Indulge in the BVI

You don't have to hang around our blog for very long to notice that I love the British Virgin Islands. With pristine beaches, non-stop boating action, and some of the best beach bars in the world, the BVI's are my own little slice of Caribbean heaven. And on my list of must-see spots whenever I visit, Peter Island ranks pretty much at the top. Right now, the private island resort is offering a New Us, New You promotion through October 31 that's pretty tough to beat: Just book a five night stay in an ocean view room or beachfront junior suite and you'll only pay for four nights – a savings of 20 percent – plus you'll enjoy an Ayurvedic lifestyle and wellness experience at the spa, which includes a 75-minute treatment for two in the spa's exclusive beachfront couples' suite; a private yoga class for two; and the full American meal plan of breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. The package starts at $2,780 double occupancy for ocean view rooms, or $4,020 for the beachfront junior suites. Just log on to Peter Island's site to book your trip before the end of the month.

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!

Coming to a Screensaver Near You

Our intrepid staff photographer Zach just returned from an 8-day jaunt between Puerto Rico's sister islands of Vieques and Culebra, and as usual he's gone out of his way to rub it in by flaunting his gorgeous photos around the office all week. He swears it's all work and no play out there on his shoots, but let's be honest...there isn't a cubicle or conference table to be seen for miles in this photo of Vieques' pristine Playa La Chiva. I'm not buying it, Zach.

But on the bright side, we have a ton of great new desktop wallpapers and photo galleries coming your way now – all thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of one man and his trusty camera. Stay tuned to the home page as we post all of these photos and more over the next few days. And don't forget to share your own Caribbean travel photos in our Facebook Fan Gallery.

Voluntourism on St. Thomas

The Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa just announced a new voluntourism experience that helps eco-conscious guests to give back on their next Virgin Island vacation. For $79 per person, guests of the St. Thomas resort can experience nearby Hassel Island along with tour operator Virgin Islands Ecotours. The excursion begins with a 20-minute kayak paddle from Charlotte Amalie Harbor over to the isle, where you'll have the chance to explore the ruins of a former British military garrison and other historic locations like the Creque Marine Railway, one of the Western Hemisphere's first steam-powered marine rail systems. Following a good dose of Caribbean history, you'll spend the afternoon beautifying the beaches of Hassel island – from collecting flotsam to trimming up hiking trails – then finish the day with some restorative beach time. Included in the package rate, you'll also get a free annual membership to the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park and St. Thomas Historical Trust. And if eco-tours are right up your alley, don't miss our recent Day Trip on other green tours you can try with Virgin Islands Ecotours.

Caribbean Travel + Life on Scribd.com

Back in April, we unveiled our Facebook Fan Page, followed pretty quickly by a new Twitter account, @CaribTravelLife. Each site gives Caribbean Travel + Life readers and fans a great way to connect with our content like travel news, hot deals and contest announcements every day – plus they can chat with the editors and share trip reports, photos and videos with the whole CT+L community. With over 3,000 combined fans already, these sites have been a definite success.

So while we're on the social media bandwagon, we just created another account on Scribd - the world's largest social publishing house - that we hope you'll check out as well. On our Caribbean Travel + Life Scribd page, you can access fully interactive PDF versions of our featured magazine content, including archived Day Trips, Rare Finds and Affordable columns from past issues – plus sneak peeks of articles from upcoming issues, like this cover from our November issue that will hit newsstands on October 6!

To access our page, just click here or go to www.Scribd.com and search for Caribbean Travel + Life. Let us know what you think!

Caribbean Half-Marathon

Runners, take your marks...the Montserrat Tourist Board just announced a brand new Volcano Half-Marathon in collaboration with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and the Fittest Man Running Club, so here's your chance to see the island like never before.

Slated for December 5, the 13.1-mile race will be part of the island's annual carnival celebration - Festival - and proceeds from the event will go to three local charities: the Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels and the Golden Years Retirement Home. The course will be a doozy on Montserrat's rugged and super-steep volcanic terrain, kicking off near the new Cultural Center in Little Bay, then passing through island hot-spots like Runaway Ghaut springs and the legendary Air Studios (where artists like the Rolling Stones and Elton John once recorded), and culminating at Salem Park.

The registration deadline is December 4, and the fee is just $30 per runner including a T-shirt and gift bag filled with other Montserrat goodies. To sign up, check out the official Volcano Half-Marathon Facebook page or email the MTB here.

Ready, Set, Shop!

Believe it or not, there are only 90 more days before the holidays, and it’s never too early to get started on your gift list!

Long Island, NY transplant Gina Fedderson crafts fun and functional home accessories, stationery and art from her Virgin Islands home in St. Thomas, where she’s inspired by nature and casual beach living.

Readers may remember that we featured Gina’s work in our August 2008 issue, and now she’s just released her 2010 collection. The understated and elegant line of napkins, table runners and guest towels features block-printed botanical motifs such as palm fronds, tropical fruit and sea life (I’m in love with the coral placemats and pillows), which are repeated on the natural fiber wine totes and lavender sachets and recycled paper note cards.

You can find the Isola Bella line on St.Thomas at Home Again; in select stores in California, Florida and Massachusetts; or just hop online to isolabellashop.com to see the full collection.