DESTINATIONS UNDERRATED ISLANDS CARIBBEAN


LEFT: Montserrat


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FAR LEFT: The Caribe Hilton, Puerto Rico


more to it than that. In the north, around Cap Haitien, the atmospheric World Heritage- listed Citadelle Laferrière mountain fortress and various rum distilleries can be found. Bassin Bleu offers pools and


waterfalls, while nearby Jacmel is home to a big arts community, where papier mâché and carving workshops can be visited. Getting there: Delta offers connections through New York and Atlanta, while American Airlines connects via Miami. Book it: G Adventures runs a 10-day Highlights of Haiti tour for £1,929, excluding flights. There’s a strong emphasis on experiences with local people, whether learning how to make rum or preparing traditional dishes and meeting voodoo priests. gadventures.co.uk


Montserrat’s charm is in its people and low-key, unsullied-by- resorts authenticity


◗ MONTSERRAT Highlights: Tiny Montserrat was once one of the Caribbean’s most prosperous islands, but then the Soufrière Hills volcano started erupting in 1995. It turned the southern half of the island – which is still an exclusion zone – into a giant ash field, and made capital Plymouth a modern-day Pompeii. Tourism here tends to focus on heading to the edge of the exclusion


zone to see the extraordinary results of the eruption, with building tops peeping above the ash, while the Volcano Observatory is a great place to learn about how volcanoes work. Stay a while, however, and Montserrat’s charm is in its people and low-key, unsullied- by-resorts authenticity. Getting there: Travel to Antigua with the likes of BA, Virgin Atlantic or Thomas Cook, then either take the ferry or fly across with FlyMontserrat or ABM Air. Book it: Guesthouse-style accommodation is the norm, but Seaview Suite puts an aparthotel twist on it, with a week’s stay costing from £368. seaviewsuite.com


LEFT: Sint Maarten


56travelweekly.co.uk29 November 2018


◗ SAINT MARTIN/ SINT MAARTEN Highlights: For most, this small island, split between France (Saint Martin) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten), is visited as a cruise port of call. But stay longer, and there’s a lot going for it. The northern French half is quieter and more refined, with the town of Grand Case being one of the Caribbean’s great foodie hubs and Anse Marcel’s white sands attracting well-heeled sun worshippers. Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch side, is more boisterous, with plenty of bars and duty-free shopping. Water sports and diving trips depart from there too.


Getting there: KLM has flights to Princess Juliana International airport from several UK airports, via Amsterdam. Book it: Caribtours offers seven nights at the lavish Belmond La Samanna at Baie Longue, from £2,499 room-only. caribtours.co.uk


◗ THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS Highlights: The British Virgin Islands is arguably the Caribbean’s most impressive hotspot for the yachtie crowd. Well on the road to recovery from the 2017 hurricane lashing, the BVI has a strong water focus. For those without their own yacht, day cruises, snorkelling (especially around the wreck of the Rhone near Salt Island) and surfing (Josiah’s Bay on Tortola is popular) are the key activities. Main island Tortola has plenty of life too, with Cane Garden Bay teeming with reggae-pumping beach bars. Getting there: Various airlines link Tortola with other islands. Liat has connections to Antigua, Barbados and St Kitts, all of which have direct UK flights. Book it: G Adventures shows that sailing in the BVI doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. Its seven-day sailing adventure, hopping between secluded beaches and snorkelling spots on a catamaran, costs from £1,049, excluding flights. gadventures.co.uk


PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK; DON RIDDLE; CAN STOCK PHOTO/SHALAMOV


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