By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

At first you think it’s satellite radio or recorded music playing. Then as you approach the lobby bar on your way to dinner at Riu ClubHotel Negril, you realize it’s neither. You realize what you’re hearing is live. And what you’re hearing is Paul Sundal.

At 8 o’clock each evening, as guests wander through the lobby of the Bloody Bay hotel on their way to dine, most stop in their tracks when they hear Sundal, bartender at the resort’s lobby bar, belting out tunes with all the skill of a seasoned professional.

Dapper in his black shirt jacket with starched white cuffs and collar, Sundal sings an hour-long repertoire of classic ballads (“I like the lovey-dovey stuff,” he says), everything from “Unchained Melody” to “Lady In Red” to “Hello,” accompanied by backing tracks pulsing from a speaker tucked below the counter. Simultaneously, he shovels ice, pulls Red Stripe and mixes rum punch for guests’ refreshment, never missing a (literal) beat.

As his falsetto soars, onlookers whip out their smartphones, eager to broadcast his talents to the world via Facebook or Instagram. And when the song ends, Sundal is rewarded with enthusiastic applause. And guests, with the memory of a unique Jamaican concert.

The post The Singing Bartender of Negril appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Even in the Caribbean’s most popular destination, you can still find your quiet slice of paradise.

Here’s a moment of pure Punta Cana palm-tree perfection, just for you.

— CJ

The post VIDEO: A Moment Under the Palms in Punta Cana appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s one of Caribbean Journal’s oldest traditions: we mark the Fourth of July with a celebration of the best rummaking in America. Because while you may not know it, rum was central to the American story of independence, and even George Washington himself marked his first inauguration with rum.

Happily, the American rum story continues to get better: more and more distilleries are popping up across the 50 states, and the quality of rum in American continues to improve, from Florida to the Pacific. And more people drinking rum is a good thing for Caribbean rum, too.

Here are our five favorite American-made rums for 2017 (excepting those in the US Caribbean territories, which we always feel should compete against their Caribbean brethren).

Here are our five favorite American rums right now.

Siesta Key Rum

This Sarasota, Fla. distillery (Drum Circle Distilling, to be exact) has long put out one of the best rums, not just in America, but anywhere, and distiller Troy Roberts’ loyalty to overwhelming quality continues, led by the flagship, simply spectacular Siesta Key Spiced Rum. Plainly, it’s just incredibly good rum.

The post Rum Journal: America’s Best Rums, 2017 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations recently made in one week approximately 115 seizures of counterfeit products, valued at more than $6.5 million dollars, which were illegally imported into Puerto Rico via international mail.

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It’s the most expensive home currently on the market in the British Virgin Islands: Villa Katsura, currently listed for $40 million.

The 23,500-square-foot property is set on three acres of manicured gardens on the Little Dix Bay peninsula, among the most spectacular shorelines in the Caribbean.

The Asian-inspired home, which was built in 2014, also entitles the owner to full access to the amenities of the soon-to-reopen Little Dix Bay resort.

The property is divided into three “pavilions the master bedroom, the main house and the beach house, along with a rock-edge pool including a heated spa pool, steam shower room, fire pits and waterfalls.

It’s the gardens that just might be the property’s signature feature, designed by noted designer Holchi Kurisu.

It also derives a significant share of its energy from solar panels and battery storage.

See more information here.

— CJ

The post A $40 Million Home in the British Virgin Islands appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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