Caribbean Holiday: Where Can You Go?
Caribbean Holiday
Many people enjoy traveling to the Caribbean for holiday. However, most don’t realize exactly how vast this region is. There are hundreds of things to do and places to see while you’re in the Caribbean, so before you begin planning your trip, you must first decide exactly where you want to go.
Once called the West Indies, the Caribbean was discovered by different explorers from Europe. Many of the people living on these islands, therefore, speak English very well. Because of the location of these islands in the world, they also cater very well to a United States tourist base, so most of the places in this area are great for travel.
Some of the main islands in the Caribbean include the following: Anguilla, and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks and the Caicos Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can also travel to a number of Central and South American countries that can coastlines along the Caribbean Island.
There are some places, of course that will not be as appropriate for a vacation as others. In fact, in some Caribbean island countries, like Cuba, can be quite dangerous for travelers in some cases. Some of the most popular places for Caribbean holiday include Antiqua, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can also choose to take a cruise throughout the Caribbean, so you can visit a number of the great islands in this area of the world.
Wherever you decide to travel, make sure you do you research first. In most cases, you’ll need a passport and sometimes you’ll need visa as well. You may also need to make certain considerations for the luggage you wish to take into and out of the Caribbean countries where you wish to travel. Pets are another consideration—if you plan to take your furry friend on vacation with you, you may need to make special arrangements.
Overall, the Caribbean has su
A Cuba Vacation
Taking time out from the everyday stresses and strains of life to visit an exotic place is something that everyone looks forward to. Cuba, with its notoriety brought upon by its government and the clamp down of the American government on its export and tourism, is a country known more for its cigar and its leader, rather than as a vacation destination. Despite this, every year more and more tourists from Canada and Europe are flocking to Cuba, enthralled by its natural beauty and its passionate and welcoming people. Tourism in Cuba is currently at an all time high.
Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands and is inhabited by people with a mixed race of Caribbean Indian, African and Spanish heritage. It has a contrasting landscape ranging from beautiful and mesmerizing beaches to sprawling and craggy mountain ranges. Limestone Mountains loom over the fields of tobacco, utilised for their famed cigars, providing a stunning scenic view. The natural beauty of Cuba and its history has shaped the country to what it is today. This is one Caribbean island that has been left unspoiled by technology and modern day living.
Like many of the Caribbean islands, Cuba main source of tourism is the beach industry. The country is blessed with hundreds of miles of sprawling sandy beaches, with fine white sand and clear blue water. Tourists visiting Cuba have a multitude of choices for the location of their beach vacation. The major resorts of Varadero and Cayo Largo are the most renowned and here you’ll find many 5 star all inclusive resorts. Despite this, there are also plenty of smaller, quieter beach resorts where you can truly get away from it all.
Aside from stunning beaches, Cuba also offers plenty of rustic towns and cities full of rich culture and heritage. A vacation to Cuba isn’t complete without visiting at least one of the Cuban towns or cities and meeting the local Cuban people.
In the north-west of the country you’ll find the capital city, Havana - the hub of everything that is Cuban. When you stroll around the city you’ll feel the essence of the Cuban past – a rich legacy emanating from the Spanish colonial architecture that beholds the city. Parts of the city resemble the set of an old movie, reminiscent of a bygone era, with old American cars bustling by. A lot of work has been done in the past decade to restore old Havana, a UNESCO world heritage site, but much of the city has been left untouched and hundreds of crumbling buildings collapse each month.
Havana also has its fair share of museums, including the Museum of the Revolution, the Havana Club Museum of Rum, the Cigar Museum, the Ernest Hemingway Museum and the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in Cuba and is located on the eastern end of the island. It has a beautiful setting at the foot of the Sierra Maestra Mountains and overlooks a magnificent bay. Unlike the other towns and cities in Cuba, Santiago de Cuba has a very Caribbean feel to it. This is as a result of the influence of the Haitian planters who settled here in the 19th century.
Trinidad, located in the heart of Cuba is one of the original towns and was founded in 1514. The city is filled with cobbled streets and old buildings with tiled roofs and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. It’s a very pleasant city to spend a day or two, with many museums, churches and Plazas.
An ideal way to spend your vacation is to take a few days to do some sightseeing in Havana or one of Cuba’s other cities and then follow that up with a relaxing weeks stay in one of the luxurious all inclusive resorts by the beach.
About the author:
Suzanne is the webmaster of http://www.suzannestravels.comYou can read about her recent vacation to Cuba in her Cuba Blog http://www.suzannestravels.com/cubaHere you�ll find information and reviews of her stay in Guardelavaca, Holguin and Havana