It’s time for a taste (and sip) of the restaurants and bars at Tortuga Bay, and around the property of Puntacana Resort & Club. Let’s start with the most important meal of the day — breakfast at Bamboo, the restaurant at Tortuga Bay. The breakfast buffet has loads of delicious choices, with tons of fresh fruit, pastries, and even these cute little parfaits! My favorite was the sancocho, a Dominican stew of meat and vegetables. Served with rice and avocado, it was great any time of the day! A great choice for the lunch is La Cana Golf & Beach Club. When the afternoon is upon us, it’s time for…
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Many people rule out a Caribbean vacation during the summer because they don’t want to travel during hurricane season. Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30. Every trip featured here on My Irie Time was taken either the beginning or end of hurricane season, and you would never know it by browsing through our photos. Travel during the “shoulder season” can be a great way to visit the region, when rates are lower than the holidays, and the weather is great. The Caribbean is home to some great festivals during the summer and fall months as well, including Crop Over in Barbados (May through August), Crab…
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Over the years, I have posted “What’s in My Bag?” about various trips. On the last two trips, I have traveled with both digital and film cameras, and I wanted to do a separate post on traveling for hybrid shooters. As you might expect, it’s easier to travel with digital. Memory cards are small, and you don’t have to worry about the effect of x-ray machines at security checkpoints. I also feel more comfortable experimenting with digital. You can try new techniques, and the only loss is your time. However, I find that there are times when I prefer film over digital, and it’s worth the extra effort. There are…
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“Are you going to walk six miles in this direction or six miles in that direction?” If that’s the toughest question you have on any given day, you are a very lucky person. There are places in the Caribbean which are undeveloped, and the beauty of the place is the fact that it is untouched, unspoiled by human hands, but it’s not so common to find a small, luxury hotel, with all the amenities in the midst of such a pristine spot. Such a place is Lighthouse Bay Resort. Upon arrival at the airport in Barbuda, we were greeted by representatives of the resort who picked up our bags and drove us to the…
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Coming back to The CuisinArt was like coming home again. We stayed here on our very first trip to Anguilla in 2007. I still remember the doorman calling to us as we ventured out for our first bit of driving on the island, “Left is right, right is wrong!” It’s a family-friendly resort that’s not too stuffy and not at all chaotic. It just fits. The resort is just as beautiful and the staff just as welcoming as I remembered. The grounds are well-maintained, filled with lush plantings. The lobby looks out to the beautiful series of tiered pools that lead you out to the beach. And the beach is…
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I had a lot of trouble deciding what to pack for this trip. I knew I wanted to shoot some film. In fact, I was more excited to shoot film than digital. This would be our fourth trip to Anguilla in seven years, and in my mind, I kept thinking, “done that.” I wanted a new challenge, to see Anguilla differently, so I decided to take my film on the road. With that decided, I still had a tough time deciding what cameras to bring. I knew that the Canon 1v used the same lenses as my digital SLR, so I wasn’t really adding much in terms of weight/space requirements.…
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I have always wanted to go to Carnival in the Caribbean, but we never seemed to be in the islands at the right time. My friend and photographer, Brian Sprague, and his friend, Sarah, celebrated their birthdays in in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and were kind enough to share their experiences, including Carnival! For those new to the area, the Dominican Republic is one of two nations on the island of Hispanola, the other being Haiti. Punta Cana is part of the Punta Cana-Bavaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The capital city of La Altagracia is Higüey. Walk with Brian and Sarah around Higüey,…
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I always wondered about that slogan, “Eleuthera, It’s Not for Everyone.” Eleuthera has beautiful beaches. Eleuthera has fresh seafood, lovingly prepared by friendly people, people always interested in if you are enjoying your visit and willing to help you along the way. There are no big grocery stores or Hertz or Avis rental cars. You shop at local, family-owned stores, and rent cars, some which have seen quite a few miles, from islanders. Eleuthera is not about shopping malls, casinos, or big hotels. If those are your needs, it’s not for you. But for those of you who are “all about the beach,” join us as we explore this…
