Tropical Tidbits

Summer is Prime Time for Caribbean Travel!

Now, since even countries like Canada are finally getting their fair share of warm weather during their criminally short summer, one might think that it’s not the time to head to tropical climes. But there are some very good rea­sons to do so.

For one, top resorts in paradisiacal loca­tions typically cut their rates to the bone during low season, sometimes throwing in extra nights or kids-stay-free packages and even going so far as to offer airfare credits, too! Another good reason is the parties!

Some islands have their biggest blowouts during this time of year like Anguilla’s August Summer Festival and Barbados’ Crop Over. You haven’t really experienced authentic Caribbean until you’ve learned to “jump up” with the locals!

But one of our favourite reasons for head­ing south during the summer is to experi­ence sea turtles in the wild! Summer is sea turtle nesting time on beaches throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. This is when the female turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs, and many resorts have sea turtle protection and con­servation programs to protect them that vis­itors can participate in. Witnessing hatch­ings and helping baby sea turtles reach the sea in release programs when they need protection are truly magical experiences that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Dominican Republic Targets More Adventurous Travellers

People love to travel to the Dominican Republic to escape winter due to the excel­lent deals and affordable all-inclusive packages, but today’s savvy traveller also wants to explore beyond the resort and dis­cover the surrounding communities and landscapes. And according to Dominican Tourism authorities the government is out to help make that easier.

We learned about these plans at the recent 2016 Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE), the country’s official and biggest trade show for media and the travel indus­try. Strategies include new roads through­out the country connecting the lesser known interior regions and new activities focusing on nature explorations to get visitors off the beaches and into more active adventures. Tour operators will be offering more activi­ties such as river rafting, mountain biking, zip-lining, paragliding, rappelling and hik­ing. Also planned is increased air access to lesser-known tourism destinations like Puerto Plata and Samana.

We had the opportunity to attend the Sunscape Puerto Plata’s opening in the Dominican Republic last March, and we were very impressed. It’s a lovely family friendly and very affordable all-inclusive resort on picturesque Playa Dorado beach. They also offer an adult-only section and pool, which adds to its allure for those seeking a more serene escape. It’s not a new complex, but it has been beautifully refurbished to enhance the grand colonial style charm and it also crests an inviting Robert Jones Trent designed 18-hole golf course. Though none of the 585 rooms are oceanfront since a protected mangrove forest sepa­rates the resort from the sea, it’s a very short walk to the beach and the trek through the ancient trees is well worth it. They also have an excellent kid’s club and they were putting the finishing touches on a their new Spa by Pevonia which will be comprehensive and luxurious when com­plete.