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Valentine's Day Travel / Valentine's Day / Romantic Travel / Travel Deals / Puerto Rico Travel / Caribbean Travel / Caribbean / Travelzoo / → All Tags

Go Passport-free in Puerto Rico over Valentine's Day for $399

If chocolate and a cheap stuffed animal won't cut it for your valentine this year, try whisking your baby away to Puerto Rico for a last-minute Valentine's Day vacation.

Travelzoo is offering a deal where you'll get four nights at a hotel and round-trip airfare for $399. But you have to jump on this, since the sale ends today at midnight, EST.

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Caribbean Travel / Caribbean / Islands / Screensaver Travel / → All Tags

Screensaver Travel: Get Ready for Caribbean Island Season

It's time once again for the annual onslaught of stories about tropical travel and advertisements for Caribbean resorts that feature enticing photos of turquoise water, white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and frolicking bikini babes. Hey, it works for us. The first major overview of the Caribbean travel scene for the 2008/2009 season comes our way from the Washington Post, and it must have been a really rough reporting assignment. Their Islands 2008 coverage provides updates on ritzy St. Barts, nature-filled St. John, the French/Dutch island of St. Martin/St. Maarten, and shopper's paradise St. Thomas, as well as a primer on why so many islands are referred to as "saints" or "virgins" when they're actually anything but. (It was Columbus's idea.) Did you know, for example, that Saline Beach on St. Bart's is popular with nude sunbathers? Or that two-thirds of St. John is a protected nature sanctuary, closed to development but open for gentle exploration? Or that the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean can be found in St. Martin (the French side of the island, naturally)? It's looking like a rough period for the travel industry, with new economic calamities unfolding every day, but as long as they keep selling sunshine to the frozen masses up north, the Caribbean will be just fine.

[Photo: Washington Post]

Related Stories:
· Holy Caribbean [Washington Post]
· Caribbean Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Caribbean / Travel Weddings / → All Tags

A Dominican I Do...Maybe

It sounds so romantic, getting married on a Caribbean beach, a sun set backdrop, here and there a bird singing, the waves lapping at your feet. And your honeymoon can begin just seconds after you're officially married.

But are you officially married? A British couple who recently "got married" in the Dominican Republic are now unable to prove they're legally husband and wife because a resort clerk spelled their name wrong. On top of that, the travel agent (or someone--nobody wants to own up) lost the original marriage certificate. We reckon they should get a free holiday and a second go at getting married.

Related Stories:
· Dominican Republic Travel [Jaunted]
· Hotels in the Dominican Republic [HotelChatter]
· Beach Wedding Spells Disaster [UK Times]

[Photo: concep007]

New York Times / Travel Media / Caribbean / Islands / Matt Gross / Hotels / → All Tags

Ingesting His Way Through San Juan

Our fave budget traveler, Frugal Matt, is back this week with a look at Old San Juan. When last we heard from him, he was in Switzerland, so it's good to see we're back to warmer climes.

He snagged a deal on a room at the Nuyorican Cafe, which has just opened a new boutique hotel: Da House (pictured above). Though from the sound of it, he didn't spend much time there:

The sun was setting, and I was just heading home when Nacho called. A friend of a friend, he'd heard I was in town and wanted to know if I was up for a night out...I can't say I remember very well what followed, but we bounced around, never spending more than $2 for a beer.

Now, that's our kind of town. Matt spent plenty of time grubbing too, with stops at a street-side stand for an empenada and a diner for a ham-and-cheese breakfast sandwich. Though he skipped Tantra--maybe the only restaurant in town with tandoori mofongo--he did finally end up at the Nuyorican Cafe after a long night and a plate of hot wings. The verdict? Sounds like they were amazing.

