By Alexander Britell

You’re just a few blocks from the Queen’s Staircase, tucked away at a table in a corner of a colonial mansion in Old Nassau, when the spread arrives.

Cookies and pastries, house-made bonbons; trays of miniature sandwiches, cucumber; salmon; a box of refined Mighty Leaf teas, from tropical green to Earl Grey.

This is afternoon tea at the Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant in Nassau, and it’s about as civilized a way to spend an afternoon as you’ll ever find.

Graycliff is a portal to another place and time, a remarkably tranquil retreat with impeccable service, and the hotel’s new Afternoon Tea program is the latest addition to a broad list that includes everything from cigar rolling lessons to chocolate-making.

Our suggestion? Add the optional glass of champagne to cap things off.

It’s a classic British tradition with a Bahamian twist, and a signature experience on any trip to Nassau.

For more information, visit Graycliff.

The post Afternoon Tea in Nassau appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

American Airlines is launching new service to the Caribbean Community.

The carrier has announced plans to launch nonstop flights between Miami and Guyana, the seat of the Caribbean Community at the northern tip of South America.

The new Miami-Georgetown flights will launch Dec. 20, with tickets going on sale April 2.

They represent the first flights to Guyana by American Airlines.

Up until now, Guyana has largely been served internationally by service from Caribbean Airlines.

“We’re creating a world-class customer experience and as the largest U.S. carrier in Mexico and South America, we are committed to offering more choices with the best schedules for our customers in the region,” said Vasu Raja, vice president, Network and Schedule Planning.

It’s a big boost for Guyana, which has been seeing increased travel demand with a focus on eco-tourism.

The post American Airlines Launching Nonstop Guyana Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

There’s a new seafood market in Turks and Caicos, with a famous name.

It’s called the Bubba Gump Seafood Market, and the market is the product of five decades of Turks and Caicos fishing experience.

The brainchild of Dameko Dean, the first location of Bubba Gump is located in Providenciales’ Grace Bay, offering everything from conch to lobster to fresh fish and more.

“Our boats go out every day and bring back fresh stock,” the market told Caribbean Journal.

Grace Bay’s Bubba Gump is located in the Alliance Business Center across the street from Providenciales’ Alexandra Resort.

The market, which gets its name from the popular film Forrest Gump, is not related to the United States-based Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

— CJ

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By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

It’s early in the afternoon and we need a stop at the local market.

We pull up to a small building in Chester’s without a sign.

“Why isn’t there a sign?” I ask Papa Chis.

“Because everybody knows where it is,” he says. “There’s only one.”

Chester’s is a tiny town on the North Side, a place that was bustling a century ago and now largely quiet, hidden away on Acklins Island, the far edge of The Bahamas.

This is the frontier. This is the island even some Bahamians don’t know exists.

This is the Bahamian Outback.

It’s about an hour by plane to get to Acklins from New Providence, at the far reaches of this 700-island archipelago, about as far away from Nassau as you can get and still be in the Bahamas.

It’s about as close to undiscovered as you can get these days, a Stealth Bomber on the travel radar, with a population of just a few hundred, depend on whom you ask.

But there’s a reason people travel from all over the world to come here. And it’s just beneath the surface.

“Papa Chis,” actually Julius Chisholm, is the proprietor, along with his wife Arnette, of the Chester’s Highway Inn Bonefish Lodge, so called because Acklins Island is home to some of the best bonefishing on Planet Earth.

It’s the sort of place where you don’t even need to take out a boat — you just walk right into the flats and find yourself seemingly surrounded by bonefish, in waters teeming with the tough little creatures.

Indeed, Julius and Arnette’s place is Ground Zero for bonefishing here, a hotel where you can just about walk out your door and wade right into the flats.

But Acklins is more than just bonefishing — it’s home to the sorts of sparkling sandbars and little cays you typically find in the waters of the Exumas – but without any crowds.

There are miles of sand and beaches, the sort of brilliant turquoise you only find in The Bahamas and, well, the sort of secluded tranquility you don’t find anywhere.

The scenery is diverse; shimmering blues; wide flats; sprawling masses of sand and brush.

This is the Bahamas before it was the Bahamas, raw, unadulterated.

This is the edge.

And it’s time to discover it.

The post VIDEO: A Journey to Acklins Island, the Bahamian Outback appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Bermuda’s Willowbank hotel is set for a relaunch next month following a complete renovation of the property, according to the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

The Willowbank is located in Somerset on the western end of Bermuda, with a location boasting two beaches.

All of the hotel’s 50 rooms now include Wi-Fi, flat-screen televisions and mini fridges, while the property has also upgraded its pool, added a new basketball court and fitness center and children’s area, among other changes.

The Willowbank has also introduced complimentary shuttle service for its dine-around program, which includes a dinner package that covers five different restaurants.

Long one of the best values in Bermuda, the Willowbank has a mix of oceanfront, ocean view and garden view rooms.

The post Bermuda’s Willowbank Set for Relaunch appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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