Another Great Excuse for a Cocktail

St. George's Caye Resort has concocted a new promotion that just might send you on a three-night getaway for two – all on the house. To celebrate the opening of the resort's new on-site watering hole, the 12-cabana exclusive resort is giving you a chance to christen the venue in its Name Our Bar contest. If your idea is selected, you and a guest will be on your way to the private island in Belize where your all-inclusive stay will give you plenty of opportunities to sample the whole cocktail menu.

To enter, surf over to belizeislandparadise.com and select "Name Our Bar" in the Reservations menu. Entries must be received by midnight on March 31, 2010, and you must be a U.S. or Canadian resident and at least 18 years old to submit an idea.

For more on Belize, don't miss our upcoming features and web exclusives from deputy editor Matt Phenix and staff photographer Zach Stovall's trip last week! 

Editors Inflight

It's the first day of February, the Caribbean's high season is in full swing, and CT+L 's editors are getting ready to jet off to the region's balmy shores. At this point were not sure exactly where our assignments will take us – although our intrepid photographer Zach Stovall is already happily snapping his way around St. Croix – but we sure do know where we'd like to go in 2010.

Editor at Large Dave Herndon picks St John. "I'm dying to find out what all the love is about," he says of the idyllic US Virgin that attracts a back-to-nature bohemian crowd. (One of our favorite writers even considered packing up and moving to the USVI. Check out her story here.)

Online Editor Reagan Johnson just got back from Barbuda (above right), but she's already got her eye on The Grenadines. "I love sailing and I've always wanted to island-hop around the chain, checking out Bequia, Carraicou, Young Island and some of the smaller islets and cays," says our webby wonder woman. "Moonsplash on Anguilla is a close second, though!"

Managing Editor Becky Strauss has Bonaire on the brain. "I've been certified for 13 years now, and I'm desperate to check out one of the world's premiere diving destinations," she says. (If going deep also tops your to-do list, check out Provo, too.)

Executive Editor Matt Phenix is prepping for 4x4 safari through Belize later this month (read all about it in our upcoming May issue) and will put his driving skills to work again later in the year as he tours Barbados (left) by Mini moke for an upcoming feature.

As for me: Like Reagan, I'm hoping to set sail on my maiden voyage to The Grenadines, and I'm curious about the French Caribbean, particularly Martinique and Guadeloupe. It'd be a great opportunity to see somewhere new and to brush up on my Francais. Of course, I'm always up for a trip back to my beloved Jamaica, and I'm excited about the ever-increasing lineup of luxury hotels along Mexico's Riviera Maya (We'll be featuring one of the best in our annual all-inclusive feature, coming up in April).

Now over to you: Which destinations are on your Caribbean wish-list this year?

Belize Deals for Spring

If you've been considering a Belize vacation, now may be the perfect time to book a trip. American Airlines just announced limited-time low fares for travel between Belize and a handful of U.S. gateway cities – like Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas – when traveling by March 27, 2010. One-way fares start at just $149 when booked by December 22, 2009.

And to sweeten the deal, some of Belize's top eco-resorts have created Spring packages starting as low as $240 per night double occupancy. That rate will buy you a one-bedroom beachfront cabana at Tranquility Bay Resort; or for $300 per night, you can stay in a an oceanfront cabana at the Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort right next to the country's Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's first jaguar preserve. If you're ready to splurge, you can even stay at the luxe St. George's Caye – a private island resort off the Belize Barrier Reef – for just $246 per person each night, all-inclusive.

Surf over to AA.com to book your airfare, then hit up the resort web site of your choice to book a room – and for you adrenaline junkies, don't forget to check out our Water Sports Lover's Guide to Ambergris Caye before you go.

Belize Vacation Deals

If you've been thinking about a Belize vacation, this latest wave of travel deals should give you four great reasons to make it happen this Fall...

