It’s one of the most famous snorkeling spots in the wider Caribbean region: Thunderball Grotto, made famous by hosting several of the underwater scenes in the James Bond film Thunderball.

It’s a mysterious, wonderful place, filled with colorful fish and stunning cave formations.

And it’s a must-stop on any maritime trip along the beautiful cays of the Exumas in the Bahamas.

Here’s what it’s like to snorkel there:

The post VIDEO: Snorkeling Thunderball Grotto in the Exumas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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More and more people are appreciating the wonder of rum. And in America, more and more people are making rum. Yes, there is something of a rum boom in the United States, hearkening back to the colonial period when the US was a hub of rummaking. While American rum still isn’t quite up to the level of the rums in the Caribbean (with some exceptions), the fact that rum production is surging is only a good thing for the spirit. In Rum Journal’s annual July 4 tradition, we celebrate the best rums made in America. (Note: this list always covers only the 50 US States, not the US’ Caribbean territories). Here is the fourth annual list of the Best Rums in America.

Siesta Key Rum

Troy Roberts’ Sarasota-based distillery is, simply, the best in America right now. His Siesta Key spiced and flavored rums regularly take home top honors in rum competitions, including Rum Journal’s Rum Awards, in which Siesta Key Spiced has won Spiced Rum of the Year every year since 2012. From the classic Spiced to the uber-popular Toasted Coconut, Siesta Key rums are astonishingly good.

The post Rum Journal: The 10 Best American Rums – 2016 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Finding a legend at the Pool Deck bar

By Alexander Britell

GEORGE TOWN – You walk through an antique lobby to a pool deck with a red umbrella and the brightest turquoise sea you’ve ever seen.

There is a small blue bar just off the deck with rum bottles and a man behind the counter in a blue tropical shirt.

The Pool Deck at Peace & Plenty in Georgetown

He calls himself the Doctor of Libation, and he is the bartender you have been looking for.

For nearly a half century, Lermon Rolle has been just that, tending bar at the Peace & Plenty hotel in Great Exuma, a historic property that is one of the Caribbean’s most legendary places to stay, open since 1958.

This is a charming small hotel that shows its years — but that’s a very good thing, because there are few places left like this anywhere.

The Peace & Plenty hotel in downtown George Town, Great Exuma

And that’s in large part due to Rolle, who has served up rum punches to everyone from Jimmy Buffett to Prince Philip, a throwback to the days when a bartender didn’t just serve drinks, whose art was improving days.

And Lermon Rolle will improve your day.

Lermon Rolle’s classic rum punch

He is a bartender and a legend, a man whose name and reputation always sail back with the boaters who travel to this blue outpost of the Bahamian archipelago.

First, there is the rum punch, which is perfect, followed by a cold club soda over ice — because summer in Exuma is hot.

“You make a great club soda,” I tell him, because it seems that Lermon Rolle can even make a can of Schweppes taste better.

He has been at this for decades, honing the perfect rum punch recipe and explaining the wonders of the Exumas to the pilgrims who have come to Exuma to see the world’s most stunningly blue water, if a color like this can even be called blue.

This has been his office for half a century, and it would be no surprise to still see him here, offering up a rum punch, in another 50 years.

“Hard work pays off,” he says. “Look at my backyard.”

The post Great Exuma’s Doctor of Libation appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Delta Airlines is expanding its service to St Kitts and Nevis.

The Nevis Tourism Authority has announced that Delta has added a second flight to its St Kitts schedule for the upcoming winter season.

The new Wednesday Delta St Kitts Flight from Atlanta will operate between mid-December and mid-January in time for the peak holiday season.

The new flight comes in addition to the weekly Saturday flight Delta already operates out of Atlanta.

The schedule will allow for connections from across Delta’s US network and help boost travel to neighboring Nevis.

“This additional flight will make travel to Nevis even easier during what is our busiest period,” said Mark Brantley St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation and Nevis Tourism Minister. “Our tourism figures support the demand for increased seat capacity and flights to the island and we’re glad that Delta has provided this welcome addition.”

The post Delta Expanding Flights to St Kitts appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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As it prepares to launch a major new airport, St Vincent and the Grenadines is reporting very strong tourism growth so far in 2016, according to the government’s latest data.

The archipelago is reporting an increase in stayover arrivals of 8.2 percent, among the fastest-growing rates in the Caribbean region.

That included more than 22,000 stayover visitors in the first quarter of 2016.

The Palm Island Resort

St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism is also showing strong growth in the yachting sector, with a 7.1 percent increase in the first quarter in yacht arrivals.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Minister Cecil McKie said he and his team were “encouraged” by the data in the first quarter and in 2015.

The country is closer to debuting a major new airport that would be its first true international airport — meaning the capacity to receive international jets rather than just regional ones.

It’s not yet clear when the opening date will be.

The post St Vincent and the Grenadines Seeing Strong Tourism Growth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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