One of the Caribbean’s great undiscovered destinations is open again. 

The Dutch Caribbean island of Statia (also known as St Eustatius) has officially reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers. 

And most importantly, fully vaccinated travelers don’t need to quarantine. They just have to comply with the island’s health and safety protocols, which include mask-wearing, social distancing and frequent hand washing. 

All travelers need to fill out the island’s Electronic Health Authorization System (you can do so here), and take and receive a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travel.

The island, known for its eco-tourism and anchored by the majestic Quill mountain, has embarked on a very strong health protocol amid the pandemic.

“It is said that tourism will not bounce back but bounce forward,” said Charles Lindo, Director of the St Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation. “The island government of Statia has done a tremendous job in not just keep the virus under control but keeping it out as well. Statia is one of the few islands in the region that can boast of hosting a week-long carnival during these times. We look forward to  welcoming all vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers to our shores. And we ask them to adhere to all the protocols in place so we all can continue to enjoy a safe and Covid-free Statia.”

Long a sought-after diving destination in the Caribbean, the island has been coming into its own in recent years, buoyed by its historic downtown and charming small hotels. 

It’s also made news of late following a recent historical investigation that found that American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton spent a significant portion of his childhood on the island, leading Statia to be called Hamilton’s “forgotten Caribbean island.”

A major new luxury resort is also set to come on stream in Statia in the next month, with the imminent launch of the Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort, which will open its doors in September (and has already opened its signature eatery, Breeze). 

Statia is served by regular flights from neighboring St Maarten. 

For more, visit Statia. 

— CJ

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One of the leading luxury hotels in Saint Lucia is reopening, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, will officially welcome back guests in November, following what the property calls an “extensive” renovation project. 

The biggest changes include the addition of nine new rooms; an upgrade to the resort’s culinary outlets; a new beachside fitnesses facility and a new main pool area, among others. 

“We are excited to kickstart this multi-phase renovation journey that will bring a new and elevated luxury guest experience to our already celebrated Sugar Beach property,” said General Manager Mark Sterner. “Every aspect of the renovation has been thoughtfully designed to bring the best out of each space and provide a new level of service, privacy and hospitality to our valued guests. Those visiting in November can expect to see Sugar Beach completely revived and like they’ve never experienced before.”

The property’s signature pool will be completely renovated, with a multi-tiered, landscaped design that will include a “fleet of exclusive luxury cabanas” and a new poolside bar. 

The new rooms will include a mix of four one-bedroom beachfront bungalows right on the shoreline, along with five one-bedroom luxury cottages set higher up the mountain. 

Each unit will have a contemporary interior design and views of the gardens, Pitons and the beach. 

The new spa will be a transformation of Sugar Beach’s famous Rainforest Spa, with one new couples’ treehouse treatment room, bringing the total number of treatment rooms to 10. 

Saint Lucia is currently open for tourism. You can find more about how to visit here. 

For more, visit Sugar Beach. 

— CJ

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The newest Nickelodeon resort has officially opened its doors in the Caribbean: Karisma’s new Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya. 

And the resort has a very special perk: every single room is of the swim-up variety. 

The new property has 280 suites — and all of them are oceanfront, swim-up units. 

The relatively new resort brand, which first debuted with a property in Punta Cana, features designs, furnishings and inspiration from some of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Paw Patrol. 

The highlight of the property is a six-acre water park called Aqua Nick, with 2,000 square feet of water slides, along with river rides, a lazy river and amenities like the Paw Patrol Adventure Bay interactive playground. 

There’s also Club Nick, a “free play zone” for kids with themed days, a craft laboratory, a playground a stage and visits by Nickelodeon characters. 

Amenities include 24-hour in-room dining, six restaurants and three bars including a a pair of bars — both of which are, perhaps unsurprisingly, swim-up bars. 

It’s the latest addition to Karisma’s portfolio, one that has become one of the most prominent all-inclusive collections in the wider region. 

For more, visit Nickelodeon Riviera Maya. 

— CJ

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Club Med helped pioneer the concept of all-inclusive vacations in the 1960s and 1970s, and people of a certain age doubtless remember the hotel chain’s jingle from the time: “The Club Med vacation/The antidote for civilization.”

Originally a no-frills concept with tented accommodations on the beach, Club Med has changed with the times and now offers travelers an experience that’s entirely, well, civilized. Upscale and more family oriented, Club Med has properties in some of more intriguing locations in the Caribbean and still retains some of the quirky touches that made the resorts famous, such as trapezes and circus-themed play areas.

The Club Med properties of the Caribbean include:

Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, Dominican Republic

The newest Club Med in the Caribbean debuted in late 2019, shut down soon thereafter due to COVID-19, and has now reopened as an essentially brand new resort. As part of Club Med’s Executive Collection, the “eco chic” resort on the Dominican Republic’s northeast coast offers premium level accommodations and amenities in a part of the country as yet only lightly touched by tourism. Rooms are spread out in four villages scattered on 93 lush tropical acres and facing a long stretch of pristine beach. The Archipelago village is adults-only, while the Explorer Cove village welcome families with kid-friendly amenities and a private pool, plus an exclusive resort-within-a resort dubbed La Perla. Wellness-oriented travelers gravitate to the Emerald Jungle with its spa and Zen Pool.

