Travel

To cruise or not to cruise  With a cruise you get a whole lot more in terms of places/countries to visit and things to do/see (at least on the boat). After all, when you're on a cruise you are basically travelling on a resort. This arise because I'm seriously considering this new cruise line being advertised, the M.V. Adriana. The M.V. Adriana offers some of the destinations on my list that I've being planning to visit all on one cruise (the 7-night cruise) from  27 December 2015 to 3 January 2016 (http://www.westindiescruiseline.com/).  This means I can get more for the price I'd pay to visit just one of the islands on the list.  So should I or should I not take advantage of this offer? No, this is not a picture of the M.V. Adriana

Travelling on a budget I will never do this but it's quite interesting.  There are some good points though. Do you think you can do something like this?

Trinidad: The land of soca Soca is the baby and spoil child of Trinidad and Tobago.  It’s also a great way to express the beauty and wonder that is Trinbago: Bunji Garlin & Patrice Roberts: The islands Bunji Garlin : August Kes: Endless summer Destra: First Time  NB None of these videos are mine.

Trinidad: Staycation A great time to visit this island is around the July/August vacation season. There are numerous activities geared towards local tourism that can be of benefit to foreign visitors. Each year Experience T&T releases a list of tours, hikes etc and these are at great prices too. This year’s list can be found on https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceTT?fref=ts Adventure Seekers are also useful for events throughout the year. The host can be contacted using https://www.facebook.com/adventureseekerstt?fref=ts I had a wonderful time with the group and took these Chacachacare photos during the island tour/hike:  Chacachacare There are numerous hiking clubs in Trinidad with trained hike masters http://www.trinoutdoors.com/pages/hiking.htm most of them have Facebook pages or websites. With that said, I think I’m overdue for a hike. Stay tune for some  more Trini pics.

Barbados Barbados takes its tourism seriously and it is seen in the way they maintain the beauty of their island. The beaches and surroundings are always clean and beautified.  Transport is simple and easy to obtain so you don’t have to rent a car but I think you should.  Despite the warm and friendly people advertised on Bajan websites, the most horrible experiences I’ve had was with Bajan bus drivers.  The taxis on the other hand were quite polite. I figure they were more equipped to handle tourist than the bus drivers.  We used the bus because it was a group of us and it was cheaper but after several bad experiences we returned to the taxi/hired car service. The maxis weren't that bad but were generally overcrowded like the bus. The tour guides were accommodating and professional.  They truly improved our Bajan experience. Turtles   Swimming with the turtles. ...

Saint Martin/Sint Maarten: A view of the island This is a continuation of my Saint Martin/Sint Maarten post and explores more that the island has to offer. The island is totally gorgeous but I have to admit, the Dutch side is friendlier than the French side. There are also more for tourist on the Dutch side including cheaper hotels.  The island is small and can be explored in an entire day. The island is duty free and the prices are quite reasonable so make time for shopping.  Park your car in Philipsburg and walk around.  There are numerous shops and lots of pictures to be taken. Driving on the island is easy even though they drive like the Americans (on the right side of the road).  There are hardly any signs anywhere on the island so feel free to ask the locals for direction.  Collect one of the tourist maps in the airport or invest in a good GP...

Dauphin St night life It’s the in thing for youths to ‘lime’ or hang out along Dauphin St.  There are several bars along the stretch to allow the adventurous to bar hop. Alcohol drinking on the streets is not allowed pass 2am so make sure you’re off the streets by this time if you’re consuming alcohol in a bottle.  To be safe, drink while in the bar. On Friday nights, there are live bands as well as DJ’s.  Different bars cater to different audiences.  Find one you like and enjoy yourself. Cheers!

Grenada: Spice Island Known as the Spice Island, Grenada is breath takingly beautiful with friendly people.  Its local dishes a laden with delightful flavors.   The fish markets are stocked with a variety of fish as Grenadians love their fish dishes. This tourist destination is best explored by renting a vehicle and just driving.  Driving is on the left-hand side which was a plus for me. On visiting Grenada make time to stop and explore: 1 Grand Anse Beach 2 Annandale waterfall 3 Grenada National Museum 4 Grand Etang Lake See if you can identify some in the pics below: Okay, sorry for the quality of the pictures.  They were taken with a film camera and then scanned to my laptop.

Kids Travelling with kids can be challenging at times.  It is therefore important to be prepared to entertain them or keep them occupied so that you and the rest of the passengers can have some sort of peace. The video may be old but it is on point.   If you have a tablet or laptop etc make sure the battery life is to the max before leaving home so that they can have fun for the entire journey or at least most of it.   Watch the video to the end.   The last one is a classic.

Beautiful Saint Martin/Sint Maarten Saint Martin/Sint Maarten is Europe in the Caribbean.  Saint Martin is the French side whilst Sint Maarten is the Dutch side. Both the French and Dutch influence and architecture are very much evident throughout the island. Both sides speak good enough English at tourist hotpots. The beaches are gorgeous and numerous.  I thoroughly enjoyed beach hopping. These were three of my favorites: Great Bay Bay Rouge Maho Bay NB there are several nude beaches. You were warned so please be professional. Do you have a favorite Saint Martin/Sint Maarten beach? Tell us about it.