From Aruba to Exuma: discover the cultures, outdoor adventures, and gorgeous beaches of the Caribbean.

We&#39;re going Completely Caribbean here on The Travel Diaries this week. On today&#39;s bonus destination special, we’ll be heading on a sun-soaked tour of the Caribbean islands, in partnership with the British Airways American Express Credit Card. Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the most popular destinations to be picked each week on the pod, and in today’s episode lots of my lovely guests from the last five seasons will be recounting their favourite Caribbean travel memories - the islands they love - of course the islands are so diverse, each with their own distinct history, culture and landscape - as well as the best hotels, places to visit and hidden gems, taking us on a tour from the north to the south of the Caribbean. And later we’ll be joined by Caribbean destination expert Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon aka Jet Set Sarah. Sarah is a Caribbean travel expert, award-winning travel journalist, and self-described “Carivangelist”, having visited and written about nearly all of the Caribbean islands. She&#39;ll take us through the destinations chosen by my guests, as well as sharing her own Caribbean travel diaries. Destination Recap: <li>David Loftus: The Bahamas</li><li>Jamie Laing and Jo Malone: Turks &amp; Caicos</li><li>Fred Sirieix: Jamaica</li><li>Jacqui Gifford: Anguilla</li><li>Ainsley Harriott: Dominica</li><li>Richard Branson and Ella Eyre: Necker Island, BVIs</li> Jet Set Sarah&#39;s Destination Recap <li>Turks &amp; Caicos: Parrot Cay, Providenciales, Andros, Long Island</li><li>Bahamas: Harbour Island</li><li>Dominica</li><li>Anguilla</li><li>Jamaica: Kingston, Trench House, Devon House, Negril, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, KFC Montego Bay!</li><li>Bequia</li><li>Petit St Vincent</li><li>Grand Cayman</li><li>Belize</li><li>Bonaire</li><li>Mustique</li> Thank you so much to  the British Airways American Express Credit Card for supporting today&#39;s episode. Search BA Amex for more details and check out the world. Representative 24.5% APR Variable, Applicants must be 18 years old or older, Subject to approval - Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. All information including Representative APR is correct as at 14th September 2021. If you’re enjoying the podcast, then it would be wonderful if you could leave a rating or a review on your podcast app - it really makes a big difference because it helps other people to discover the podcast. And to hear future episodes as soon as they’re released don’t forget to hit subscribe. To find out who’s joining me on future episodes, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hollyrubenstein/?hl&#61;en">&#64;hollyrubenstein</a> - I’d love to hear from you.  If you can’t wait until then, there’s always the first five seasons to catch up on, with guests from Michael Palin and Heston Blumenthal, to Sir Ranulph Fiennes to Hugh Bonneville. Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Completely Caribbean - Destination Special

