Caribbean

1. Caribbean An Overview

2. Bahamas • Language: English • Culture: Lucayan Indian, European, and African cultures. Some interesting aspects: Junkanoo, Rake 'n Scrape, Exuma, the Obeah ManKalik, Gold Conch Salad, National Family Island Regatta, Chickcharnies, Salt Ponds and Cascarilla • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa5uX2TcrRo

3. Physical: wild horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, iguanas, flamingos, parrots, and a small native mammal called a hutia. There are no poisonous snakes! • Lots of caves everywhere….used to be used for pirates • Over 700 islands put together • Population: 347,176 (2011)

5. Cuba • Language: Spanish • Culture: A communist country. Very poor limited possession type of country. Old vintage cars are the norm. Cuban music, cigars and dancing on the street part of the culture. • Physical: largest land mass in the Caribbean. Lots of lush palm trees. Terrain is mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast. • Population: 11,253,665 (2011) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4AA4KXIjT8

7. Jamaica • Language: English • Physical: TheBlue Mountains boasts the world’s best coffee, try a cup in the century-old factory at Mavis Bank. There are world-class reefs for diving including those at Runaway Bayand Ocho Rios and great stretches of palm-fringed sand at Treasure Beach or Frenchman’s Cove near Port Antonio. There are offbeat bush-medicine hiking tours, congenial fishing villages, pristine waterfalls, cosmopolitan cities, wetlands harboring endangered crocodiles and manatees, unforgettable sunsets – in short, enough variety to comprise many utterly distinct vacations.

8. Culture: Nowhere else in the Caribbean is the connection to Africa as keenly felt as it is in Jamaica. Kingston was the major nexus in the New World for the barbaric triangular trade that brought slaves from Africa and carried sugar and rum to Europe, and the Maroons (runaways who took to the hills of Cockpit Country and the Blue Mountains) safeguarded many of the African traditions – and introduced jerk seasoning to Jamaica’s singular cuisine. St Ann’s Bay’s Marcus Garvey founded the back-to-Africa movement of the 1910s and ’20s; Rastafarianism took up the call a decade later, and reggae furnished the beat in the 1960s and ’70s. Little wonder many Jamaicans claim a stronger affinity for Africa than for neighboring Caribbean islands. • Population: 2,709,300 - 2011 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUa5BN0Je4

10. Dominican Republic • Language: Spanish • Culture:Whether it’s fishing villages where the shoreline is used for mooring boats, indulgent tourist playgrounds with aquamarine waters, small towns where the social glue is all-night merengue blasting from modest corner stores, or cities like Santo Domingo, the Caribbean’s largest, the sea is the common denominator, symbolizing both limits and escapes. Even with their glory days behind them, former engines of industry like crumbling San Pedro de Macoris or Puerto Plata still see waves crash over their Malecóns. Some of the bays and coves where pirates once roamed are the temporary home of thousands of migrating humpback whales, and part of an extensive network of parks and preserves safeguarding the country’s natural patrimony.

11. Physical: The DR’s hundreds of miles of coastline – some of it picturesque white-sand beaches shaded by rows of palm trees, other parts lined dramatically with rocky cliffs or backed by wind-swept dunes or serene mangrove lagoons – define the country. Beyond the capital, much of the DR is distinctly rural: driving in the vast fertile interior, you’ll see cows and horses grazing alongside the roads, tractors ploughing large fields, and trucks and burros loaded down with produce. Further inland you’ll encounter vistas reminiscent of the European Alps, rivers carving their way through lush jungle and stunning waterfalls, small towns where life revolves around the Parque Central, and villages ruled by the sun’s rhythms. Four of the five highest peaks in the Caribbean rise above the fertile lowlands surrounding Santiago and remote deserts extend through the southwest, giving the DR a physical and cultural complexity not found on other islands. • Population: 10,056,181 - 2011

13. Bermuda • Language: English • 'You go to heaven if you want - I'd rather stay here in Bermuda.' So gushed Mark Twain in the 19th century, and Bermuda's promise of sun and sea still lures vacationers to its shores. These days celebs like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones call Bermuda home, and millionaire executives pop over for a little R&R. The island makes for a delightful getaway vacation. If you're looking for peace and quiet, Bermuda has pampering resorts to soothe your soul. Romantics will find atmospheric inns with four-poster beds and candlelight dining. Or perhaps you want to really let loose. Jump on a motor scooter and let the wind whip through your hair. Go out on the town and dance the night away in the seaside capital, the City of Hamilton.

