If April showers bring May flowers what do February snowstorms bring?

If April showers bring May flowers what do February snowstorms bring? The overwhelming urge to flock to a Caribbean Island! Well at least for me. And I’m sure there’s probably a whole bunch of you reading this that are shaking your hands wildly saying “Me too! Me too!”

Sooo…how about surprising your sweetheart with something out of the {chocolate} box this Valentine’s Day? Forget the flowers, toss the teddy bear, cancel the candy – give the love of your life memories to last a lifetime – the gift of travel. And for those of you that have been getting hit with snowstorm after snowstorm – hello Northeast! – there is no better place to travel to than a destination with the other white or golden stuff – sand! Not sure about you guys – but I absolutely prefer digging my toes into the sand instead of digging my way out of the snow!

I know a lot of you are wondering where you can go at this particular point in time and with good reason, as destinations continue to open and the requirements for arrivals – and now departures back to the US – tend to change from month to month. And – each island has its own protocols – which can be anything from presenting a negative coronavirus test, to being chosen at random to have a test administered upon arrival, to getting your temperature checked to filling out a health survey. The biggest change that has occurred recently is that all passengers arriving back to the US from out of the country must submit a negative coronavirus test in order to be allowed back in. But no worries – when you book with your Travel Guru, you can book with confidence as I continuously keep abreast of all of the current policies, restrictions and guidelines before travel, during travel and as you make your way home back from travel – to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Ok now that I got that out of the way – let’s talk about how we can add some romance to your gift. I mean it’s not as if whisking away your lover to a Caribbean island isn’t romantic enough – but I have plenty of other ideas to ensure it will be a vacation to remember. From having champagne and strawberries in your room upon arrival to reservations for an intimate dinner for two on the beach to your own private catamaran for an afternoon – you name it – I can make it happen thanks to my fabulous colleagues on the ground in these destinations.

And of course – you can travel at your comfort level. Meaning if you are ready to hit the ground running, we can plan for a winter trip, if you prefer to give it more time, we can do fall. Or we can do anytime in between or even look ahead to winter of 2022. It is entirely your call! So that being said…let’s take a look at some of the Caribbean destinations that are open for travel and what they have to offer you and your Valentine.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic offers many destinations to choose from but if you are looking for the white sand beaches and turquoise waters then you want to head to the resort areas of Punta Cana or Puerto Plata – the most popular areas on the island. Both are filled with fabulous all-inclusive options – which is the way to go on this island. Punta Cana lies on the eastern most tip of the DR and is where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet. With almost 20 miles of beach there is plenty of room for social distancing in this paradise. Puerto Plata sits on the northern Atlantic coast and is actually where tourism first got its start here. Both offer plenty of activities as well for you and your valentine – from golf to zip lining to windsurfing to horseback riding to ATV’ing and more – so if you want to get off your chair, put your drink down and get moving – there are lots of options.

St. Lucia

This eastern Caribbean island is most recognizable for its mountainous landscape – in particular, The Pitons – two towering peaks which are actually volcanic plugs. The most popular area to stay here is definitely Rodney Bay Village – which sits on the golden beaches in the extreme north of the island. However, if you are a fan of sugar white sand you want to head south to Sugar Beach – which is actually imported white sand from Guyana. Of course, if you feel the need to leave your beach chair and spend a day or two out and about there are many activities here for you to partake in. Thanks to the mountains, of course you have fabulous hiking and climbing – and thanks to the lush tropical forests there is ziplining. If you and your main squeeze want something a bit calmer you can always golf, fish or head to a hot spring for a mud bath.

Turks and Caicos

This archipelago consists of 40 islands and sits in the Atlantic Ocean just south of the Bahamas. Without a doubt the most popular destination is Providenciales – which is also known as Provo. This area is home to Grace Bay Beach – with – yes – white sand beaches and perfect turquoise blue water – as well as plenty of shops and restaurants. Grand Turk Island – largest and the capital island of Turks and Caicos – comes in a close second. Here you will find more gorgeous beaches as well as plenty of history, culture and a lighthouse! If you and your sweetheart are scuba divers – you are in luck as there is a 14-mile barrier reef here to explore – which of course makes it popular for snorkeling as well. If you prefer to stay above the sea you can opt for sailing, whale watching, fishing charters, bird watching and even safaris!

Jamaica

How about Jamaica mon? Jamaica – like the DR has quite a few popular beach areas – with Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril being the three most sought after. Completely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea there is no shortage of white and golden sand beaches in Jamaica. Montego Bay lies on the north coast and is the second largest city on the island after it’s capital of Kingston. Ocho Rios – also on the north coast but on the east end, is popular not only for the beaches but for Dunn’s River Falls as well – a waterfall that you are encouraged to scale. And Negril – sitting on the western most tip of the island – is known for its seven miles of pristine white beaches as well as a cliff side which features a landscape of picturesque well, cliffs. Activities here are abundant as well – from every water sport you can think of – to riding seahorses – yes – you read that right! – to floating down the river on a bamboo raft to – of course – cliff diving! Whether you and your partner are looking for soft adventures or want to go all in – Jamaica will not disappoint.

And there you have it – four fabulous island destination ideas to gift your sweetie with this Valentine’s Day. Of course, there are many, many more destinations with white sand beaches that you can choose from and I would love to discuss all of them with you to be sure to curate the most wonderful adventure possible for you and your loved one. Plus, you do have another option – instead of choosing the destination and planning it on your own – Book Here, Give Here offers gift certificates in any denomination you want! What an amazing gift to give someone you love – the chance to plan a trip with you to a destination they have always dreamed of. Either way – it’s just what cupid ordered so let’s get this conversation started!

Namaste!

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