[Photo: chgosfs]

Related Stories:
· A Cheap Room Puts Old San Juan Within Reach [NYT]
· Nuyorican Cafe [Official Site]
· Da House [Official Site]
· Jaunted's Matt Gross coverage [Jaunted]

Celeb Travel / Keith Urban / Nicole Kidman / Caribbean / → All Tags

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's Vacation Photos

Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban recently took a break in St. Barts, where the stalking opportunities for paparazzi abound. The two were photographed strolling along the waterfront, eating at a cafe, and lounging on a private yacht. The newly rehabilitated Urban got a pole dance from Kidman, plus a bevy of gross kisses--gross when zoomed in on at the wrong moment by a camera lens, at least. The vacation started out as a solo trip for Kidman, before her husband joined her for some couple's quality time.

Urban heads for Europe next month for a tour leg that will take him through Germany and the UK. He'll then take a break before heading to his native Australia, taking another break, and then kicking off a gigantic North American tour in June. The European routing is pretty sensible, and a superfan looking to follow the whole thing could easily snap up budget air tickets or a rail pass (passes, really, because British travel always requires its own product) for transportation between the cities. Then again, the craziest of Keith Urban fans would pay anything and travel any way to see the guy, so sensible routing isn't such a concern.

[Photo: INF/TMZ]

Related Stories:
· Nicole showboats for husband Keith [Daily Mail]
· Nicole and Keith Suck Face in St. Bart's [TMZ]
· Nicole & Keith Heat Up St. Barts [People]

Hotels / Caribbean / → All Tags

Hotel Atarazana

As the #1 Santo Domingo hotel on TripAdvisor, Hotel Atarazana has us interested. While some photos posted by TripAdvisor members make the rooms seem a little less bright than official shots would indicate, that suspicion is offset by the top scores and rave reviews the place has been pulling in since it opened in late 2004. Santo Domingo isn't known for any sort of boutique hotel scene, but Hotel Atarazana fits the bill for travelers seeking small, personal and hip lodging in the Dominican Republic's capital.

This six-room guest house is run by dedicated hosts Susanna and Bernard--the latter a German architect who designed the place. A rooftop garden was completed over the summer and is ready for your vegetating pleasure. The chronically overheated will need to specifically request a room with air conditioning, as it's not yet installed in all the rooms. Everyone gets internet of some sort, though. If you forgo the sticky season and wait until next winter to book, there may be even more amenities to gush about. The place has clearly been built with love.

Related Stories:
· Hotel Atarazana [Official Site]
· Hotel Atarazana reviews [TripAdvisor]
· JetBlue to Santo Domingo [Jaunted]

JetBlue / Caribbean / → All Tags

JetBlue to Santo Domingo

JetBlue's still got a few more surprises left, but they just announced the latest in a line of new destinations. Twice-daily service from JFK to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, will start on May 24. Introductory prices for a round trip are $337.10 all-in, but after pricing out a few sample trips, we think you're more likely to pay around $372.10 and up. JetBlue currently flies to only Santiago, Dominican Republic, which is not the home of Boca Chica beach (above). That's all Santo Domingo's glory. David Neeleman apologizes for the feet in the picture.

[Photo: concep007]

Related Stories:
· Island Expansion [JetBlue]

Beaches / Caribbean / → All Tags

Beach Lust: Cheap Dreams Edition

In times like these, when beach destinations are in high season wallet-attack mode, there aren't many places to soak up the sun for cheap. But digging up memories of a stay at Casa Iguana in Nicaragua for big sis site HotelChatter has us fantasizing about heading back. The eco-chic hotel is on the south side of Little Corn Island, probably one of the last deals in the Caribbean. (We're talking $25 hotel rooms and $10 lobster dinners, here people!)

A short flight and then boat ride from the east coast of Nicaragua, tiny Little Corn doesn't have an enormous beach full of umbrellas. But it does have a tiki hut stocked with cold beer right on the water. The Casa Iguana crew runs dive trips if you want to do more than just melt into the sand. (We usually don't.) Hanging out with the locals at the fried chicken stand is pretty fun, too.

