Caribbean - Islands of Perfection

Paradise really is a place on earth...

...and Birmingham International Airport now has more flights there than ever before. With new routes opening into Jamaica, plus Aruba and Barbados becoming increasingly popular, there’s never been a better time to find out first hand just how perfect this planet of ours can get…

The first time you arrive in the Caribbean you may experience a little disorientation. It’s as though your whole life up to that point has been lived at arm’s length, with senses somehow muffled. Reality seems more real here. The mundane becomes luxurious: one can take pleasure in simply being. Maybe that’s the reason for the famously laid-back attitude of the residents - who wants to change perfection? Better to just enjoy it.

Jamaica

Try saying the word ‘Jamaica’ without thinking of lazy days under the shade of beachfront palm, and sultry nights, sipping
a heady rum punch and moving to the distinctive sounds of the indigenous reggae. Whether your preference runs to all-inclusive luxury, cocooned in the dream-like surrounding of one of Jamaica’s many resorts, or you prefer to sample more of the authentic island, there’s something here for everyone.

Jamaica is a blend of blends, a rich mingling of the various cultural influxes throughout its sometimes-turbulent history. Some archaeology suggests the island was first settled in the second millennium BCE by indigenous South American cultures. Christopher Columbus was the first European visitor, claiming the island for Spain in 1494, with the following colonisation resulting in a rapid decline of the previous inhabitants.

Seized by the English in the 17th century, the island’s lush climate helped it become one of the world’s leading sugar producers, with large cane plantations tended by slaves kidnapped from Africa. By the 19th century slavery was abolished, and plantation owners brought in labour from China and India, working as indentured servants under conditions little different than outright slavery. Despite the ugliness of its history, modern Jamaica is made all the more beautiful by the rich mix of imported cultural ingredients thrown into the melting pot and warmed by the indigenous tropical heat to produce a unique flavour. How much of that flavour you sample is up to you.

Thomson offers several package options from Birmingham International Airport to Jamaica with resorts at Negril, Ocho Rios and the famous Montego Bay, spread along the island’s preferred north coast. Flights are now direct from Birmingham to Jamaica’s Montego Bay. The resort of Negril on the northwestern tip of the island, offers long beaches of immaculate white sand, lapped by a crystal clear Caribbean Sea and lined with laid-back restaurants, perfect for lazing whole days away. The beach front shacks provide for every taste, from local favourites like raw sugar cane and ‘jerk’ chicken, to a sumptuous choice of freshly caught fish dishes, to pasta and pizza for less adventurous.

Go east about 40 miles along the coast and you’ll find Montego Bay, a favoured home for wealthy Jamaicans and one the island’s (and the whole Caribbean’s) most attractive destinations. While Negril is mainly a beach resort (albeit a world-class beach resort), Montego Bay is a fully-fledged town in its own right, with a population of over 100,000 one of the biggest on the island.

As well as offering the pleasures of sea and sand, such as the famous Doctor’s Cave Beach, or the ten square miles of coral reefs to explore with a snorkel, Montego Bay provides a little more cultivated and diverse mix of diversions. The town has a justified reputation for retail therapy by day – ideal for those more attracted to splashing out than splashing about. By night, Montego Bay moves to the sound of reggae, with a varied nightlife you’re certain to find something that suits, whatever tempo you’re drawn to.

Another 40 or so miles east brings you to the once sleepy fishing village of Ocho Rios, or ‘Ochie’, now a thriving tourist resort, well known for water sports. Apart from beach life, the resort offers many more activities, such as white water rafting, cycling, or taking in the impressive sights of Dunn’s River Falls. If you fancy getting closer to Jamaica’s heritage, the plantation history is reflected in its botanical gardens, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kingston, or the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens and Coyaba River Garden and Museum, both at Ocho Rios.

But the island’s flora and fauna aren’t completely domesticated; generous green carpets of natural rainforest remain in the island’s interior, with ‘canopy tours’ on offer for those with a head for heights to get a macaw’s-eye-view of the dense forest roof, or more gentle hiking and rafting expeditions if you prefer to see nature from closer to the ground. Whatever you want from Jamaica – luxurious escapism, or no less refreshing, an encounter with a pace of life very different to manic bustle back home, the island is ready and waiting to greet you.

Aruba

At the other end of the Caribbean – both geographically and culturally, lies Aruba. The island is a little different to other parts of the Caribbean traditionally visited by the British. It does, as you’d expect, offer white-sand beaches, friendly people, top quality accommodation and wonderful water sports. But the culture has a Dutch rather than English flavour – clearly visible in the multi-coloured Dutch architecture of the island’s capital, Oranjestad. This heritage is reflected in the official Aruban language but most Arubans are also fluent in English.

Less than 20 miles off the coast of South America, the island enjoys a constant year round climate, with average temperatures of 30°C and rainfall of less than 20 inches a year. The geography is also a little different. Just nineteen miles long and six across, Aruba has two distinct sides to its character. The east coast is serene, with the warm crystal waters of the Caribbean sea kissing the palm tree lined white sandy beaches, while the west coast is dramatic and rugged, lashed by waves and flanked by high coral cliffs. Sandwiched in-between is a landscape that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Western. Dramatic rock formations and stark desert dunes scatter the horizon, punctuated with dots of colour from Aloe and cactus flowers.

Aruba offers some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving in the Caribbean from resorts along the gentle east coast. For the less energetic, you can explore the underwater sights by submarine or glass-bottomed boat. The island is blessed with a constant breeze, which not only keeps you cool on the beach, but makes it ideal for windsurfing and sailing.

A number of the major hotel chains are represented, while there is also a good selection of family-run properties. A number of hotels offer all-inclusive packages but with the island’s excellent restaurants it’s well worth venturing out. The many restaurants on the island cater for all tastes and range from quick snacks to cordon bleu. Freshly caught Caribbean fish is, of course, a speciality prepared in as many ways as there are cooks. Food from almost every continent is represented, including French, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Argentinean and the local island style.

Barbados

At another extreme of the Caribbean map is the far-western island of Barbados. At the very edge of the Caribbean, and part of the Lesser Antilles chain, the island is one of the most isolated, almost adrift in the Atlantic, but still offering the tropical delights that make the region such a draw for international tourism.

At little more than 150 square miles in area and with a population of around 300,000, Barbados is one of the smaller independent countries on the map. Sharing a similar colonial history as many of its larger Caribbean neighbours, the island is, like Jamaica, still part of the Commonwealth and has the Queen as head of state. Although small, the island is prosperous and well developed, rated as one of the best in the Americas for standards of living – just behind the USA and Canada. Much of this prosperity is due to the country’s successful transition from a mainly sugar growing economy to harnessing its other natural assets by drawing in a healthy supply of international tourist spending. It won’t take long on Barbados to see why – the beaches are picture perfect.

The island’s position south and east places it beyond the worst of the region’s tropical storms, so it benefits from the warmth of the Caribbean climate with less of a risk from hurricanes. The western and southern coasts prove the most popular with holiday makers looking to relax and soak up the tropical sun, drawn by the fine white sandy beaches and calmer face of the Atlantic.

Adrenaline junkies may prefer the more rumbustious east coast, with its more dramatic scenery and strong ocean winds. High-energy water sports of every sort are on offer, but visitors should heed warnings of strong ocean currents. As a well-developed tourist destination, accommodation and entertainment are all that you’d expect, with a wide choice of hotels, eateries and nightlife.

Thanks to Jamaica Tourist Board, Barbados Tourism Authority and Aruba Tourism Authority for their help with this article.