James Meets Jason Henzell...
Jason was actually at Goldeneye, the former home of Ian Fleming and one of the Island Outposts, but we started by asking him about his spiritual home, Jake's, in Treasure Beach, the hotel that he has built up with his mother from two rooms to more than 30 over the past dozen years.

Q.What's the latest at Treasure Beach?
Jason H
'The spa at Jake's, Driftwood, has proved such a success that we're already putting in three more rooms, so that's great news, but the main thrust at the moment is to build a number of villas around the town. Three are open already and over the next five years we hope to put in around 15 villas in all, most with three or four bedrooms. They will be separate from Jake's itself and a little more chic, with higher levels of service, i.e. a houseman and a cook, so they will generally broaden the appeal of the area. They will be right for people who have been coming to Jake's over the years and who now have families and more money to spend for somewhere a little smarter and more private.'
James H
'One of the rationales behind Jason Henzell's management of Jake's has been his commitment to the hotel's presence in the community. The charity BREDS has several community projects including a Computers for Schools programme and an emergency first aid responders and ambulance programme. They stage an annual fishing tournament and an annual triathlon to raise funds.'
Jason H
'BREDS has now acquired 15 acres of land, which will be turned into a sports park and a community centre. It will have a full size cricket pitch and football pitch, two basketball courts and a netball court, a tennis court, a large children's area, a community and training area and a Peace Park with a small pond and some trees.'

Q.Although a young man, still less than 40, he has been President of Island Outpost for three years. So what changes have there been in his time?
'Geejam is a great addition. Port Antonio is such a lovely spot and it really is undiscovered. And the owner John Baker is a great host. He knows the local scene and there are always interesting musicians around. I hope we have managed to improve the levels of service throughout the properties. Island Outpost has a Director of Operations, so we're more efficient now. And we're more web-savvy too. Elsewhere Chris (Blackwell) has extended his interest into other fields, for instance with his new farm at Pantre Pan in Trelawney. The rationale there is sustainable, organic farming. With more and more being imported, while Jamaica's resources are ignored, we hope to be able to supply restaurants and our properties with the finest organic and free-range produce.' Just as at Treasure Beach, villas are the key of the new development at Goldeneye. There will be some 80 of them in all, built over the next few years.'

'It will be something extraordinary. Ann Hodges is doing the main design and Barbara Houlanicki is doing the Bond Suites, which will have hints of Fleming and Bond, with stretches of polished concrete, brushed steel and recessed lighting.'

'Once again, the plan is to involve the development closely with its nearby town, Oracabessa. They have set in motion a sustainable fishing programme and a first responders medical programme like the one in Treasure Beach.'

Q.How is it looking generally for the island at the moment?
'Well, the Government is certainly pro-business just now and anti-corruption. Business confidence is climbing and the recent investment in the infrastructure around the island has paid dividends. The airport and the roads are much better than they were five years ago. Things have been tough on the people, but we're hopeful for the coming season, that things will loosen up after the American elections, with a possible lowering of the oil price.'

'Island Outpost, with its emphasis on small and stylish, is an original, but it is not typical of Jamaica at the moment, which has seen more and more large hotels appearing along the north shore. '

Q.As President of a group of Jamaica's most stylish small hotels, what do you think of the bigger and bigger hotels being allowed in the island?
'With so many more large hotels appearing on the island, we don't want Jamaica to lose its premium image, because it does have so much character. The activities sector is doing very well, however, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund so there is plenty on offer. In the background we do need to zone areas of the island for instance. We need to decide that while some parts of the north coast, between Negril and Ocho Rios, will probably intensify, other areas should be protected with reduced expansion and development.'

Q.And what of the restaurants around the island?
'Well, there are not so many of them. We do have great roadside food in Jamaica, but in a city like Montego Bay there are only a couple of really good restaurants, when there should be fifty.'

Q.And beyond Jamaica?
'It's something Island Outpost is always looking at. We have some interest ongoing at the moment, but nothing confirmed.'

