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Where to Vegetate Now: Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe gets a lot of French tourists. If you'd rather avoid the crowds, your best bet is to go private or stay in a small hotel like Le Jardin Malanga. This small, nine-room inn is set above the beach (15 minutes from it, in fact) with a view of the coast and outlying islands of Guadeloupe. For even more seclusion, try the island of Marie-Galante, which you can reach via the L'Express des Iles ferry--it's a piece of the old Caribbean, preserved. Beware that Le Jardin, with its secluded, romantic setting, is popular with couples: you'll need to smooth over that chip on your bitter, single shoulder in advance.

The L'Express ferry will also take you Dominica, home of the Jungle Bay resort--one of the region's most buzz-worthy and unique hotels. A week in the Guadeloupe archipelago plus a visit to Dominica, with its dearth of beaches but abundance of hiking opportunities and gorgeous tropical scenery, equals the perfect taste of the Caribbean's lesser-visited destinations. Get in there before hurricane season threatens to mess with your reservations.

[Photo: Henry Phillips]

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· Dominica Is the New Saba [Jaunted]
· Caribbean coverage [Jaunted]