Club Med Turkoise, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Set on one of the world’s best beaches, Grace Bay, the adults-only Club Med Turkoise has brightly appointed guest rooms in low-rise buildings, including top floor oceanview deluxe rooms with balconies. In addition to the main restaurant serving three meals daily, all-inclusive dining options include Sharkie’s Grill & Beach Bar, the oceanfront Blue Coral bar, and a wine bar serving premium vintages at additional cost. Activities include tennis, a fitness center, and watersports (including scuba diving); spa services are available, but cost extra.

Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The Club Med Punta Cana has an exclusive adults-only enclave (the Zen Oasis) and the family friendly Tiara collection of 32 suites with separate bathrooms and bedrooms for kids, five-star amenities, and activities that include fitness, golf, and archery lessons. The resort has a kids club for guests ages 4-17 and a unique Cirque du Soleil activity area where adults and kids alike can learn bungee jumping, flying on a trapeze, aerial silk dancing, tightrope, trampoline, juggling, percussion and more. All-inclusive dining options include 7 restaurants and bars.

Club Med Caravelle, Guadeloupe

Club Med feels quite at home in the French Caribbean, and the all-inclusive Club Med Caravelle resort welcomes families to a familiar hotel brand where you can enjoy authentic French Creole cuisine at the restaurants, French wine in La Cave, and a local ti punch at the Mango Bar. The resort features family friendly connecting rooms to create mini suites, kids clubs catering to all ages from infants to teens, a SOTHYS spa for the parents, and yoga, cardio, fitness, and trapeze classes.

Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique

Guided hikes, mangrove paddles, and kitesurfing lessons point to the true nature of this all-inclusive resort in the French West Indies, which takes full advantage of its lush beachfront locale to offer a broad range of included activities to guests. All rooms have ocean views, and dining options include a buffet restaurant, a new open-air beach eatery serving local Creole cuisine, and drinks and snacks at the rustic Madou bar.

Club Med Columbus Isle, Bahamas (Reopening in 2022)

San Salvador in the sister islands of the Bahamas was hit hard by  Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, with the Club Med Columbus Isle suffering severe damage. The resort remains closed as renovations continue, but a reopening date has been announced for October 2022 (pushed back by COVID-19 from a hoped-for December 2021 reopening). When it does start welcoming guests again, the resort will have ocean view rooms on one of the best beaches in the Bahamas.

The post The Club Med Resorts of the Caribbean, Explained appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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If you’re at a bar in Jamaica, it’s the rum for rum lovers, the one to sip if you’re looking for something special. 

In just about every corner of Jamaica, Appleton 12 is almost always the best rum you’ll find on the shelf, the one to ask for, the one you know will guarantee a delicious evening. 

As one of the Caribbean’s rum-making powerhouses, Jamaica doesn’t lack for wonderful expressions, from the esteemed Appleton 21 and 30 to lovely expressions from smaller-production brands like Moneymusk and Hampden. 

But the latter are particularly hard to find on the island — making Appleton 12 the universal standard for a fine sipper. 

Plainly, you won’t often find any island’s best rum in every bar — what you want, then, is the best rum you can find with regularity.

There’s an Appleton 12 on just about every island in the Caribbean — like Mount Gay XO in Barbados or English Harbour 10 in Antigua, Ron del Barrilito Three Star in Puerto Rico or Angostura 1919 in Trinidad, the ones that marry ubiquity with extreme quality. 

They’re the ones you know you’ll find and that you know will be good. 

And even if you’re abroad, it’s the same — Appleton 12 (and sometimes 21) is the one you’ll consistently find on the shelves of most fine spirits shops in the US. 

But now Appleton has added a new expression, and it’s something dramatic. 

It’s called Appleton 15 Year Black River Casks, and it’s, well, marvelous. 

The rum, a blend of column and pot still rums, all of which have been aged for at least 15 years, is more than just the next level up from the 12. It’s a whole new paradigm. 

So what’s it like? 

Appleton 15 has an aroma of oak, leather, spice and dark chocolate, with a hint of prune. 

The flavor profile is marked by brown sugar, black currant; caramel; tropical fruit; almond and pepper. 

It’s almost surprisingly fruity, with some of the signature Jamaican funk but not as much as you’d think. The finish is exquisite, concluding with a warm glow. 

It’s a luxurious, velvety, wonderful rum. It takes the quality of the 12 and brings it to another stratosphere, more elegant and better balanced. 

It’s a Joy Spence masterwork. 

And it just might be my new favorite Jamaican rum. 

Let’s just hope we can find it on the shelf. 

Rum Journal Review: 96 Points

— Alexander Britell

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