Caribbean Update: Which Islands Are Ready For Travel?

Many travelers love to shake off the winter blues with trips to sun-splashed Caribbean islands. There’s nothing more magical than the pairing of winter festivities with tropical landscapes, but after the ravages of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which islands are equipped for visitors? Follow these guidelines to help decide your Caribbean travel plans:

Islands That Were Not Impacted by Hurricanes and Are Completely Open For Business

•   Jamaica
•   Aruba
•   Curacao
•   St. Lucia
•   Barbados
•   The Cayman Islands
•   Grenada
•   Haiti
•   Trinidad & Tobago

Islands That Were Minimally Impacted and Are Open

Antigua: The island sustained minor damage from the hurricanes and only one hotel, Galley Bay Resort and Spa, remains closed but is expected to open a few days before Christmas.

The Bahamas:  The main tourism centers of Nassau and Grand Bahama weren’t affected and remain open for cruises and travelers. However, the Out Islands of Acklins, Ragged, and Crooked Islands are currently not open to tourists.

The Dominican Republic: The minimal damage to a few hotels and resorts has been repaired and all hotels and airports are open.

Islands That Were Impacted By The Hurricanes and Are Mostly Open

Cuba: The iconic malecon seawall that runs along the coast of Havana received some damage and flooding in half of the city but everything has been cleared and ports, hotels, and attractions are open. Resorts in the Varadero area were slightly damaged but have been repaired.

St. Kitts and Nevis: The hurricanes ripped through the sister islands and damaged a few resorts, but all are now open.

Turks and Caicos: Power outages and considerable damage to some resorts have affected the island, although the airport and majority of hotels are now open. Beaches Turks and Caicos and Amanyara Resort recently reopened on Dec. 15 and Club Med Turkoise is closed until Jan. 31, 2018.

Islands With Major Damage and Only Partial Openings

Anguilla: A major portion of the island’s infrastructure was damaged but re-building has been steady and 30 percent of hotel, apartment, and villa rooms are now available, as are most restaurants. A majority of resorts are scheduled to reopen by spring 2018. The airport is open and most ferry services have been restored.

Barbuda: Irma tore apart 95 percent of this tiny island’s infrastructure, and restoring the island’s airport, water, and the island’s frigate bird population are still in process. Robert De Niro is helping efforts by moving ahead with his plan to build the Paradise Found Resort on the island.

British Virgin Islands: Airports and seaports are open but power has not been completely restored on all the islands. Most resorts are still re-building, but the cruise ports and yacht harbors are open.

Puerto Rico: While power has been restored to 68 percent of the island, 9 percent of the population still doesn’t have water or roofs on their homes. Cruises have returned to the port, some hotels are open, and tourism is returning to Old San Juan. Many travelers are volunteering to help clean up through voluntourism organizations.

St. Barts:  Electricity has been restored and some hotels and villas are open. The St. Barts Music Festival is still scheduled to kick off  in January.

St. Martin/Maarten: The airport is open but minor repairs are still being done in phases. 70 percent of hotels were damaged on the Dutch side of the island and many beaches were also damaged. Cruises returned to the island in early December.

St. Croix and St. Thomas: The power and water infrastructure has been restored to almost half the population on both islands and airports and cruise ports are open. Many of St. Croix’s hotels are open, including The Buccaneer, Club Comanche Hotel St. Croix, Cottages By The Sea, Frederiksted Hotel, and Sand Castle on the Beach. On St. Thomas, Bellavista Bed & Breakfast and At Home in The Tropics Bed & Breakfast Innare open as well as restaurants and shops in the main shopping areas on both islands. Festivities for the Crucian Christmas Festival on St. Croix are scheduled through Jan. 6.

St. John: Cleanup on the island is continuing, although iconic beaches of Trunk Bay, Honeymoon, and Hawksnest are cleared and open for visitors. Hotels including Sea Shore Allure and Gallows Point Resort are also open for guests.

