Grenada is one of my favorite places in the Caribbean in part because it checks off all the boxes of things that I love about the islands — authentic culture, local food you won’t find back home, great natural beauty and ample outdoor activities — and interesting rum, too. Here are some of the top reasons to plan a vacation to the Caribbean’s Spice Island right now (and here’s what you need to know before visiting).

The Beaches

Grande Anse Beach is one of the truly exceptional beaches of the Caribbean, stretching for miles of white sandy goodness in the southwest tip of the island. Several of Grenada’s top hotels and restaurants are located on this beach, which nonetheless retains a sense of laid-back relaxation. Nearby Morne Rouge (BBC) Beach is sheltered in a cove and has calm waters, while palm-fringed La Sagesse Beach is perfect for solitude seekers and those seeking a more local vibe. If you want to see turtles, head to Levera Beach on the north end of Grenada, a nesting area for leatherback turtles.

The Resorts

Grenada isn’t overwhelmed with resorts, but the vacation hotels on the island included some pretty special places. If you’re looking for something familiar, you’ll find the all-inclusive Sandals on Pink Gin Beach, while the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort is a reasonably priced pay-as-you-go option on a prized stretch of Grande Anse Beach. But it’s with boutique upscale resorts that Grenada truly shines, with iconic hotels like the Spice Island Beach Hotel, the Mount Cinnamon Resort and Beach Club, and the newer Silversands Grenada.

The Community

There’s no denying that tourism is part of the landscape in Grenada, but it’s not the only thing. Maybe that’s why the island, for all of its sophisticated resorts, still retains a sense of how the Caribbean was before mass tourism. The Grenadian people are warm and friendly and welcome visitors into the local culture especially at events like the Spice Market in downtown St. George’s, the island’s capital city, and the annual SpiceMas carnival.

The Waterfalls

What’s even better than taking a hike in a Grenada rainforest? Taking a hike to a spectacular waterfall in a Grenada rainforest, of course! Of the 18 major waterfalls in Grenada, Annandale is the most popular — it’s 30 feet tall and also easily reached via a paved path. The Concord Waterfalls are a reasonable safe bet even in the dry season, and you get three waterfalls for the price of one — Concord, Au Coin, and Fountainbleu. Plus, the 45-minute hike to the falls helps keep the crowds down. If you want to see the tallest waterfall in Grenada, that would be 82-foot Tufton Hall, but the price of experiencing it is a challenging, three-mile hike. Mt. Carmel (or Marquis) Falls are almost as tall (70 feet) but it’s a flatter, shorter hike in to see it. The Seven Sisters waterfall is a highlight of the hike into the Grand Etang National Park in the center of Grenada.

The Food

If you’re even a mildly adventurous eater, you’ll have the opportunity to try some things you’ve never dined on before during a trip to Grenada. The local Creole cuisine takes advantage of the island’s abundance of spices and other natural ingredients, and is widely available even at resort properties. The Dodgy Dock restaurant at the True Blue Bay Resort, for example, has a popular Street Food night on Wednesdays with live music and local dishes like Oil Down — the one-pot national dish of Grenada — Curry Goat, and Callalo Stew.

The Spices

They don’t call Grenada the Spice Island of the Caribbean for nothing. The island is redolent with the smell of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice, bay leaves, and turmeric, all of which of course find their way into the local food, including the island’s excellent estate-made chocolate. Fresh spices from Grenada make a great take-home souvenir or gifts for friends, and no trip to Grenada is complete without a visit to the fascinating  Gouave Nutmeg Processing Cooperative, where nutmeg fruit and mace are painstakingly separated by hand for use as food, medicine, balms, and more.

The Rum

Like better known Jamaica and Barbados, Grenada has a rich history of rum production dating back centuries. Westerhall Estate, for example, has been distilling rum from locally grown sugarcane since the 1700s, but until pretty recently it was not sold outside of the Caribbean. For an unforgettable education about the ancient process of rum making, visit the River Antoine Estate, which has been more or less distilling rum the same way since 1785. Fresh cut cane is carted in from the fields to be crushed in a water-powered mill, with the resulting juice then kept in giant natural  fermentation vats before being boiled down and distilled into rum. It’s all pretty primitive but yields the unique Rivers brand rum consumed mostly in Grenada, including a 155-proof version that’s literally too dangerous to fly on a plane, so drink up!

The post The 7 Best Reasons to Visit Grenada Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Frontier Airlines is launching another major Caribbean expansion that will include several high-profile travel destinations. 

This winter, the carrier will kick off its first-ever service to destinations including Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos and Belize. 