Q.Jamaica did so well at the Olympics recently. What of sport on the island?
'Well, sport's another area in which Jamaica needs to concentrate. There are a few things here, but it's only really Barbados that does sports tourism. We need to change that. It's one of the things we want to do with the new community sports centre at Treasure Beach, to bring teams for training and to interact with the local teams. As for the Olympics, we're still celebrating really.'

The increasingly popular Treetop Adventure Park, set in the heart of the St Lucia rainforest, has a new course aimed specifically for children.

Treetop Adventure Park in Dennery offers adrenaline-fuelled activities for those seeking some thrills on their holiday. The park already has an impressive selection of adventure courses. With this latest addition, a course specifically designed for younger children, it will cater for the whole family.

The Treetop Kiddies Adventure is aimed at three to eight year olds. Set alongside the activities for adults, but on a slightly smaller scale, it is a series of zip lines - the children will slide under high wires among the trees and across rivers - and challenge courses including wobbly bridges, walking between wires and jumps. As with the adult course, the Kiddies Adventure is monitored by trained staff, and all children participating are fitted with harnesses with double protection and special safety equipment. Parents even have the option of leaving their children in the care of the guides while they go and enjoy the other activities the park.

The most popular grown-ups' activity at Treetop Park is the zip lining, a system of integrated cables, some over 100 metres long, that link platforms set high among the trees. You fling yourself off into the air and fly through canopy, emerging momentarily a hundred feet above a river bed, and then re-entering the trees again. Also available are cycling tours on forest trails, the testing challenge courses, hiking excursions and kayaking at Pigeon Island.

The park itself houses a BBQ, bar, gift shop and washrooms. All the activities are inclusive of complimentary refreshments, guides, equipment and transfers.

Treetop Adventure Park, Dennery. Open seven days a week 9am-4pm, t 458 0908

To find out more details of things to do on St Lucia, please read our St Lucia Island Guide

The islands like to keep the festive spirit alive and it might just throw up a few pleasurable surprises - a steel band playing Jingle Bells while you enjoy a rum punch on the beach perhaps, or a fully suited Santa Claus, complete with white beard and a bag of goodies, arriving by speedboat. If this is still not quite enough then do read on, for things could get interesting. Christmas in the Caribbean is a mix of familiar Yuletide traditions and something entirely different.

Sun to begin with, though the weather is actually slightly cooler than normal in mid December, when the 'winter season' starts. There is often talk of a 'Christmas breeze' and in the countryside it can even be cool enough to need a cover-up in the evenings (once you have acclimatised, at least). Certainly the freshness in the air brings an expectation of something special - there is plenty going on in the islands at this time of the year and there is always a good mix of people. The accommodation is brimming with guests, villas as well as hotels, often with visiting owners and their friends. There is also an influx of the Caribbean diaspora, families, friends and students all arriving to spend Christmas on island. Besides Carnival, Christmas is the favourite time for a trip back home to the Caribbean. This is when the social scene really gets going and so the bars and nightclubs, and hotels as well, increase their live entertainment and put on special events.

Ever heard of Jug Jug? Would you fancy a nice dollop of it with your turkey?! Well in Barbados they most certainly would. It is an essential item in a traditional Bajan Christmas spread and the only time when this peculiar dish appears. Jug Jug dates back to the 17th Century, when Scottish exiles attempted to make a version of haggis from local ingredients - these being pigeon peas, salt pork and or beef, Guinea corn (like whole wheat flour), onion and green seasonings (herbs). They are combined into a rich, flavoursome dish, not unlike pate. Food and drink is always high on the agenda over Christmas and the Caribbean is no different to anywhere else. There is the usual turkey with stuffing (maybe a spicier version), but no Christmas is complete without a large baked ham, sorrel or ginger beer to drink and black cake. And, while you're at it, roast pork, macaroni pie, peas and rice, pepperpot, sweet potato pie, pudding and souse and more besides.

Black Cake, or Great Cake, is much like English Christmas pudding, but smoother - a heavy, extremely moist cake with so much fruit it's like cutting into a fruit pate. The secret to the richness in texture is the length of time the fruit (currants, raisins, prunes, dates, mixed peel, almonds and cherries) steep in rum. This can be months before the actual making of the cake. The colour is down to the use of caramelised sugar.

