Island-Hopping The Caribbean

St. Kitts- To Love Or Not To Love

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Port Zante Photo - St. Kitts and Nevis, Caribbean

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On my final stop on my cruise, I went to this island. Just like many of the Caribbean Islands, St. Kitts has its own style and flavor. I brought a tour to see most of this island.Tip: If taking a cruise and looking for an independent shore excursion, HAGGLE. You can possibly find an excursion for less than $30 per person.Shockingly, this island was not my favorite of all the Caribbean Islands, and for many reasons. For example, if you are a tree-hugger or a beach lover, prepare to be stunned. The beaches are filled with garbage. Apparently, the inhabitants of this island dump their trash just about everywhere like a landfill. Sadly, this appearance took away the beauty of this ...Read More

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Visiting St. Lucia

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St. Lucia is an island that was fought between the French and British. Once one steps on this island, you can see why. This has everything one wants in an island- Wonderful beaches, amazing weather, and gorgeous waters. I took a cruise to this luscious island, and I was in for a surprise.Tip: If you plan to visit this island through a cruise, get to know people well on the ship, especially if they know the island well. You can possibly go as a group and be able to manage the cost of transporting to any of the beaches on the island, thus making it cheap.When I went to this island, I saw a couple that I had met on this first night of my cruise. Fortunately, this couple decided to...Read More

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One Beach Down, 364 More To Go

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Let me that I have arrived!!! Photo - Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

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How many beaches can a person see on one island? The answer is 365. Antigua alone has 365 beautiful beaches: That is one beach per day in a year. ONE BEACH PER DAY. Each one completely different from the other.My wife and I decided to do a shore excursion to visit one these sublime beaches. We had the very pleasure to visit the beach of Sandheaven.The sun was crisp and soothing. The crystal-clear water was cool and refreshing. Waves crashing towards the beaches like a hard-hit tackle in a football game. I had a welcoming French-speaking tour guide. This lady excited me because of the fact she spoke French: I wanted to see how skilled my French was. I thought of all the many hours of ...Read More

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The Caribbean's Industrious Island

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Welcome To Paradise! Photo - Bridgetown, Barbados

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When one visits this island, one would think that this is a growing, industrious island. Factory buildings that many of the island's workers head to every morning. Even though this island is industrious, it is, in its own sense, an industrious paradise. This island not only benefits from industrious work and trading, but its ability to attract tourist.Weather- The weather on the island was nice and beautiful. It was hot, yet a nice Caribbean breeze would blow to cool you off. The sun was high and burning brightly as ever. With the sun's rays caressing the Caribbean Sea.Land- My wife and I decided to walk from the port that our cruise ship stopped to the main city. It was about ...Read More

When one visits this island, one would think that this is a growing, industrious island. Factory buildings that many of the island's workers head to every morning. Even though this island is industrious, it is, in its own sense, an industrious paradise. This island not only benefits from industrious work and trading, but its ability to attract tourist.

Weather- The weather on the island was nice and beautiful. It was hot, yet a nice Caribbean breeze would blow to cool you off. The sun was high and burning brightly as ever. With the sun's rays caressing the Caribbean Sea.

Land- My wife and I decided to walk from the port that our cruise ship stopped to the main city. It was about a four mile walk. If you plan to do this walk, please make sure that you hydrate. My wife easily got tired by the second mile before she was asking for something cool to drink. While walking to the city, I noticed that this island was truly secluded. As far as the eye could see, you could only see water and nothing more. I felt like I was isolated. The city is busy we different kinds of inhabitants of the island- I saw business people, workers, people whole looked ghetto, poor people, and many more. All of these people that clashed together to form the identity of this island's personality.
It was close to Christmas, and it was weird to see palm trees decorated with Christmas lights. Being in the Christmas mood we decided to buy my father-in-law a present. We went into a store to buy him a Hawaii-like, but Caribbean-style shirt. The workers of the store were very polite and nice.

Saint Mary's Episcopal Church- This was the best part of the trip and is worth going. To visit this church is free. If you want to donate money, it is only one dollar to donate- I did donate to the church. We had a very kind and helpful tour guide; he has served this church since he was nine-years old. This church was very old-fashion tell how this church was built. In fact, my tour guide told me that everything in the church has been kept since the church was built. Outside of the church, it was paradise in a serious sense. There would be exotic plants and birds surrounding the church, yet graves lay dormant outside. These graves would remind me how long this church has been in service of this island nation. Some of the graves have been here since the early 1900s. I shall never forget this experience of this trip.

While returning to the ship, we were attacked by every taxi cab driver telling us they could show us the entire island for around $40 per person. I rolled my eyes and said no thanks. If you can, try to blend with the people of the island because they don't stop trying to sale you these overpriced tours until you say no for the nine-billionth time.