On Dec. 4, Frontier will launch its first-ever flights to Antigua, with weekly Saturday flights out of Orlando. 

 “The launch of the new service out of the busy Orlando airport opens up an important gateway to Antigua, with links to major US cities.  We can now look forward to meeting the increased demand coming out of the US this winter and from all indications, we can also expect to see more competitive pricing brought on by Frontier Airlines’ affordable rates,” said Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism of Antigua and Barbuda.

CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Colin C. James said the announcement was “good news for the industry, good news for Antigua and Barbuda, and a show of confidence in our rebound.”  

That will be followed by new service from both Orlando and Denver to Belize, with weekly Saturday flights launching on Dec. 11 from both cities.  

On Dec. 17, the carrier will kick off weekly Friday service from Orlando to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

Frontier has been adding new flights to the Caribbean as fast or faster than any other carrier, with a broad expansion out of airports like Orlando, Miami and even, most recently, Atlantic City. 

Frontier is also expanding its service to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with thrice-weekly service from Orlando to Montego Bay beginning Nov. 2. 

That’s along with new service from Orlando to Nassau, The Bahamas, with flights four times each week, and a weekly Saturday flight from Orlando to Cozumel (that will kick off on Nov. 6). 

It’s one of the largest-ever international expansions for Frontier, according to Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial, Frontier Airlines. 

“Summer 2021 has led to phenomenal growth for Frontier,” Shurz said. “Frontier travelers now have more route options than ever before to explore, while at the same time knowing they’re flying on America’s Greenest Airline, with a young fleet that maximizes efficiency every flight.”

— CJ

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Grenada has announced several updates to its travel protocols, including a requirement that all travelers be fully vaccinated. 

The new rules, which take effect July 31, means travelers should have received their second dose of a two-dose vaccine or first dose of a single-dose vaccine at least two weeks prior to visiting Grenada. 

The new rule does not apply to citizens and residents of Grenada or people 13 years and under. 

All travelers need to receive their travel authorization certificate from the Ministry of Health prior to check-in at the airport of origin. 

Travelers six years old and over must present a negative PCR test on arrival in Grenada, taken within three days prior to travel. 

An on-island PCR test is administered on arrival which is paid for in advance. 

Fully vaccinated travelers have to quarantine at their approved accommodation for up to 48 hours while awaiting the results of their PCR test. Travelers 13 years old and under traveling with a fully vaccinated party have the same 48-hour-max quarantine period. 

Once vaccinated travelers receive a negative PCR result, they are free to enjoy the destination. 

For all-inclusive guests, an antigen test is taken on arrival a the hotel and on day 5 a PCR test is taken. 

Children over 14 who are vaccinated will have to quarantine for up to 7 days with their travel party. 

For more, visit Grenada. 

— CJ

The post Grenada to Require All Travelers to Be Fully Vaccinated appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Guy Britton

It’s long been the top hotel investment conference in the Caribbean: CHRIS, the Burba Hotel Network’s Caribbean Hotel and Resort Investment Summit. 

And now it’s back. 

CHRIS is returning for 2021 with a two-day event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. (Here’s how to attend).

To learn more about the event, Caribbean Journal Invest caught up with Jeff Higley, president of the BHN Group. 

Who should attend CHRIS and why?

CHRIS is of interest to anyone involved or interested in the Caribbean hotel industry, but it is specifically designed for hotel and resort owners, investors, developers, operators, and brands that are interested in growing their footprints throughout the Caribbean region. The programming features topics that educate delegates about topics that are essential to reaching that goal, and insights provided by our experienced and knowledgeable speakers are instrumental in providing delegates with essential information for them to make educated decisions about owning, investing in, developing, operating in and/or branding in Caribbean markets.

Tell us about your speakers.

The common threads among the speakers at CHRIS is that they are experts in their fields, and they are willing to share that expertise to help grow one of the most important industries in the Caribbean. The lineup of speakers at CHRIS is a Who’s Who of industry leaders that have a passion for what they do. This year’s lineup includes global leaders such as Jim Alderman of Radisson Hotel Group, David Kong of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and Alex Zozaya of Apple Leisure Group/AMResorts that understand the opportunities available in the Caribbean as week as leaders in the region, including Carolyne Doyon of Club Med, Danny Hughes of Hilton, Brian King of Marriott International and Scott LePage of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The executives know the ins and outs of the Caribbean as it’s part of their day-to-day duties, and the knowledge they bring to the table is extraordinary. Add to that all of the other speakers and presenters involved in the 15+ sessions at CHRIS and the educational opportunities are immense. Plus, in CHRIS tradition, countries/destinations are actively involved showcasing their investment opportunities, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and more.  