Sorrel is the undisputed drink of Christmas throughout the region and it is made from the fleshy petals of the roselle plant (hibiscus sabdariffa), which tastes a little like cranberry. It is mixed with sugar, cloves, fresh ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon and can be drunk on its own or with rum. Ponche de Crema is another popular drink, not unlike egg nog but made with rum.

Still craving the taste of something different? In Trinidad, the Christmas treat is pastelles (much like the tamales found throughout Latin America), which reach back into Trinidad's Spanish traditions. Pastelles are cornmeal pasties (like polenta) with a filling made of spiced beef or pork and capers or olives and raisins, all wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. In Puerto Rico their version is made with mashed plantain or yucca/cassava instead of cornmeal. Other islands make a sweet, non filled version with grated coconut, pumpkin or sweet potato, sugar and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Again, they steam the mixture in banana leaves.

One of the enduring sights of Caribbean Christmas is the gardens, which are often pictured on the front of local greeting cards. December sees two distinctive plants coming into their own. One is almost a Caribbean version of snow - the white of Snow-on-the-Mountain (euphorbia leucocephala). The other is its bright red cousin, the Christmas plant or poinsettia (euphorbia pulcherrima), whose upper leaves turn from green to red. They look splendid next to the Snow-on-the-Mountain's fluffy white bushes, which are often draped in fairy lights. Just like back home, you will see houses, shops and towns bedecked in Christmas lights. Many islands have special tree lighting ceremonies.

Interestingly, Christmas is a time for sprucing up the home in the Caribbean, and so many houses get a 'Christmas clean' (the equivalent of our 'spring clean'). Up go the new curtains, out comes at least one piece of new furniture and most certainly there will be a new lick of paint before getting out the Christmas lights. The tradition of painting the outside of the house in time for Christmas may not be as widespread as it once was, but many people still do and so you may notice lots of adverts for deals on paints. The traditional pine Christmas tree (real ones are usually imported from Canada) features in many homes and most certainly in hotels and local businesses. However, a small palm or a piece of driftwood is sometimes used instead to great effect.

Of course there is always Father Christmas (or Santa Claus, Papa Noel or St Nicholas, depending on whether you are on an English, French, Dutch or Spanish speaking island). And the church is still a very important part of celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean. There are many services in the run up to Christmas, including candlelit carol concerts, midnight mass and early morning Christmas services. The congregation sports their very best outfits, often newly purchased for the occasion. Most hotels will provide guests with a list of church services available for those who wish to worship during the holidays.

Folk music and carnival-like festivals are aplenty at this time of year, and you will also hear the familiar carols, many of them with a 'Caribbean' remix. The folk music varies from island to island, but like the festivals at this time of year there is often a common thread - traditional string bands accompanying masqueraders and costumed characters, some with comical or exaggerated features, who will prance around and entertain crowds. All of the islands will have their own versions - stiltmen, Moko Jumbies, clowns, cow head or wild cow, bull man, horse head, shaggy bear, donkey man, Boom Boom Sally or Mother Sally. Again, instruments vary but there is normally some kind of drum (bass, kettle, gumbay) and a flute/fife, a triangle, tambourine, shak-shak and possibly a banjo, ukulele or quarto. In some cases anything that will make a noise will be used - afro-pick combs, cheese graters, old car tyre rims with an iron rod, a bottle with nails or a spoon, even pots and pans! The latter is more typical of parang groups in Trinidad (who sing in Spanish), Grenada and Carriacou (the 31st Annual Carriacou Parang Festival takes place 19-21 Dec). Like other strolling bands, parang players go from house to house serenading and playing for money, or for food and drink. In Barbados there is the more simple Tuk Band with its distinctive high pitched pipe. See under our Calendar of Events section for a selection of festivals taking place in December.

So, if you fancy something a little different this year, you could opt for a beach barbecue or picnic, and plenty more besides. Fancy a game of beach cricket instead of building a snowman...?

Music is an essential part of West Indian life. You will hear music at every street corner in the Caribbean, usually at high volume, at every fete (party) and as the relentless driving force behind every Carnival.