In the end, this island was gorgeous, yet one can tell that this island is growing everyday. I hope to visit this island one day again. Read Less

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In The Jungle, The Mighty Rumbles

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The City of Roseau Photo - Roseau, Dominica

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When one looks at this island from a boat, you think as though you are going be robbed or injured by the inhabitants, or even worse, killed. However, don't be fooled when you step on this island. My wife and I took a tour to see this magnificent island- It was worth every penny. While on the tour, my tour guide told me that a jaw-dropping crime rate of 3 percent happens every year. Let me tell you, just hearing that made this island that much more safe than what I had originally assumed.The best chance of you being killed on this island is when you ride in a vehicle. The roads are not made well; in fact, you are more likely to drive on dirt roads the you are paved ones. The roads are very,...Read More

When one looks at this island from a boat, you think as though you are going be robbed or injured by the inhabitants, or even worse, killed. However, don't be fooled when you step on this island. My wife and I took a tour to see this magnificent island- It was worth every penny.
While on the tour, my tour guide told me that a jaw-dropping crime rate of 3 percent happens every year. Let me tell you, just hearing that made this island that much more safe than what I had originally assumed.
The best chance of you being killed on this island is when you ride in a vehicle. The roads are not made well; in fact, you are more likely to drive on dirt roads the you are paved ones. The roads are very, and let me stress, VERY narrow. If you are not familiar in driving on this island, I would NOT recommend driving on this island, unless you love riding rolling coasters. When I went uphill to see more of the island, the driver of my tour would drive like a bat from hell. He was driving at least 70 miles per hour on mountains with roads that had no guard rails as well as hair-pin turns. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie.
The best part of the tour is going to the see the rain forests of island. I would HIGHLY recommend to see these stunning and amazing rain forests. You get to see all kinds of exotic fruits grow as well as get to eat the freshest fruit ever. I got to eat a banana and, for the first time, sugarcane.
While in the rain forests, the tour stopped at the island's national park called Morne Trois Pitons- This national park is WORTH checking out. The tour took my group to the Emerald Pool, which had a beautiful and amazing waterfall pool. Let me tell you, once you step in the pool, you will feel as like a new person. The water is just right in temperature and is nice to jump into on a hot, humid day. I have never been in a natural pool that had a waterfall. When I went into this waterfall, I felt a renewed, energized spirt. I had a wonderful experience and one I shall not forget.
When I returned to my boat, I saw this beautiful rainbow that made me realize how exotic and wild it was. I hope to return to this island again someday to explore more of its wonders. Read Less

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America's East-Coast Version of Hawaii

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Hurray!!! We're Here Photo - St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

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I was on a cruise with my wife when we stopped at St. Thomas. The second I stepped foot on the island, I knew that I was finally in paradise. The air smelled refreshing and clean. The land was very beautiful with yachts sailing across the crystal-clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.While my wife and I were on the island, we mainly just shopped in Charlotte Amalie. One thing I would tell anyone is to be prepared to spend a lot. In Charlotte Amalie, there is a lot of jewelry stores that will try to even sale you the store. These stores offer beautiful stones, some that are very rare. I spent $642 on getting my wife a new engagement and wedding ring.Even though it was December, it was sti...Read More

I was on a cruise with my wife when we stopped at St. Thomas. The second I stepped foot on the island, I knew that I was finally in paradise. The air smelled refreshing and clean. The land was very beautiful with yachts sailing across the crystal-clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.
While my wife and I were on the island, we mainly just shopped in Charlotte Amalie. One thing I would tell anyone is to be prepared to spend a lot. In Charlotte Amalie, there is a lot of jewelry stores that will try to even sale you the store. These stores offer beautiful stones, some that are very rare. I spent $642 on getting my wife a new engagement and wedding ring.
Even though it was December, it was still a hot day. The sun's heat would beat down on you like you were fighting Mike Tyson, so I suggest to anyone to make sure that you hydrate a lot over there. You can easily get exhausted if you aren't careful.
The best thing that I got to see over there was two dolphins, a mother and her baby, that swum into the small bay that the island surrounded. They were not suppose to be in the bay because of the jet skis and boats. I was glad to see that they did not get hurt while swimming towards that sea.
The main reason I say the USVI is what I put on the title is because of the similarity to Hawaii. However, instead of the "Polynesian flare", you have the "Caribbean flare". If you are on the east coast of America, you can save a lot of time and money just traveling to this island. They not only have one of most famous beaches, but you also have the other Caribbean islands right next door. You have a mixture of American and Caribbean flavor, thus giving you a relax feeling to it- You don't even need a passport to visit.
St. Thomas is a wonderful place that I plan on coming back to and exploring more. This is a secret vacation spot that doesn't get much attention in comparison to Hawaii. I now know that this place is worth coming back as much time as possible to experience the zeal and passion of the island. Read Less

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Caribbean Islands Journals

Island-Hopping The Caribbean

St. Kitts- To Love Or Not To Love

Visiting St. Lucia

One Beach Down, 364 More To Go

The Caribbean's Industrious Island

In The Jungle, The Mighty Rumbles

America's East-Coast Version of Hawaii

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