[Photo: decidedlyodd]

Related Stories:
· Casa Iguana Probably Not Into "Paris and Her Ilk" [HotelChatter]

New York Times / Travel Media / Caribbean / Beaches / Islands / → All Tags

New York Times Channels Grade School Literature

Last Friday, it was 9 degrees in New York City. That's really, really cold. Way colder than most New Yorkers want to be. So maybe that explains why the New York Times came up big this weekend with a Choose Your Own Adventure guide to the sun, sand and surf in the Caribbean?

The basic idea of the Michelle Higgins article is that whatever you're after--adventure, sailing, passing out under a palm tree with a frou-frou drink in hand--you can find it on one of the Caribbean islands. (Ok, it's true, Terror Island didn't make it into the article.) Admittedly, it's a pretty obvious story, but it brings a couple of interesting twists. Instead of the British Virgin Islands, Michelle recommends St. Vincent and The Grenadines for sailing. Anguilla gets a nod for its cuisine, supplanting Saint Martin-Sint Maarten. And we love the shout out to St. Barts for its five-star celeb stalking scene.

Oh, and one last thing. If you're one of those types who can't be bothered with the Caribbean, the NYT comes through with something completely different. It's a cut-and-dry guide to getting to Greenland. Our advice? Might wait a few more months before choosing that adventure.

Related Stories:
· The 10-Point Caribbean Escapes Plan [NYT]
· New Direct Flights ... to Greenland [NYT]
· Jaunted's Caribbean coverage [Jaunted]

Passports / Islands / Beaches / Caribbean / → All Tags

Passport-Free Travel: Puerto Rico

Sunny Puerto Rico is wasting no time pimping the no-passport-required angle. Besides the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, it's one of the few places left you can hitch a plane too without a passport. It's also probably the easiest passport-free destination to reach from the United States, making it truly conducive to a hassle-free vacation. Lower-cost airlines (including JetBlue, of course) fly there, as do legacies like American.

They've also got a bit of a sense of humor over at the Puerto Rico tourism board, as evidenced by the website's list of travel tips:

5. Pack your favorite travel guidebook but don't show it off in public because you don't want to look like a tourist!

7. Bring your favorite MP3 player so you can block out your travel companion after continuous days of traveling together.

'Course, the rest are all boring and about pleasing the TSA, but that was fun while it lasted.

Our latest Puerto Rico fantasy involves a stay at Tamarindo Estates on secluded Culebra, and perhaps sharing a meal with Tony Bourdain (if you saw his Puerto Rico episode of No Reservations). But that part's kind of a whole separate story.

[Photo: ] slowhands []

Passports / Islands / Beaches / Caribbean / National Parks / → All Tags

Passport-Free Travel: Relaxed St. John

That's Rendezvous Bay on St. John, USVI, right there. The Bay is located right next to Virgin Islands National Park, which covers half of the island. The park, along with basically all of Dominica and El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico, is one of the Caribbean's most lush reserves. Admission is free. The only part of the park that'll cost you is Trunk Bay, where $4 gets you beach time and access to an snorkel trail. It's also where the crowds gather, but there are several other beaches in the park.

St. John's most well known hotels are Caneel Bay and the Westin. The latter is where you go to be seen, and the former is where you go to not be seen (it's famously low-key.) Both charge Caribbean prices, but our pick for an interesting St. John stay is the campground at Cinnamon Bay in the National Park. You can get a bare site there for $27, while tents are $58 in the off season and cottages start at $70. Did we mention that the campsite is right on the beach?

St. John must be reached by ferry from St. Thomas (where flight options are quite decent.) The U.S. Virgin Islands tourist board is wasting no time milking the no-passport angle. They should look into some Kenny Chesney Crossing road signs too. Not all of us want to bump into the famous St. John homeowner.

Related Stories:
· Virgin Islands National Park [Official Site]
· Caneel Bay Hotel [HotelChatter]
· Westin St. John Resort & Villas reviews [TripAdvisor]

Caribbean / Islands / Beaches / Hotels / → All Tags

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]

Related Stories:
· Dominica Is the New Saba [Jaunted]
· Caribbean coverage [Jaunted]