Date of publication 23/10/2019
Home to world-class beaches, secluded islands, delicious food and championship golf courses, there is plenty of opportunity in the Caribbean to play. Whether you want to be all by yourself exploring an uninhabited island or busy kite surfing, playing polo or tennis, the activity list is endless.
There’s the normal way most people do the Caribbean, but then there’s a way to really do the Caribbean in style. Here’s a guide on how to enjoy the Caribbean in the lap of luxury.
Explore the Seas on a Catamaran
One of the best way to explore the Caribbean is to charter a catamaran and sleep aboard it. You can cruise the seas overnight and start the day in places like the Morant Cays, an offshore island chain 51 kilometers south-southeast of Morant Point.
Wake up in the morning and enjoy the whole place to yourself. The cays are mostly uninhabited but only seasonally visited by fishermen. The islands have sparse vegetation and are a seabird breeding ground and turtle nesting area.
If you’re an angling enthusiast, you can venture off to Emerald Island, a prized landmass off the coast of St Thomas that has been named one of the best fishing and outdoor experiences this side of the Western Hemisphere. The island’s reefs have also been a successful habitat for many species of fish, turtles and crustaceans.
For the true die-hard explorer, pretend you’re a pirate and explore the uninhabited Navassa Island that lies between Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba, in the Jamaica Channel. About the size of New York City’s Central Park, the island has no harbors or a single airstrip. Access to the Island is heavily restricted and requires a special-use permit that must be issued by the U.S. Military or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although the Island is uninhabited, Haitian fishermen and other locals do camp out on the Island and you can too.
And if you’re in A hotel in the Dominican Republic in certain periods of the year, you may even be able to catch humpback whales returning to the bay at Samaná each year. Thousands of humpback whales from the North Atlantic migrate to the waters of the Dominican Republic each winter to mate and give birth. Their most popular winter rendezvous is Silver Bank, the 3,000-square-kilometer reef system approximately 70 miles north east of Puerto Plata. More than 1,500 humpbacks visit the bay, with as many as 300 present at any given time during mating season.
Charter a Sea Plane
Seaplanes are a great way of getting around some of the more remote islands of the Caribbean, so grab your map and that adventurer in you to find the furthest island to explore. Why not hire a seaplane and pilot for the day and venture off the beaten path to some of the smaller islands of the 28-island archipelago that even the local Jamaicans don’t know about? Some of these islands are no larger than a small field and are mostly exposed masses of sand, grass and coral jutting up from the depths of the Caribbean Sea.
One place to take your seaplane and explore is Pedro Bank Preserve, a large bank of sand and coral, partially covered with seagrass, about 80km southwest of Jamaica. Originally named La Víbora or “the Viper” by Spanish mariners because its shallow reefs, rocks and shoals are laid out in the shape of a gigantic serpent; it is an important seabird nesting area for birds like masked boobies and roseate terns. It also provides nesting grounds for several endangered turtle species, including hawksbills and loggerheads.
The Jamaica National Heritage Trust declared Pedro Bank an underwater cultural heritage site in July of 2004, as you can also dive through and discover a treasure trove of sixteenth and seventeenth century shipwrecks and artifacts.
Private Culinary Tours
Embark on a private culinary adventure through various towns and villages. In between savoring the delights of local cuisine, you’ll be able to visit interesting architectural sites, many dating back to the plantation era, learn so much about the history and culture which have significantly influenced the Caribbean palate. You’ll connect with the locals and leave with an insider view into what life is really like on the island and a full belly of food! Some of these highlighted tours are those which discover the secrets of Locrian (or Dominican paella) in Punta Cana, reveal the best 'paladares' of Havana and, in Montego Bay and Ocho Ríos, those which explore the origin of jerk chicken.
Another gastronomy top experience is the rum distillery private tours. Whether it’s the Brugal Distillery of the Dominican Republic or a tour of the 260-year-old Appleton Estate in Jamaica, enjoy a journey through time and the history of some of the world’s finest rum. At Brugal’s distillery in Puerto Plata, learn how they take the sugar cane from farm to bottle, and how every drop is distilled, triple filtered and aged to produce a the distinct, refreshingly dry rum.
The Appleton Estate has been blending rums since 1749 and the Rum Distillery is located beside the Black River in one of the most beautiful valleys in Jamaica, south of Montego Bay. You can savour these award-winning rums after you tour the distillery and learn the details of the distilling process from sugarcane to molasses and sugar to wine, and finally to rum.
