EXPERT PICKS
BELIZE
This is a blockbuster adventure travel destination.
During the course of a recent vacation there, my family and I climbed Mayan pyramids, swam into dark caves to look at the ancient bones of human sacrifice victims, now calcified to the cave floor, snorkelled among nurse sharks, deep-sea fished and rappelled down treacherous 600-foot cliffs.
Some of these activities likely would have been off-limits to youngsters in countries more concerned with liability insurance, but we were pleased our kids got to challenge themselves.
Plan to move around on your own vacation, taking in both the beachy cayes and the inland jungle areas of Belize.
PARATY, BRAZIL
This small, seaside town, a four-hour drive from Rio de Janeiro, is an idyllic place for a tropical getaway.
Why? Because travellers here feel as though they are leaping back in time.
In the 18th century, Paraty was Portugal’s most important port for the export of gold. Recurring pirate attacks forced traders to move operations and, overnight, the city went from hub to backwater. No road existed into town until the 1970s.
This preserved the town’s exquisite colonial architecture. Paraty was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1966.
Along with exploring the town’s cobblestoned streets and important Baroque churches, most visitors rent fishing boats for the day, for less than $100 including the services of a caiparinha-making captain. They hop around the 60-plus, uninhabited islands in the bay to explore, laze on sandy beaches and fish. Ahh . . . .
MUSTIQUE
When you fly into Mustique, a 1,400acre private island in the Grenadines, it looks like you’re landing in the middle of a golf course. But there’s no golf here.
Over the years, the wild outlines of the isle have been tamed to such a degree, and covered with neon-green lawns, that it looks like a place Tiger Woods would call home. Other celebrities have; Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger own seriously fabulous mansions. High lodging prices and a cap on development maintain the island’s exclusivity. Top-notch spas, horseback riding, quiet white-sand beaches and yachting keep the stars amused. For a “lifestyles of the rich and famous” vacation, this is the choice. If you have deep pockets.