14. The island is surrounded by a fantastic coral reef that harbors colorful fish and has ensnared scores of shipwrecks, making for memorable diving and snorkelling at spots like Elbow Beach in Paget Parish. Elsewhere, the crystal-clear waters of Southampton Parish provide perfect conditions for kayaking and yachting. The offerings on land are splendid as well. You can play a round at a world-class golf course, hike peaceful trails and sunbathe on glorious pink-sand beaches. Or stroll the crooked streets of the colonial settlement of the Town of St George, Britain's oldest surviving town in the New World, which is so well preserved it's been made a World Heritage site. • Population: 64,700 - 2011 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfILNAPZkI

16. Barbados • Language: English • Many Caribbean islands have beaches, but where Barbados differs is what lies behind the surf and sand. No matter your budget or style, you can find a place to stay that suits you, whether cheap, funky, restful or posh. All the comforts of home are close at hand if you want them as Barbados is one of the most developed islands in the region. The literacy rate approaches 98% and the capital Bridgetown and its surrounds are booming.

17. Away from the luxury resorts of the west coast and the well-developed south coast, however, is where you’ll find what makes the island special. Central Barbados has a rolling terrain of limestone hills and amid this lush scenery are fascinating survivors of the colonial past. Vast plantation homes show the wealth of these settlers and face up to the brutality of the slave trade. Museums document this engrossing history while several botanic gardens exploit the beauty possible from the perfect growing conditions.

18. The wild Atlantic-battered east coast is a legend with surfers; those looking for action will find wind-surfing, hiking, diving and more. Barbados is a great package, and despite its popularity, you’ll have no trouble making it your own. Away from the glitz, it’s still a place of classic calypso rhythms, an island-time vibe and world-famous rums. • Population: 273,925 - 2011 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOFJQ3hKmco

20. St Lucia • Language: Locals speak English • Physical: Famous for the Pittons mountain peaks • Formed because of volcanoes (still active with hot springs) • Rainforests meets the ocean • Natural sand is black because of volcano ash • Lots of banana plantations • Culture: • Population: 176,000 (2011) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk6oeEbX7Ss

22. Martinique • Language: French • Martinique is for (beach) lovers. And foodies. And divers. And hikers. And, especially, Franco­philes. A marriage of Gallic culture and Caribbean customs, this overseas department of France is a sunnier, slightly less crowded version of the motherland. People looking for the more sophisticated pleasures, whether they be the kind you put on your plate or the kind you put on a credit card, will be happy to know that good food and the latest fashions aren’t optional here, but a mandatory fixture wherever visitors congregate - especially in its harbourside capital, Fort-de-France.

23. Volcanic in origin, the island is crowned by the still-smoldering Mont Pelée, which wiped out Martinique’s former capital of St-Pierre in 1902. There’s plenty of hiking and nature-watching on the slopes of the volcano. And since this is often called the ‘Isle of Flowers’ there are botanical gardens tucked into the rugged landscape.

24. Long luscious beaches and loads of diving are the main attractions in the south. Fishing villages dot the coasts; most of them have managed to hang on their seafaring soul while offering plenty for visitors to see and do. • There’s a lot going on here, but it all happens on Caribbean time. Except for the mountainous north, it’s an exceptionally easy island to drive around. One can surf at Presqu’île de Caravelle in the morning and make it back to Fort-de-France in time (avoiding rush hour) to sample the city’s budding nightlife. • Food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvWKM7QmDs • Population: 412,305 (2012)

26. Virgin Islands • Language: English • Physical: St John is the greenest island, literally and figuratively. It cloaks two-thirds of its area in parkland and sublime beaches, ripe for hiking and snorkeling. It also leads the way in environmental preservation, with limited development and several low-impact tent-resorts for lodging. Dizzying cruise-ship traffic and big resorts nibbling its edges make St Thomas the most commercialized island. St Croix is the odd island out, located far from its siblings and offering a mix of rainforest, sugar plantations, old forts and great scuba diving. Its economy is not based on tourism, which makes it feel even more off-the-beaten path.

27. Cultural: While the islands are American territories (and a favorite of American tourists since they don’t require a passport), West Indian culture remains their strongest influence. Calypso and reggae rhythms swirl through the air, and curried meats, callaloo soup and mango-sweetened microbrews fill the tables. • Population: 109,666 - 2011 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIuVoYjXyAQ

29. St Thomas • Most visitors arrive to the USVIs via St Thomas, and the place knows how to strike a first impression. Jungly cliffs poke high in the sky, red-hipped roofs blossom over the hills, and all around the turquoise, yacht-dotted sea laps. Unfortunately, once you disembark from your plane or boat, you’ll find you’re sharing this scene with 20, 000 tourists who’ve just piled off the seven cruise ships docked in the harbor.

