VIRTUALCAL.COM - travel canada

Island life … what a deal! Great budget vacations in the Caribbean - lifestyle travel

Wendy Paris

Many hotels slash rates in the summer when the crowds are down and ocean breezes keep the islands surprisingly cool. So check out four great getaways that cost far less than you would expect. (Just make sure to inquire about hurricane season, which varies from island to island.)

Slo-o-o-w Down

Negril Yoga Center Bed & Breakfast, Negril, Jamaica Stretch your dollars--and your body--at this laid-back roadside enclave just across the street from the beach. Guests can sign up for as many or as few yoga classes as they'd like, making the center perfect for neophytes who are intimidated by a more serious, daylong schedule. Check out Negril's nightlife, seven-mile beach and super-reasonable health-food restaurants, including The Carrot and Just Natural.

What you get: A room for two in one of 12 simple cottages (some with porches and hammocks), use of a communal kitchen and morning yoga classes, all for $25 to $70 a night. Budget an extra $25 per person a day for meals. There's also on-site massage ($50) and reflexology ($30). Insider info: Ask for a room near the back, away from the street, with a private bath. Bring mosquito netting. Call (876) 957-4397, or visit negrilyoga.com.

Get Some Lovin'

The Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House, Philipsburg, St. Maarten For island life urban-style, head to this dual-nation destination. St. Maarten's bustling Dutch capital, Philipsburg, has tall pastel-colored buildings, interesting shops, beachside barbecues, casinos and restaurants. The Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House is the oldest inn there. Guests will feel as if they're on the set of a Caribbean version of the movie Casablanca. All rooms have ocean views. Across the island in the French capital, Marigot, sidewalk cafes have the air of the French Riviera.

What you get: A cozy room for two that's big on charm, with ceiling fans, cable TV, air-conditioning and a shared balcony, starting at $88 a night. Afternoon tea, cocktails at a beachfront bar, water sports, beach towels and chaise longues are included. Insider info: Depending on what you want from a beach, these are your best choices: Plum Bale and Baie Rouge (secluded and pretty); Orient Baie (great snorkeling); and Dawn Beach (gorgeous sunrises, obviously). Call the St. Maarten Tourist Office, (877) 956-1234, or visit stmaartenhotels.net/pasangra.htm.

Take the Family

Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas Formerly known as Freeport, Grand Bahama Island has updated its image, making it one of the hottest destinations in this 700-plus island chain. Head there before word gets out about bargain-basement rates at brand-new Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort, home of Camp Lucaya, a children's center. Offsite, kayak through a mangrove swamp, hike, bike, horseback ride, swim with dolphins, scuba-dive among shipwrecks and reefs, and tour caves. Be sure to stop at the Lucayan National Park, where tall fir trees line a high bluff, and you'll see miles of pristine white sand and shallow waters as warm as anywhere in the Caribbean.

What you get: A room in Reef Village with two double beds, balcony, cable TV, full bath and bright-green island accents, starting at $120 a night. (There's no charge for kids under 12 who stay in their parents' room; an extra $30 is charged for those over 12.) Unrestricted access to the beach and all resort facilities. Free activities for toddlers through teens at Camp Lucaya, including conch-shell painting, straw weaving, Bahamian dance, snorkeling and swimming. Optional meal plan (breakfast and dinner) is $49, and $24.50 for kids. Baby-sitting services are $15 an hour, plus transportation for the sitter. Family Fun Package: From May 1 through September 2, 2002, rooms start at $125 a night, including free meals for kids under 12 and free activities like golf and tennis. Insider info: Head to the elegant crescent-shaped pool at Lighthouse Pointe. Call (877) 687-5822, or visit ourlucaya.com.

Get Back to Nature

Asa Wright Nature Center and Lodge, Arima Valley, Trinidad Long before ecotourism was hot, naturalists headed to this 1,000-acre wildlife sanctuary on a former cocoa, coffee and citrus plantation deep in the Trinidadian rain forest. Trinidad has more varied wildlife than any other Caribbean island, including 2,300 species of flowering plants, more than 100 types of mammals, 600 kinds of butterflies and 400 species of birds--many of which you can see from the veranda of Asa Wright's 94-year-old mahogany-trimmed main house.

What you get: A room with a king-size bed in the main house or one of 22 rooms in free-standing cottages with twin beds, private bath and balcony overlooking the valley, starting at $90 a person, based on double occupancy. Includes three daily meals (with freshly brewed estate-grown coffee), high tea, evening cocktails and access to the lush grounds, eight nature trails and a natural grotto pool fed by a stream. There are also films, lectures and guided walks. Insider info: Stop at Maracas Bay for shark 'n' bake, a local delicacy. Call (868) 667-4655, or visit asawright.org.

VIRTUALCAL.COM - travel canada

Menu