By Karen Udler Wow…I have been to some great places here on the mainland that have interesting monikers including The Bitches Corner Bar located pretty much in my hometown in Wyoming and, yes, I’ve known the “original” bitch for close to 50 years. I have been in more than one Pecker’s and Dick’s as well. This month I was really intrigued by the piece in the Caribbean Journal on Big Bastard’s! I have got to figure out a way to get down there. I don’t know anywhere you can go spend a day on the beach on an island in the Caribbean with all of the bells and whistles – including adult beverages and eats – at your beck and call for a mere $149.00 per couple! – Lani, Old Town Crier.
By Guy Britton If you are still looking for some last-minute plans to ring in 2026 and your savings account hasn’t been depleted from the US Government shut down, one of these amazing villas might be just the ticket to welcome in the New Year. I have often dreamt of spending one of the big holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s – on a tropical island but the closest I have gotten, so far, is spending a great 4 days in the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel on the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware for Christmas a few years ago. Not exactly tropical but….it was on the ocean. Guy Britton, the managing editor of the Caribbean Journal, who, by the way, has more than four decades of experience traveling the Caribbean and is considered one of the world’s foremost experts covering the region has put together his recommendations below. – Lani Gering, Old Town Crier These St Barth Villas Are Perfect for New Year’s Eve The last sunset of the year feels different in St. Barth — the air is charged, the hills shimmer, and the champagne seems colder. As fireworks ignite above Gustavia Harbor and the island hums with celebration, there’s nothing like having your own private hillside villa to toast the year ahead. These are the St. Barth villas made for New Year’s Eve — each one an escape for gathering, celebrating, and waking to a brand-new year in paradise, from the island’s top villa company, Wimco. Villa Crystal Breez, St. Jean The newest addition to the island’s villa scene, Crystal Breez opens its doors this November — and might just be the most romantic place to start the year. A sleek one-bedroom retreat with a private pool, it’s perfect for couples chasing a quiet, elevated celebration. Guests receive a $175 concierge…
It has long been a dream of mine to celebrate one of the major winter holidays in the Caribbean or any tropical locale for that matter. I have celebrated Christmas oceanside in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware but it isn’t exactly the same sitting on my sand mat with palm trees behind me and an umbrella drink in my hand. This month Alex and his crew have supplied us with some fabulous information about the remote Seiri del Mar in Belize and how to celebrate Thanksgiving in Punta Cana and a Winter Festival in Cancun. Time might be short to book for this year but it certainly gives you plenty of time to plan for 2026. – Lani Gering Why This Beach Resort Is One of the Best-Kept Secrets in Belize By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton The beach at the Seiri del Mar resort in Belize. The moment you arrive in Hopkins you know you’ve found it. You rumble down the dirt road, past the beach shacks and the palm trees, just ahead of the creek. Hopkins, set in the eastern middle of this spectacular country, is one of those beach towns you fall in love with instantly, one of those places you can’t imagine even exists anymore. It’s a place of cold beers, uncrowded sand, friendly smiles and the sense that you’ve escaped the world, or somehow transcended it. And it’s also home to one of the country’s best-kept secrets: Seiri Del Mar. Whether you’re on the main drag, hanging at the Driftwood, or paddling to nearby Kalipuna Island, the is the sort of place you want to live while you’re here. And at this 18-unit residential resort, that’s exactly what you get: a luxurious, easy, comfortable beachfront resort with huge rooms, direct access to the access to the sand and one of the best…
By Guy Britton You still have time to get in that last minute island vacation before the “season” starts to crank up. While quite a few popular spots closed their doors in September due to hurricane season, the islands are back up and running in October. While not mentioned below – since Guy wrote this piece in September – Both Foxy’s and the Soggy Dollar are back up and running on Jost Van Dyke. Both places are a “must experience” in my view. See below for some great reasons to head south this month as Guy Britton gives you some good tips. – Lani Gering, OTC Why This is One of the Best Times of Year to Visit the British Virgin Islands
