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The Caribbean Experts

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I love the Caribbean (but really, who doesn’t?) and I’m particularly fond of cruising — I’ve logged 15 cruises in as many years, in addition to my other travels.

Favorite Caribbean Destination: It’s hard to choose, but I seem to keep finding myself in the Riviera Maya.

Tropical Drink of Choice: A Dark ’n’ Stormy — made with Gosling’s dark rum and ginger beer, of course.

Travel Tip: Chat up your guide whenever you take a tour. You’ll get a wealth of insider information, and probably an amusing story or two to boot.

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I’ve been with Caribbean Travel+Life for nine years, first as the Photo Editor and now as Staff Photographer. I’ve visited over thirty islands, returning to some as many as ten times. When I’m on a boat or some exotic beach, I’m right at home, and I’m not afraid to hang out of a helicopter, an ultralight or a parasail to get the shot. I travel with Sarah often. Too much, actually. I’m also not afraid to tell her who’s boss. Just don’t tell her I said that. Together we have nothing but your best interests in mind. We find the finest beaches, the most delicious food, the strongest drinks and the best the Caribbean has to offer...all just for you!

Favorite Caribbean Island: There are countless islands I love visiting, but St. Barts, to me, is a baguette above the rest.

Tropical Drink of Choice: Traditional rum punch, but not the one you’re thinking. The one sans colorful fruit juices (which makes it “traditional”). Mine has a rhyme that makes it easy to remember, no many how many you’ve had: One part sour (lime juice), two parts sweet (simple syrup), three parts strong (RUM, baby!), four parts weak (ice). My favorite places for a drink are Elvis’s Beach Bar, Anguilla and Yellow Beach Bar on Ilet Pinel, St. Martin.

Travel Tip: Tourists hang out. Locals “lime.” A lime is a get-together, where friends relax in a chill spot, often with music and drinks. If you ask a local where the best lime is, you’ll immediately be regarded as an in-the-know traveler. Not just a tourist. My favorite limes are Sunday afternoon at Gwen’s Reggae Grill, Anguilla and Sunday afternoon at The Soggy Dollar, Jost van Dyke. Meet me there!

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I’ve lived in and out of the Caribbean since I was a seventeen. First in Cancun (parents weren’t thrilled; I was!), then Baja, then Aruba, and others – all thanks to a windsurfing obsession. It led me to editing WindSurfingmagazine, then ISLANDS and now Caribbean Travel + Life. These days, having lived in the region helps get me inside the Caribbean’s insular offerings. Like examining why rum shops and churches rub elbows with ease on Barbados, or what today’s Maya think of the end-of-world prediction. Sharing the Caribbean’s hidden pockets of intrigue is what inspires me most—especially because they often lurk just outside the resorts.

Favorite Caribbean Island: Trinidad, for its startling fusion of East Indian, African, Chinese and European cuisine. Also, the island’s economy isn’t built around tourism. To explore Trinidad is refreshing in that nobody is expecting you. You see the Caribbean on its own terms.

Tropical Drink of Choice: I’m not a big mixed drink guy, but I do know that nothing sets fire to an evening like a cane-juice rum straight up. And I don’t mean the snobby rum that runs $90 a shot. Rum peaks at 15 years of aging; don’t pay for more. St. Nicolas Abbey rum sends me soaring unlike any other, and a single sip is worth the trip to Barbados it requires.

Travel Tip: Follow the roti. Everyone is in a good mood at a roti stand. That flakey, savory goodness is a universal conversation starter that sparks better travel advice than any travel brochure. The same holds for the Caribbean’s fish fries, jerk pits, and anywhere that serves conch. Where stomachs are full and laughs are hearty is where your best Caribbean trips begin.