequila Sunrise.

Malliouhana.

“This success is also a result of our stakeholders and their financial investment to rebuild, making Anguilla’s restaurants, villas and hotels more spectacular than ever,” Connor said. “Their demonstrated confidence in Anguilla and Anguilla’s tourism has resonated in the marketplace and contributed to this impressive growth.”

— CJ

The post Anguilla Tourism Is Starting to Rebound appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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