… opposition from the Trump administration, Puerto Rico has reportedly started slashing food … from the federal government, Puerto Rican officials are reportedly cutting food … month,” Buzzfeed reported, citing Puerto Rican authorities. “A family …

Powered by WPeMatico

By Guy Britton

The Andros Barrier Reef is one of the longest barrier reefs on earth. Another mile offshore the reef meets a wall that drops to a depth of 6,000 feet.

Here on Andros, you quickly realize that there are few places like this — and even fewer like Small Hope Bay Lodge.

Here on the eastern coast of the island is this legendary spot — one that pays tribute to the natural world and feeds our need — our obsession — for adventure, for new experiences.

This is Small Hope Bay Lodge, a place that was built on adventure.

It opened its doors in 1960, the first dive resort in the Caribbean, continuing to lead the industry with cutting-edge adventures and education, a family-run business that has lasted three generations. 

But this is no mere lodge.

It is the epitome of the family-run boutique, an all-inclusive resort that understands that true hospitality is about welcoming your guests like treasured friends, about making the traveler feel like family.

First, the resort itself.

Yes, that means all-inclusive conch salad.

While there are just 21 cottages, it’s an all-inclusive, meaning you never have to reach for your wallet. The food is delectable, plentiful and professionally served. The beverage department has its own party piece: an honor bar, meaning you can come and take your beer or rum or preferred beverage all day and all night, taking what you need when you need it.

And you instantly fall into the ritual of this place, equal parts adventure hotel and camp, with happy hour and hors d’oeuvres at 6PM, a conch that calls you to dinner at 7PM and a property-wide communal meal that is a true pleasure, an authentic, jolly, friendly meal that brings you in to the rare warmth of Small Hope Bay.

A solar-powered hot tub.

Everyone is at the table; the guests, the owners, the staff, the adventure guides, everyone eating together, making conversation, sharing stories of the day’s adventures and making plans for the next ones.

Because this is a fantasy camp for adventurers, a place where the art of exploration and rugged experience permeates the walls.

There are three dive boats, and 60 recreational dive sites on the property’s regular schedule, along with more advanced dives on offer, too.

You won’t find more of these anywhere else on earth.

There are guided dives into the blue holes, into underwater caves and wrecks.

There are natural trails, hiking, biking, kayaking and rare bird watching.

There is fishing of all kinds, bonefishing and inshore fishing.

This hotel was designed to help travelers navigate this mysterious, wonderful island, to help you find the right adventure for you, to design an Andros experience just for you.

But the beauty of Small Hope Bay is that you don’t have to be on adventure all day.

You can spend your days at the plentiful beaches, or in the solar-heated jacuzzi and sun deck down the beach away from the lodge. 

Simply sitting in the lodge is a delight, listening to the tales of journeys across Andros, about sponging on the west coast, about sailing to Nassau, about sea monsters in underwater caves, about when Al Capone used to come here at the Bang Bang Club.

The adventures don’t stop, and the stories keep coming and you realize you could come here and write a book.

And that the book would write itself.

For more, visit Small Hope Bay Lodge.

The post The Bahamas’ Ultimate Adventure Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

He’s been an all-pro quarterback and a celebrated television announcer, and now Tony Romo is trying his hand again at being a pro golfer.

And he’s coming back to the Dominican Republic to do it.

Tony Romo will be playing his second PGA Tour event on a sponsor’s exemption at the upcoming Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in the Dominican Republic later this month.

The 2019 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will mark the second time Romo will compete as an individual against PGA TOUR professionals in the same competition.

“Golf has been a passion of mine throughout my life, giving me another athletic outlet to hone my skills and compete,” Romo said. “The opportunity to compete at the highest levels of golf, the PGA TOUR event, was a dream come true for me. I’m thankful to the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship for inviting me to join them once again this year, and I’m excited at the chance to compete against the best of the best.”

Playing as an amateur, Romo will look to make the cut for the first time in his second official PGA TOUR start, following his 2018 start at Corales.

Since Romo competed in the inaugural Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in 2018, he won two golf tournaments in the summer of 2018, including the American Century Championship in Nevada.

“It was an honor to have Tony Romo to join us for our inaugural year, and we are delighted that he has accepted our offer to play in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship again this year,” said Grupo Puntacana Founder and Chairman Frank Rainieri. “Tony continues to grow and achieve at golf just as he rose to greatness during his football career. It’s going to be exciting to watch him play Corales again.”

The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship is in its second year on the PGA TOUR schedule, previously having a two-year run as a Web.com Tour event. 

— CJ

The post Tony Romo to Play PGA Tour Event in the Dominican Republic appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

… sparked new fears among Puerto Ricans about a critical lifeline … neglects additional assistance for Puerto Rico beyond food stamps money. … people are among the Puerto Rican residents currently on the … Department of Family said.
Puerto Ricans are four times as …

Powered by WPeMatico

By the Caribbean Journal staff

In what is easily the most important reopening of the year for St Maarten’s post-Hurricane Irma recovery, the Sonesta Maho all-inclusive has begun welcoming guests again.

The family-friendly hotel, long St Maarten’s flagship hotel, reopened its doors at the end of last month in the heart of St Maarten’s Maho district.

The new-look lobby.

The relaunch comes after a dramatic redesign and reconstruction that added a contemporary aesthetic across the property.

The new-look rooms have a more modern layout, larger bathrooms and new furniture and amenities.

The hotel has also added a new room category, the Loft Suites, all of which have ocean views, balconies and an elevated bedroom with a king bed along with a living room underneath.

While the hotel is already receiving guests, several parts of the property are still completing their comeback, from the lobby casino to several eateries.

That remaining work is what led Canadian travel company Sunwing to push back its relaunch of the property to March 21.

The Sonesta will also begin offering day passes on April 2, according to a hotel spokesperson.

The wider Maho Village has also made a comeback, with its famous Casino Royale open again, while two new outdoor eateries have opened in the area as well.

The hotel’s Oasis Pool.

The return was highly anticipated, with demand surging for the hotel so far, a spokesperson told Caribbean Journal.

“March-May are sold out at this moment and June is already at 50 percent,” she told Caribbean Journal.

The Sonesta Maho’s sister resort, the adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point, has been open since the end of 2018.

For more, visit the Sonesta Maho.

The post Sonesta Maho All-Inclusive Reopens Its Doors in St Maarten appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico