charlestaylor142
08.05.2021 10:39:46
The Dominican Republic
See full version: Islands in Brief in Caribbean
The Dominican Republic
Lying 232km (144 miles) east of Puerto Rico, this scrub-covered island has been divided between the Dutch (Sint Maarten) and the French (Saint Martin) since 1648. Regardless of how you spell its name, it's the same island on both sides of the unguarded border -- though the two halves are quite different. The Dutch side contains the island's major airport, more shops, and more tourist facilities; the French side has some of the poshest hotels and superior food. Both are modern, urbanized, and cosmopolitan, and both suffer from traffic jams, a lack of parking space in the capitals, tourist-industry burnout (especially on the Dutch side), and a disturbing increase in crime. In spite of the drawbacks, there's a lot to attract you here -- great beaches, the shopping (some of the Caribbean's best), the gambling, the self-contained resorts, the nonstop flights from the U.S., the nightlife, and some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean. For a day trip from here, you can fly to St. Eustatius or Saba. [links]
St. Lucia (Loo-sha), 39km (24 miles) south of Martinique, is the second largest of the Windward Islands. Although in 1803 Britain eventually won control of the island, French influence is still evident in the Creole dialect spoken here. A volcanic island with lots of rainfall and great natural beauty, it has white- and black-sand beaches, bubbling sulfur springs, and beautiful mountain scenery. Most tourism is concentrated on the island's northwestern tip, near the capital (Castries), but the arrival of up to 200,000 visitors a year has altered the old agrarian lifestyle throughout the island. Come here for the posh resorts and the gorgeous beaches, the rainforests, and the lush tropical foliage. [links]
Saba is a cone-shaped extinct volcano that rises abruptly and steeply from the watery depths of the Caribbean. With no beaches or historic sights to speak of, the local Dutch- and English-speaking populace has traditionally made a living from fishing, trade, and needlework, rather than tourism. Hotel choices are limited. Saba's thrifty, seafaring folk can offer insights into the old-fashioned lifestyle of the Netherlands Antilles. There's only one road on the island, and unless you opt to hike away from its edges, you'll have to follow the traffic along its narrow, winding route. Basically, you come here if you want to hang out at your hotel pool, climb up to a rainforest, go diving, and perhaps make a day trip to one of the nearby islands. Saba is a place to visit if you like to collect untouristy islands. You may want to come just for the afternoon -- you can do this by plane or trimaran. here
Although Montserrat offers breathtaking natural sites, nature got the best of it in the mid-'90s when the island's Soufrière Hills volcano erupted. This eruption wiped out all of Plymouth and much of the southern part of the island, causing most of the population to flee and leaving a lot of devastation in its path.
Though the area surrounding the Soufrière Hills is restricted to travelers with special permission, there are other places you can visit. Go to explore the Centre Hills forest to search for endangered species or simply to enjoy a hike, or take a helicopter excursion around the island. And that it won't be crowded with tourists is enough reason to spend time here. [links]
If you've decided that Montserrat, the least-visited Caribbean island, is worth a visit anyway, then it's helpful to have a few tips when planning a trip there. When you come to Montserrat, it's not hard to find a place to stay; there are only two hotels on the island. One is the Tropical Mansion Suites, and the other is the Vue Pointe Hotel, which is temporarily closed due to volcanic activity. Several guest houses and a hostel are here as well, such as the Essence Guesthouse and the Hot Rock Hostel, so check the Montserrat Tourism Board website for more information. [links]
Most of the debris and ash has still not been cleaned up, and the island has not fully recovered from the natural disaster, even though it's been more than 20 years. Since the volcano is still very much active, it's not surprising that people are hesitant to come. Because of the eruption, it's also difficult to get to Montserrat, and unless you plan to sail there, the only way to get to the island is to first fly to Antigua and Barbuda, and then take a 15-minute flight to Montserrat. here
Romantic strolls along the beach and intimate dinners for two at one of the surprisingly affordable resorts are a highlight of this pretty island off the coast of South America. Sea kayaking is a highlight of the clear turquoise waters, and visitors can even trek through the lush rain forest interior on a number of nature hikes. Cap off a perfect day of fun with a sunset walk along Reduit Beach and admire Pigeon Island in the distance.
Off the beaten track, the Dutch island of Saba is a dramatic landscape of lush jungle, charming villages and Mt. Scenery, a volcano perfect for hiking. The trail leading up the side of the mountain will take around 90 minutes to complete each way, but the view from the top is spectacular. A sweeping panorama shows the blue Caribbean to best advantage. But Saba’s true draw is its impressive wall diving opportunities. With steep cliffs plunging straight into the sea, it allows divers of any ability level to enjoy a vertical seascape filled with creatures. Any dive shop on the island can help to certify new divers or help more experienced ones gear up for their adventure. Pampering reaches impressive levels at Queen’s Gardens Resort, the perfect place to unwind after a day playing in the waves.
The thriving capital of Providenciales is the gateway to exploring this beautiful island chain. Called “Provo” by the locals, its white beaches are the perfect backdrop for resorts that offer golfing, scuba excursions, kite surfing, horseback riding and spa treatments. Their on-site restaurants take full advantage of the abundance of seafood to prepare lavish buffets. Unwind poolside, stretch out on the pristine beaches or head to a nearby reef to spot unusual species of fish. Just don’t forget to book your room early, as they can fill up quickly at the height of the season.
The words Caribbean and Bahamas are used by cruise industry conveniently to refer to the places they cover in their tours to Caribbean Sea. Caribbean is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, South of US and lying between the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Sea. Bahamas is a place, rather a group of islands inside Caribbean region that makes up an independent island nation. On the other hand, Caribbean includes all islands and nations falling in this region. This article attempts to highlight the differences between Caribbean and Bahamas.
If you are on a Caribbean cruise, you may not necessarily get a chance to explore Bahamas as the entire Caribbean region can be conveniently divided into Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western regions with thousands of islands, coral reefs, cays, and islets. Puerto Rico and Leeward and Windward Islands make up the Eastern Caribbean while the prominent countries and islands in Western Caribbean are Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Florida Keys and Cuba. It is the Southern Caribbean, also known as the West Indies that comprises many island nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, Aruba, Bonaire etc.
Thus, it is clear that a particular group of islands making up Bahamas is just one area in the entire Caribbean, which is a large area occupied by thousands of islands. Caribbean is not a monolithic region, though one thing that is common to all islands on the Caribbean is warm and sunny weather around the year and crystal-clear waters with sandy beaches. Otherwise, various cultural differences are visible in different groups of islands in the Caribbean.