1. Cayo Espanto

With the luxury resort's Private Island Massage & Spa package – available through December 15 – your five-night stay in the 2,100-square-foot Casa Auroroa villa offers savings of up to $9,000 over rack rates. For $499 per person per night, your stay includes all meals, snacks and drinks, a daily massage plus an additional daily spa treatment of your choice, a day at sea including fishing and snorkeling, airport transfers and all taxes and resort fees.
www.aprivateisland.com

2. St. George's Cay Resort

The seven-night Sink Into Our World package gives certified divers the chance to explore the Belize Barrier Reef on five guided dive excursions, then return to luxury accommodations in one of the resort's 12 lagoon cabanas. You'll also enjoy all meals and non-alcoholic drinks, plus a $50 credit at the Island Spa, with package rates starting at just $1,500 per person for your entire stay through November 15.
www.gooddiving.com

3. Tranquility Bay Resort

Through December 15, guests can enjoy a seven-night stay in a one-bedroom oceanfront room – including daily dinner and use of the resort's water sports amenities – for $999 per person. The package also includes round trip air transfers from Belize City to Ambergris Caye, and boat transfers to and from the boutique hotel.
www.tranquilitybayresort.com

4. Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort

Guests of the coastal eco-lodge between November 1 and December 15 can enjoy complimentary nights on four and seven night vacations. Just book four nights in one of the resort's 25 oceanfront cabanas and pay for only three, or book seven nights and pay for only five – a savings of up to $650 per couple.
www.kanantik.com

Best Caribbean Beach Towns

I just finished posting a feature - The Caribbean's Coolest Beach Towns - from the October issue to the site this afternoon, and it got me thinking that I've only been to two of our top picks myself: Cabarete, Dominican Republic and Negril, Jamaica. What about you...do you agree with our choices (also including Placencia, Belize and Rincón, Puerto Rico), or do you have another great Caribbean beach town in mind? Leave us a comment and let us know your favorite outposts in the Caribbean. As for me, I don't want to be left in the dark when it comes to the best beach towns, so it looks like I have some new trips to start planning...

Last Minute Summer Steals

Summer may be winding down, but resorts around the Caribbean are still offering low-season rates as well as unbelievable vacation stimulus packages and perks, so now is the perfect time to plan an affordable last-minute escape. Here are a couple hot deals that caught our attention this week...

ANGUILLA

Through August 31, the five-star CuisinArt Resort & Spa is offering bonus incentives with their already discounted Smart Summer Stay package. Book three nights and get a fourth night free, or book five nights and get two nights free, plus you'll get an automatic room upgrade and a complimentary 50-minute spa treatment at the new Venus Spa. Rates this summer are lower than ever, with rooms starting as low as $285 per night - a savings of almost 65 percent.

ST. KITTS

With the St. Kitt's Marriott's Family Summer Fun package you'll get two connecting rooms, complimentary daily breakfast for two adults and two kids under 12, unlimited use of the Kid's Club, and a family lunch at the Bohemia Beach Pool Bar & Grill, all for just $239 per night - a rate that includes both rooms. Book your minimum three-night stay and travel by September 7 to take advantage of the savings.

BELIZE

With Ka'ana Boutique Resort's August Adventures package you'll get a free half-day tour for every single night of your three-night-minimum stay. Rates at the eco resort start at $250 per night, and excursions include cave tours, zip-lining excursions, trips to Maya ruins and horseback rides. Just book and travel by August 31 to enjoy all the action.

PUERTO RICO

The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is offering a new Buy Two, Get Two package that gives you a 50-percent savings on four-night-minimum stays. You'll get deluxe accommodations and have access to the casino, spa, beach and six on-site restaurants starting at $189 per night. You'll need to book by August 31 using promotion code P51 - but you'll have till December 20 to travel.

Summer Lovin'

Maybe it's just the steamy temperatures, but love is definitely in the air this summer - at least according to the many romantic vacation packages we've found this week.