There is an amazing variety to the rhythms of the Caribbean. Music can be easy and chilled, perfect for relaxing, or upbeat, protest music or inspirational, and it can be busy, bustling and uplifting, perfect for dancing, all hips and thighs at high speed. The bands have the melody of the guitar and vocals, the brass of European orchestras and they are always underpinned by the relentless drumbeats of Africa. There are too many rhythms to name in their entirety - there is practically a different one for each island and then there are all the variations and offshoots - but here are some of the most identifiable rhythms, which have gained wide popularity outside the Caribbean.

There are two variations of salsa (See a YouTube clip of salsa music), one from Cuba and a slightly different variation from Puerto Rico. Then there is another Latin sound from the Dominican Republic, merengue (See a YouTube clip of merengue music). The sound of the French islands, Martinique and Guadeloupe (and to a lesser extent Haiti), is different again. They dance to zouk (See a YouTube clip of zouk music), a mesmeric rhythmic beat.

Resonating from opposite ends of the island chain are the two most familiar English-speaking Caribbean rhythms - the rhythmic skank of reggae (See a YouTube clip of reggae music) and its sub genres from Jamaica and calypso (See a YouTube clip of calypso music) which originates in Trinidad. Both calypso and its faster paced sister soca have spread north through eastern Caribbean islands.

Trinidad and Tobago is also home to the Caribbean's most famous home-grown instrument - the steel pan. Constructed from disused 50 gallon oil drums, pan is a perfect example of the creativity of Caribbean musicians. They have used the most unlikely items to create a rhythm, in fact almost anything that can be used to make a noise. Biscuit tins were the inspiration behind the steel pan, kitchen graters are an integral part of several rhythms, including salsa and Jamaican Jonkanoo, and even car wheel rims and garden forks have been known to strike a musical note. The boom box bass, often known as the washtub bass, consists of a broom handle, a box and a piece of string (the string is tightened to get the note and then plucked) and it is an essential component of the shak shak bands of St Lucia and other string bands. Even natural items have been used - the calabash fruit and the seed pods of the flamboyant tree have been turned into musical instruments.

The Caribbean has truly punched above its weight in its musical contribution, which is now global. There are salsa classes in every major city in the world, reggae music is played by bands from all over the Europe and the States and of course many Caribbean artists have been held in high international regard, from Jamaican Bob Marley and so many reggae bands to Cuban Gloria Estefan and up to the latest crop such as Bajan singer and Grammy award winner Rihanna.

Today, many rhythms beat on the Caribbean shores - American genres such as jazz, blues and country are popular imports, as are the current pop hits - but the island rhythms still stand strong. For many, the major celebration of music is Carnival, an incredibly lively and colourful street party. And the lead up to Christmas is often a time for musical events, and there are festivals throughout the year. Make sure you check our Calendar of Events to see what is happening when you are in the area.

Zagat flags up its Top Honours for the Restaurants in Barbados as it publishes its second annual guide to the island.

Zagat, the US-based guide publisher, has just released its 2008-09 ratings for the restaurants of Barbados. Top honours are recorded in a number of categories, Top Food of course, but also Hotel Dining, Décor and Mediterranean and Eclectic Food. In addition to independent stalwarts such as The Cliff, Josef's and The Lone Star, a number of hotel restaurants have also made top billing. These include Zen at the Crane, Café Luna at Little Arches, The Sandpiper and Sandy Lane's two dining rooms, Bajan Blue and L'Acajou.

The restaurant ratings accompany Zagat's annual guide to Barbados, which is published this October for the second time. Barbados is the only island in the Caribbean to which a guide is published by Zagat, which refers to it as 'The Culinary Capital of the Caribbean'. With around 60 pages, the Barbados guide covers restaurants, nightlife, attractions and golf. It accompanies Zagat's reviews on line.