How do you encourage networking and deal making?

We certainly take pride in the content that CHRIS evolves around and the value that the insights and information shared adds to the overall business environments, it’s the networking and the ensuing deal-making that is the backbone of the conference.  Whether it’s the private meetings conducted by sponsors and delegates, the networking breaks throughout the day, the evening receptions or the after-conference dinners and get-togethers, there are many opportunities to re-acquaint with colleagues and meet new contacts. All of this results in deals—whether it’s a seed that’s sown for a future acquisition or development or a contract that’s signed, CHRIS is known as an event that leads to business activity on all fronts. 

Why do you run HOLA right after CHRIS? 

The opportunity to conduct business with hotel and resort owners, investors, developers, operators, and brands interested in the Caribbean and Latin America regions is a win-win for delegates. Business interests in both regions often overlap, so having CHRIS and HOLA co-located in the Miami market—the gateway to both regions from the U.S.—provides an economy of scale for delegates and sponsors. There are distinct features for each conference, but the common denominator is that there is pertinent insight and information shared in an environment that encourages networking and putting acquisition and development deals in motion. Having the CHRIS closing reception and the HOLA opening reception in a combined venue allows for cross-over networking that the delegates and sponsors enjoy, and it provides the host hotel—the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this year—the opportunity to showcase the property and encourage more deal-making discussions. 

What kind of events are there for socializing?

Socializing is done throughout the day—even outside of the regular conference hours. The networking events, include meal functions, extended coffee and snack breaks and evening receptions. Plus, we strategically add seating elements throughout the conference space to encourage impromptu discussions that facilitates socializing and the all-important deal-making conversations. In addition, we have a conference mobile app that was developed with the value of networking in mind – delegates can search and contact other delegates before, during, and after CHRIS.  

Tell us about the host hotel and event venues

Our mission is to provide a venue with state-of-the-art meeting space and either abundant dining and entertainment options onsite or nearby. Because CHRIS and HOLA attract many of hotel and resort industry’s major players, the host hotels often want to impress their peers, which makes the events even more special. Our industry is full of hospitality people that want to ensure unique experiences for their guests, and the venues for CHRIS go above and beyond in their efforts to fulfill that commitment to service. 

Will there be a virtual or on-line venue

The hotel-and-resort industry is a people industry that thrives on face-to-face contact. That personal connection and commitment to providing superior and unique experiences is best accomplished onsite. Therefore, we have made a commitment to having this event as a live, in-person event that follows CDC guidelines and works closely with the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to provide a clean and safe environment. One of our industry’s keys to overall success is the conference, convention, and meeting business, so we believe that offering only a live, in-person event is taking a leadership position that will help other groups feel comfortable as they explore returning to live, in-person events as their comfort level increases. Therefore, CHRIS and HOLA are not providing a virtual or on-line component.

For more, visit CHRIS.

The post The Caribbean’s Top Hotel Investment Conference Is Back appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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In a significant development, American Airlines has announced plans to launch new nonstop flights to a pair of Caribbean destinations: Anguilla and Dominica. 

Crucially, will be the only nonstop flights from the United States to either destination, broadly opening up the islands to a new level of tourism. 

Both Anguilla and Dominica have heretofore only been reachable via small regional aircraft or ferries. 

That’s now changing, with both flights set to launch in December. 

“We have been strategically growing our route network to give customers more choices to new destinations, better meeting the demand for travel to Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Juan Carlos Liscano, Vice President of MIA Hub Operations. “As American’s largest international gateway, we are proud to continue to strengthen our presence at our Miami hub, reaching pre-pandemic levels of flying this year.”

On Dec. 8, American will kick off nonstop service from Miami to Dominica; on Dec. 11, the carrier will launch service from Miami to Anguilla. 

Both routes will be operating on American’s Embraer 175 aircraft, and both routes will operate twice weekly, with service on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

The Miami-Dominica flights will take about three hours. 

“We are delighted that American Airlines will be inaugurating a twice-weekly, scheduled service to Anguilla this winter,” said Anguilla Tourism Minister Haydn Hughes.  “The introduction of direct service into Anguilla from the US mainland is a goal we have long been working towards, and we are thrilled that our efforts have now borne fruit.  This is a tremendous vote of confidence in our destination, as American Airlines has the equipment and the route network that will enable us to significantly increase our arrivals and further develop our tourism product.”

— CJ

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