Affordable BVI

In case you missed the latest episode of Affordable Caribbean showcasing one of my personal favorites, the British Virgin Islands, just surf over to the series web site to watch full webisodes like this one for free...

Affordable Caribbean Updates

The latest episode of our hit TV show Affordable Caribbean is scheduled to air this Saturday at 8 AM EST on the Travel Channel, so stay tuned for insider tips on the best places to stay, eat and save a buck in the British Virgin Islands.

As we mentioned in a previous post, some viewers have reported occasional scheduling issues with their cable providers, so to help we've just created a programming widget on the Affordable Caribbean web site...just enter your zip code and you'll find all of the show's upcoming air times in your area.

Hope you enjoy the next episode, and as always we'd love to hear your feedback here on the blog or on our Facebook fan page!

Affordable Caribbean

Speaking of Puerto Rico, if you missed the latest episode of Affordable Caribbean, you can still tune in to the Travel Channel for replays of the show on October 4 and 11 at 5 AM. But if you're like me and haven't been conscious at that hour since college, you can still watch free webisodes on the Affordable Caribbean site - caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean - like this clip of Puerto Rico's sister islands and beaches...



And stay tuned for our next episode on the British Virgin Islands later this month!

Affordable Puerto Rico

Missed the latest episode of Affordable Caribbean this weekend? Check out this webisode from Saturday's installment - Affordable Puerto Rico - then surf over to the official web site to watch even more clips from the show...

Affordable Bahamas

Missed the premiere of Affordable Bahamas this weekend? Watch the webisode on the island chain's best beaches here, then surf over to the Affordable Caribbean web site to check out even more great clips from the show.

Affordable Barbados...Take Two

Many of you missed the series premiere of our new TV show Affordable Caribbean on July 25, so we decided to replay the first episode - Affordable Barbados - this past weekend. But in case you still missed out, you can catch the webisodes here and on the official site - caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean. Happy viewing!


The Crane Resort


Almond Resort


Sweetfield Manor


Harrison's Cave

Check out the Affordable Caribbean web site to watch even more webisodes like these...

True Confessions of a Travel Junkie

It’s been about a month since I was last in the Caribbean (swanning along Mexico’s Riviera Maya reporting a variety of stories for upcoming issues) and I gotta say, I’m already itching to go back. My carry-on sized toiletries have been replenished, I’ve had the wonky wheel on my rollaboard suitcase replaced, and while it’s been great sleeping in my own bed for the last few weeks, jetting off to somewhere exciting and new sounds pretty good right about now.

Now the only question is, where to go?

Truth is, the decision belongs to our ed-in-chief, Dave, who gives all the editors marching orders according to our (many) individual talents and the magazine’s editorial schedule. I’m not sure where he plans to deploy me next, but on the off chance that he’s reading, here are some of the destinations at the top of my Caribbean wish list:

The British Virgin Islands
I’ve not yet been to this English territory, but I’m dying to experience the pleasure of wending my way through its 60-something isles and islets. I want to swim at The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel off Cooper Island, and drop anchor for a cocktail (or two) at Foxy’s and The Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke. (We’ll be featuring the BVI on an upcoming episode of our Affordable Caribbean TV show, so tune in and see for yourself what makes them so special.)

The Grenadines
One of the first articles I edited when I joined CT+L was a Day Trip (June/July 2007) about a day sail through the Grenadines. Baz Dreisinger’s account of her idyllic voyage from Union Island through the 600-islet chain that runs between St. Vincent and Grenada was instantly captivating, and her description of the Tobago Cays’ ocean floor being tiled with starfish is an image that has stayed with me ever since. Must. Go. Soon.

The Out Islands of the Bahamas
Unlike the rest of the CT+L team, I’m based in sunny South Florida, so you’d think I’d have been to this paradise that’s less than an hour’s flight away a million times, right? Wrong. For years I’ve had a vague idea that I wanted to one day tour the tiny outposts where deserted white- and pink-sand beaches seem to go on forever, but when our online editor Reagan returned and blogged about swimming with pigs off Big Majors Cay in the Exumas, I was sold.

I don’t know if I’ll make it to any of these places anytime soon, but I’m keeping hope alive. (Nudge-nudge, wink-wink, Dave.)

What about you? Which Caribbean destinations are you eyeing for your next trip?

Affordable Caribbean Update

Had trouble viewing our new Affordable Caribbean television series on the Travel Channel? So has a handful of our readers and fans in certain markets across the country, and we wanted to let you know why.

First, as with most TV networks, the Travel Channel has two feeds of their broadcast each day...one for Eastern, Central and Mountain time zones and another for Pacific. With the dual feed system, our program is scheduled to air each Saturday at 8:00 AM in Eastern and Pacific time zones, but airs at 7:00 AM Central and 6:00 AM Mountain. To help make it a little more confusing, many satellite providers have chosen to air the program even earlier at 5:00 AM. Unfortunately, this feed system is the way of the television world...but in case you don't often find yourself awake and functioning before sunrise, as long as you own a DVR or VCR, you should still be able to record the show each week and view it at your leisure.

A second source of confusion is that the program hasn't been named properly in TV viewing guides, so when you check the listings for Saturdays at 8:00 AM Eastern, it doesn't say Affordable Caribbean. We're working with the Travel Channel to correct this, but for now it may unfortunately remain unnamed in guides and listings. Just tune in (or press record) at the appropriate hour for your time zone anyway, and you should see the show!

And one last heads-up about the airings: Some cable providers around the country may choose to shift the exact start time of the program, so in some markets the 8:00 AM Eastern airing may actually start at 7:59 AM, or even 8:02 AM. I know. TV definitely finds a way to keep us all guessing...makes you love the beautiful simplicity of our glossy print issues, doesn't it?

If you still have any trouble viewing the series, please contact us at this email and let us know your zip code and cable provider...from there we'll work to resolve the issue in your market area. And in the mean time, don't forget you can still watch webisodes here on the blog as well as on the official Affordable Caribbean web site anytime. Missed last weekend's episode on Affordable Antigua? Check it out...





Verandah Resort & Spa



Galley Bay Resort & Spa



Check out the official Affordable Caribbean web site for even more webisodes like these...

Watch It Now: Affordable Barbados

Missed the premiere of our new Affordable Caribbean TV show on the Travel Channel last weekend? No worries, because you can watch webisodes right here and on the official site - caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean.





Don't forget to tune in this Saturday at 8:00 AM Eastern to watch the next episode, Affordable Antigua! Then surf over to our Antigua destination page to learn even more about the island and to start planning your trip.

CT+L on TV

Whether you're planning your next island vacation or just daydreaming about one, look no further than your television this summer for a Caribbean escape. In case you've missed our promotions on the home page and on our Facebook and Twitter pages, Caribbean Travel + Life has recently partnered with the Travel Channel to develop a brand new TV series, Affordable Caribbean, giving you insider information on where to stay and what to do in the exotic - and surprisingly accessible - Caribbean.

To complement the new series, we've also launched a brand-new Affordable Caribbean web site packed with video webisodes, features and deals for all of your favorite destinations, and contests that could help get you there for free:

caribbeantravelmag.com/affordablecaribbean

Surf over to the site and check it out, then enter to win our first contest for a 6-night stay at The Crane in Barbados!

The first episode of the new series premieres this Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 AM, so set those DVRs...