It’s the largest community of experts on Caribbean travel anywhere: Caribbean Journal readers. 

And now the Caribbean Journal Travelers’ Choice Awards are back, featuring the best of the Caribbean travel industry as voted by CJ readers. 

Caribbean Journal’s editorial team of unmatched Caribbean travel authorities have nominated candidates in 20 different categories, from luxury hotels to meetings destinations to villa companies. 

“This year’s CJ Travelers’ Choice Awards highlight properties, destinations and companies defined by excellence,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “Our audience is an unparalleled community of the most frequent travelers to the Caribbean on the planet, and we’re so excited to give them a chance to celebrate their favorite places in the region.” 

Voting has officially kicked off, running through the end of October; the winners will be announced on Nov. 15. 

You can vote here; voting is limited to one entry per person. 

For more visit the Caribbean Travelers’ Choice Awards. 

You can also vote right on this page.

Create your own user feedback survey

— CJ

The post The Caribbean Journal Travelers’ Choice Awards Are Back appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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“So how’s the fishing here?” I ask.

Trevor Bethel slowly lifts up his thumb without moving his hand, showing his agreement without letting in anyone else on the secret.

Of course, there’s not another soul that would even notice, not for miles in any direction.

And that’s the point.

These are the flats of White Bay, just off the southwestern coast of Great Exuma in The Bahamas, home to some of the most sought-after fishing, bonefishing and otherwise, in the hemisphere.

“[The fish] all come here,” says Trevor, one of the top fishing guides in Exuma. “It’s no competition. We just have the most beautiful water.”

But here, the fish don’t even really matter.

Because White Bay is one of the most miraculous places you will ever see in the Caribbean universe, a jaw-dropping outdoor cathedral where the scenery is matched only by the serenity.

As Trevor speaks, a diver looks for a meal a few feet above the surface; the water is so blue it beams off the bird’s belly.

It’s so quiet you can almost hear his wings flap.

It’s hard to believe you can find this kind of precious isolation, just a mile or two off the coast of Exuma, a few more miles away from Georgetown.

It’s part of the reason bonefisherman do what they do — it’s not just about those toughest of shallow-water fish; it’s about the quiet; it’s about the joy of finding sheer stillness.

White Bay an ethereal destination, one where you measure the distances in spongy footprints on sandbars, where the electric, innumerable hues change your definition of “blue.”

After an hour, it’s hard to perceive where the sky begins and the water ends, or is it the other way around?

It’s all just a spectrum of aquamarines and turquoises, punctuated by the thinnest planes of sand.

And yet, for all its beauty, most travelers to Exuma head to Georgetown and then venture to the north, toward that remarkable chain of Exuma Cays.

But it’s here, in this hidden collection of cays and sandbars off the southwest corner, you find something else.

Where some of the world’s greatest fishing is done with eyes and ears; not lines.

See more in the latest CJ Video at the top of the page.

The post In The Bahamas, Savoring a Secret Corner of Exuma appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Caribbean’s Nature Island is about to get its first-ever all-inclusive resort experience.

But it’s also getting a new kind of all-inclusive vacation. 

Roseau’s signature Fort Young Hotel and Dive Resort is launching a new all-inclusive program, one it bills as an “all-inclusive, island included” experience. 

That means it’s not just about traditional all-inclusive offerings like food and beverage — uniquely, the Fort Young all-inclusive program will give guests access to everything from lion fish catching expeditions to hiking and waterfall exploration. 

“Fort Young Hotel has always been a gateway to Dominica’s incredible sights and landmarks so it was a natural evolution for us to introduce this All-Inclusive, Island-Included offering,” said Dinesh Kissoon, Fort Young’s general manager. “We wanted to offer travelers to Dominica a truly seamless, effortless and authentic way to experience the local culture, land and sea unlike ever before. Doing an all-inclusive with island included is a way of engaging our community and gives guests a more robust and immersive experience, creating a more sustainable and symbiotic ecosystem.” 

While the 40-room hotel (that number will soon expand to 100 rooms) is not going completely all-inclusive, the program is available to guests who stay for a minimum of five nights, according to the property. 

So what else is included? 

Round-trip airport transfers, two 60-minute massages, two 60-minute yoga sessions, national park entrance fees, unlimited scuba diving and even cocoa tea and juice at local eateries, among other inclusions. 

The included excursions range from hiking to Trafalgar Falls to a guided walking tour of Roseau. 

It’s part of a strategy to reshape the all-inclusive concept, according to Fort Young. 

“By involving independent tour providers and local food and beverage outlets, the new model will cater to guests while also supporting the community at large,” the property said. 

It’s a significant boost for Dominica’s hotel product, and another selling point ahead of what will likely be a game-changing event for the island later this year when American Airlines’ launches its first-ever nonstop flights to Dominica. 

For more, visit Fort Young. 

— CJ

The post In Dominica, A New Kind of Caribbean All-Inclusive Vacation appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Turks and Caicos’ new vaccination rules have officially taken effect, headlined by a new vaccination requirement for incoming travelers.

The British Overseas Territory is now requiring all visitors 16 and over to show proof of full vaccination in order to be granted entry into the destination. 

All visitors additionally need to show proof of a negative PCR test taken and received within three days before arrival to Turks and Caicos. 

Tralvers also need proof medical or travel insurance that covers COVID-19 medical costs, full hospitalization, doctors’ visits, prescriptions, and air ambulance/medevac and quarantine. 

All travelers need to fill out a health screening questionnaire and submit a Travel Authorization Form. 

Fully vaccinated means that a traveler has received his or her last dose at least 14 days prior to the day of entry to the Turks and Caicos. 

Approved vaccines include the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen/Johnson and Johnson vaccines. 

Visitors under are exempt from the vaccination requirement; visitors between 10 and 15 do have to show proof of the negative PCR result within three days before travel. 

Visitors who are unable to take a COVID-19 vaccine due to medical reasons will be exempt from showing proof of vaccination; however, they need written and signed proof from a medical professional stating the exemption, which will be reviewed by the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health. 

The move is part of an increasing trend toward vaccination requirements across the Caribbean. Turks and Caicos joins destinations that have enacted similar measures, including St Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla.

That’s along with recent news that one of the region’s top hotel portfolios, Elite Island Resorts, is also requiring proof of vaccination for travelers aged 16 and up.

For more, visit Turks and Caicos. 

— CJ

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