By Guy Britton This month Guy Britton from the Caribbean Journal staff has written about one of our very favorite islands in the BVI’s! It has been wayyyy too long since we have swum to shore to procure the absolute best dark rum concoction on the planet, the ORIGINAL Painkiller! Originally made with the Pussers Royal Navy rum, it is a delectable concoction of said rum mixed with some coco lopez, pineapple and orange juices topped with just the right amount of fresh grated nutmeg. The proportions of this beverage are key and I’ve come really close to getting it right but something about drinking them on the beach in front of the Soggy Dollar Bar! Not to be outdone – Foxy’s is another icon on this small piece of island paradise and not to be missed! He also is a frequent visitor in Old Town Alexandria. – Lani Gering Why Jost Van Dyke Is the Ultimate Caribbean Beach Bar Island
Best of the Caribbean Yes…you read that headline correctly. This is something that is great to know especially in this day and age with the processing of passport applications taking such a long time. I let mine expire long enough ago to have to totally re-apply and awaiting its arrival, however, if I want to head down to St. John to see our island friends, I just have to make my plane reservations and pack my bag! Only draw back is that I wouldn’t be able to make the trek to one of my very favorite places in the Virgin Islands – the Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke since it is part of the BVI’s. Guy Britton tells us what to expect at these Caribbean Jewels below. – Lani Gering
By Guy Britton Our friends at the Caribbean Journal have wowed us with another amazing insight to the beauty of the Caribbean. We weren’t aware of this amazing place spot until this month. I can’t believe that we haven’t had any of our well-traveled friends mentioned this Blue Hole aka Dean’s Blue hole located in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island in the Bahamas. See more on this wonderous place below. – Old Town Crier One of the Best Beaches in The Bahamas Comes With a World-Famous Blue Hole
By: Caribbean Journal Staff Doesn’t everyone want to find that “secret” slice of beach heaven when you are in search for some relaxing time in the sun and sand? Alexander Brittell and his staff did some heavy-duty R&D to uncover 10 gorgeous such places in the beautiful islands of the Caribbean. You may want to start planning your next beach adventure in one of these spots – Lani Gering. Read on at: https://www.caribjournal.com/2025/04/16/caribbean-beaches-saint-martin-bahamas-off-the-beaten-path/
By Alexander Britell with Guy Britton Remember that the Beach Boys hit single “Kokomo”? I am betting this 1988 hit prompted more than one fan to search for an island by the same name to no avail – it doesn’t exist. It appears that kokomo is more of a state of mind (and a town in Indiana). Fortunately for all of us fans out here, this resort by this famous moniker is located in the Turks and Caicos. Alex and Guy tell us all about it in this month’s column. – Lani Gering Read the full article here: https://www.caribjournal.com/2025/02/01/turks-and-caicos-resort-best-kept-secret-kokomo/
By Alexander Britell A cigar company. A chocolate factory. A pizzeria. A winery. Nassau’s Graycliff never stops innovating with exciting, creative new attractions, and now the legendary hotel and restaurant’s Heritage Village has added a rather cool new offering: The Bahamas’ first moonshine company. It’s called the Bahamian Moonshine Company by Graycliff, and it serves up a selection of full-fledged moonshines, from the adventurous “White Lightning” to a host of locally-inspired flavors. It’s the product of a collaboration between Graycliff and North Carolina-based South Mountain Distilling Company, and the result is traditional, authentic Moonshine in the heart of historic Nassau. The flavors are diverse: everything from mango to candy cane to sapodilla (“dilly” to a “chocolate brownie” moonshine. There’s also a quintessentially Bahamian expression: Guava, which was particularly delicious. There’s a host of flavor options to try. But the crown jewel is the White Lightning, an exceptionally smooth spirit (particularly when you compare it some of the Caribbean’s similar-strength rum expressions). But, be forewarned, it packs a punch, to the tune of 190 proof — 95 ABV, to be exact. (The flavor-infused moonshines are a milder 40 proof.) There are also some South Mountain-branded options, including unique tastes like Peanut Butter Banana. The wood-paneled interior is a portal to a country distillery, with free tastings available and assorted gifts on the shelves as well. It’s just the latest clever addition for Graycliff, which has turned Nassau’s West Hill Street (just a short stroll away from Bay Street and the Nassau Cruise Port) into one of the country’s most popular places to visit, from the recently-expanded chocolate factory (which now even boasts its own candle factory) to its famous cigar company, which is marking its third decade with an expert team of Cuban rollers and a global footprint. That’s accompanied by the…
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