2008-09 Top Honours

Top Food
#1 Zen, The Cliff
#2 The Tides, Southsea, Champers
#3 Cafe Luna, Josefs, Sitar, The Country Club

Top Hotel Dining
#1 Zen (Crane)
#2 Cafe Luna (Little Arches)
#3 Bajan Blue (Sandy Lane), L'Acajou (Sandy Lane)

Top Decor
#1 The Cliff, Wispers
#2 Zen, Apsara
#3 L'Acajou, Champers, Cafe Luna, the Tides, Southsea, Josefs

Top Mediterranean Food
#1 Cafe Luna
#2 Bajan Blue
#3 Lone Star, The Sandpiper

Top Eclectic Food
#1 The Cliff
#2 Southsea
#3 Cafe Luna

Recently, intrepid Definitive Caribbean writers have been roving the Windward Islands in the noble pursuit of information. They have risked their lives on zipwires, climbed mountains and sailed the Grenadines in extreme comfort, snorkelling, eating out and dancing with the best of them in order to test out the best recommendations.

We are pleased, therefore, to announce a new island guide, our twelfth in-depth guide, to St Vincent and the Grenadines. With headings from Airport to Windsurfing, it offers the best recommendations of things to do as well as vital information. There are also two completely revamped guides, to St Lucia and Grenada. And finally, updated versions of the Definitive Caribbean Guides to Barbados and to Tobago are in process and will follow very shortly.

Along the way, the team also picked up a few pointers on how to celebrate Christmas in true Caribbean style. Why not have a read of our Island Chat section and see how you can bring a little tropical flavour into your home this December? You might also enjoy watching some of the videos we have found in our research - fancy taking part in a Nine Mornings Dance Off? Have a read of our Calendar of Events. Or see the difference between all the various rhythms from around the Caribbean. Again, see Island Chat above.

We are also pleased to point up a new section that will be appearing in each of the island guides. 'Art, Artisans, Galleries' will be added as we update the guides. The physical beauty and the climate of the islands in the Caribbean are an inspiration to local and visiting artists alike and so it is a uniquely creative area. Please enjoy our list of prominent artists and suggestions of galleries to visit.

A guide writer's job is never done. There are so many activities, restaurants, bars and different rums to test out…so much fun to be had on the beaches and in the rainforest. Seriously though, we pride ourselves on being thorough when we are on island. Not only do we visit all the places we recommend in our guides but we also have eyes and ears on the ground to let us know of anything new. However, if you read something you disagree with, or even worse - don't find something that we should have picked up on, please send us the details by email!

A massage with a view. The Calabash is spending more than EC$2 million on their new 2000 sq ft spa and wellness centre overlooking Prickly Bay, which is due to open in time for Christmas this year.

Calabash Hotel, already among the most fashionable and popular hotels on Grenada, is now adding a spa to its list of facilities to cater for its loyal guests. Building work started in September and is due to finish at the end of the annual closure period in October. The interiors will be completed in time for the winter season.

The new Spa Director will be Sally Dawson, who has extensive experience through running her own spas in England and Portugal and she has been training staff on island for the last few years. She has also been preparing the products that will be used in the treatments. Her policy is to make the most of the island's natural resources, including ingredients such as nutmeg, cinnamon and coconut oils.

Treatments will include aromatherapy, Indian Head massage, Reiki and Swedish massage as well as facials, manicures and pedicures. The aim is to 'recognize individual needs by offering personal and tailor-made strategies and therapies and to provide massage with the use of essential oils to combat stress and related problems to improve the quality of life'.

There will be three treatment rooms in the Spa - all with views onto Prickly Bay - a chill out area with fresh fruit juice bar, a water feature and a yoga pavilion. They will be set in a Zen garden on the west side of the property on a natural hillside ledge overlooking the beach and the sea in Prickly Bay. The yoga pavilion will also be used as a stunning location for weddings or renewal of vows.

Packages are being finalised as our newsletter goes to press, but in the words of Leo Garbutt, owner of The Calabash "When the hotel reopens in October, arriving guests will receive a complimentary voucher for, say, a half-hour shoulder, head and neck massage. For guests arriving between October and mid December the massage will take place in their suite or in the aromatherapy room. We are working on the details and soon we will be promoting the Calabash total body holiday for those who want to get involved in activities such as scuba diving, deep sea fishing, hiking etc. Then we have yoga in the morning, we can offer an assortment of treatments at The Heaven and Earth Spa and our Rhodes Restaurant will be offering healthy option menu choices. So a holiday at Calabash will be a total body holiday. Unique I believe."