Private Visit to a Tobacco Farm
In Cuba, ride horses through Viñales National Park with a private guide to meet with local tobacco farmers who adhere to traditional handpicked techniques, using no machines. Learn how they harvest the tobacco leaves, dry them and roll them into cigars and how the leaves are sprayed with a special mixture of ingredients like pineapple, lemon, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and rum for the fermentation process at an interactive demonstration.
World Class Golfing
The Caribbean has always been a popular golf destination, but today there are more choices than ever for golfers. The Dominican Republic has emerged as one of the world's best golf destinations. Punta Cana is graced with an ideal consistent climate, a refreshing ocean breeze, and clear skies. All optimal conditions for a golf trip at any time of year. Bávaro Golf Club is recognized as one of the highest quality destinations to tee off in the world by distinguishing golfers. Designed by Pete Dye, Bávaro boasts panoramic views of the sea, lush vegetation and a comfortable course layout – definitely a pleasure for the casual golfer and professional alike.
A star of Jamaica golf is Cinammon Hill Golf Course, a former sugar plantation with a charming mix of historical significance, high-end service and quality, and gorgeous views of the sea. Challenging crosswinds and interesting hazards open up toward the famous Blue Mountains.
And yet more legendary golf is found in White Witch of Rose Hall, designed by Robert von Hagge, in Montego Bay. The Jamaican course is alluringly dangerous and unpredictable as it is dotted with rock outcroppings, cut by ravines, with ocean views on almost every hole.
Spa Treatments
Put your stresses on hold and immerse yourself in a world of relaxation and harmony. Cleanse your mind and body with a rejuvenating spa treatment. From massages, water circuits to thermal baths, the spas in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica offer a range of world-class treatments to find the perfect balance for your body and mind.
Consult with a spa specialist to discover personalized treatments that are adapted to your needs—hot and cold stone massages or massages with shells, feathers and silk, 4-hands, Shiatsu or Thai—and give yourself a gift of luxurious relaxation. Revitalize yourself through hydrating and oxygenating facial treatments and wraps made from mud, essential oils, chocolate, honey, grapes, oats, tropical fruits or even heated crystals.
World Class Dining
Savor the fresh seafood right on the beach overlooking the crystal clear and sparkling turquoise sea. Meals are a big deal in the Caribbean and the culinary scene has exploded thanks to the rise in tourism over the past decade. And this part of the world is famous for world-class cocktails, from the sweet and fruity to the dry and neat. In bars, be on the lookout for exclusive rums and perhaps even high-end mescal, an exclusive agave-derived spirit imported from Mexico.
In Cuba, opt to eat at new paladars or private restaurants like the famous La Guarida, serving the most enticing local food on the island. The best restaurant in Havana is the brand new Cafe la Flauta Mágica, which occupies an exclusive 10th-floor penthouse-with-pool turned jazz bar. From the terrace you’ll have a view of the US Interests Section on the famous Malecón.
As a former Spanish colony, the Dominican Republic enjoys a distinctly Latin feel with flamenco fiestas and local dishes accented with rice and beans. While the traditional local diners continue to serve sancocho and mofongo, the newer, more modern restaurants have jazzed up typical Dominican fare with the help of internationally trained chefs. In Mares, Puerto Plata’s hidden global kitchen, Chef Rafael Vasquez Heinsen serves fusion Dominican dishes like Rock Baby Lobster Flambe with French Anise, onions, curry, garlic and fresh mango in the relaxed environment of his beautiful home.
But all good Caribbean food doesn’t have to come in the form of fancy fusion. A must-do for any foodie is to sample Jerk chicken in its Jamaican birthplace. With four locations across the island, Scotchie’s offers all things jerk: pork, chicken, sausage and fish, dry rubbed and marinated in allspice, a mix of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, then grilled on pimento logs, lending the meat an inimitable hickory flavor. Enjoy it with the Island’s local beer Red Stripe.
Kite Surfing
The beaches and the winds of the Eastern Coast of the Dominican Republic draw para-sailors and kitesurfers in from all around the world. The beaches in the area are protected by a reef, which means silky smooth water inside the reef and breaking waves just outside.
Cabarete Beach is perfect for beginning or advanced riders and for a more difficult ride, head to La Policia Beach for the beautiful breaking waves. The wind here is strong all year round, but it’s most reliable in the summer and early fall and the waters stay nice and flat.
Play or Watch Polo in Jamaica
If you’re a horse lover, you’ll definitely enjoy Jamaica’s polo season that runs from January to August. Even if you’re not on the horses yourself, you can enjoy afternoon tea or daiquiris as you watch the polo at St. Ann (one of the oldest polo fields in the world), Chukka and Kingston Polo Clubs.
PATRICIA SERRANO CHUNGSATHAPORN
Photography by Cordon Press
