Travel inspiration from the author of 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die
From the pink sand beaches of Bermuda to reaching the top of the Piton mountains in St. Lucia, travel writer Bob Curley has experienced the very best of what more than 20 destinations across the Caribbean have to offer. Travel Courier caught up with the author of the newly published book 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die to get the scoop on some iconic experiences and off-the-beaten path itinerary ideas that await travellers.
Curley, who visits the Caribbean region up to eight times a year on average, spent over half a year crafting the book and is revealing some top trip suggestions that are bound to fuel your own travels as well as inspire clients.
Tell us a little about the book and what you hope people take away from it?
This is a bucket list book — there’s even a picture of a bucket on the cover — highlighting must-see attractions, events, and experiences from almost every destination in the Caribbean. What I’m hoping is that people will use it as a lifelong guide to exploring the entire Caribbean in all of its rich diversity, rather than seeing it as one monolithic destination.
Travel writers always get asked about their favourite destinations and activities, and for me they’re combined — I absolutely love chartering a catamaran and sailing through the British Virgin Islands. That’s one trip of a lifetime I’d recommend to every Canadian traveller (and everyone else, too).
Another of my personal favourites is going to Carnival in Trinidad: this annual festival rivals the carnival in Rio de Janeiro in its passion, music and intensity, and you don’t need to be a local to join the party — anyone is welcome to take part in a Carnival Mas band as well as related activities like J’Ouvert, a wild night march through the streets of Port of Spain.
One of the culinary traditions I highlight in the book is trying “goat water” in the Caribbean. Some recipes call for goat penis in the broth, I’m pretty sure that qualifies as offbeat.
Some other lesser known experiences include listening to traditional Mento music in Jamaica, attending a cricket match in Bermuda during Cup Match, and hiking to Boiling Lake in Dominica (pictured).
Cuba makes the list for its cigars, drinks at the bars frequented by Hemingway, and taking a ride in a 50s vintage car — all pretty iconic experiences.
In Jamaica, though, I talk about eating Rastafarian “Ital” food and visiting coffee plantations in the Blue Mountains, and in the Dominican Republic I consider visiting the historic district in Santo Domingo — the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere — a must-do activity.
Most visitors to the DR head right to the beaches, so that’s an urban experience that travel advisors can recommend to clients who are looking for something a little different out of their Caribbean holiday.
Well everyone in the Caribbean loves Canadians, maybe even more than Americans. And Canadians do have the advantage over Americans in terms of completing their bucket list since Cuba is on the table north of the border, but not for us Americans. Other than that I’d say that we all can take equal pleasure in exploring the Caribbean and discovering all of the fascinating differences and unique attractions from island to island.
