Five Things On Five Islands

The Caribbean: one of the most popular cruise regions in the world and one that I absolutely fell head over heels in love with when I visited.

As you can imagine there is a never-ending array of options when it comes to how to spend your port days – from snorkeling to relaxing on a beach or even going above the rainforest canopy in St Lucia. You name it and you can probably do it. The Caribbean has something for everyone, but today I am going to share with you some great things to do during your time here. Let’s dive into five things on five islands!

St Lucia

As I mentioned, one option is an aerial tram ride high above the rainforest canopy in St Lucia, and I would highly recommend this. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting to be honest, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The sounds of the birds and the smells of the wood are great, but best of all were the views right across the Caribbean Sea as the tram reached the top of the canopy. It was breath-taking! Your ride is accompanied by an expert guide, which is ideal as it gives you a chance to learn more about the island. The guide in my tram was awesome! She literally knew everything. Once back on the ground, you can also take a short optional walk through the rainforest, again accompanied by your guide. The walk was just as interesting as the actual aerial tram to be honest. For example, I had no idea that there is a type of tree that will wrap itself around another tree (essentially taking on a host) and slowly kill it. What is left is a hollow shell of what was once a masterpiece of Mother Nature. Beautiful to look at but quite sad too I thought.

Roatan

I have already covered my Roatan excursion in another blog, Getting a Little Wild, but I enjoyed this experience so much that it had to make its way into my five Caribbean recommendations. If you love animals, beaches and seeing the real side of a destination then this is the absolute perfect option for you. Roatan is one of my favourite destinations, and I think that is because of the island’s size. During the excursion mentioned, I actually got to see all but one side of the island. We stopped at the Iguana Sanctuary and a second animal sanctuary and took a drive to West End beach – yes, all in one excursion — and I still had roughly 5 hours left for shopping and to check out the beach at the Mahogany Bay cruise terminal. I know the idea of this blog is to give you one option of something to do, but technically it is only one excursion so therefore it still counts. It was one of my best Caribbean experiences even in torrential rain. I also want to mention that at the second animal sanctuary, we visited we also got to play with the capuchin spider monkeys that live there.

Grenada

Grenada is ideally reserved for a beach day at Grand Anse, which is just a short water taxi ride away from where your cruise ship docks. The beach offers several bars and restaurants, each with their own small section of sun loungers and umbrellas that you can use for a small charge; there are plenty of water sport options here too. When you have had enough of lounging on the white sand, visit the small market selling all kinds of local goods including spices. I spent the entire day at Grand Anse, and it was absolute heaven. When you return to your ship, be sure to walk along the dock and into the small shopping center at the end of the pier for some great souvenirs.

Montego Bay

When in Montego Bay, you must head out into the countryside and experience the rivers, rapids and nature! During my time in Montego Bay, Jamaica, I decided to go for a 4×4 adventure that could have included some pretty hair raising rapids, too – but I opted out of that experience. Jamaica is a beautiful country, and it really is the ideal place to get back to nature. I browsed the Jamaica Excursions section to see if I could find one option that I could compare to my experience, but to be honest, in one way or another they all offer something similar. My advice in this case would be to browse the entire section and see what appeals to you the most. You can also take a trip here that is very similar to my St. Lucia experience.

Anyway: It was fabulous, being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lush vegetation and crystal clear river waters really was such a treat. It was super humid that day, too, so the chance to sit by the river or swim in it was well received.

Tortola

Now there are two things you must do when in Tortola, but thankfully you can do them both on the same trip. First of all, Cane Garden Bay. Cane Garden Bay is located on Tortola’s north shore, and it is a small, curved bay that is sheltered from the winds. It is also absolutely stunning. If you visit Tortola, then Cane Garden Bay must be at the top of your to-do list. The beach is superb and overlooked all around by lush, green, rolling hills. It really is like something you would see in a movie. There are many bars, restaurants and little market stalls right along the beach, so you don’t really need to go anywhere else! Just relax and enjoy the day admiring some splendid scenery and swimming in tropical waters. Secondly, you must catch a glimpse of the other BVI islands, which you can do en-route to Cane Garden Bay. Simply tell your taxi driver that you would like to make the quick stop to admire the view across the islands. Trust me: You will not be disappointed.

Those are my suggestions. If you do try any of the above, then please come back and tell me all about it!