The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
‘We experienced haphazard meals and mosquitoes. But the beach was paradise’
Cycling, running, bird-watching or scuba diving – whatever you want from your holiday, it seems the Caribbean hits the spot
HOT RUNNINGS
For me, a non-athlete, running marathons is hard work, so training is best undertaken when a reward dangles at completion. With this in mind, I entered the Reggae Marathon at Negril Beach, Jamaica, in 2007. For the cool, pre-dawn start we lined up on the coastal road then took a figure-ofeight route, never far from the gentle sea breeze. Cars with reggae-blasting speakers gave encouragement. By the time the sun rose, the hares were through the finish, but we tortoises had to carry on in the tropical heat. My mind focused on the reward: a cold beer, then a few days at the beach, gently easing all aches in the clear Caribbean Sea. Well worth the effort. David Syme, Edinburgh
CUBAN WHEELS
Cycling from Havana to Trinidad is a great way to see Cuba at a slower pace and take in the island. We went via Santa Clara, stopping there to see Che Guevara’s mausoleum, which has a huge statue of Che in front of it and is a good way to find out about Cuba’s revolution. Although you reach Trinidad via mountains, they are a relief after the miles of never-ending sugarcane – and you can cool off in the sea. If I went again I’d go with a smaller group, as that way you might get to know the locals more. Cuban children did take great delight in blowing us away on their simple single-gear bikes when we were on multi-gear bikes sweating in our Lycra.
Chris Allen, Buckinghamshire
TWITCHING IN TRINIDAD
The best way to go bird-watching is not in February on the south coast of England in a force-seven gale – it is to put-put up a mangrove channel on the tropical island of Trinidad as the sun is setting. While we waited, the boatsman opened a cool-box and passed round glasses of rum punch and shortbreads. As the conversation died, the green island became host to white egrets and then, magically, the national bird of Trinidad came swooping in: the scarlet ibis. Its colour on a green-clad island evoked thoughts of the Italian flag. As the light faded and we made our way back through the mangroves, the evening was enhanced by spotting a pottoo.
Bill Wain, Hampshire
DUTCH COURAGE
A short flight across the Dutch East Indies from St Maarten saw our plane undertake a nerve-racking landing onto the world’s shortest commercial runway on Saba Island, after which we were transported to our accommodation – which turned out to be almost at the summit of what is considered to be “Holland’s highest mountain”. This volcanic island is almost as high as it is wide, so getting to and from the sea involves alarming drives up and down very steep, very winding roads with some magnificent hairpin bends. However, our excellent diving holiday included all the usual colourful Caribbean reef life, with the added peculiarity of being able, underwater, to plunge our hands from the cool ocean water into hot volcanic sand – a very strange sensation indeed.
John White, Cheshire
BRILLIANCE IN BEQUIA
Twenty-two years ago we made a spontaneous visit to the Grenadines to visit our daughter, who was then working on a yacht. Her advice was to stay on the island of Bequia, which at that time we had never heard of. It was good advice – we were not disappointed. It was June, the low season, and we had chosen to stay at the Gingerbread House in Port Elizabeth. Our first day was spent walking over the hill to Princess Margaret Beach, where we were the only people. But what really made the visit special was the friendliness of the locals – buying fruit from the Rastafarians down at the quayside and sitting in a beach bar, watching fishermen making birds out of palm fronds – and, of course, the incredible sunsets, made all the better by that extra rum punch. Bequia will always be a special place for us.
Shelagh Parry, Surrey
ON THE BOIL
Dominica doesn’t have any beaches to speak of, apart from a scattering of tiny strips with black volcanic sand. Instead, the island’s main attractions are its rich tropical forests draping mountainous terrain, and its abundant wildlife (even its national flag displays the native green parrot). Hire an inexpensive taxi or, better still, hike into the once actively volcanic interior to marvel at the boiling lake, which really does simmer steamily and occasionally boil. In the coastal capital, Roseau, explore the market or swim from a shoreside jetty. Maybe sup a piña colada while admiring whale-watching yachts anchored in the bay, or hop on for a trip yourself. However, when sampling the local cuisine, if offered “mountain chicken” you are strongly advised to decline as it is actually a rare tree frog, the hunting of which is now illegal. Bruce Denness, Isle of Wight