Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Montserrat

Everyone knows that Dublin, New York and Chicago throw great St. Patrick’s Day parties, but this year, the place to be to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint is the beautiful Caribbean island of Montserrat.

Since Montserrat is the only country outside of Ireland to recognize St. Patrick’s Day as a public holiday, why not book an exquisite villa rental in Montserrat and get your Irish on, in an unusually sunny way.  With St. Patrick’s Day falling in March, it offers up the perfect chance to blend a little Irish history with lots of fun and a gorgeous tropical vacation, all at the same time.

This year, the festivities for St. Patrick’s Week in Montserrat will take place from March 9th to the 19th. The party lasts for a whole week, blending in a strong dose of the island’s Irish history with a fascinating mix of its African roots as well.

The village of Salem is at the heart of the party, hosting nature hikes, a Freedom Run from Cudjoe Head to Salem Park, and a fun calypso competition for the kids.  There will also be a reconstructed Slave Village in Salem, where there will be stalls offering local delicacies, and traditional games.  There will also be lots of music and dancing.

This year, the St. Patrick’s Week celebrations will also include an artisan show on Montserrat Day, where local craftsmen and women will sell their handmade arts and foods.  There will also be a competition for the best goat water stew, which is the island specialty.

Montserrat’s Irish traditions date back to the 17th century, when large number of Irish immigrants came to the island, fleeing the persecution of Catholics on nearby islands.  Since that time, the island’s locals have kept up their Irish traditions, adapting them to their new Caribbean home.

For a truly unique and memorable St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and Montserrat Holiday plan a stay at a Montserrat villa and take part in a week-long celebration on this other Emerald Isle.

The Volcanic History of Montserrat

The startling volcanic history of Montserrat is well known.  Back in 1995, the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted, forcing the evacuation of two-thirds of the people living on the island.   The eruption buried the capital city of Plymouth in ash, and made headlines around the world.

Today, the lovely Caribbean island of Montserrat is recovering beautifully.  It is rebuilding a new capital, a new airport and new facility.  Life has returned to normal, but the spectacular Soufriere Hills continues to be monitored closely.

Now, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory have released a new book about the historic eruption, called Island of Fire: The Natural Spectacle of the Soufrière Hills Volcano Montserrat.

The book is a collection of photographs, showing the power and the beauty of one of the most dramatic natural disasters in history.  The photos are breath-taking, and each one has a lengthy caption, describing the science behind the scenery.

The authors who worked on the book say they hope to reveal all the moods and phases of the volcano, and of its impact on the island and its people.

One of the highlights of planning a visit to Montserrat villa rentals is the ability to see the raw power of nature first hand, and from a safe distance.   There are helicopters tours of remains of Plymouth, still covered in ash and abandoned.  There are also several places on the island where visitors can get a clear view of the much weaker eruptions still going on today at the Soufriere Hills volcano.

Visiting Montserrat – on Your iPhone Now!

Considering your options for Montserrat vacation rentals ?  Don’t worry!  Now there’s an App for that! The Montserrat Tourist Board has announced the development of an app all about Montserrat.

The app is called GoMNI, and it is available right now for your iPhone, iPod or iPad.  It includes an interactive guide to the island that includes descriptions and address of Montserrat’s many restaurants, clubs, bars and even burger joints.  There’s also a map which will show the location of these places relative to your own villa Montserrat.   As well, you can browse a great photo gallery, event listings, ferry schedules and even flight info.  You can also read what other people have said about their own Montserrat vacations via Facebook.

The idea for this app was to make visiting Montserrat as easy and as enjoyable as possible.

So, when you’re choosing your Montserrat villa rentals, it is no problem to also plan out where you want to go for dinner or a night of dancing, which beach you should visit, and you can even check out photos and book that incredible volcano helicopter tour that you’ve been dreaming about forever!

The best part of the app is the interactive map, where you can find exact directions from your own Montserrat beachfront villa to that stunning restaurant that serves the fresh and delicious goat water stew.

GoMNI is available right now on the Apple App Store.  You may want to download it today, and start planning your dream vacation to one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

Why You Should Visit Jamaica in 2012

It’s always a great idea to rent a Jamaica villa and plan the perfect vacation on this incredible Caribbean island, but next year may be the best time ever for Caribbean family vacations in Jamaica.   So why not plan now to visit Jamaica in 2012.

First off, there are the 2012 Summer Olympics.  Sure, they’re in London, but in Beijing in 2008, Jamaica won a record number of Olympic medals, and we’re expecting to out-do that in London in 2012.   You may remember Jamaica’s stand out performance in Beijing.  The incredible sprinter Usain “Lightning” Bolt started off Jamaica’s best ever Olympic performance, with a gold medal in the men’s 100 meter, paving the way for six gold medals, three silver and two bronze.   Bolt and his teammates, including sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser, came home stars.

Bolt will compete again in London, in a uniform designed by Bob and Rita Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley.  You can certainly expect that in the weeks leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Jamaica will be reaching a fever pitch of excitement, and during the Games, there won’t be a bar or restaurant in the country not showing Jamaica’s world class athletes as they race.