In this second of three episodes from Antigua, I’ll take you to some of the must-see places on the Island. We’re going to Devil’s Bridge, Shirley Heights for the sunset, learning to sail a small sailboat and a few other places.   FACT ABOUT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA Antigua &amp; Barbuda is one of the smallest countries in the world, both in population and in size. The population is around 80,000, and it’s 170 square miles – so slightly smaller than Andorra and somewhat bigger than Malta. The official language is English, and the currency is East Caribbean Dollars, but you can just as easily use US Dollars. The biggest of the two islands – and the one we’re on is Antigua, 30 miles south of Barbuda. Here is a population of 65,000, and a bit more than half of those living in the capital, St. John. on the northwest coast of the island. Antigua is 14 miles long and 11 miles wide.   LEARNING TO SAIL Sailing a small sailboat is not complicated. Well, that was what the instructor told us. We would soon find out just how easy it is. After the brief introduction to the art of sailing, we got into four small sailboats – four in each with an instructor. We took turns being the captain of the boat. We had to move from one side to the other whenever we changed direction. And that’s where we should keep our heads down when the boom under the sail moved from one side to the other. At some point when it was Jamie’s turn of being the captain, he forgot to warn us and the boom came with high speed towards my head. I only just took my head down; otherwise, it would have hit me in the forehead and most likely knocked me out or in the water. Thank god I survived, because there are so many other adventures ahead here in Antigua.   SHIRLEY HEIGHTS The highest peak of Antigua used to be called Boggy Park. It rises to a height of 1,319 ft so you can hardly call it a mountain. But they do now. On August 4, 2009, and Barack Obama’s 48th birthday the Antiguan Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer renamed it to Mount Obama. In this episode, we’re going to another place with a view: Shirley Heights. It’s a perfect spot for a sunset on the south tip of the island – overlooking The English Harbor. Every night it draws a crowd for that view. There are a few restaurants and bars serving rum punch and a great steel band, and according to the managing director Valerie, it’s the best steel band in the world. Listen to my chat with her in this episode. Hear how she and her brother transformed this historic place to a tourist attraction.   THE WEATHER IN ANTIGUA The climate is tropical, and the temperature doesn’t change much over the year. Sure, most of the Caribbean is warm and sunny, but Antigua holds the distinction of being the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean Islands. The temperatures average mid-70s in the winter and mid-80s in the summer. That’s 21 Celsius in the winter and 27 in the summer.    ISLAND SAFARI We went on a so-called safari around the island. Not to see animals but to explore the different sights of the island. Our first stop was very close to where we live, and it’s a must see by the coast called Devil’s Bridge. It&#39;s not a man-made bridge but something that is naturally shaped with the crashing waves on the rocky shore. It’s also a place with a history. In the old days, this is where the slaves went to commit suicide. I speak to our guide, Bernadette about this in the episode. Our next stop was a place they served some excellent street food in a paper cup. It was a traditional Antiguan Gumbo.   LAND OF 365 BEACHES The country is nicknamed “Land of 365 Beaches” due to the many beaches surrounding the islands. With “one beach for every day of the year,” it’s also a popular place for weddings. It’s estimated that there are 1200 weddings a year. Many of them on a white sandy beach like the one we ended our Island Safari.   DROP ME A LINE I share much about my life in this podcast, and now I would love to hear from you. Please drop me a line and tell me where you are and what you’re doing right now on <a href="mailto:listener&#64;theradiovagabond.com">listener&#64;theradiovagabond.com</a>. You can also send me a voice message on WhatsApp. The number is &#43;4540105105.   DISCLAIMER The trip to Antigua was made possible by Antigua and Barbuda Tourism and Elite Island Resorts, but everything I say in this episode is my genuine opinion.   LINKS:  <a href="http://visitantiguabarbuda.com/">Antigua and Barbuda Tourism</a>. <a href="http://www.verandahresortandspa.com/">Verandah Resort And Spa</a>. The Radio Vagabond is produced by <a href="http://radioguru.co.uk/">RadioGuru</a>. See pictures on <a href="http://theradiovagabond.com/">TheRadioVagabond.com</a>   You can follow The Radio Vagabond on <a href="http://facebook.com/palleradiovagabond">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/radiovagabond">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/radiovagabond/">Instagram</a> and <a href="http://youtube.com/TheRadioVagabond">YouTube</a>.

131 - Must-See on Antigua

Caribbean carnival is one of the region&#39;s most famous annual celebrations comprised with lively music, dancing, and of course lavish costumes. Shauna Rigaud joins us this week to discuss carnival&#39;s history and the history of  Barbados&#39; Crop Over festival. Shauna holds a BA in African American Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a master’s in both Gender/Cultural Studies and Communication Management from Simmons University, in Boston. She is a PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies program at George Mason University. As a burgeoning scholar focused on the Caribbean, she hopes to highlight experiences and stories that give a more nuanced understand of the Caribbean, its history and postcolonial condition. Her research interests include a focus on the Caribbean Diaspora, Performance and Performativity, Black feminism and Caribbean feminism. She is also the co-founder of <a href="https://www.mayhem246.com/">Mayhem246</a> a concierge company that specializes in providing entertainment experiences during Barbados’ Crop Over Festival. Follow Shauna and Mayhem246 at <a href="https://twitter.com/ne1nappy?lang&#61;en">&#64;ne1nappy</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mayhem246">&#64;mayhem246</a>.  Connect with Strictly Facts -  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/strictlyfactspod">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/strictlyfactspod">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/strictlyfactspd">Twitter</a> Looking  to read more about the topics covered in this episode? Subscribe to the newsletter at <a href="https://www.strictlyfactspod.com/">www.strictlyfactspod.com</a> to get the Strictly Facts Syllabus to your email! Produced by <a href="https://breadfruitmedia.com/">Breadfruit Media</a>

