Amid the recent Omicron-related jump in Covid cases around the world, The Bahamas has updated its testing rules for travelers, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Effective Dec. 27, 2021 all travelers to The Bahamas now need to show proof of a negative test taken and received within 72 hours before arrival in The Bahamas.
Vaccinated travelers can present either a rapid antigen test or a PCR test; unvaccinated travelers must present a PCR test.
The beach at The Reef, Atlantis.
On Jan. 7, 2022 The Bahamas will no longer accept antigen tests.
That means all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to obtain proof of a negative PCR test taken and received within 72 hours prior to the date of arrival in The Bahamas.
In a statement, The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation said it had “taken note of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases around the world and is implementing new testing requirements for all persons entering The Bahamas as a precautionary effort to continue to keep the destination safe.”
Pink Sand Beach on Harbour Island in The Bahamas.
The Bahamas has continued to see its tourism industry outperform much of the wider Caribbean region amid the pandemic.
It seems like a new all-inclusive resort pops up every week in the Caribbean, and it’s true that the vast majority of adults-only resorts in the islands follow a pay-one-price model for rooms, activities, and dining.
But it’s not a recipe that works for every couple. All-inclusives tend to be larger hotels, for example, and while most offer a wide variety of options for food and fun, some couples prefer a more intimate vacation experience and the freedom to get off the resort and dine and play locally. Here are a dozen small and boutique resorts that know how to pamper adults while the kids stay back home; they’re adults-only, EP hotels.
You can’t get much closer to St. Lucia’s iconic Pitons than the Ladera resort — in fact the resort is within the UNESCO World Heritage site that protects the twin mountains rising from the Caribbean on the island’s west coast. With private plunge pools three-sided rooms open to the sea breezes and views from 1,000 feet above the waves, guests — particularly honeymooners — can be forgiven for venturing out only for meals at the resort’s Dasheene restaurant.
This low-rise eco-friendly resort on Aruba’s Eagle Beach feels like an intimate sanctuary without being too far from the island’s sumptuous array of dining and entertainment options — including those on the main Palm Beach drag. Bucuti and Tara is small by Aruba standards, with just 45 suites and 59 hotel rooms, but offers an extensive wellness program and a variety of romantic experiences for couples.
The teasing tagline “Sleep with Fred” is your first hint that this boutique hotel in Frederiksted, St. Croix, is for grown-ups only. LGBTQ friendly as well, The Fred is a charming waterfront hotel built around the historic Totten House and a cluster of other brightly painted buildings, some dating to the 1700s. Amenities include a courtyard pool and hot tub, observation deck, and oceanfront bar and restaurant.
Truly a hotel and not a “resort,” the Olive is a great landing spot for adults who want a place to chill by the pool and lay their head in Condado without someone else’s kids banging around in the room next door. Unwinding spaces at the Small Luxury Hotels of the World property include a beautiful rustic deck overlooking the lagoon, where couples also can set course for a private dinner on a “floating island” built for two.
The Renaissance Aruba resort is an unusual two-headed bird: it has an entire hotel-within-a-hotel that’s only for adults called the Renaissance Marina Hotel as well as the family friendly Renaissance Ocean Suites. Recently renovated, the 297-room Marina Hotel has easy access to the resort’s casino and the myriad dining, shopping and nightlife options in downtown Oranjestad. Speaking of birds, it’s just a quick boat ride to Renaissance Island with its of flock of resident flamingos, cabanas, and beach club.
Spacious, open-air mountaintop “sanctuaries” with full-sized swimming pools, attentive butler service, and unforgettable views of the twin Pitons peaks made Jade Mountain one of the most romantic resorts in the Caribbean. Guests can dine at the exclusive Jade Mountain Club or any of the restaurants at the adjoining Anse Chastanet resort, and on-property activities include mountain biking, kayaking, guided hikes, and hours spent on two pristine beaches.
The six guest suites at this intimate adults-only resort in St. Lucia have Pitons views from private terraces, outdoor rain showers, cathedral ceilings, and four-poster beds. Breakfast is included with stays, and guests are welcome to dine at the Ti Coco or venture off property to sample St. Lucia’s bountiful local cuisine.
This off-the-beaten-path resort features guest rooms on the cliffs overlooking Anse Cochon and one of the top spas in St. Lucia. The poolside Kai Manje restaurant serves three meals daily with a casually elegant vibe and features an extensive menu of healthy smoothies, and the resort also has a well-stocked wine cellar. Just offshore is some of the best diving and snorkeling on the island.