The other reason to plan to rent a villa at the Tryall Club Jamaica in 2012 is that we’re celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence.   There will be year-long festivities, and you can bet plenty of food, dancing and music, as the entire country puts on a party to celebrate a half a century of being a proud country, making its mark on the world stage.

A New Montserrat Museum

The long recovery after Montserrat’s 1995 volcanic eruption has taken another huge leap forward.  A new airport was opened in 2005, new docking facilities are available in Little Bay, and now, the ground has been broken for a new National Museum.

The new museum will be built in Heritage Park, right near the cricket field in Little Bay, which is Montserrat’s brand new capital city.

The old museum was located on the southern part of the island, and sat in an old sugar mill on Richmond Hill.  It was abandoned during the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, but the artifacts from the island’s history were removed and stored, with plans one day to rebuild.  Finally, after more than 15 years, that day has come.

The new building will cost roughly one million dollars US, and some of the funding is coming from the UK and the European Union.  The Montserrat Tourist Board is overseeing the museum reconstruction. The Montserrat architect team of Alford Dyett Associates is designing the new building, which will have beautiful new exhibition areas, a dining area and a gift shop, as well as areas for meetings, storage, and activities.

The new museum will also be designed to accommodate visitors with special needs, and is scheduled to open in January, 2012.

The groundbreaking ceremony was just the latest sign of rebuilding Montserrat, and the strength and recovery in this beautiful place.  Montserrat has moved on tremendously since the eruption in 1995, and you need to see it to believe it.   With a new capital city and new facilities being opened all the time, as well as many of its continuing historic charms, Montserrat offers a unique chance to visit an unspoiled island on the Caribbean.

Why not plan a Montserrat holiday and rent a pretty Montserrat villa so you can see the regrowth and the incredible spirit here for yourself?

Why Just Cruise to Jamaica?

A cruise to Jamaica is becoming more popular!  New numbers show that Jamaica is one of the top 10 fastest growing cruise destinations in the world.

That’s not surprising, considering the February 2011 opening of the brand new multi-million dollar cruise facilities in the city of Falmouth.   Add that to existing port facilities in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Port Antonio, and there are lots of places for the world’s best cruise ships to visit this lush and lovely island.

In its first five months of operation, nearly 200,000 people stepped through Jamaica’s newest port, generating more than $15 billion US for Jamaica’s economy.

What’s the appeal?  That’s easy!  It’s not even necessary to book a cruise to experience it for yourself.   Jamaica has a ton of incredible activities (or “shore excursions”, in cruise ship terms!).   Why not skip the ship and book a Caribbean vacation rental in Jamaica and explore the entire island at your leisure?   A stay at your own Jamaica villa can let give you time to spend a week, or two, climbing the beautiful Dunn’s River Falls, or sunning yourself on James Bond Beach.   You can explore the haunted history of Jamaica’s Great Houses at Rose Hall, or see how a plantation works at the Prospect Plantation.   Visit the Green Grotto Caves, take in an up-and-coming musical act following in the footsteps of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, dine on delicious jerk chicken and the freshest fruit and vegetables; Jamaica has everything you need for the perfect vacation.

The best thing about Caribbean vacation villas is that you can experience all of this, and you don’t have to get up early to save a good lounge chair by the pool!   That beautiful private pool at the Jamaica rental is there just for you, and your friends and family.

Tortola’s Historic Fort Recovery

One of the best parts of renting a luxury villa in the Caribbean is being able to spend time discovering one of the most sought-after beachfront only vacation rentals in one of the most fascinating parts of the world.   Every island has a rich and unique history, shaped by different cultures that passed through or made their homes here, waging epic battles and leaving their mark on the countries that make up the Caribbean today.

The British Virgin Islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus, and were then settled by the Spanish and the Dutch.  The most colorful chapter of its history was when “pirates sailed the ocean blue”.  Many of the most famous pirate captains, including Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, made their base in Tortola, protecting their ships in the many pretty hidden coves on the island. It was for good reason that the British Navy once called Tortola “A Pirate’s Nest”.

When you’re on a Tortola vacation, one of the best places to explore the island’s fascinating past is Fort Recovery.  The fort is hundreds of years old, and is now part of a resort complex in the west end of Tortola.  You can still visit the site even if you have your own villa rental on the island.

Its location is a little unusual.  The fort was built on low ground, close to the sea, which is strange for a fort, because it wasn’t built on the more strategically high ground of the hills around it.  It’s believed that the fort was originally built here to protect a freshwater pond that was once in the area, which is possible because fresh water was an important resource on this island with no rivers.

Fort Recovery was built back in the 1640s.  It is the oldest landmark in Tortola, and it is the oldest fort still standing in all of the Caribbean.   It’s believed that it was built on the site of an old earthen fort, originally built by the Dutch explorer Joost van Dyk, who was one of the very first European settlers in the British Virgin Islands (and quite possibly a pirate).   The fort may have once served as a hospital for soldiers wounded in battles between the Dutch and the Spanish, which is where it got the name Fort Recovery.  It’s also said that the famous pirate Jean Lafitte once landed here.

