Insider tips for a more authentic and in-depth experience of the Caribbean

Caribbean and Sun is the alternative to the usual one-week all-inclusive Caribbean vacation package. “We are providing an authentic and in-depth experience of the East Caribbean Islands”, says Bernhard Grdseloff, director of the Grenada based tour operator. “There is a growing number of travelers who take more time to truly discover the culture, the nature and the people of this colorful region.” When Bernhard Grdseloff and his wife Daniela arrived in the Caribbean 9 years ago with their sailing yacht, they discovered, that always the same six or seven large resorts on each island where featured in all travel catalogues. The Austrian couple decided to change that. They settled in Grenada, founded Caribbean & Sun and every year since then they travel up and down the island chain between Trinidad and Antigua selecting small charming properties, in which they would personally like to stay

“These insider tips range from tiny luxury boutique hotels in historic manor houses to basic, but clean guesthouses on the beach”, says Grdseloff. “What they have in common is that they are special, fit into their island environment and never have more than 20 rooms or so.” Meanwhile the company’s website www.caribbean-sun.com features some 60 plus such insider tips on the most beautiful of the small east Caribbean islands: In Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, The Grenadines, Grenada, Tobago and Trinidad.

In addition to the carefully selected small accommodations off the beaten tracks Caribbean & Sun offers packages designed to give the clients an authentic experience: you can join a couple on their private sailing yacht to cruise the Grenadines for a few days, you can explore different islands hopping from one to the next by ferry boat or plane, you can discover an island with individual guided tours or by rental car or you can get married at such exceptional locations as a waterfall in the jungle or even under water in a coral garden.

“As we mainly cater for the European market which is very price sensitive we offer a very high value for money with our accommodations and packages, says Grdseloff. A combination of a four-day yacht cruise in the Grenadines with an11 night stay in a beach hotel in Grenada starts from $1260; a week in a nice little family-run hotel right on the beach on the French Caribbean island of Martinique costs from $295; and a 14 day luxury island hopping package with stays in exclusive small luxury hotels in Antigua and Dominica connected by a flight in a private plane is priced between $3800 and $6900 according. “But this is definitely our most expensive package”, says Grdseloff.