Page 14 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – September/October 2019

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TRAVEL AGENCY
Soak Up Some Sun and Fun in the Caribbean Islands
By Sandy Fenton
Sandy Fenton at "El Morro," Old San Juan's ancient fortress and its most recognized landmark.
shopping is plentiful and varied.
The Ritz-Carlton is an elegant resort on Seven Mile
Beach with a fantastic Silver Rain, La Prairie Spa and several dining venues featuring fresh conch and delicious West Indian dishes.
The Westin Beach Resort, also on Seven Mile Beach, has a gigantic outdoor pool and easy access to scuba diving and golf.
Curacao – Part of the “ABC” Islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao), this Dutch island is as colorful as its capital and popular cruise port, Willemstad. Famous for the Queen Emma Bridge and floating farmers markets, Curacao is a casual diving and lively casino destination. Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort is a lovely resort
with a Pete Dye-designed golf course and a swimming lagoon located on the beach.
Puerto Rico – You don’t need your passport to enter this U.S. territory floating in the Caribbean Sea. The sights, sounds and smells come alive in Old San Juan (a fantastic walking city), and in El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest managed by the U.S. Forest Service, you’ll experience three different forests and 30 types of orchids.
Hotel El Convento, a former nuns convent, is smack in the middle of Old San Juan, with the look and feel of an authentic and historic island hotel gem.
St. Regis Bahia is considered the island’s most luxurious resort and is located on the Caribbean’s first Gold Certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary. This is a bird-watching and golfers paradise.
St. Bart’s – If you want to vacation with the international jet-set, this is your island. St. Bart’s caters to the world’s celebrities and VIPs. You can purchase the finest in duty-free couture clothing and indulge in sumptuous dining in this oh-so-very-French country. St. Bart’s is beautiful, sophisticated, and the crazy- expensive yachts lining Gustavia Harbor will knock your socks off. Private villas are very popular – and many are for rent throughout the year.
Cheval Blanc St. Barth is an intimate and luxurious French boutique hotel surrounded by a tropical garden overlooking the sea.
No matter what time of the year you go, the Caribbean is always a beautiful destination with blazing sunsets, lush rainforests, sparkling white sand beaches, and nearly 700 species of fish swimming throughout the bluer-than-blue waters.
If you’re looking for gorgeous landscapes, year- round sunshine and tropical trade winds, you’ll find it in the Caribbean.
There are thousands of hotels, resorts, inns and B&B’s available at all price points.
I’ve listed a few of my favorites and
most are upscale properties. But
before you say you can’t afford it, sit down with your favorite AAA travel advisor and ask about all AAA member benefits and special promotions. All properties go on sale at some point and the fall shoulder months have some of the best deals available.
Antigua – Best known for its 365
beaches (one for every day), Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward islands. The world’s only Georgian naval dockyard, English Harbour and Falmouth are international yachting and sailing havens.
Jumby Bay – Set on a private island off the coast, this luxury resort has sophisticated travelers returning year after year and the suite-style cottages sell out quickly.
The Inn at English Harbor is an elegant and intimate boutique-style property specializing in romantic getaways.
Barbados – On this island, find a combination of English elegance, ancient sugar mills, a colonial past, and historic plantation estates dating back to the 1600s. Cricket matches, afternoon tea and
Curacao
golf scores are serious business in Barbados, followed by lazy sunny days on the beach.
Sandy Lane is considered one of the world’s finest full-service tropical resorts offering something for everyone.
The Crane, situated on a cliff overlooking one of the world’s top- rated beaches, is a short drive from the airport and has all-inclusive packages.
Bonaire – If you love snorkeling, diving and a casual ambience, you found it. Bonaire is a naturalist’s paradise where donkeys and flamingos outnumber the locals and the reefs and coral are protected by law.
Harbour Village Beach Club is a beachfront resort with a top-rated dive and water sports center.
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands are famous for beautiful Seven Mile Beach, diving sites (over 200) and Stingray City, where stingrays glide past you as you feel their fins flutter in only 3 feet of water (once was enough for me). The capital, Georgetown, is a busy cruise port and duty-free
Antigua
"Let’s Talk Travel with AAA," hosted by Sandy Fenton, is broadcast Saturdays 11:00AM to 12:00PM on iHeartMedia’s WHP580. For more information, go to whp580.com and click on the link to "Let’s Talk Travel."
14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
Now!