Posts by Charmaine Hallmark

GRENADA THE SPICE OF THE CARIBBEAN I was delighted to be going to Grenada, famously known as the Island of Spice, with a band of fellow travel agents, guests of Grenada Tourism. Just nine hours after leaving Gatwick on a cold, wet November morning we arrived in the warmth and sunshine of the beautiful island. Located…

THE BODY HOLIDAY LE SPORT ST LUCIA Returning to the same place for a holiday can sometimes prove to be a mistake. It often doesn’t quite measure up to the fist visit. This was certainly not the case for us when we went to embark on our second cruise on the Star Clipper’s magnificent Royal Clipper,…

JAMMIN IN JAMAICA Mountainous and beautiful, Columbus described it as ‘the fairest island that eyes have beheld’. It is the third largest of the Caribbean islands, with lush forests, rushing rivers and superb beaches. Montego Bay, Jamaica’s tourist capital, and Ocho Rios is where I met and fell in love with Jamaica. Mo’bay’s bustling city centre,…

THE BVIS BEST VACATION IDEAS “Wow! How can the sea be so many different hues of blue?” was my first thought as we started our descent into Beef Island. The British Virgin Islands are made up of a chain of sixty islands where the Atlantic ocean meets the Caribbean sea. They are a haven for water…

TOBAGO AN IDYLLIC CARIBBEAN DESTINATION Imagine yourself on a tropical Caribbean island: white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue sea, glorious sunshine and a warm breeze effortlessly blowing through the palm trees. All this and more awaited me when I was lucky enough to visit Tobago in May. I was thrilled to say “Yes!” when I was…

ISLANDS IN THE SUN If you’re going to the Caribbean, then you need to get straight into the mood – just as I did! Arriving into St Kitts in the early evening, (or midnight my time) we headed out for dinner on “The Strip”, to a Caribbean beach bar called – the “Shiggidy Shack” with…

ST LUCIA SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL This was my first trip to the Caribbean and I was lucky to be visiting the island of St Lucia. This exotic, lush island has much to offer…secluded beaches, magnificent rainforests, colourful fishing villages and a friendly population. I flew with BWIA West Indies Airways on a non-stop flight from Heathrow.…

VISIT CUBA SO NEAR AND YET SO FOREIGN An invitation to Cuba! OK it was work, but I was excited and I quickly researched what could be in store for me when I visited with lively and fun Virgin Holidays. Cuba is the biggest of the Caribbean islands. It has an interesting heritage, years of…

BARBADOS JUST BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION How very privileged to be invited once again by my daughter Charmaine and her husband John to join their family on their summer Caribbean holiday to Barbados. We stepped out excitedly from the plane onto Barbados soil, feeling the warm sunshine, breathing in its air of freedom and prosperity. Amid…

THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS An archipelago of 700 islands, only 30 inhabited, the Bahamas lie in the Atlantic Ocean, a mere hour’s flight from the coast of Florida. Or, if like me you are travelling from the UK, British Airways fly several times a week direct to the capital of the Bahamas, Nassau. The…