Top 10 Best Places In the Caribbean to visit

The  best caribbean places to visit for 2012 were selected by voters across the globe.

Here are the winners

 

PENINSULA HOUSE, LAS TERRENAS, SAMANÁ

Garnering a wave of high scores—“it’s just perfect from the top to the bottom”—this family-owned inn is on 15 verdant hillside acres on the Samaná Peninsula, with views of the Atlantic in the distance. The perfect-scoring Victorian colonial design evokes an eighteenth-century plantation house (this one filled with eclectic art, including a collection of wooden sheep). “Beautiful rooms” in earth tones have Brazilian hardwood floors, antiques such as Chinese bamboo storage trunks and Indian ivory cabinets, and mahogany soaking tubs. Enjoy drinks on the terrace or, for an “unforgettable culinary and sensory experience,” try a seafood dinner at Beach Restaurant, a few miles—and a free shuttle—from the main hotel. Expect “truly unbeatable service from the outstanding staff.” “This is the most perfect, tranquil, relaxing place I have ever been.”

No. of Units: 6 
Best Room: All suites are the same size, but No. 6 has a pair of striking inlaid-ivory armoires and a veranda with unobstructed vistas.

NISBET PLANTATION BEACH CLUB, NEVIS

“The staff become like your family” at this resort whose centerpiece is a restored 1778 plantation house on 30 acres of verdant jungle. Lemon-hued stucco cottages with white pyramid roofs are sprinkled amid the foliage and are decorated with a light palette and have balconies facing the sea. The gourmet Caribbean cuisine at the Great House—one of just three air-conditioned restaurants on Nevis—has “delectable dishes” like grilled mahimahi with peas and rice. Thursday night’s poolside barbecue buffet is set to live music.

No of Units:36

THE REEFS, BERMUDA

“There just aren’t enough accolades to go around” for this salmon limestone cabana-style resort built on the ruins of a 1680 farmhouse, on a cliff overlooking a private beach. Rooms are “small but beautiful,” with warm tropical woods and cool blues and greens. “Top-shelf staff are like family.” Sip “the best Dark and Stormys on the island” after “a well-planned, excellently prepared meal” in front of a brick fireplace at Royston’s. Enjoy Caribbean-inspired dishes alfresco at Coconuts. “The first visit leads to the second, which leaves you with the desire to return again and again.”

No. of Units; 62

JADE MOUNTAIN ST. LUCIA

“It’s unlike any place in the world—you have to stay here to appreciate the brilliant design.” “You will come home changed” from this hillside resort—named for the owners’ extensive collection of antique carved jade mountains—that is the sister property to Anse Chastanet. “No matter who you are or where you’ve been, this place will enchant and amaze you.” “Jaw-droppingly beautiful rooms” all have 15-foot ceilings, “unforgettable Piton Mountain views,” and private infinity pools in different colored tiles (ruby red, amber, plum). Chef Allen Susser’s Jade Mountain Club mixes sweet and spicy flavors, but the emphasis is on “seafood that makes your taste buds sing.” “Staff are special.

No of Units:29

THE CAVES, NEGRIL

Poised on the limestone cliffs next to a historic lighthouse, this “great little place” has bohemian cottages made of handcrafted stone and wood. At the main dining hall—a thatched-roof gazebo—regionally inspired fare includes saffron crab cakes with tomato salsa. Visit the seaview Aveda Concept Spa for the signature massage inside a candlelit grotto. Guests are encouraged to take early-morning dives into the water from the cliffs; the less free-spirited make use of the coral stairs and walkways that lead to sun decks and the ladders to the reef below.

No of units:18

ANSE CHASTANET, ST. LUCIA

This 600-acre resort has octagonal hillside cottages and waterfront rooms individually designed with local woods. Cushions and bedspreads are a bright madras plaid, “the island’s cloth.” “Amazing staff are friendly and extremely accommodating.” Since rooms have no phones or TVs, “this is the most romantic and wonderful place on the island,” “truly an experience to replenish the soul.” After scuba diving, dine at Piti Piton lounge, which serves dishes using organic produce from the resort’s farm and has a separate vegetarian menu.

No of Units: 49

RITZ-CARLTON, GRAND CAYMAN

On Seven Mile Beach, this U-shaped resort is “the perfect place for a getaway.” The British colonial architecture extends to rooms with “elegant and refined” coral, teal, and gold decor and private balconies with “spectacular views of blue water and palm trees.” Blue by Eric Ripert serves “unbelievably good,” “fresh, perfectly seasoned seafood”; on Sunday, 7 Prime Cuts & Sunsets has “the best lunch buffet anywhere—it was filled with locals.” Staff are “the friendliest people you’ll ever encounter.” Head to the Silver Rain Spa for the two-hour Ultimate Indulgence, a full-body exfoliation followed by a wrap and a four-handed massage. 

 

No of Units:365

Best Room: Any seventh-floor Ocean Front Building rooms. 

 

 

EDEN ROCK-ST. BARTHS

“Experience the best of the best” at this former home of St. Barts’s first mayor, set on a rocky point overlooking St. Jean Bay. “Staff bend over backwards to take care of your every need”—expect “flawless service.” Guest rooms are “like works of art,” with antiques, hardwoods, rain showers, and beds with silk and satin pillows. At the aptly named On The Rocks, enjoy “memorable views of the stars” through the glass roof, and French-influenced dishes with ingredients from the garden.

No of Units: 34

 

HÔTEL SAINT-BARTH ISLE DE FRANCE, ST. BARTS

On Baie des Flamands, this “very French island retreat” has cottages that are “private, in hidden-away locations” surrounded by banana plants and bougainvillea. Neutral interiors with touches of blue and red mix French linens and modern artwork—“they’re amazingly charming and spotlessly clean.” Two new Flamands Villas, opened in 2011, come with terraces, private infinity pools, direct beach access, and bay views. La Case de l’Isle serves light French cuisine—“what could be more beautiful than enjoying a gorgeous beach and the best lunch ever?” 

No of Units: 39

PARROT CAY, TURKS & CAICOS

“The serene boat ride to this private island resort sets the mood for what’s to come.” Surrounded by white sand beaches, “it is the most tranquil place ever.” The whitewashed main building has a warm, contemporary interior with British colonial touches. Airy rooms have four-poster beds, teak and Balinese furnishings, and terra-cotta tiles. The Como Shabhala spa offers Asian-style treatments and a raw foods menu. At Terrace, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is served overlooking the sea. Butlers provide “perfect, low-key, attentive service—pampered is the word that comes to mind when you’re here.”

No of Units: 70

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