For more information about what is available at The Calabash Hotel, including wedding and honeymoon packages, please see the Definitive Caribbean Guide to The Calabash Hotel, Grenada.

Moon Dance Villas, the luxury, beach-based villas in Negril, now have a small, upbeat sister-hotel, Moon Dance Cliffs

Moon Dance Cliffs, a small and stylish new hotel in Negril, will open its doors in early December 2008. The small resort sits on the western cliffs of Jamaica and will have just 33 rooms and so it will fit the best spirit of Negril, which has some of the Caribbean's coolest small hotels.

As its name suggests, Moon Dance Cliffs is set on the delightful Negril cliffs, the atmospheric section of the town south of the more famous beach. It will have 33 bedrooms in all, 22 hotel rooms and suites and another eleven in a variety of villas (with between one and five bedrooms). They encircle a central lawn and a large meandering swimming pool with a swim-up bar and then beyond it they look to a fantastic view of the Caribbean Sea. On the cliff edge, 30-40 feet above the water, are the fine dining restaurant, Annie's, and the wedding gazebo. At sea level itself, which is lit at night, are platforms from which you can swim and snorkel.

Facilities are extensive and there will be a dedicated spa building with three treatment rooms and a full beauty salon, a fitness club, daily yoga, a putting green, volleyball court, croquet lawn, pool tables and a sports bar. With all these activities by day and entertainment in the evenings, the hotel will to have an upbeat atmosphere. Moon Dance Cliffs will fit a niche in Jamaica between Negril's very small and low key hotels on the cliffs and the overlarge all-inclusive resorts on the beach. It is also expected to have a younger crowd and a strong wedding business, so there is a specially designed cliffside gazebo for marriage ceremonies and a lawn on which the chairs for guests will be set out. Although Moon Dance Cliffs is clearly not located on Negril beach, shuttles will take guests to selected properties on the beach with which the new hotel has arrangements. Perhaps, like so many of the other small hotels on the cliffs - and with all the activities, on offer - guests will visit only once or twice during their stay.

The owner and developer of the hotel is Randy McKay from Chicago. He has 20 years of experience of operating resorts in Negril and 30 of visiting in Jamaica - in fact the name for the new hotel comes from his other property, Moon Dance Villas, a small villa resort which sits at the heart of Negril Beach.

'With Moon Dance Cliffs, I hope to bring the wonderful service and casual elegance of the Moon Dance experience to a broader group of people. The Cliffs of Negril haven't seen a new luxury resort in many years; Moon Dance Cliffs will fill that gap, allowing people to appreciate the beautiful cliffs of Negril and the unique culture of Jamaica, while indulging in all the comforts Moon Dance Cliffs has to offer.'

Moon Dance Cliffs' Grand Opening will be on 1st December 2008. Their Grand Opening rates, valid until the end of next year, represent a reduction of over 30% on standard rates. For more information and links, please see our Review of Moon Dance Cliffs.

As if being on a virtually deserted tropical island wasn't enough, Petit St Vincent now has a new way to help in your quest for a new you.

Whether you are a stressed-out city type, a full time parent, or someone just trying to enjoy their retirement, it can be hard to find the time or space to unwind in the modern world. Sometimes a little help can come in handy. This is where Lisa Williams comes in. Lisa is a British/Grenadian therapist who trained in the UK and now lives and practices from her home in Petite Martinique, the Grenadian island next door to Petit St Vincent.

Lisa will visit you at your cottage, discuss in confidence what you feel you need to tackle, and devise an individual programme to suit your needs. Lisa works at a holistic level so she will begin with a Lifestyle Evaluation so that you both become aware of your mental, physical and emotional health, before setting goals and offering techniques such as meditation, stress management and yoga for the duration of your stay and as long as you care to use them to resolve any issues that come up.

Meditation can involve breath work and the use of sound to improve your level of connectedness with your surroundings. Stress Management teaches you to prevent and control the amount of stress in your life by visualising priorities and choices as well as practicing effective time management. Yoga works physically to strengthen and tone your body, but also to nurture your emotional health and is just as suitable for beginners as it is long term practitioners. The setting of the cottages at Petit St Vincent, with their views of the Atlantic, cool ocean air and the background wash of the waves on the reef, is perfect to help you pursue these activities.

However, if you feel you need something a little more strenuous then don't forget that Petit St Vincent offers tennis night and day and unlimited use of Hobie Cats, windsurfing equipment, Sunfish sailing dinghies, kayaks and snorkelling equipment. What is certain though - whichever method you chose, you won't be able to tell anyone other than your fellow guests about it as PSV itself specialises in non-communication when it comes to the outside world. There are no televisions, no newspapers - not even any telephones in the rooms on Petit St Vincent.

For more information about what PSV offers and special packages available throughout the year, please see our Definitive Caribbean Guide review of Petit St Vincent.

An aesthetic overhaul is now complete. Sandy Lane's distinctive classical features, including its coral stone exterior, remain largely untouched, but the rooms, the spa, the beach facilities, dining and lounge areas have all been refurbished.

Sandy Lane's extremely comfortable rooms have been fully refurbished by exclusive British interior design company, Richmond International. All the soft furnishings, patio furniture and bathroom lighting have been upgraded with fixtures from some of the best boutiques in the world. Around them, the public areas have been upgraded with 16,000 sq ft of flooring made from semi-precious quartz and pink granite.

Bajan Blue, l'Acajou and Spa Cafe have all been completely re-designed to cater for the multi-cultural tastes now expected in modern cuisine. You will find an American grill station, Asian station with professional sushi station, new palladian-style conservatory with kitchen, fresh herb garden, Italian station, lobster and live sea-food tank, a wine store, wood burning oven, and to really get involved with the kitchen, a private dining room with a chef's table. To add to the confusion of choice there is now a stand-up bar and new banquette-seating lounge area as well as air-conditioned seating and alfresco dining, including a new barbecue area by the beach.

The Spa at Sandy Lane will be refurbished with bamboo floors in each of the treatment rooms and, yet more exclusively, a Rassoul bath is being introduced. Currently only two spas in the world have this facility that combines earth, wind, water and fire to leave you feeling healthy and relaxed.

Outside the hotel, Sandy Lane is putting more focus on local and eco-friendly activities by introducing the Sandy Lane Water Sports & Nature programme. This includes sports and leisure activities such as surfing, windsurfing and boat daytrips. There is also a new idea to try out cycling, hiking, fishing and abseiling.

For more information about booking your stay and the packages available, please see our Definitive Caribbean Guide to Sandy Lane.

Pelau Rice and Banane Flambé
By Deana Bellamy

Banana Flambé
This dish, which I first came across in Martinique, is impressive and easy to make. Most households will already have the ingredients, apart possibly from the rum (unless you live in the Caribbean of course), so it makes a quick, last minute treat if you have unexpected guests for dinner.

The dish also rounds off our Rum 'n Recipes for 2008 and gives you a complete menu for a Caribbean-themed dinner. Start with rum punch cocktails and fish cakes, then move on to a main course of jerk chicken, fish or pork and/or chicken pelau (see recipe from Plantation Beach Villas in Tobago below) with a side salad. And then finish up with banana flambé. You can even follow it up with Caribbean coffee - add sugar and a shot of rum and or Tia Maria to freshly brewed black coffee (Jamaican Blue Mountain if you can get it) and top with whipped cream.

Ingredients

4 firm bananas peeled and halved lengthwise
1 oz butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 orange squeezed and ¼ of the zest
2 limes squeezed and zest of ½
3-4 tablespoons golden rum

Serves 4

Method

Melt butter in heavy gauge frying pan, add the sugar and allow to dissolve. Add the juice, zest and half the rum and cook for about 2 minutes until it reduces very slightly. Then add the bananas to the sauce and sauté until partially soft (do not overdo or they will turn into mush), basting as they cook. Remove the bananas onto your serving plate or individual dishes. If the sauce is too runny, allow to reduce and then pour it over the bananas. The remaining rum should be heated slightly in a separate pan (which makes it easier to ignite). Then pour the warmed rum over the bananas at the table (do not flood the dish/s or you will be in trouble) and set it alight (flambé) until the alcohol in the rum has burnt out. Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche. In the past I have often done a version with crepes. Just use a couple of bananas cut diagonally into oval slices, and heat the folded crepes in the sauce once the bananas have cooked. Add a dash of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec to the sauce if you like.

