The best websites for the Caribbean: How to book that perfect break to Antigua or Cuba
https://jattravel.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-best-websites-for-caribbean-how-to.html
With winter approaching, now is the time many of us start thinking about getting away for a week.
And the Caribbean is a perennial winter-sun favourite. But with some 28 countries and dependent territories, it is a big, diverse region. Where should you go? What holidays are available?
The answers are all online...
www.caribbean.co.uk
The website for the Caribbean Tourism Organization is a good starting point. It includes potted summaries of virtually all the Caribbean islands, plus links to the websites of their local tourist boards. You will also find a list of tour operators offering holidays to the Caribbean, thematic articles highlighting, for example, the diving and golf on offer in the region, and a calendar of events.
www.definitivecaribbean.com
Written by leading travel journalists, The Definitive Caribbean Guide aims to help readers get the best out of a trip to the Caribbean.
For many islands, there are impressively detailed entries covering pretty much everything you could want to know, including the best beaches, restaurants, bars, sights and activities, along with sections on history and culture, events and festivals, and in-depth reviews of recommended places to stay.
Also very useful is the special interests section, which highlights the best islands for various types of holidays such as birdwatching, hiking, gardens and flowers, and flags up accommodation best suited to these themes. However, the search tool for helping you to pick an island leaves a lot to be desired.
www.caribtours.co.uk
Caribtours is the leading specialist tour operator to the Caribbean. Its website is pretty helpful.
Along with the usual "brochurespeak" summaries of hotels, staff also pick out and describe what they think is special about them - perhaps the beautiful gardens, the Thursday night barbecue, or a particular room. And, as well as listing hotels by island, the website usefully indicates the most suitable accommodation by type of holiday - such as for spa or family breaks, for all-inclusive stays, or for escaping to a private island.
www.jewelsofthebvi.com
Many Caribbean islands have lots of small and often inexpensive hotels, guesthouses and self-catering that do not feature in the portfolios of Caribtours, or other tour operators.
In the British Virgin Islands, you can find a good selection of intimate, affordable places to stay on the 'Jewels of the BVI' website. The Heritage Inn on Tortola, for example, looks idyllic - and its rooms go for as little as £85 a night. Also look at www.charmingescapescollection.com for places to stay on Anguilla, and www.intimatehotelsbarbados.com for accommodation on Barbados.
www.oyster.com
Before booking a Caribbean hotel, check whether it is featured on oyster.com. The website provides highly opinionated reviews written by professional inspectors of hotels across 15 Caribbean destinations, including many of the most popular such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St Lucia and Barbados. Reviews list pros and cons, and go into great detail on the location, rooms, food and facilities - and there are scores of revealing photos on every hotel under scrutiny. Each destination also has a selection of "best" hotels - best kid-friendly, best value, most romantic etc.
www.cubacasa.co.uk
The best way to have a real adventure on Cuba and learn how Cubans live is to stay in a private home, or casa particular. This well-presented website features some 60 casas in Havana and the country's other most popular towns and cities, all of which are apparently personally visited by Cuba Casa staff. For each casa, there's a pithy description and multiple photos, and you can check availability and make reservations online.
www.beachesofbarbados.com
This excellent, niche website by film producer Nick Welch features short, well-shot videos, with engaging commentaries, of several dozen beaches on Barbados. And that's basically it!
www.caribbean360.com
If you want to know what's going on in the Caribbean, have a browse of Caribbean360. The online news service will tell you all the stuff the tourist industry would prefer you didn't know about, such as murders in Jamaica and earthquakes in Trinidad, as well as the latest goings on with Caribbean celebrities such as Rihanna and Usain Bolt.
And the Caribbean is a perennial winter-sun favourite. But with some 28 countries and dependent territories, it is a big, diverse region. Where should you go? What holidays are available?
Sunshine special: The Caribbean - including islands like Barbados - beckons as the European winter nears
Caribbean.co.uk: The official tourism guide to all things Caribbean
The website for the Caribbean Tourism Organization is a good starting point. It includes potted summaries of virtually all the Caribbean islands, plus links to the websites of their local tourist boards. You will also find a list of tour operators offering holidays to the Caribbean, thematic articles highlighting, for example, the diving and golf on offer in the region, and a calendar of events.
Definitive Caribbean Guide: A reliable source written by experienced travel journalists
Written by leading travel journalists, The Definitive Caribbean Guide aims to help readers get the best out of a trip to the Caribbean.
For many islands, there are impressively detailed entries covering pretty much everything you could want to know, including the best beaches, restaurants, bars, sights and activities, along with sections on history and culture, events and festivals, and in-depth reviews of recommended places to stay.
Also very useful is the special interests section, which highlights the best islands for various types of holidays such as birdwatching, hiking, gardens and flowers, and flags up accommodation best suited to these themes. However, the search tool for helping you to pick an island leaves a lot to be desired.
Caribtours: A little prone to 'brochurespeak', but still a good source of information
Caribtours is the leading specialist tour operator to the Caribbean. Its website is pretty helpful.
Along with the usual "brochurespeak" summaries of hotels, staff also pick out and describe what they think is special about them - perhaps the beautiful gardens, the Thursday night barbecue, or a particular room. And, as well as listing hotels by island, the website usefully indicates the most suitable accommodation by type of holiday - such as for spa or family breaks, for all-inclusive stays, or for escaping to a private island.
Jewels of the BVI: An intriguing option with a good focus on lower cost accommodation
Many Caribbean islands have lots of small and often inexpensive hotels, guesthouses and self-catering that do not feature in the portfolios of Caribtours, or other tour operators.
In the British Virgin Islands, you can find a good selection of intimate, affordable places to stay on the 'Jewels of the BVI' website. The Heritage Inn on Tortola, for example, looks idyllic - and its rooms go for as little as £85 a night. Also look at www.charmingescapescollection.com for places to stay on Anguilla, and www.intimatehotelsbarbados.com for accommodation on Barbados.
Oyster: Hotel reviews that allow you to check your accommodation before you book
Before booking a Caribbean hotel, check whether it is featured on oyster.com. The website provides highly opinionated reviews written by professional inspectors of hotels across 15 Caribbean destinations, including many of the most popular such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St Lucia and Barbados. Reviews list pros and cons, and go into great detail on the location, rooms, food and facilities - and there are scores of revealing photos on every hotel under scrutiny. Each destination also has a selection of "best" hotels - best kid-friendly, best value, most romantic etc.
Cuba Casa: Splendid focus on a Caribbean island that dances to a Hispanic rhythm
The best way to have a real adventure on Cuba and learn how Cubans live is to stay in a private home, or casa particular. This well-presented website features some 60 casas in Havana and the country's other most popular towns and cities, all of which are apparently personally visited by Cuba Casa staff. For each casa, there's a pithy description and multiple photos, and you can check availability and make reservations online.
Beaches of Barbados: Everything you need to know about sandy stretches all around the island
This excellent, niche website by film producer Nick Welch features short, well-shot videos, with engaging commentaries, of several dozen beaches on Barbados. And that's basically it!
Caribbean 360: Domestic news and reports from across the region
If you want to know what's going on in the Caribbean, have a browse of Caribbean360. The online news service will tell you all the stuff the tourist industry would prefer you didn't know about, such as murders in Jamaica and earthquakes in Trinidad, as well as the latest goings on with Caribbean celebrities such as Rihanna and Usain Bolt.