When the British took control of this part of the Virgin Islands, the fort was abandoned and it fell into disrepair.   It was rebuilt during the American Revolutionary War, and that is when the British added the tower called the Martello Tower. The fort is made up of several towers, and locals often refer to the area as “The Towers”.  Fort Recovery was abandoned again in the early 19th century.

When the area was being turned into a resort in the 1960s, the property’s owners found old cannonballs and other artifacts, including pottery and furnishings. Today,  Fort Recovery is just one of the fascinating places you can explore while enjoying the perfect Tortola villa rental.

beachfront only vacation rentals

The Enduring Appeal of the Jamaican Flag

Flag of Jamaica
Flag of Jamaica

Every country in the world has a flag, but some of those flags are just more memorable than others.  The U.S. has it Stars and Stripes; Canada has its maple leaf.  Some flags have become iconic; symbols of the country themselves.   That’s why you see the Jamaican flag everywhere you go in the world.

Part of the reason the Jamaican black, yellow and green can be seen everywhere in the world is because of the Jamaican expatriate community.  Nearly a million Jamaicans live in other places around the world, in places such as New York, London and Boston.  However, they keep their home island close to their hearts, and their flags on display.

Another reason for the iconic status of the Jamaican flag is the worldwide love of reggae music.   The music of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff has inspired generations of people and musicians, and the colors of the flag have been turned into hats and t-shirts, so people can proudly wear their Jamaican pride.

However, did you know what the colors of the Jamaican flag mean?   The flag was created in 1962, after a national competition.  The color black is symbolic of the creativity and strength of the island’s people.  The color gold is for the shining Caribbean sun, and the color green represents the lush beauty of the island of Jamaica itself.

With all that in mind, it’s not surprising that the Jamaican people and the millions of people who have visited the island hold this flag, and this country, dear.   With sun, sand, forest and a thriving culture, there’s a lot to fall in love with here.  Why not consider a visit to this gorgeous island and see for yourself.  Check out the Jamaica villa offered by TIR for the perfect family vacation to a beautiful and memorable island in the sun.

Jump Up for Christmas in Jamaica

Christmas in Jamaica is truly a special time.  The global classics of friends, family, carols and Santa Claus blend together here with a uniquely Caribbean sense of joy and rhythm.

A big part of Jamaican Christmas celebrations is the Jonkanoo parade, where people dress up as colorful characters and parade down the streets to music.  The festival is common all around the Caribbean, and has its roots in the African traditions brought over during the slave trade.

You can also expect to find lots of Christmas markets, alive with music and dancing.  These local markets spring up all over the island, and become daily events in the week leading up to Christmas.  Local craftsmen and vendors sell handmade toys and Christmas sweets.  On Christmas Eve, the markets are still open, all decorated with lights and streamers.

For Christmas dinner, Jamaicans typically enjoy curried goat, roast ham and gungo peas.  The Jamaican specialty is rum-soaked Christmas cake flavored with fruit and fresh cinnamon.  The Christmas drink on the island is sorrel, made from the plant by the same name, spices and rum, served over ice.

For a truly unique and musical twist to your family Christmas vacation, why not consider a Jamaica villa?  Explore the markets, revel in the warmth of the Caribbean, dance in the Jonkanoo, and fill yourself up with delicious Jamaican cuisine.  Look into booking your own private villa at the Tryall Villas Jamaica, and put some real Ho, Ho, Ho to your holidays!

Christmas in Montserrat: Festival Time!

Christmas may be a wonderful family holiday, but you don’t need to celebrate with cold and snow!  Consider a beautiful villa Montserrat in the British West Indies for your  Christmas vacation.

Christmas in Monserrat is a special time, as it marks the annual Christmas Festival on the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.  There are a whole host of fun activities and events for the entire month of December, all geared to marking this festive time of year.

There are family fun days early in the month, as well as shows at the Montserrat Cultural Centre.  However, the big weekend kicks off on December 17th with the opening of Festival 2011 Street Jam at Festival City.  From this day through to New Year’s Eve is called “Christmas Week” and is packed with concerts, and pan band shows,  and calypso competitions. There are also masquerade and costume competitions for the titles of Miss Festival Queen and Calypso King.

On Christmas Day itself, you can take part in a celebration of carol singing and a calypso show.  Boxing Day, there is another great calypso show and a street jam in the town of Salem.

Of course, New Year’s Eve is a huge party and then you have one day to recover before the Festival officially ends with a parade on January 2nd.

This is a wonderful time to plan a visit to this gorgeous and non-touristy Caribbean island.  You get the chance to participate in a lively local festival, and enjoy all the benefits of a  Montserrat villa for the perfect getaway in the sun.

Reserve your luxury vacation rental in Montserrat BWI for the holidays now!