Merry Christmas Tropics-lovers!

My apologies for taking so long between posts recently. Many other things have kept me busy.

I plan to make many more blogs about some tropical locations you have and haven't heard of, as well as tropical recipes and drinks after the New Year celebration.

Anyway, I'm hoping you all have a great Christmas and New Year. Here's a Hawaiian Merry Christmas to you!

Barbados - Atlantic Paradise!

The island nation of Barbados is actually on the far western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, just to the east of the main Caribbean Islands. The name "Barbados" comes from a Portuguese explorer named Pedro Campos in 1536, who originally called the island Os Barbados ("The Bearded Ones") upon seeing the appearance of the island's fig trees whose long hanging aerial roots, he thought, resembled beards.

It has one of the highest standards of living among the developing nations. It is also a travel favorite of many westerners.

Probably highest of the attractions are the beautiful beaches. Here are some examples:





And here is a link to the Mullins beach surf cam (a live web cam which you can control).

Port St Charles has 4 webcams for your viewing.

Earlier this year, CNN had a report on how to maximize your money while traveling to Barbados:

1) Travel off-season (summer months)
2) Rent a condo or house instead of the big resorts
3) Hit the local spots instead of the touristy places
and other such ideas.

Here are a couple of videos to get you into the mood:





Golf and snorkeling are big on this island. You can also chart a tall ship mini-cruise and there are plenty of small airlines to take you to nearby caribbean locations.

It's not the cheapest destination but certainly one that will be worth the effort.

How to make a Cuban-style Mojito

Ever since the last Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie (Die Another Day), the world has been in love with the Mojito. Here's a real Cuban-roots Mojito recipe:

Ingredients

* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 1/2 oz white rum
* 1 1/2 tsp of sugar
* Splash of club soda
* 2 fresh mint sprig
* Crushed ice

Directions

1. Combine 1 fresh mint sprig , 1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and the lime juice in a tall glass.
2. Crush the mint spring and sugar on the button of the glass. Add the ice, rum and a splash of club soda and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and enjoy!

Cozumel - Mexico's biggest Island

Just 12 miles off the coast of the Yucatan is Cozumel, one of the favorite locations for tourist and cruise lines. One thing most people notice first is the ultra-blue waters around the island. This is prime-time Caribbean paradise!

There are no end of things to do while there: hanging out at the beach, snorkeling, scuba diving, golf, watching the sunsets, weddings, etc. Click here to see a list of some of the inland attractions.



Much of the island is undeveloped jungle, full of wildlife like tropical birds and reptiles. (You'll find restaurants, bars, and other amenities in San Miguel de Cozumel, the island's only town.) Don't miss Cozumel's Mayan ruins and bright coral reefs.

Click here to load a very large panoramic view of the beach

The warm waters, clear and turquoise Cozumel guarding the second largest reef network in the world, full of limestone caves, tunnels and rare black coral. His lucid marine life attracts divers from all over the world. The Cozumel Reefs National Park is a protected area of 30,000 acres south of Cozumel, covering 85 per cent of places for diving on the island.

It was here Jacques Cousteau came again and again to scuba dive in the 1960's which help put Cozumel on the map, and if you come and don't dive, or at least snorkel, you leave without experiencing the main tourist attraction.



Here are a couple of videos showing the beauty both above and below the surface.





This is quite a beautiful island and not very pricey for North American visitors.

How to make a Lava Flow cocktail like the ones in Hawaii

There is a popular drink in Hawaiian tourist locations (and the airport), known as the Lava Flow. Here are two ways to make this great drink:

Lava Flow Cocktail


1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. light rum
1/2 banana
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut cream
2 oz. frozen strawberries


The key to preparation is to blend the strawberries and rums separately from the other ingredients, rinsing the blender between steps. (If using strawberry puree, you can skip this and simply blend all ingredients except the puree.)

Pour the strawberry mix or the puree to the bottom of a large glass (a collins or hurricane glass). Then add the blender ingredients, or as it’s often done, reverse and pour the strawberry mix on top. The red strawberry mix swirls in the drink, simulating a lava flow.


Royal Hawaiian Lava Flow

Mix these in the bottom of a Boston shaker glass:

2 fresh strawberries
1-2 in. slice of banana

Fill shaker glass with ice and then add:

1 oz. coconut cream (Coco Lopez)
1 oz. pineapple juice
1.5 oz. Mount Gay Rum (or other golden rum)

Cover with top of the Boston shaker, shake vigorously. Pour into a hurricane glass. Garnish pineapple wedge and paper parasol. Enjoy

Cancun - Mexico's Caribbean

Cancun is Mexico's Caribbean Paradise, situated on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is renowned for unspoiled powder-white beaches, soothing aquamarine seas, and remnants of ancient Indian civilizations.

A Cancun vacation means long stretches of fine white sand beaches, the bluest waters of the Caribbean Sea and all under the hot Mexican Sun. Cancun is situated on the south-east coast of Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo.

There are a thousand and one things to do in Cancun. There are many world-class luxury hotels dotted all along the edge of the beautiful Caribbean Sea, and on the other side you have the Nichupte Lagoon with many romantic waterside restaurants and trendy bars.



Cancun is the ultimate vacation and resort destination whether your idea of a good time is surfing, kayaking, fishing and swimming or just laying in the tropical sun. On the lagoon side, there is an abundance of water sports equipment for rental for one day or an entire vacation. On the Caribbean side, enjoy great swimming, surfing and sunbathing.

For divers and snorkelers, Cancun is a paradise. The crystal-blue Caribbean waters hold an abundance of underwater wildlife, and most of the resorts have trainers who can show you which end of the fin to flap and how to handle the equipment.

Cancun is not only a great place to spend Spring Break but also a great place for a wedding or a honeymoon. Being not far from America, it's a short flight from any of the southern states. Americans make up the bulk of the tourists and there are seemingly always great values on vacations to this location.

Don't forget to check out the nearby Indian ruins. Many of Central America's best pyramids can be found not far from Cancun. Many tourist packages include a day trip to the local ruins.







A Cancun trip/vacation one of the better uses of your money if you are in North America.

Bali - An Asian Island Paradise

Another nice place to vacation or spend your honeymoon is the island of Bali. Bali is located off the cost of Indonesia and is one of the more exotic locations due to it's Asian heritage.

Bali goes by many other names, like "the jewel of the Indonesian archipelago", or the "island of the gods". It's definitely one of the more unique places one could visit.

It's known not only for it's tourism, but also Aribica coffee. On top of that, it has an unusual mixture of Hindu and Islamic religions, unlike most island nations in the area.



Visiting Bali is not easy from North America. You will lose a day due to crossing the International timeline. You will regain this on the return trip, however. And being that far isn't going to be cheap. Due to these reasons, many choose a two week visit to maximize time on the island.

Bali is very picturesque, which is why many computer wallpaper images use Bali Beach scenes. Here is a short video montage of many sites to see in Bali.






There are other things to do while in Bali besides just visiting the beach. Consider any of the following:

Tour the Spice Islands

Bali Cruises are plentiful, and depend on your budget.

Go Diving!

There are plenty of places that will help you achieve your diving desires while in Bali.

Visit the Temples

There are plenty of Indonesian style temples to visit while there. They are really something to see. Make sure you bring your camera.






And don't forget the beach and ocean....