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The authentic Caribbean experience: Andrew Doherty profiles the most bona fide activities that clients can enjoy in the company of locals.
Individuals looking for an authentic Jamaican adventure should check out Island Outpost’s The Port Antonio Experience. Visitors will adventure off the beaten path takingin rainforests, the Blue Lagoon, rafting in Rio Grande, body boarding in Frenchman’s Cove and strolling around Musgrave Market.
Ricardo Bowleg, general manager for the GoldenEye Hotel, highly recommends the experience. “As a team we have garnered a lot of knowledge of this island and the places, experiences and people that make it so special, which we are keen to share with every Island Outpost guest so that they leave with a memory not just of the activity but an understanding of the true heart of Jamaica,” he says.
Book it: Travel 2 offers seven nights at GoldenEye Hotel with return flights from Gatwick from £2,639pp. Price is valid for September and October 16-31.
Clients can pick up a new skill as they fish for their own supper with the Colony Club Hotel’s Bait to Plate package. Guests go on a local fishing boat where the skipper shows them where to catch the best fish. When back on land the plucky fishermen will watch their catch be grilled in front of them before being served Bajan style with rice, peas and pepper sauce.
Sunil Chatrani, chief executive for the Elegant Hotels Group, explains his passion for the programme.
“As someone who was raised in Barbados, I am excited to share our wonderful culture with our visitors. It always gives me a great thrill to hear from guests at our resorts that they want to get involved in all things Bajan. We know that the demand is there so we’ve formalised this to make sure they can get involved as much as they like.”
Book it: Caribtours offers seven nights at Colony Club by Elegant Hotels for £2,275 for a family of four and includes private transfers and return flights from Gatwick departing July 19, 2016.
Clients in Cuba can get up close and personal with locals by living with a family.
Alan Meadows, trade sales development manager for Cuba Holidays, explains why the destination is ideal for authentic experiences in the company of locals: “One of the key aspects of staying in a casa is that you are contributing directly to the local economy, as these properties are privately owned and their location means that you are immersed in the local communities. Home-cooked Cuban cuisine is on offer and staying at a casa will help you to gain a greater understanding of everyday Cuban life.”
Book it: Cuba Holidays’ 10-night Mi Casa es tu Casa Tour leads in from £1,459pp flying from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic. Price valid for September 2016.
A People-to-People Experience is the best way to get to know the locals and enjoy their culture. For Maria Grazia Marino, senior regional manager for the Bahamas Tourist Office: “Bahamians love meeting new people and making friends. With the complimentary People-To-People Experience, you’ll be paired with a Bahamian ambassador who will share their way of life.”
Clients can sign up by visiting any hotel tour desk, the Bahamas Tourist Office or using the forms on The Bahamas’ official website. Experiences include visiting a local school, attending a church service or sampling some tea and cakes at Government House’s monthly tea party.
Book it: Bahamas Flavour offers a seven-night stay at the Graycliff Hotel, Nassau from £1,500pp departing from Heathrow. Price valid until October 31, 2016.
Visitors to the island can take part in the Sandals Foundation Reading Road Trip where they will have the chance to interact positively with the local community. Karen Zacca, projects coordinator for the Sandals Foundation, explains the benefits: “By visiting local schools and engaging in literacy activities with the children means that you play a pivotal role in providing education to the local community, and ultimately making a positive difference in the lives of people residing in the Caribbean communities.”
Launched in May 2011, the initiative offers guests of any of the island’s three Sandals Resorts a chance visit a foundation-adopted primary school to help local children with their reading skills. Guests can sign up for the programme at the tour desk at any Sandals resort.
The one to two-hour lessons are priced from £14pp with reading and learning materials included in the cost. All proceeds go towards the foundation’s education fund.
Book it: Sandals offers a seven-night stay at the Regency La Toc from £2,537pp with flights from Gatwick departing July 20, 2016.
One may laugh at the idea of racing goats and crabs but for the locals of Buccoo in Tobago it has become tradition. Trained for two months prior to race day, the goats are fastened with a long rope, which the handler holds. The jockeys then sprint behind making sure they don’t escape. Clients can join in with the crab race, coaxing them on as they scuttle towards the finish line.
Darrin des Vignes, account manager for the Trinidad & Tobago Tourist Board, believes clients will enjoy the laidback way of doing things. “Our greatest appeal is that locals and tourists really do exist coexist in easy equilibrium and visitors can immerse themselves into local life like going to watch the annual crab and goat races, which are attended by more Tobagonians than tourists,” he says.
Book it: Funway offers a seven-night stay at the nearby Tropikist Beach Hotel & Resort from £839pp with flights from Gatwick with British Airways included. Price valid for departure October 4, 2016.
Sporting events certainly bring people together and this is no different for the Nevis to St Kitts Cross Channel Swim. James Cabourne, chief executive of Paradise Beach Nevis, elaborates: “The event offers a rare chance for visitors and islanders alike to swim across the narrows between the two sister islands accompanied by sea turtles and other local sea life. It’s an amazing experience and there’s a great camaraderie between entrants, with friends made for life over a shared experience quite like no other.”
All participants will receive a T-shirt, a medal and a cash prize if they set the best time. If contestants have worked up an appetite, the Reggae Beach Bar at Cockleshell Bay on St Kitts will fill up bellies with a finishing line breakfast party.
Book it: ITC Luxury offers seven nights at Paradise Beach Nevis from £3,189pp with return flights from Gatwick. Price valid for September 2016.
Adventuring with locals is the name of the game in St Kitts. O’Neil Mulraine from O’Neils Rainforest Tours offers visitors authentic one person excursions. Mulraine has more than 15 years of hiking experience and is a well-known herbalist specialising in bush medicine. Clients can join him on rainforest treks and hikes to the crater of the dormant volcano Mount Liamuiga all the while learning about the island’s history and wildlife.
Winner of the St Kitts Tourism Authority’s Achievement of Excellence award, Mulraine explains his passion for the job. “I love to share the rich history, heritage and beautiful sites of St Kitts with visitors from every corner of the world. Visitors love the fact that they are going around with a local Kittitian to get a genuine feel of the culture and people of the island and I am happy to answer all their questions,” he says.
Book it: Hayes & Jarvis offers a seven-night stay at the Ocean Terrace Inn from £2,577pp based on two sharing with flights from Gatwick departing on April 19, 2017.