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Condé Nast Traveler Names Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Top Two Resorts In St. Lucia

CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER’S 2016 READER’S CHOICE AWARDS NAME
ANSE CHASTANET AND JADE MOUNTAIN
TOP TWO RESORTS IN ST. LUCIA

Both resorts listed earn coveted top-ten spots in the “Top Resorts of the Caribbean” category

Condé Nast Traveler today announced the results of its 29th annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet reached heights that rival the stunning Piton mountains they overlook. In the “Top Resorts of the Caribbean” category, Jade Mountain was number four, while Anse Chastanet was number eight. They were the only St. Lucian properties to earn placement in the top ten.

“We are honored to be a part of this prestigious list,” said co-owner Karolin Troubetzkoy of the travel survey, which covers hotels, cruise ships, cities and islands and is crafted from votes cast by more than 300,000 readers. “We believe that nature should be an integral part of the vacation experience, and our resorts reflect the beauty of St. Lucia while also offering top-quality service from our major domos, the famous butlers who attentively see to our guests' needs from arrival to departure.”

Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain share a lush, impossibly scenic 600-acre estate overlooking the Gros and Petit Pitons, 2,500-foot twin volcanoes that have come to symbolize St. Lucia and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The property also encompasses two sandy beaches that border coral reefs; the organic Emerald Estate Farm, where much of the restaurants' produce is grown; and the historical former plantation site of Anse Mamin, popular for hiking. The cuisine for both resorts is overseen by the highly acclaimed chef Allen Susser, who conceived the groundbreaking Miami restaurant Chef Allen's and has won the James Beard Foundation's Best Southeast Chef award. The resorts have six restaurants between them, and menu highlights include kingfish ceviche, giant prawns, Chateaubriand steak and artisanal chocolate made from locally grown cacao beans.

The resorts' story began in the 1970s, when architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy opened Anse Chastanet as an eco-conscious hotel that was decades ahead of the current “going green” craze. With nearly 50 rooms scattered along the hillside as well as within a tropical, beach-level garden, Anse Chastanet is known for its spa, Kai Belté, as well as activities like scuba diving, birdwatching and jungle biking. The resort also offers educational culinary programs like cooking classes and chocolate tastings.

In 2007, after years of planning and construction, Troubetzkoy opened his labor of love: Jade Mountain, an intimate, luxurious sister resort at the top half of the property. His bold architectural vision helped bring to life extraordinary details like dramatically suspended bridge walkways (instead of hallways) and extravagant suites called “sanctuaries,” each with a massive infinity pool that appears to be floating above the sea. Every room is missing its fourth wall, creating a dramatic, stage-like setting from which to savor the views of the Pitons and the Caribbean. As Karolin Troubetzkoy explains, the goal for the properties has always been “to meld our own unique architecture with St. Lucia's spectacular natural scenery, while at the same time showcasing the island's rich, indigenous culture.”

In addition to several Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards, both resorts have received numerous accolades such placement on Travel + Leisure's T+L 500 and World's Best Awards lists, theConde Nast Traveler Gold List, American Express Travel's Top 25 List and BRIDES magazine's rundown, “The 10 Best Honeymoon Resorts in the Caribbean.” But to the Troubetzkoys, the hundreds of testimonials from their guests, which include trip descriptions like “heaven on earth,” “an absolutely magical place” and “trip of a lifetime” are the most important and meaningful honors.

ABOUT THE READERS' CHOICE AWARDS

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as “the best of the best of travel.” Under Editor in Chief Pilar Guzmán, the Readers’ Choice Awards have become more selective and specific to the passions that inspire today’s travelers.

The Readers’ Choice Awards are announced in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler, on newsstands nationwide on October 25, 2016. The full list is published exclusively online, at www.CNTraveler.com/rca.

