Melanie Reffes

On the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is on the A-list with Canadian sunseekers on a mission to escape the deep freeze at home. Where the Caribbean Sea abuts the Atlantic Ocean, plenty of affordable flights from Montreal make it easy breezy to swap those woolen sweaters for skimpy swimsuits.
“All major tour operators including Air Transat, Sunwing, Air Canada and West Jet offer daily flights from November to April,” said Cosette Garcia, director, Dominican Republic Tourism ...

Best secret beaches in the Caribbean

Special to USA TODAY
If you thought all beaches were created equal, think again. Sure, some travelers prefer the party scene but for beach aficionados, it's that quieter nook that is worth seeking out. What the smaller out-of-the-way beaches lack in amenities, they more than make up for with countless miles of buttery sand and surfer-ready waves. Plant your sun lounger by the water's edge and make a beeline to the Top Ten Secret Beaches in the Caribbean and try not to let the cat out of the b...

With a few lost shakers of salt and those iconic cheeseburgers in paradise, there’s no mistaking the Jimmy Buffett vibe at Margaritaville Beach Resort Grand Cayman. A 15- minute drive from the Owen Roberts International Airport, the family-friendly resort on the western end of Grand Cayman (the largest of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands) is a fan favorite with a big, blue flip-flop at the entrance, fruity margaritas expertly shaken and stirred and a cock-a-doodle-do wake-up ...

With a few lost shakers of salt and those iconic cheeseburgers in paradise, there’s no mistaking the Jimmy Buffett vibe at Margaritaville Beach Resort Grand Cayman. A 15- minute drive from the Owen Roberts International Airport, the family-friendly resort on the western end of Grand Cayman (the largest of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands) is a fan favorite with a big, blue flip-flop at the entrance, fruity margaritas expertly shaken and stirred and a cock-a-doodle-do wake-up ...

Special to USA TODAY
With a few lost shakers of salt and those iconic cheeseburgers in paradise, there’s no mistaking the Jimmy Buffett vibe at Margaritaville Beach Resort Grand Cayman. A 15- minute drive from the Owen Roberts International Airport, the family-friendly resort on the western end of Grand Cayman (the largest of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands), is a fan favorite with a big blue flip- flop at the entrance, fruity margaritas expertly shaken and stirred and a coc...

South of Cuba and west of Jamaica, Cayman Islands is a tropical trio sitting pretty in the Caribbean Sea. Grand Cayman is the largest at 35 km long and 12 km wide with postcard-perfect beaches, spectacular snorkelling and top-shelf restaurants. Cayman Brac is a hot spot for divers while on Little Cayman privacy is regal and iguanas have the right of way.
With year-round temperatures near 30°C, the islands are a win-win for a sunny getaway.
“In the fall we have three to five flights a week fro...

New resorts opening in the Caribbean 2019-2020

Caribbean PHOTO Gallery : Best resort perks. Yep, free stuff !

Special to USA TODAY
We've come a long way since welcome cocktails and free Wi-Fi were considered the best in resort perks.
These days, hotels and resorts are upping their game with gratis add-ons that are as much a part of a vacation as a chaise on the beach, cocktails at sunset and throwing calories to the wind at a big buffet.
Check out our list of resort perks at premiere Caribbean hotels that go above and beyond the traditional experience and pick your favorites, from dance lessons and c...

Things to do in Jamaica
Source: Captain Jetson
Coveted for its calm vibe and named for the iconic towering black cliffs, Negril is the Jamaican road-less-traveled about a 90 minute drive from the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
Photo: Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean. Credit: Inter-Jamaica Information Service.
A vacation platter of stunning sandy beaches and a small local population numbering less than 7,000, the form...

Coveted for its calm vibe and named for the iconic towering black cliffs, Negril is the Jamaican road-less-traveled about a 90 minute drive from the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
A vacation platter of stunning sandy beaches and a small local population numbering less than 7,000, the former fishing village is on the A-list for vacationers looking for the real deal beyond the big resorts that line the northwest shore.
Tropical treehouses
Adults-only, Sunset at the Palms is a tr...

There’s no mistaking the western vibe with streets like Deerfoot Trail, stores like the Alberta Boot Company, bars like Cowboys Dance Hall and friendly locals decked out in their finest denim and cowboy hats. With plenty of swagger, Calgary sits pretty in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at the intersection of the Bow and Elbow Rivers.
A world away from Montreal yet easy to get to aboard Air Canada, “Cowtown” — as the city is affectionately nicknamed courtesy of the Calgary Stampede — is ...

“Plane spotting is one of the most popular activities on the island,” said May-Ling Chun. Our airport is unique in the world with runways so close to the beach that plane spotters can watch the big jets soar overhead from safe viewing points on Maho Beach and the adjacent Sonesta Resorts Sint Maarten.”
“For our next visit, we booked a stay at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort both for the location near the SXM airport and the all-inclusive option.“
The primo perch for viewing the planes, Sonesta ...

The comeback kids in St. Maarten, Sonesta Ocean Point Resort and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa, are open for business after monster Hurricane Irma pummeled the dual-nation island nearly two years ago.
The island known as St. Martin in English is divided between the French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint (St.) Maarten on the south side of the island, which is where the Sonesta Resorts are.
After extensive and expensive rebuilding, the beachfront resorts are bigger, better and armed with ...