30. Years ago, St Thomas made a bargain with the devil: provide us with a good and steady source of income and we’ll give you our innocence and our environment. And so it became the darling of the cruise-ship industry and its two million passengers. In 2007 St Thomas ranked last in the ‘world’s most beautiful islands’ survey by National Geographic, which called it ‘totally spoiled’ and ‘one big ugly jewelry store.’

31. That’s true…to an extent. Most of the mob-fest happens in Charlotte. Visitors who make the effort to move deeper into the 30-sq-mile island will find opportunities for surfing, kayaking through mangrove swamps and getting face-to-face with sea turtles. • Population: 51,181 (2000) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lFBQaWtb-M

33. St Kitts • Language: English and French • Near-perfect packages – that’s how you might think of St Kitts and Nevis after a visit. The two-island nation combines beaches with the beauty of the mountains, plenty of activities to engage your body and some rich history to engage your mind. The legacies of the sugar industry have been recycled into pleasant plantation estates good for lunch or just a stay. And the local culture is almost a Caribbean cliché: mellow, friendly, familiar and with a pulsing soca beat.

34. But if the pair offer much that’s similar, they also differ in the details. St Kitts is the larger and feels that way, from the hustle of intriguing Basseterre to the resort enclave of Frigate Bay. You could spend a few days exploring all of its beaches, with their cool bars, water activities and pure vacation vibe. Circling the main part of the island, there’s plenty to see: the languid charms of the plantations and the astonishing bulk of Brimstone Fortress.

35. Nevis is a neater package. It has one volcanic mountain rather than a range and its one main road is a circle that takes you around the island in under two hours. There’s a handful of beaches with the usual fun, and Charleston, the charming main town, can be walked end to end in 15 minutes. History here centers on the big names of Horatio Nelson and Alexander Hamilton. Nature walks take you into the verdant upper reaches of the peak. • Population: 53,051 (2011) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ft-w7vddrA

37. St Vincent • Language: English • St Vincent is the largest island and the hub that most travelers will pass through on their visit to SVG. Though not uninspiring, the allure of the Grenadines pulls most visitors away from here quickly. • The beaches are sadly on the average side and the frenetic pace of Kingstown tends to put off those in search of the quiet life. The lush green, rainforested interior has some pleasant hiking options. Vast banana plantations and other agricultural pursuits form the mainstay of farming in the region.

38. There are also opportunities to get an insight into traditional Vincy life as the towns and villages are unspoiled by tourism – unlike the resorts around the island that, for the most part, do their best to insulate guests from the realities of life on St Vincent, preferring to bathe them in rum punch and lull them to sleep with incessant steel-pan serenades. • Population: 109,365 (2011) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JsVK-PSTmU

40. Trinidad and Tebaggo

41. Language: Spanish • t’s Carnival in Port of Spain. Soca music throbs in the streets, and a woman furrows her brow, shaking and gyrating as the beads on her bikini seem close to flying off. She is Trinidad and Tobago. An East Indian couple serves pungent curried doubles at lightning speed on the street corner, fishermen plunk their catch on splintering docks as the new morning spreads over an azure ocean, an oil-industry businessman walks from crumbling streets into a modern air-conditioned building where he navigates the global economy for his nation, and a crazy-haired steel-pan player lays into an oil drum reaching a seventh-level of ecstasy – they are all Trinidad and Tobago.

42. National pride, a sordid history of slavery and indenture, and the love of music and limin’ unite the myriad colors, ethnicities and cultures that make up the dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Dive in. Be prepared to experience beaches so mesmerizing you’ll forget your name, first-class diving through coral wonderlands, a Carnival to end all Carnivals, and luxuriant rainforests prime for bird-watching, hiking, and cycling. Of the two islands, Tobago is the laidback pleasure center, while hard-working Trinidad has less of a tourist infrastructure...but plenty of natural and nocturnal attractions.

43. But don’t expect anyone to hold your hand. The oil and gas industry leaves tourism low down on the priority list. Upscale resorts and hotels are out there, and more so on Tobago, but generally you jump in the mix and accept the services that facilitate a sun-drenched ball, whether it be peaceful, sand-filled, rollicking, or all of the above. • Population: 1,346,350 - 2011 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzetgvHIHpc