James Meets Jamie Holmes of Nisbet Plantation Beach Club...
Amid the hurly burly of World Travel Market in November, we managed 15 minutes of quiet to hear about Holmes’ return to the Caribbean, his hopes for Nisbet and his impressions of arriving in Nevis.

Q.So, how is it being back in the Caribbean?

Jamie Holmes
‘It’s great, of course, and Nevis is charming. It was right to be back in the States for a while, for family reasons, but the work felt a bit impersonal, like “I’m the GM of the Holiday Inn at the side of the road”, so it is very good to be back at a small and intimate Caribbean property like Nisbet. I was asked to come by the owner, David Dodwell, so I came down for a week and decided it was time to return. The timing was right.’

Q.In 2009 it will be 20 years since you first arrived in the Caribbean. How does Nevis compare with your experience in the Virgin Islands?

Jamie Holmes
‘I love living in the islands. It’s certainly a hands-on job, not just a matter of ticking the boxes in a management meeting. At Bitter End I remember buying the fish at the dock each morning. It was brought in fresh each day. And I had to rebuild Peter Island after Hurricane Hugo… The Caribbean can get sleepy so you have to stay on top of it, but my background in the BVI means that I understand the West Indians and island governments, so I know how to get along.’

Q.And how is it getting back to managing a small Caribbean hotel?

Jamie Holmes
‘It’s one thing to love living in the islands, but motivating a team here is a different matter. It’s not for everyone and it takes time to make good long-term change, so you have to love doing it. A Caribbean hotel manager doesn’t manage managers, they manage employees and in a small hotel they know every single one. You have to be prepared to do everything. You must be open and available and interested in communicating with the guests, consciously be a visible part of the hotel. You are literally the mayor of your small part of the island, with all its staff and guests. At Nisbet I walk the property three times a day at least and I talk to the guests, though generally not at dinner, when they tend to want to be left alone. They give better feedback at breakfast.’

Q.And what hopes do you have for Nisbet itself?

Jamie Holmes
‘Actually there is a lot of good there already, so my aim is to continue the good work and improve it. The setting at Nisbet is fantastic but it is the type of property that needs to be in tip top condition, pristine but not manicured. So we have trimmed the coconut palms, and around the cottages we have taken out some of the old plants and planted new ones, particularly flowering plants, including ixora, allamanda, heliconia and bird of paradise. The gardens will have more colour.’

‘There won’t be any new building on the main property, but we have spent over half a million US dollars on the roofs and floors and repainting the screens. A third of the air-conditioning systems have been replaced too. The same process will take place next year. At the beachfront we have expanded and improved things. We have replaced the chairs in the restaurant and there are new windsurfers and kayaks.’

‘We have also concentrated on hospitality, introducing some more structure and working hard on the anticipation of need. People go to the Caribbean to escape, but we must give them proper service. I hope that we can deliver a top quality experience while still being authentically Caribbean.’

Q.And how do you find the Nevisians?

Jamie Holmes
‘They are open and polite and when they talk to you they are genuinely interested in your happiness - rather than simply fishing for a tip. Out on the island there are no vendors and the taxi drivers are not all over you all the time.’

Q.Have there been any surprises, coming to Nevis?
A slightly distant look comes into Holmes’ eyes as he shuffles through the months’ experience of life back in the Caribbean, no doubt wondering what he can say...

Jamie Holmes
‘The most mysterious thing is that I heard everyone talking about the bridge to St Kitts. I just couldn’t imagine there was one. Then I found out that it was actually a car ferry called the Sea Bridge, not an actual bridge. The schedule is equally puzzling and simply unfathomable to a new arrival. Luckily it doesn’t matter because the taxi drivers – they’re called Marlon Brando and Calvin Klein, by the way - always seem to know what is going on. And then there is the livestock - all the sheep and goats that appear in the middle of the road as you come around the corner. And the monkeys that clamber all over the office roof….’

For more information about one of the most romantic hotels in the Caribbean, please see our Review of Nisbet Plantation Beach Club.

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The dashing sport of polo has a surprisingly long pedigree in the Caribbean, since it was brought here in the second half of the nineteenth century by the British Army. In Barbados cavalry officers would play in front of the Drill Hall at the Garrison Savannah, where the Barbados Polo Club - now based at Holders in St James - was founded in 1884. In Jamaica, the Kingston Polo Club was formed in 1886.

Since the late twentieth century Caribbean polo has seen a surge in popularity and polo in Barbados has taken off tremendously over the last decade. A new generation of players and sponsors has become involved and now large crowds turn out to watch home and international matches. In Barbados the big tournaments have become part of the island’s social scene, often including fashion shows, live music or a DJ.

In fact, the game is popular enough to have spawned four polo grounds in Barbados. Holders Hill, on land donated by the Kidd family, retains its special atmosphere, surrounded by villas just in from the west coast. The other polo grounds are the Clifton Polo Centre in St Thomas and two world-class, full size fields at Waterhall Polo Club at Apes Hill, St James and Lion Castle Polo Estate in St Thomas. Jamaica currently has five clubs with around fifty regular players. The St Ann Polo Club has been in the same location for over 100 years and both it and Kingston Polo Club have a full sized polo field, a clubhouse and a large arena that can be used for show jumping and arena polo. The three other clubs on Jamaica are Knolford Polo Club in St Catherine, Chukka Blue Polo Club in Hanover near Montego Bay and Chukka Cove Polo Club in St Ann. The only other Caribbean island where polo is played is the Dominican Republic. There are impressive polo facilities at Casa De Campo resort in La Romana, which has three playing fields and a practice field. Near Santo Domingo in Cabarete is the beachfront Sierra Prieta Polo Club, which has the one field plus they also play beach polo.

Polo matches in Barbados are a popular outing for families and they attract crowds of up to 2000 with as many as 250 children in tow. At Waterhall there is always a special section for the kids with a playground and entertainment. At Lion Castle they leave the floodlights on the pitch and the children run to their hearts’ content. Clubs usually offer afternoon tea after games and during the big tournaments there is usually a barbecue-style buffet dinner. There is not normally an entry fee for local matches but for the big tournaments the charge is US$15 for adults and $5 for children of 5-12yrs. In Jamaica the social scene at matches is a little lower key, but most grounds have a bar and perhaps a tea tent with a band, or even a fashion show or an art show. Most will offer pony rides for the children and Chukka Blue (being part of Chukka Caribbean Adventures) has access to other activities such as wall climbing. At any rate, players and spectators seem to enjoy themselves and make plenty of noise...

Caribbean Polo season 2009
The Barbados polo season runs from December until the end of May. In addition to the home matches, in which the local teams play between themselves, the island plays host to overseas players and touring teams. In 2009 the four Barbados polo grounds will receive touring teams from the USA (The Villages, 31 Jan-8 Feb), England (Cheshire, 1-8 Mar), Mexico (26 Apr-3 May) and a Ladies Team for the Battle of Sexes (29 Mar-5 Apr). In addition there will be local 4, 8, 10, 12 and 14 goal tournaments. The 14 Goal Tournament (15-22 Feb) and the Barbados Open (15-22 Mar) are special as foreign professional players are often brought in, which makes the games even livelier to watch and usually increases the goal count. The atmosphere at these matches is electric and the commentary, which is usually lively and often funny is very much part of the experience.

The Jamaica polo season normally starts in January and runs to early August, when the Hi-Pro & ICWI Family Tournament (4-10 goal) generally marks the last fixture of the JPA’s season. This year it will be held at St Ann Polo Club. The season normally starts with Battle of the Sexes, but the 2009 ladies tour has been postponed, probably until April. Jamaica currently has a handful of excellent women players including Lesley-Ann Masterton Fong-Yee, one of the world’s top female polo players. Another annual visit in February will be an English team led by John Tinsley, former chairman of the HPA (Hurlingham Polo Association, polo’s governing body,) who has been travelling to Jamaica since 1982. Late April will probably see a team from Australia over for a 10 goal tournament and in March a popular team from Newport, RI, will be returning after several visits. The Rhode Islanders host a Jamaican team in the United States for a return tour in August.

On the charity front, last year saw the introduction of Hanover Charities’ inaugural Sugar Cane Carnival Polo Match, a joint effort by Chukka Caribbean Adventures and Round Hill Hotel & Villas. Last year the match raised US$18,000 of a total of almost US$180,000 raised that weekend. This year’s event will also be held at Chukka Blue and promises to be more spectacular. VIP tickets, which include round-trip transfers from Montego Bay hotels, butler service, bar and high tea will be available for US$65. All proceeds go to the charity. The date for this year’s event is Sunday 15th February, following the Sugar Cane Ball on Saturday, and it starts at 3.30pm. Please contact Round Hill Hotel & Villas for further details.

Want to learn to play polo in the Caribbean?
If all this talk of polo has you itching to learn how to play the game or improve your skills, then lessons are available on both islands. Waterhall Polo Club in Barbados has the largest livery of ponies on the island, around 100. You should be a competent rider, reasonably fit and there are weight limits. Regular riding lessons, costing US$175 per hour, will bring you up to speed before you start polo lessons. The stable will provide a helmet, chaps and gloves. Actual polo lessons are US$185 per hour. For experienced polo players, Stick & Ball costs US$85 for 30 minutes, chukkas cost from US$200 and a match from US$225, t 246 262 3286. On Jamaica, Lesley-Ann Masterton Fong-Yee offers private polo lessons and clinics at the St Ann Polo Club & Equestrian Centre in Drax Hall. Lessons are by appointment only and prices start at US$100 for an individual and from US$75 per person for 2-4 persons. You will need to provide your own helmet and boots or chaps, t 1876 381 4660. Knolford Polo & Tennis Ranch near Riversdale, St Catherine, run by owner Mark Harris, offers a 7 day polo package, t 1876 929 5462.

Polo Villa Developments
Interestingly, there are currently two real estate developments in Barbados attached to polo grounds. At Apes Hill Club, 470 acres of a former sugar plantation have been transformed into a residential polo and golf community. This includes Waterhall Polo Club and the soon to be completed 18 hole Apes Hill Golf Course. The back nine holes are complete and the rest due by the end of 2009. It is a private course for club members only, though if you rent one of the villas you can play for a fee. Their Polo Villas have now been completed and both long and short term rentals are available. There are both 3 and 4-bedroom villas and some are still for sale. Villas sell from US$1,100,000 with those over their lake at US$1,350,000. Houses go for four times that. Plots of land within the development start at $450,000. At the 62 acre Lion Castle Polo Estate, there are building plots set around the northern end of their polo field and others with elevated views. Lots start at around US$399,000 to over 1 million, on top of which there is the cost of building from approved designs. These range from a 3-bedroom Island Villa to a 4–bedroom Polo Mansion or Plantation Home, all with pools. They are also selling ten townhouses, called The Residences, which have two bedrooms and a separate guest suite for US$1,250,000.

See www.barbadospoloclub.com for their 2009 Polo Season schedule and here for the Jamaica Polo Association’s Schedule of Events for 2009.

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Caribbean Regattas here we come...

Antigua is one of the classic start points for sailing in the Caribbean. English Harbour is steeped in history - Nelson’s Dockyard contains the only restored Georgian naval base in the world - and some of the area’s smartest yachts base themselves in Falmouth Harbour over the winter. Antigua may not have as many islands to hop as the Grenadines, nor as many waterfront bars to prop up as the BVIs – and owning your own yacht is a pretty expensive procedure - but here’s a way to experience the thrill of the seaward rock and roll without afterwards having to join the dole...

Ondeck Ocean Racing is a global sailing outfit that offers customised tours aboard ocean racing yachts for up to six guests with two professional crew members. In Antigua, these include anything from day sails to weeklong tours with instruction, ocean sail boat racing and crews for regattas, as well as regular sunset cruises. Ondeck have sleek racing yachts, in fleets based in the UK, Portugal, USVI and Antigua and so if you want, you can start your adventure sailing in the Caribbean warmth and hone your skills once back to the UK...

So, what's on offer?

Ocean Race Experience
No experience necessary, as it happens. After a full briefing at Antigua Yacht Club Marina and a practice in Falmouth Harbour, you race head to head with another racing yacht to your destination. The return sail is always leisurely, so once you have trimmed the sails you can sit back and sip a cocktail - unless you want some more competition...

Montserrat Eco Adventure
November 2008 saw the start of this new trip, which begins with the Ocean Race Experience from Antigua to Montserrat. Once on Montserrat you can stay as long as you like. Hike the rainforest, trek the solid lava flows from the volcanic eruption back in 1997, visit the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (one of the most active in the world at the moment), horse ride along the beach, dive or snorkel around the island or even visit Plymouth, the old capital that was evacuated in 1997 and is now largely submerged by volcanic ash.

Caribbean Regattas
Ondeck is heavily involved with Regattas in the Caribbean. They race and teach in them and provide sponsorship and education. And of course Ondeck can enable you to compete, by linking you up with a crew, regardless of your level of experience. Regattas to which Ondeck have access include the Heineken St Maarten Regatta, the St Thomas International Rolex, the Grenada Sailing Festival, Tobago Carnival Regatta, and the inaugural RORC Caribbean 600 - the first offshore race to circumnavigate the Caribbean islands of Barbuda, Nevis, Saba, St Barths, St Maarten, Guadeloupe and of course, Antigua.

Hidden Caribbean
A week-long itinerary that starts and finishes in St Maarten and visits five of the less known islands in the north-eastern Caribbean. Between open-sea sails, time is built in for island exploration – in St Kitts to climb Mt Liamuiga, in Montserrat for a bit of vulcanology (it may be fairly quiet now, but its Soufrière has been one of the busiest volcanoes in the world over the past decade), in Barbuda to visit the bird sanctuary and the magnificent beaches and in Saba to scuba dive. At the final stop in Anguilla guests are recommended to check out the magnificent beaches and tropical drinks.

Royal Yacht Association Sail Training School
Headed up by RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, Logan Knight, the Royal Yacht Association Sail Training School offers a range of certified courses in handling powerboats and ocean sail boats. They are available for all standards of yachtsmen interested in sailing in the Caribbean, from novice sailing to skippering and ocean sail boat racing. Logan, among the most qualified yachtsmen in the Caribbean, is now the Chief instructor on Antigua.

For more information about Ondeck, their other bespoke cruising and teaching options and sailing in the Caribbean, please see the Definitive Caribbean Guide to Antigua and our Definitive Caribbean Review of Ondeck Antigua.

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As mentioned in the previous Island Chat, the rhythms of the Caribbean islands have found their way beyond their original shores to other islands in the region, providing the chance for Caribbean artists to stamp their view on different genres. So, while the relaxed pace of reggae may be synonymous with Jamaica, not all reggae artists are Jamaican. The latest singer songwriter to make reggae music news is Barbadian David Kirton, who has been winning fans worldwide.

Time for Change, his third album, is conscious yet accessible. Recorded in Barbados, it is a well-polished release, actually an amalgamation of sounds - with influences from rock, roots and pop - and it features strong hooks, tight rhythms and the clever lyrics of Kirton’s smooth voice, which simply drips with soul. If you are a long time fan of reggae or new to the genre and fancy hearing some sounds of the Caribbean before your trip then there is much to recommend about this contemporary take on roots reggae.

Time for Change has certainly been picking up the accolades. It took a hat-trick of awards at the 2008 Barbados Music Awards - Reggae Artist of the Year, Reggae Song of Year and Best Male Video for his peace anthem Green Camouflage.

Kirton was up for further tributes this year. January 4th marked the 2009 Barbados Music Awards, which brought together a range of well known personalities from around the Caribbean. They were competing for titles as varied as Best Soca Single to Best Jazz Artist.

Leading the charge in the nominations was international superstar Rihanna, who hails from Barbados herself. She was up for six awards and took home three. Rihanna has found enormous success in the US and UK. She has picked up Grammy awards and her albums have gone multi platinum along the way. She is the latest Caribbean export to make it big on the worldwide scene.

Anderson ‘Blood’ Armstrong took home five awards on the night and David Kirton retained his Reggae Artist of the Year title.

For more information on the music of Barbados see our Barbados Island Guide.

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Whatever will the Jamaicans come up with next?

Bobsled Jamaica, the principal attraction at the Rainforest Aerial Tram facility near Ocho Rios, is a 1000 metre gravity-driven bobsled ride that dips and dives down through the rainforest towards the north coast of Jamaica. Taking its inspiration from the Jamaican bobsled team that competed in the Calgary Winter Olympics and was later immortalised in the film Cool Runnings, it is accessed by the Sky Lift Explorer, a chair-lift that climbs 700 foot on Mystic Mountain. The custom-built ride glides down through the dense foliage, swinging left and right and flying over limestone cliffs in a lively, white-knuckle ride. And if the ‘Cool Runnings’ feeling just whets your appetite, then for more fun you can join Tranopy, a series of zip lines that take you down through the trees at canopy level.

These new Jamaica island tours – Zip Line and the Jamaica bobsled ride at Mystic Mountain - are centred on a replica Jamaican railway station from the 1900s, which was designed by Jamaican architect Ann Hodges. It contains a gift shop on the ground floor along with the boarding point for Bobsled Jamaica. Upstairs there is a restaurant, R2, which serves contemporary Caribbean cuisine including dishes such as the Jamaican classic Escoveitch Fish served in a spring roll. There is an ‘Irie Pickney’ menu for kids. On the top floor you will find the Lookout Tower, which has sensational views out to sea and towards Dunns River Falls and St Ann. Next to Mystic Mountain Railway Station is the Mystic Pavilion, a museum devoted to two main themes. First is Jamaica’s colourful heritage, maritime history and sporting prowess. Secondly it seeks to promote environmental education and conservation – specifically about the land in which Mystic Mountain is set. The three rides pass through 100 acres of land, where there are natural springs, tropical plants and trees and a multitude of birds.

The organisers of Mystic Mountain highlight the environmental sustainability of their project – one of the only sightseeing tours in Jamaica to do so. Great care was taken during construction to protect the area, including the use of helicopters to avoid having to create roads for the installation of the chairlift, man power to lug the 1000 metres of bobsled track through the forest and a unique generator that supplies more than 90% of the energy requirement, thereby reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by over 60%.

There is a multitude of activities and places to visit in Jamaica. For more information please see our Definitive Caribbean Guide to Jamaica

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Trump International Golf Club at Raffles Resort in Canouan Island has built what they reckon to be the longest par 3 golf hole in the world. But how do you have a longest version of something that is necessarily short – just one approach shot and the mandatory two shots on the green?

Hole 16 in Canouan is more than 300 yards long from tee to pin. It’s possible because of the island’s steep terrain, which already gives the course some of the most spectacular views in Caribbean golf - north and south along the Grenadines. The 16th is set on the lip of an impressive 240 ft drop, making the 300 yards to the flag achievable in the one approach stroke. Yes, you too can drive as far as Tiger Woods for an afternoon.

Achievable in theory that is, because there’s no guarantee. The Canouan golf course is not for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure. Surrounding the 16th green there are water hazards left and right and elsewhere the rough is impenetrable scrub. And then, as with most Caribbean courses, there’s the wind. In Canouan it is cut up by the steep terrain, meaning it is unpredictable at the best of times and different every time you play (joy…). When there is no wind, people tend to play woefully short. From up there, the target area looks awfully small.

Worse, it comes hard on the heels of Hole 15 – another of Caribbean golf’s teasing challenges - which itself has been known to make grown men weep. There, you have the choice whether to take the long, safe way around on the fairway, or – if you’re prepared to go for it - and throw caution to the (Caribbean) wind - then you can strike out over the ravine. Beware though, you’ll need to wear a full climbing rig if you want to play your ball out of the ravine...

There are several tees from which to play Hole 16, so you can take your pick, depending on how brave you feel. And for those not bold enough to go full out for the green, there is a lay-up area just short of it. But, man or mouse? There haven’t been any holes in one yet...

For more information about Raffles Resort Canouan see our Definitive Caribbean Review.

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Four new Caribbean rooms with plunge pool, giving right onto the sand of Flamands Beach.

Isle de France, one of St Barths’ small handful of extremely fashionable hotels, has just upped its levels of luxury by adding four extremely comfortable new beachfront suites. Two give right onto the fantastic sands of Flamands Beach itself (the other two are set upstairs with a huge balcony) and they each have an infinity-edge pool.

At over 1500 square feet, the new suites are spacious. They comprise a large rear bedroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a sitting room with 52” plasma TV and a fully equipped kitchen. At the front there is a terrace with sunloungers and a private infinity-edge plunge pool. There is also wireless internet, a complimentary mini bar and a private parking space. There is air-conditioning and there are ceiling fans throughout.

Designed by Morrison Interiors, the new beachfront suites fit seamlessly into the style of the 37 bedroom hotel. The furniture continues the elegant theme, with antiques and distressed paintwork and flowers in Provençal style. Floors are of smoked oak and the high ceilings have a feel of a Manhattan loft. Two of the suites have interconnecting doors so they can be made into a family suite.

For more information and to make a booking, please see our Definitive Caribbean Review of Isle de France.

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The word Pavitra means ‘purity’ in Sanskrit – this new addition to the Wellness Centre at LeSport allows for the opportunity to detox fully in an authentic Ayuverdic Temple.

Every detail, material and ingredient used in the making of the new Pavitra Spa has been sourced in Jaipur, in Rajasthan in India. The impressive stone-carved jallis and the carved wooden door were pieced together by expert Indian craftsmen. Now the treatments are carried out by Indian therapists, who use essential oils and techniques fine-tuned at the spiritual home of Yoga.

They will be offering treatments including Udvartana (massage, scrub and steam), Ayoma Abhyanga (four hand massage), Hasthabhyanga and Padabhyanga (hand and feet massage), Shiro Dhara (Indian head massage), Mukhralepam (facial), Prana (breathing therapy), Vashti (spinal therapy), Tarpanam (eye treatment), and Bolus Bag Massages.

The treatments at the Pavitra temple fall outside the complimentary daily treatment in the Oasis Spa (these are included in the room price), but there is a further range of tools outside the Pavitra to aid in the detox and rejuvenation process. These include physical and nutritional advice - much of the food prepared at Le Sport is organic and locally grown. The chefs are also happy to create dishes for those with allergies, intolerances and special diets.

To find out more about the hotel and how to book, see the Definitive Caribbean Review of The BodyHoliday at LeSport. The video of The BodyHoliday at LeSport has some clips of the new Pavitra spa under construction.

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Where Little Arches overlooks the startling blue water of Miami Beach on one side, on the other it has a small garden tucked away in profuse tropical greenery. It is here that this small Barbados hotel has set its spa, SPAradise.

In keeping with the overall atmosphere of Little Arches, SPAradise is cosy and has natural-looking décor. It has just the one treatment room (there are just ten bedrooms at the hotel), which is cooled by natural ventilation. Guests can still opt to have treatments in their rooms or by the pool – there is a special Poolside Sunset Massage.

The mini-spa is overseen by in-house therapist and yoga expert, Estelle Lapatie St John, who has lived in Barbados since 1990. Estelle is a graduate of the Mount Royal College in Calgary in Canada, where she specialised in Massage and Physiotherapy. She also holds a Certificate of Beauty Therapy from the Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School (Wat Po TTM) in Chiangmai, Thailand, where she also became skilled in the art of Thai Massage. In addition Estelle is a Sivananda Yoga instructor and holds sunrise and sunset sessions by appointment on the pool terrace.

Each summer Estelle travels, usually including a visit to her native France, so that she can add to her repertoire of skills. In 2008 her brief was to create a new and expanded menu of treatments for the spa at Little Arches, and this has been launched in time for the winter 2008/09 season. With this in mind, Estelle gained a Degree in Masso Therapy (Osteopathy) while in Paris. This means that an osteopathy consultation is now on offer. She also completed an anti-ageing training course in Paris in January 2007.

All products used in SPAradise are specialist organic spa lines from France, including ranges from L’Occitane, NUXE and Clarins. SPAradise’s full range of services now includes massages, beauty and body treatments such as scrubs, wraps, manicure and pedicure, facials, special treatments for brides as well as osteopathy and nutrition consultations. For instance massages now include a deep tissue Revival Jet Lag Cure, which incorporates a finger pressure technique to the body’s Shiatsu points, and an Ayurvedic scalp and facial massage. There is a Pre/Post Natal Treatment, which has been carefully designed to cater for pregnant or nursing mothers, and a Thai massage with Herbal Ball, which uses rhythmical compressions on acupressure points.

Beauty treatments include the Raw Earth Pedicure L’Occitane, which is particularly recommended for men and includes a raw sugar foot scrub and a volcanic clay foot mask. The soothing Aloe Vera Cooler Wrap is an after-sun care treatment suitable for both sexes. Brides-to-be can enjoy one of the Queen of the Day packages, either a 2 ½ hour session devised for the ‘nervous bride’ or a mammoth 5 hour session. The latter includes a Jet Blitz Massage, an Elation-by-the-Glass Tonic (a blend of ginseng, reishi, epimedium, sweet tea vine and mandarin), followed by a Real Aromatherapy Massage, then a full hour Aromatherapy Facial, finished off by either a manicure or pedicure. For a full list of spa treatments and to read more about this delightful retreat, please see James Henderson’s Review of Little Arches.

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Round Hill Hotel & Villas’ Signature Dish Recipe
from Chef Martin Maginley

Kokanda
Round Hill’s award-winning executive chef, Martin Maginley, has created his dish ‘Kokonda’ by adapting a traditional Fijian fish recipe. The seas and deep reefs surrounding the Fijian islands are much like those of the Caribbean and so they are bountiful with large game fish. Kokonda uses a method of cooking fish in a marinade/pickle of lime juice, with salt and hot pepper. It is not dissimilar to ceviche, which is widely known in the Caribbean and Latin America. The flavour of Kokonda at Round Hill derives from a balance between the intense zing of lime and the sweetness of a coconut mayonnaise. It works well as a first course, but also as an hors d'oeuvre – as seen in the photograph. Here it was presented by Chef Martin and his team as part of their special ‘The Glamour of Jamaica’ dinner at the James Beard House in New York City.

Chef Martin, who has been with Round Hill since mid 2007, is originally from Canada. He undertook most of his training in Toronto and eventually made the move to Jamaica in 1996. At Round Hill his focus has been to develop a specific style of food - coined Contemporary Caribbean Cuisine - which is modern but clearly built on the classical cooking methods of the Caribbean region. He consciously utilizes the wonderful market basket of Jamaican produce, enabling him use to what is seasonally available in exciting combinations. In doing this he looks to the masters who have always inspired him, including Marco Pierre White. Chef Martin worked in many of the great kitchens before being drawn to Jamaica by the New World Cuisine trend that was inspiring many young chefs years ago. Recently he was named Chef of the Year in Jamaica and he has already been named Chef of the Caribbean for two years running. So far he has amassed an impressive 42 Gold awards from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Chef Martin has introduced a new restaurant at Round Hill. Located on the Georgian Terrace and in the Georgian Room, the Restaurant at Round Hill is now the hotel’s fine dining room and it is open five nights a week. It is very much a showcase for the chef’s innovative style of Contemporary Caribbean Cuisine. Another of the chef’s initiatives is the introduction of a Round Hill Dine Around. Guests can choose to dine with family or friends in a location of their choice, be it at their own villa or terrace, on the beach or maybe in the gazebo on Round Hill’s dock. There are four new fine dining menus from which to choose and your meal will be served for you by a butler. A fifth menu sees one of his chefs actually cooking Black Angus Steak at the table. Also new is the Robinson Crusoe Menu, which is geared towards families with children. Everyone heads to a beach for a Cook Out, complete with bonfire and flaming torches. A cook will prepare dinner over the open fire and the kids get to help by grilling their own hot dogs.





Ingredients

16 oz fresh white Corvina or similar firm-fleshed game fish
12 large limes (sufficient juice to cover the fish on two separate occasions
Zest from 4 limes (blanch and retain)
1 cup coconut mayonnaise (see recipe below)
½ scotch bonnet (de-seeded and finely chopped)
1 loose cup of chopped scallion/spring onion (all parts)
1 cup of diced, deseeded tomatoes
Several sprigs of fresh cilantro/fresh coriander leaves - chopped
Pinch of sea salt
Wakame seaweed (if dried needs to be reconstituted)

Serves 4 as a starter

Method

Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces (approximately ½ inch square) and marinate for 12 hours in the juice of half of the limes, noting that half way through you should pour off the lime juice and replace with the remaining lime juice and some salt. When ‘cooked’, pour off the lime juice. You will notice the fish has taken on an opaque look and has firmed up slightly. Note it is vital that you use only the freshest fish, ideally caught the same day.

Coconut Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 x 16 oz tin coconut milk
½ cup mayonnaise

Method

Pour the coconut milk into a large flat pan and at medium-low heat slowly reduce by half, while continuing to shake as it reduces. When cooled add to the mayonnaise.

For Service: Place the prepared fish in a bowl and incorporate the coconut mayonnaise, then fold in the scotch bonnet pepper, scallion and tomato. Adjust seasoning with sea salt. Serve chilled in a ¼ of a jelly coconut that has been stripped of the husk or in a Martini glass which has Wakame Seaweed placed in the bottom. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime zest.

Note that if you refrigerate the Kokonda for too long after combining the ingredients, the coconut cream will solidify. Therefore mix together only as needed.

Notes on ingredients

Corvina – a reef-dwelling fish similar to sea bass, often called white sea bass. In the UK it is also known as meagre or salmon bass. Corvina is a good fish for this process as its flesh is firm and it stands up well during marinading.

Wakame Seaweed - This is a popular Japanese seaweed which can be purchased in its natural state in tubs or bags, though often it comes dried and therefore needs to be soaked before it can be used it. Wakame, sometimes called Japanese Sea Vegetable, has an interesting taste that adds to the dish and it is typically found along with other Sushi ingredients. Packets of dried, shredded Wakame Seaweed can be purchased on-line in the UK from the Japan Centre and Japanese Kitchen. If you cannot get hold of wakame you could use shredded lettuce as a substitute, or a fine julienne of cucumber or more ideally cucumber cut on a spiral cutter. This can be seasoned lightly with oil, vinegar and kosher salt (a large grained salt used by professional kitchens which does not contain iodine - it is not actually Kosher).

Scotch bonnet pepper - a variety of capsicum chinense, whose seeds have a searing, white-hot heat. The peppers have the appearance of small irregularly-shaped lanterns with crumpled skin and they vary in shade from a pale green tinged with orange, through golden yellow to orange or red. Scotch bonnets are the most widely used pepper in the Caribbean and they are easy enough to get hold of in the UK. In the USA you can use habaneros which are a similar type of capsicum chinense. Avoid handling the peppers with your bare hands when preparing or cutting them. Also avoid touching your face or rubbing your eyes if your hands have been in contact with the peppers or utensils/chopping board you have used.

READERS’ OFFER
Round Hill’s Kokonda forms part of Definitive Caribbean’s Readers’ Offer programme. Round Hill is offering Definitive Caribbean readers who have booked a 7 night stay at the resort, a complimentary 3 course meal for two including the delicious Kokonda dish as a starter. When you visit Round Hill, you can meet Chef Martin personally or a member of his team to hear hints from an insider about his innovative dish. Please see our Review of Round Hill Hotel and Villas for details on how to claim your complimentary meal. Terms and conditions apply.

Macaroni 'cheese' pie
from Deana Bellamy

‘Pie’, as it is often known, is Caribbean comfort food at its best and it is almost guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any English-speaking West Indian. It is a favourite with everyone and despite being very much an everyday, family dish, it is also served on special occasions - no beach picnic, Christmas dinner, wedding buffet or Sunday lunch is complete without a version of macaroni pie. It is served in the most illustrious households and in staff canteens and purchased from mobile kitchens or supermarket delis as a fast food for lunch. Like all great comfort foods, the recipe varies. No two are the same and people always claim their granny or mother always makes the best version.

Macaroni Pie is simple to make, very economical and can be eaten hot or cold, either as a side dish or a main meal. The basis of the dish is macaroni (in the Caribbean this is usually the long type, which can be broken into smaller pieces before cooking) to which is added eggs, milk and cheese. There are a myriad choices of what to do next. Some people put in grated onion (as I have), others chopped green pepper or celery. You can use garlic, scotch bonnet pepper or herbs. You can try adding sauté mushrooms, minced beef (even corned beef!) or cubes of pancetta/smoked bacon for a hearty main meal. Some prefer to top their pie with breadcrumbs instead of extra cheese. In Barbados they often add tomato ketchup. And hot pepper sauce is a must – see below. The main rule though, is to have at least the same measure of cheese as macaroni.

Most West Indians will simply eat pie as it is or add nothing more than a good dollop of hot sauce. However it is pretty good with beef stew (West Indian of course) or just some gravy. In fact pie goes pretty much with everything, including roast chicken, baked ham, fried fish or barbecued steak.

The following is a fairly basic recipe, so don’t be afraid to adapt it to your own tastes.

Ingredients

250g/8oz macaroni
250g/8oz mature cheddar cheese – roughly grated
30g/1oz Swiss Gruyere cheese – finely grated
1 small onion – grated
2 medium eggs well beaten
240ml/8floz milk
½ teaspoon mustard
2 teaspoons Bajan (or similar) hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Serves 6-8

Method

Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside. Combine the beaten eggs, milk, grated onion, mustard, ketchup and cheddar cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper if you wish. Add the cooked macaroni and mix in well. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the top of the pie with the Gruyere cheese. Pop into a pre-heated oven, on the middle shelf (180c/350F/gas 4) and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown on top and the pie is set. The pie should feel firm to touch and if you push a knife or metal skewer in, it should come out clean. Leave it to rest for around 10 minutes, cut into squares (leave it in the dish if you are cooking it for a buffet, otherwise it might dry out) and serve. Once cooled, the pie can be refrigerated and re-heated the following day. Re-heat in the oven for about 15 minutes or place in the microwave for a couple of minutes until piping hot. Can be eaten cold. In most cases there is no need to worry about what to do about left over pie. There rarely is any.

Notes on ingredients

Bajan hot pepper sauce is from Barbados and is an aromatic yellow pepper sauce with a mustard base. Various brands available locally and also overseas. A good alternative in the UK is Encona's Creole Pepper Sauce which is readily available in most supermarkets.

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Definitive Caribbean has teamed up with Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Jamaica, to provide our users with an exciting READERS’ OFFER. We hope this will be the first of many reader offers you will find on Definitive Caribbean which will give you a complimentary meal, to include the hotel's famous SIGNATURE DISH, if you stay for a minimum of seven nights. Terms and conditions apply.

Round Hill’s delicious Kokonda is their starter Signature Dish, which you will be able to enjoy as part of a complimentary three course meal. When you visit Round Hill, you can meet Chef Martin personally or a member of his team to hear hints from an insider about this innovative dish. Please see our Review of Round Hill Hotel and Villas for further details of the hotel.

To claim your complimentary meal, all you need to do is to send us an email for a Coded Voucher (see below).

Terms and Conditions:
1. This Reader Offer is exclusive to Definitive Caribbean but will be available to everyone that books to stay a minimum of 7 nights at the relevant hotel/villa, whether you book direct or via a travel agent or tour operator, so long as you have read it on Definitive Caribbean.
2. In order to collect the reader offer, you must apply to us by email for a Coded Voucher, which you must print out and present to the hotel on arrival. No advance notice or prior correspondence will be required and the offer will be made available at a mutually suitable day/time to be arranged directly.
3. The Round Hill Hotel and Villas signature dish is a Starter, Kokonda from Chef Martin, which will be offered as part of a complimentary three course meal for up to 2 adults (per hotel room or villa). For villas with additional occupancy, the Signature Dish will be offered on a complimentary basis to all adult occupants but other courses forming part of the meal will be at your expense.
4. This Reader Offer is open-dated so may be taken up at any time but only one voucher is available per reservation.

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Caribbean beach photographs would look all wrong without the archetypal fringe of coconut palms. Every brochure has them. Every traveller expects them. But there is more to palms than meets the photographic eye.

Actually the coconut palm is amazingly useful. Almost every part of the plant can be used for something. The fronds can become thatch. Coconut water can be drunk or mixed in drinks, coconut milk is used in cooking. Copra, the dried flesh of the nut, can be used or a million things, including soap, candles and confectionary. Even the wiry husk of the nut would be woven into ropes and mats or made into brushes. In extremis coconut can even be a life-saver. If you are on a desert island with no medical fluid, coconut water is balanced and nutritious enough to give intravenously. At the other extreme, be careful when you sit under a palm. People have been killed by falling coconuts.

There are an estimated 2500 types of palms in all. Palmae, or Arecaceae, are not actually trees under most classifications (apparently they are monocotyledons). Most grow from a central stem, at the top of which is the heart, the growing part of the plant (some varieties become heart of palm in salads), from which emerge the fronds. The youngest frond pushes up vertically to start with, and then, as it is replaced by younger fronds, it splays to the side and, like the hand of a clock-face, it gradually turns towards the ground. Eventually, ragged and dangling, it falls off. Mostly tropical, palms can grow to over 200 feet in height and the raffia palm has the largest leaves of any plant in the world, at 25 metres long. At the other end of the scale the smallest palm grows to just a foot high.

As you would expect in such numbers, there is an amazing variety in palms. The royal palm is perhaps the most majestic that you will see in the Caribbean. Its smooth brown trunk, four feet across and vertical as an arrow, often stands over 100 feet tall. Near the top, a lustrous green sheath supports huge and bushy fronds, from the top of which emerges the vertical spine of the newest unopened frond. Royal palms (and its close relative the cabbage palm) look particularly good in cultivated alleys, which you will see leading to some of the grand houses in the Caribbean. In the Dominican Republic, the royal palm is also home to the national bird, the palmchat. These gregarious birds live in communal nests of up to 30 pairs. They have no standard song, but as their name might suggest they make lots of noise chattering.

Perhaps surprisingly you see relatively few date palms around the Caribbean, but there are many palms that you will see everywhere. The slender, decorative golden palm is often seen by swimming pools and on verandas. Christmas palms are similar and are often used inside. In the garden, the Bismarck palm has massive spiky fronds like fans that sound like cardboard when blown in the wind. The latanier palm, also known as the thief palm, makes very fine straw for weaving hats and bags. The talipot palm, with its tortuous trunk of broken fronds, offers up buntal, the finest straw for weaving ladies hats.

Others palms are illustrated by their name. The lipstick palm or sealing wax palm has a bright red stem with a residue that was no doubt used as substitute lipstick and sealing wax – and the foxtail palm has fronds that dangle as bushy as the fox’s tail of its name. The fishtail palm is one of the prettiest of all the palms. Its fronds are made up of thousands of raggedy triangular leaves like fishtails.

If coconut palms line every classic Caribbean beach, they were also cultivated for a long time in the Caribbean for all their useful products. Some of the old plantations have now been turned into hotels, which use the old palms as a backdrop to their gardens. The most spectacular view is at Nisbet Plantation in Nevis, which carries from the old estate house down to the sea between tall and slender palms. In a nice touch, guests who marry at the hotel are now encouraged to plant a new coconut palm in memory of their marriage.

Do you have any particularly amusing or interesting names that you have come across in the Caribbean? Why not send us an email?

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May 10-17 2009 - four days of seminars and practical advice from the America’s Cup Helmsman and Olympic Silver medallist, four days of races with Racing in Paradise.

Peter Holmberg has a long history of sailing in the Caribbean and of course as a racing helmsman around the world. He has competed in the Americas Cup, won a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics and has sailed against the best of them on the Grand Prix and Caribbean yacht racing circuits, all of which has brought him to the top of the World Match Racing Tour rankings. With his extensive experience of the Caribbean waters, his zest for fun and his willingness to share his knowledge, he has now joined forces with Horizon Yacht Charters and Racing in Paradise to provide a unique Masterclass.

Races will take place in a fleet of twelve IC24s. The IC24 is quite similar to the J24. The main difference is that without any mainsheets, there’s more room in the cockpit. The boat is rigged for a spinnaker and the 100% jib can be winched in easily from the windward side. For sailors not up to speed on the IC24, Racing in Paradise, the management company behind IC24 regattas, provide full boat orientation and set up. They also provide a committee boat, set the race courses and marshall the fleet into position for each round.

The four day Masterclass starts with a Racing Seminar and follows with four days of racing to various overnight spots around the British Virgin Islands, where there will be on and off-water briefings from Peter Holmberg. Crews will be four or five. Video footage will be taken of each race and each yacht within it to provide feedback after each race - and to go towards a DVD highlighting the whole experience.

Although the sailing is clearly serious business, fun both on and off the water is also high on the agenda. There will be welcome drinks at the opening seminar and a daily lunch during the four days. The Masterclass will culminate with a beach BBQ and cocktail party before the Prize Giving ceremony.

A full itinerary of the Horizon Racing Masterclass Clinic May 10–17, 2009 can be found below. For more information about Horizon Yacht Charters and the packages and prices available, please see our Definitive Caribbean Review of Horizon Yacht Charters (BVI).

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