choose your own adventure - new Caribbean vacation travel ideas

Black Enterprise, May, 1999 by Lisa Tabb

International Expeditions' trips are led by naturalists, without whom many of the rainforest's subtler treasures might be overlooked. The company can arrange independent, custom tours or match you with group trips. For additional information call 800-633-4734.

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge is tucked into the remote mountains of western Belize, overlooking a shimmering waterfall. Expeditions leave the lodge each morning, and return in time for belt-popping dinners. For more information call 800-746-3743.

Another hot spot is the Maruba resort, one of the world's only jungle spas. Days here include rainforest hikes and tropical spa treatments. For more information call 713-799-2031. Also contact the Belize Tourist Board at 800-624-0686.

Child friendly? Yes

Flight time:

From New York: 5 hrs.

From Miami: 2 1/2 hrs.

Entry requirements: Passport and onward ticket

Other Great Places to Hike

Dominica St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Puerto Rico's El Yunque National Park

Trinidad and Tobago The Blue Mountains of Jamaica

Trek Gear

Mosquito repellent zip-off pants or shorts, a hat with a brim, binoculars and lightweight hiking shoes

sign on!

Start your action vacation with a trip online

Are you ready to book your island adventure? Fortunately, the Internet offers a wide selection of resources to help you make the right travel decisions. Before plugging in your credit card number, however, make sure the right security mechanisms are in place, find out where the company is located and check it out with that city's Better Business Bureau for complaints against the firm. Also, get details on the company's refund and cancellation policy. And get a confirmation.

Click here to get your island adventure started:

www.greentravel.com The Green Travel Network's adventure finder search engine hooks users up with a large selection of responsible adventure tour operators throughout the world. The site also highlights "The Wild Caribbean." Like the BE Caribbean Guide, this section gives detailed descriptions of some of the Caribbean's most compelling adventures and advises surfers on the adventures each island features, trip options, prices, tour operators, relevant literature and travel guides, and additional Website links.

www.caribbeanonline.com Caribbean Online has more than 15,000 business services listings, hotels, resorts, realtors and travel agents. Each island listing contains a country profile and contact information for a few travel services. The listings only contain telephone numbers, but surf here if you can't find the information elsewhere.

www.caribtourism.com The official Website of the Caribbean Tourism Organization offers information on their 32 member countries and is updated every three months. It offers weather updates, a calendar of events and spotlights a different island destination twice a month. A country profile, summary of entry requirements, calendar of events and map is available for all member islands. Surfers can also request the free Caribbean Vacation Planner with one click--it's well worth the effort.