ABOUT CONDE NAST TRAVELER

As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com) is the global citizen’s bible and muse offering both inspiration and vital intel. Condé Nast Traveler is the most trusted and celebrated name in travel with 6 National Magazine Award wins and 26 nominations in its 28-year history. Advertising Age named Pilar Guzmán Editor of the Year in 2014 and CNTraveler.com attained 4 Webby Awards since 2015.

www.cntraveler.com

This August Witness Rare Coral Spawning At Anse Chastanet, Saint Lucia

Anse Chastanet’s Experts Predict 2016 Coral Spawning
to Take Place From 24th – 26th August

April 2016…// Anse Chastanet, St Lucia, is pleased to announce dates for this year’s annual coral spawning: 24th – 26th August. One of nature’s most spectacular and rare performances, only a handful of people worldwide see this phenomenon in their lifetime. Guests at Anse Chastanet, St Lucia, are lucky enough to witness this marvel annually as the natural wonder occurs right off the beaches of this characteristic resort.

Each year, Anse Chastanet’s scuba diving team, Scuba St Lucia, incredibly and accurately predicts the night spawning and prepares to take novice and experienced divers and snorkelers to observe the remarkable phenomenon which turns the seas yellow and pink with upwards moving “snowfall”. 

Accompanied at night by Anse Chastanet’s skilled in-house scuba staff, divers and snorkelers will be able to witness the mezmerizing fertilization process of both coral and various other reef inhabitants.

What is coral spawning and why is this so rare?

First discovered in the 1980s at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, this annual mass reproduction phenomenon is now known to be critical to coral reef – and our own ecosystem’s - survival. Tropical coral reefs, although out of sight, are essential to our world-wide food chains.

Each year, coral release millions of packets of egg and sperm cells that appear as massive underwater clouds of white and pink upward moving “snowfall”.  After they drift to the surface for fertilisation, the sea will be partially covered by the slicks of coral larvae before they settle to the bottom destined to build the next generation of these vital ocean organisms.

While much of the coral spawning process remains a mystery, scientists from all over the world study these miraculous events, and now know that the ideal time for the release of the reproductive cells is a week or so after a full August moon. It happens an hour or two after sunset with the cover of darkness increasing the chances of larvae survival by overwhelming fish predators.

How is Anse Chastanet conserving and preserving this rare phenomenon?

This spawning phase of reproduction is now known to be a weak link to world-wide coral reef survival as it can only happen when conditions are just right; it is the phase most sensitive to human activity, non-point source pollution, and climate change.

As the world’s coral reefs are being decimated by the effects of global warming, this unique reproductive process takes on even further significance. Thankfully, Anse Chastanet has made a conscious effort for nearly 20 years to protect the reef from harm due to it exemplary and progressive sustainable designs and architecture; by minimizing impervious surfaces, keeping shorelines green and stable, and completely preventing runoff from entering the water – Anse Chastanet successfully preserves this wonder for future generations. 

Watch Anse Chastanet’s coral spawning video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZQ1KerxYPg

Seven night dive packages at Anse Chastanet for August start at US $2,389 per person on a double occupancy basis where both guests are diving. Rate includes full-board, airport transfers, 12 beach or boat dives, dive equipment and non-motorized water sports. Marine park fee of US $17 is to be paid locally. See more at: www.scubastlucia.com

Nightly rates at Anse Chastanet start from $375 per room based on double occupancy. Rates are subject to 10% service charge and 10% VAT.  http://www.ansechastanet.com

To book or receive more information visit www.scubastlucia.com www.ansechastanet.com or call 1-800-223-1108 or email scuba@ansechastanet.com

 

About Anse Chastanet, Saint Lucia

Anse Chastanet sits quietly in an idyllic spot on St Lucia’s south western coast close to the awe inspiring Piton Mountains. The resort comprises of 49 individually designed rooms, 37 of which are scattered about a lush hillside, and 12 which are nestled within a tropical garden at beach level. Local woods and other local products are in integral part of the design of the rooms. Anse Chastanet is home to St Lucia’s only Vegetarian restaurant as well as fine-dining option The Treehouse Restaurant. A number of fantastic treatments are available at The Kai Belté Spa and activities including a large variety of watersports are all on offer too.