BERMUDA

At Bermuda's AAA Four-Diamond Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, lovebirds can enjoy a little R&R with the Romance & Resort Credits package, offering a bottle of champagne, breakfast in bed, a 50-minute couple's massage, and your choice of either a three-day moped rental to explore the island, or a $200 resort credit. The package is a $900 add-on to general rates, which start at $590 per night double occupancy for a water-view room. Just stay a minimum of four nights and you'll enjoy a $400 resort credit too.

BELIZE

Eco-lovers can head to Belize where the all-inclusive Cayo Espanto is offering a seven-night Ultimate Romance package for $7,995 per couple that includes accommodations in an over-water bungalow, a half-day private boat charter and snorkel excursion to Hol Chan, one massage treatment per person and a bottle of bubbly. If you can't spare the whole week, the private-island resort also offers a three-night package for $3,995. Both packages are inclusive of taxes and resort fees.

TURKS & CAICOS

Over in the Turks & Caicos, the 91-room luxury Gansevoort resort on Grace Bay Beach is offering its Steal Away package that includes a junior ocean-view suite, daily breakfast á deux, a daily "Exhale" mind-and-body class for two, welcome cocktails and a 35-percent discount on spa services at the Exhale Spa, all starting at $295 per night double occupancy.

Also in the Turks & Caicos, the luxury boutique Point Grace hotel has put together a new Do Your Own Thing package for sweethearts seeking a little alone time. Starting at $2,022 per couple, the five-night package includes accommodations in a Cottage Suite, daily continental breakfast and cocktail hour, a candlelit dinner at Grace's Cottage restaurant, airport transfers and private on-site shuttle service between amenities, as well as special "his" and "hers" perks like a 3-hour spa experience and 18-holes of golf at the Provo Golf Club.

BAHAMAS

And just a short hop over to the Bahamas, the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island is offering a five-night Romance in Paradise package starting at $4,981 per couple that includes a 15-percent savings on accommodations as well as a welcome bottle of Tattinger Brut, daily breakfast, two 140-minute massages, romantic turndown service and plush bathrobes to keep. Taxes, resort fees and housekeeping gratuities are also included.

Some of these romance packages are only available through the end of the summer, so check each resort's site for blackout dates and other details. Not in the mood for love? Check out our Editor's Picks for other great deals around the Caribbean.

Bélè Beats

When I hit an island, the first thing I do is ditch the iPod and channel surf past the island talk radio for the good stuff - local tunes. I'm from Louisiana, and I learned from an early age that music isn't just something that makes you dance. It's part of the culture. It's a way to experience yet another level; to connect. Whether it's in an off-the-beaten-track Belizean village or the welcome terminal of the San Juan airport, I'm not satisfied until I've had my fix.

I landed on Martinique just in time for their Emancipation Day festivities. That's where I first heard Bélè, a mix of traditional drumming and singing from the era of slavery, which eventually evolved into zouk. The drums, called ta mbou in Creole, are handmade like a rum barrel, with wooden slats shaped by metal rings and fired from the inside. We watched Bwa Mabi perform a few cadences in the Slave Savannah heritage village, led by Max Telephe (the one standing). He's kind of a big deal - a local celebrity for his singing, acting and musical instrumentation.

In their cadences, Max sang in the traditional call-and-response style. In other words, he called, and the rest of the band repeated. Simple, but rhythmic. He also played the flute and shaker, and another member played ti bois, the bamboo drum. They were fascinating to watch.

The accompanying dance (bottom), also called Bélè, is a form of quadrille, where four couples dance in a square formation. It got pretty raunchy (if you've ever been in a late night club in the Caribbean, you know what I'm talking about). Let's just say I'm still blushing. Apparently that's not a new invention from the whippersnappers. Now that I've seen the dance, felt the beat and heard the lyrics, I know Martinique a little better (maybe even intimately).

Picture This

If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then we've started a pretty solid novel on our new Facebook page, with albums just posted from our recent trips to Antigua, Aruba, Belize and Montserrat. But there's definitely more to come, so for all of the photo fans out there, keep checking the page!

Our Photo Gallery