Pros: Accurate, detailed information on more than 30 Caribbean islands.
Cons: It's pretty heavy when you carry it with you.
The Bottom Line: Possibly the best investment you can make in your Caribbean vacation. It helps you pick the right island, right time and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.
diverpam's Full Review: Janet Groene - Open Road Caribbean Guide Books
A Caribbean vacation can be your greatest adventure or your worst nightmare. It's up to you to determine which it will be. You must find the island that best suits your preference for climate, activities, accommodations, and budget. The best way to do so is through advance planning.
The Open Road Publishing Caribbean Guide can be the guide book that makes the difference between delight and disaster. It will help you plan your Caribbean vacation from its very inception.
The Caribbean Guide starts with an overview of each the following Caribbean Islands:
* Anguilla
* Antigua & Barbuda
* Aruba
* Barbados
* Bonaire
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Cuba
* Curacao
* Dominica
* The Dominican Republic
* Grenada
* Guadeloupe, Ile des Saintes, & Marie Galante
* Haiti
* Jamaica
* Martinique
* Montserrat
* Nevis & St. Kitts
* Puerto Rico
* Statia & Saba
* St. Barts
* St. Lucia
* St. Martin
* St. Vincent & The Grenadines
* Trinidad & Tobago
* U.S. Virgin Islands
These helpful opening synopses provide a general overview to help guide your initial search for a Caribbean destination. Once you've narrowed down your selection a bit, you can read much more detail about the islands that interest you the most.
Planning Your Trip
There is a lengthy section to help you plan your trip. It deals with the hurricane season (very important consideration) and climate in general. You'll also find a list of travel tour operators, including those for special needs, as well as a complete listing of airlines operating in the Caribbean. Included in this section is information on travel insurance, medical coverage, passports and visas, and customs.
An important consideration is cruise vs. land-based accommodations. The information about cruises can help you determine if you want to move from island to island or pick a single land-based destination. There is also a list of hotels and recommended reference guides.
Basic Information
The Caribbean Guide then lays out basic information pertinent to many of the islands, including banking, business hours, carnival, credit cards, currency, electricity, emergencies, postal service, time zones, and medical emergencies.
You are also advised of trouble spots such as crime, firearms, driving, drug laws and drowning. (You want to visit the Caribbean, not remain there forever in jail or at the bottom of the ocean.)
For each of these categories you'll find general information, as well as specifics for certain islands.
Sports and Recreation
This section that deals with beaches, boating, diving and snorkeling, golf, hiking, sailing, tennis and rafting, among other activities.
Other Good Advice
There are recommendations on shopping, traveling with children, and dining. A very helpful list of Caribbean foods explains what these items are and how you can expect them to be cooked.
It was helpful for me to determine things I definitely would not want to eat and studiously avoid them when ordering. It also steers you to things that are much better than they look or sound. For instance, would you ever order something called Soursop? It looks horrible but tastes a lot like kiwi.
Hotel Recommendations
There are also personal recommendations on the best places to stay on several islands, with contact information and good, detailed information on each.
Island by Island Overview
Each overview contains a general snapshot of the island, specific climate information, map, airport information, transportation, and hotel information. You'll also find information on sightseeing, nightlife and entertainment, sports and recreation, and shopping.
There is a listing called "Practical Information" that I really like. It provides needed information, such as phones, currency, electrical current, hazards, drinking water, and hours of shopping (stores are closed on Sunday in Aruba -- good day to dive).
There are also little tidbits of information in shaded boxes interspersed throughout the book that contain fun, interesting, or little known facts about the various islands.
Usefulness
This book helped us make some important decisions before we left, such as what to pack -- or not pack as the case may be. It also alerted us to some good restaurants (reviews were right on target) and allowed us to visit some interesting sights we might have otherwise missed. We have used this book for both Aruba and the Cayman Islands and found the information to be quite accurate.
It's pretty easy to find information within this book. It contains a very detailed table of contents, as well as a subject index. (I also find that flagging key parts makes it an easier reference while I'm on the road.)
How to Use
Use this guide to help you plan your vacation, then be sure to pack and take it with you. I have had people recommend breaking the book apart and carrying only the relevant part of it with you when you travel. It would mean lighter traveling, but I intend to use my copy to visit several more islands and want to keep it intact.
More than 800 pages long, it is a bit hefty, but it is jam packed with good information. The cost of this book is $19.95 in the U.S. and $27.95 in Canada.
Conclusion
If you're thinking about a Caribbean vacation -- or maybe just dreaming for now -- check out this great reference source. The more planning you do now, the more fun you will have later. Hope to see you in the Caribbean!
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