Caribbean Festival Culture: The History behind the Fete with Shauna Rigaud

Episode 84 is part two of a continuation from our trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. In this episode we take a ferry from St. Thomas to spend a couple days on the beach, snorkeling in clear blue waters with sea turtles, hiking and exploring the amazing island of St. John and Virgin Islands National Park.
Make sure to go back to episode 82 for part one of this week in USVI trip.
On Sale Now! Six different 20&#43; page PDF trip and national park itineraries that plan the entire trip for you. Get yours now for just $25 on our website:<a href="https://travelsquadpodcast.com/travelitinerary"> https://travelsquadpodcast.com/travelitinerary</a>
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Email us at travelsquadpodcast&#64;gmail.com to discuss:
<li>Being a guest on our podcast or having the squad on yours</li><li>Ask a travel question for Question of the Week</li><li>Inquire about brand advertising</li>

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St. John U.S. Virgin Islands (Part 2)

The historical accounts are a bit fuzzy, but the way the story is commonly told, Caribbean slaves in the 18th century gained a day of freedom two times a year, on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Year’s Day. They made costumes and played music to celebrate, and over the centuries, that tradition evolved into what’s now know as the annual <a href="https://www.bahamas.com/junkanoo">Junkanoo festival</a>, an all-night parade through the streets that’s been compared to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil.

On this episode of Far From Home, I visit Nassau in The Bahamas, which is home to the largest and most well-known of the celebrations. I speak with several participants to learn more about the festival and why they look forward to it each year around this time.

<a href="https://farfromhomepodcast.org/news/0212">Visit my website </a>to see some photos and videos my brother took when we attended the Junkanoo Festival a number of years ago.

The Bahamas are still recovering from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Dorian_in_The_Bahamas">awful devastation of Hurricane Dorian</a> a few months ago. If you’d like to make a donation to help, I suggest contacting <a href="https://solrelief.org/dorian/">Sol Relief</a> or <a href="https://support.worldhope.org/us-emergency-relief-2019/RespondNow">World Hope International.</a>

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On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl, and Mongolia. For more info, visit <a href="https://farfromhomepodcast.org/">farfromhomepodcast.org</a>

Junkanoo

Get your boat shoes on because in the 4th episode of the Untouched series with Alex Boylan we travel to the Exumas, Bahamas! Kate and Alex discuss this beautiful archipelago that is known for swimming with the water pigs but offers so much more. The Exumas have 365 islands (one for each day of the year if you really want!) so you can sail around for days without seeing another soul. Look at your reflection in the crystal clear blue waters and realise that&#39;s exactly where you&#39;re meant to be!

Untouched Ep4: Exumas

If you want to build a house on the Caribbean island of Barbuda, you can just put up a fence wherever you want, and have it. You don’t pay for it. You don’t sign for anything. You just have to be Barbudan. Barbudans have held their pink sand paradise “in common” since the 1800s. No titles. No paperwork.

But on the heels of a major disaster, the Prime Minister has come up with a new plan. He wants to sell Barbudans the plot of land they’ve been living on for one Eastern Caribbean dollar and give them legally binding property titles they can take to a bank, to help rebuild. A lot of Barbudans don’t want the deal, though. I team up with reporter Sarah Gonzalez from <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/money/">NPR’s Planet Money</a> podcast to tell the story.

<a href="https://farfromhomepodcast.org/news/0304">Visit my website </a>to see some photos from our trip to Barbuda.

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On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl, and Mongolia. For more info, visit <a href="https://farfromhomepodcast.org/">farfromhomepodcast.org</a>

The Island No One Owns

This week Ryan from the Caribbean Castaways joins the show to share everything you need to know about traveling to the Caribbean.

ETW #83 Travel to the Caribbean

Join Val and me as we talk about why the T&amp;C are such a popular destination. We’ll share our favorite beach restaurants and fine dining. We’ll tell you all about the amazing adventures you can have above and below the water. And we’ll dive into hotels like the new Ritz Carlton, Amanyara, Shore Club, and Wymara.   Visit <a href="https://truvaytravel.com/26">truvaytravel.com/26</a> for a video of today’s show and additional resources.

26. Turks & Caicos | Where “the water really is that blue,” the luxury hotels and villas from Provo to Ambergris Cay, catching lobsters, kite surfing, spa, yoga and kayaking through mangroves

Destinations

Interests

The Caribbean

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