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Caribbean Calling Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos rank high on Amina Dearmon’s list.
NEW ORLEANS-BASED VIRTUOSO travel advisor Amina Dearmon recently spent three weeks in the Caribbean: one in Jamaica, celebrating her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary; another in Puerto Rico, her home away from home; and five days in Turks and Caicos for some great snorkeling, one of the region’s best beach bars, and new villas at Wymara Resort. Here’s her report.
TRAVELING NOW All of the Covid test results, travel authorizations, and insurance forms I printed out added a few pounds to my luggage, but that was really the only inconvenience! Each island has its own protocols, but they all did a stellar job in communicating what you need
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to do to enter and enjoy the destination. The hotels also make it easy for guests by having on-site testing facilities.
AN ISLAND FOR EVERY TRAVELER Jamaica is perfect for a multigenerational trip: From kids’ snorkeling to Hobie Cat sailing for parents and golf for grandparents, no one gets bored in Montego Bay. San Juan in Puerto Rico is great for solo travelers or for a couples’ getaway; it’s the perfect mashup of Spanish, Taíno Indian, and African cultures, a true melting pot that also happens to have an amazing food and cocktail scene. And every honeymoon should take place in Turks and Caicos – it’s so romantic, if you’re not in love when you arrive,
you will be by the time you depart. Couples can tuck into a villa with a plunge pool, eat meals prepared beachside by a private chef, and charter a yacht to explore Iguana Island or the Turks and Caicos Barrier Reef.
POST UP HERE The Tryall Club’s villas in Montego Bay are my favorite because each one is privately owned, which means they all have a different vibe. There’s one to fit your aesthetic, and even more importantly, every villa has a private pool, butler, housekeeper, and chef.
(PUERTO RICO) NAPA74/GETTY IMAGES, (AMINA DEARMON) AMINA DERAMON, (DA CONCH SHACK) RENEE MCMAHON/ALAMY
San Juan’s Castillo San Felipe del Morro and (inset) Amina Dearmon in Jamaica.
