DESTINATIONS CARIBBEAN |CAYMAN ISLANDS
exper expert ASK THE
“Caribtours offers holidays to Grand Cayman, which is 22 miles long and offers abundant activities. Agents should stress that the island is safe and enjoys a reputation as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, due to the high
standard of its restaurants and the wide variety of cuisines on offer. Other strong selling points are its glorious year-
round warmth, natural beauty and underwater thrills.” Rebecca Bryson, head of sales, Caribtours
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Cayman Brac; Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa; Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; Taste of Cayman Food and Drink Festival PICTURES: Julie Corsetti; Chad Munro
BOOK IT
Exsus offers seven nights’ room-only at Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa from £3,589, including flights on November 2 and transfers.
exsus.com
Caribtours has seven nights at Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman from £4,549 on a room-only basis. The price includes flights on May 6, 2025, and transfers.
caribtours.co.uk
British Airways flies to Grand Cayman from Heathrow on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Return fares start at £767 in economy.
ba.com
Find out more:
visitcaymanislands.com 36 26 SEPTEMBER 2024
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. There are upmarket stores to explore in Camana Bay, with interesting souvenirs including jewellery made from caymanite, a terracotta-striped semi-precious rock that’s unique to the isles; and Seven Fathoms rum, which has been matured in oak casks lowered into the sea, where the rocking waves and consistent temperature produce impressive results. Fine alfresco dining options abound, with early
reservations advisable for hotspots such as Tillies – famous for its ‘burger, lobster and bubbles’ nights – and Saint June, which specialises in Latin American cuisine. Foodie events are common and include the annual
Taste of Cayman Food and Drink Festival in May – this year’s was headlined by the Black Eyed Peas. Upcoming events include discounted dining during Restaurant Month in October, which will segue into Cayman Cocktail Week (October 25-November 1) and the Cayman Pirates Fest (November 1-24), which is embraced enthusiastically by locals. If you’re wondering when the Caymans takes a break, everything stops on Sundays, when most shops are closed and many islanders go to church, then brunch, then the beach...
NEW HOTELS
With a confident design that includes 282 ocean-view rooms and a bar with eye-catching portraits celebrating two Cayman Airways female pilots, Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman is an impressive addition to Grand Cayman’s accommodation scene. Rates are about 20% less than its neighbouring IHG property, the Kimpton Seafire Resort.
Also new is wellness and activity-focused Vida,
which offers 12 apartments with between one and three bedrooms, and is close to the mangrove wilderness of Barkers National Park – a revered spot for kitesurfing Four more new-build properties are due in 2025. On Seven Mile Beach, the Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Hotel & Residences will feature 104 rooms, while the more isolated 100-room Mandarin Oriental Grand Cayman will open on a 27-hectare site near Bodden Town. In the capital, George Town, Kailani is an 80-suite
waterfront property that will be part of Hilton’s boutique- style Curio Collection, while the five-star One/GT hotel will feature a luxury rooftop venue called Sky Club.
SISTER ISLANDS Just a 35-minute flight east, the smaller and much quieter islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman work well as an intriguing day trip or for a few blissful nights away from it all. Rising to a maximum elevation of 43m – the highest point in the archipelago – the former is good for walking, climbing and stargazing and is home to an exquisite nine-room boutique hotel, Le Soleil d’Or Inn, which features a farm and a smart new beach club. The latter will appeal to birdwatchers, thanks to its
20,000-strong colony of red-footed boobies, while divers will appreciate Bloody Bay Wall, which drops more than 1,800m to the sea floor and is one of the top dive sites in the Caribbean. The petite 14-room Southern Cross Club, with colourful bungalows and an English manager, is the standout beach resort.
TW
travelweekly.co.uk
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