Set on the cliffs of Negril, this small resort has both cottages and suites and limits guests in its 17 rooms to those ages 15 and older. The oceanfront Ivan’s Bar can arrange for a romantic dinner for two known as the ‘Night of 100 Candles,’ sometimes accompanied by dolphins slashing in the cove below.
Breakfast is included at Stonefield Villa; kids under 17 are not unless you’re renting the resort’s five-bedroom villa. There are 17 villas in all, spread across 26 acres for plenty of privacy, each with its own pool. The Escape Spa offers a full range of treatments and has a yoga pavilion with views of the Pitons, and the Mango Tree restaurant has a farm-to-table menu filled with authentic local dishes.
This 10-bedroom hotel on Enterprise Beach is close to the action in Oistins and some big surfing waves and takes full advantage of its location with its rooftop Cafe Luna Restaurant, which serves everything from sushi to local Bajan food. Rooms are in the garden, poolside or oceanfront.
By any measure, it’s one of the most popular activities for travelers to the Caribbean: snorkeling. And it’s not hard to see why: it’s accessible, easy to do, and a tremendous way to experience the natural beauty of the Caribbean.
In recent years, snorkeling has become even more popular, in large part thanks to the debut of full-face snorkeling masks, which have redefined the experience for many snorkelers.
And while many of the Caribbean’s best dive destinations also boast great snorkeling, great diving destinations are not instantly great snorkeling spots.
So where are the best places to snorkel in the Caribbean? They’re places where snorkeling is both easy to access and abundant; where you don’t always have to get on a boat to enjoy it; and where the island and its resort properties make a point of emphasizing it.
So where are the best places to snorkel in the region?
Here are our picks.
Bonaire Nowhere in the Caribbean is there a greater surfeit of high-level snorkeling directly offshore, meaning you can just about park by the side of the road and quickly find a great place to explore. Bonaire is an island that’s all about the water, and with its meticulously well-run STINAPA marine park, it’s the perfect Caribbean snorkeling destination, whether you’re at a luxury resort like the lovely Harbour Village or the ultra-cool Delfins Beach Resort.
The perception of private island resorts in the Caribbean is one of seclusion, of exclusivity; of, more often than nought, some degree of pretense.
But that’s not always the case.
And at a handful of private-island resorts in the Caribbean, you’ll find a completely different personality — approachable, fun-loving, quirky resorts that just so happen to be on their own islands.
Whether you’re in the shallows of Belize or in an old French Caribbean home, you can find a very different kind of private island in the Caribbean — usually in a very tiny package.
Here are our favorite mini private-island resorts to check out in the Caribbean.
Cayo Espanto, Belize The quintessential private-island Belize resort, it’s also one of the ultimate resorts in the Caribbean, period. The four-acre island is home to just seven villas, all of which have their own private infinity pools, with the exception of the property’s full-fledged overwater bungalow. Even better? You get your own personal butler.
A new luxury resort has opened its doors in the Dominican Republic: Marriott International’s new Ocean Club, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Norte, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The new luxury resort, set in Sosua, is the first of three hotels in development on the north coast of the Dominican Republic by developer Grupo Ocean Club.
It’s also Marriott International’s first Luxury Collection resort in the Caribbean, joined by seven properties in Mexico and another on the outskirts of Panama City.
“We are excited to present the Ocean Club, from the Luxury Collection line,” said Ian Schembri-Sant, CEO of Grupo Ocean Club.
The company is part of a broader group of investors that are investing $350 million in projects on the north coast, an area on which the Dominican Republic is focusing much of its tourism energy.
The Ocean Club is a residential-style resort, with a total of 68 suites, including several four-bedroom penthouse suites.
That’s along with a bi-level, seaside pool complex (with two pools) and a spa branded by leading French company L’Occitane and a private beach, among other amenities.
Dining concepts include Agua Azul, an Asian-Peruvian fusion eatery; a tapas-focused spot called Wine Cellar; an oceanside bar called Rock Bar; and the international-cuisine Peperoni Costa Norte.
Inside one of the rooms.
The new resort has some serious luxury chops, being led by Hervé Humler, co-founder and former CEO of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
It’s a significant boost for the greater Puerto Plata area, according to Dominican Republic Tourism Minister David Collado, who was on hand for the inauguration ceremony.