When flambéing, you should make sure only to pour on a small amount of rum rather than to engulf it. The more rum, the longer it will burn and the bigger the flames. You should aim for a small low flambé rather than a sudden plume of flame (you might want to keep a damp tea towel at the ready). The trick is to light the fumes coming off the rum and for this to work both the food and the rum must be warm. Don't use over-proof rum for flambéing, which has the same effect as throwing petrol on a fire. If you would prefer not to flambé, then simply add the remaining rum to the sauce after removing the bananas, reduce to burn off the alcohol and then pour over the bananas and serve.

Note - if your bananas are too ripe, they will fall apart whilst cooking.

I have come across a quick recipe for Barbecued Bananas which sounds interesting - slit skins along one side and grill in the skins until charred and soft. It then says to open out the skins to use as a plate and serve with lime slices and a sprinkling of rum and sugar. I would try adding the sugar and some butter at the time of cooking by slitting into the banana, as it should then caramelise.

Pelau
The ultimate Caribbean one-pot dish of rice, peas and chicken or beef. Pelau hails from Trinidad and Tobago, where it is considered one of the twin island republic's national dishes. It has a unique colour and flavour derived from browning the meat in caramelised brown sugar. Coconut milk also adds another dimension, as do the pigeon peas, though these are sometimes replaced by a black-eye beans, which have a more subtle, nuttier and creamier flavour. Pelau is a must-have picnic dish when heading to the beach. It is also a popular dish to serve at parties, to keep in the freezer for unexpected guests and even for lunch (packed into a large thermos food flask to keep it hot). And finally it is also fairly easy and cheap to make. Like most dishes, every Trinibagonian household will have their own unique version.

The following recipe for Chicken Pelau comes from Plantation Beach Villas on Tobago, where it is prepared as a complimentary welcome meal for guests and is left waiting for them in their villa, along with a green salad.

Ingredients

3 lbs skinned chicken pieces (leave skin on if you prefer)
1 ½ cups of cooked pigeon peas
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped sweet green pepper
1 whole scotch bonnet hot pepper with the stem
2 cups parboiled rice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of mixed green seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2-3 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups of chicken stock

Serves 8-10

Note 1 cup = 8oz

Method

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, green seasoning, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and ketchup. Heat the oil in a large, heavy iron pan pot or skillet. Add sugar and allow to *burn until brown. Add seasoned chicken and stir until pieces are well coated with burnt sugar and brown for 5 minutes. Add rice and turn often until well mixed. Cook for 3 minutes more. Add onion, sweet peppers and peas and cook for a few minutes, stirring a few times. Add salt (the recipe says another tablespoon but I suggest add to taste), hot pepper, coconut milk and stock. Bring to the boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until rice is cooked and all liquid has evaporated (about 25-30 minutes). Add more liquid if rice is still hard and continue to cook for few more minutes. NB Pelau can also be baked in the oven. Cover pot with tin foil and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

My tips on the above are that you can also add chopped carrots and raisins along with the onion, peppers etc. I would also suggest marinating the chicken in the seasonings overnight in the fridge. Most West Indians doing this sort of dish will simply joint a whole chicken, cutting it into smaller pieces than normal (so that they cook more quickly), keeping the bones in for more flavour. Where it says to *burn the sugar do not take this literally, just ensure the sugar dissolves, bubbles and then caramelises to a deep brown. Burn it and you will end up with a bitter tasting dish. Do ensure that the chicken is cooked thoroughly when you are checking the rice.

Notes on ingredients

As with most beans and peas, you can also buy tinned pigeon peas (also known as gungo pea) but you might find black-eye beans easier to come by.

Green seasoning is a paste generally made with spring onions/chive and green herbs such as parsley, thyme, marjoram and sometimes garlic and which is often used for seasoning fried fish or chicken. In the Caribbean there are various bottled brands available, much like jerk seasoning. If you live near a West Indian community you might be able to find a jar, otherwise you will need to make up a batch by putting the ingredients in a food processor and blending into a smooth paste.

Let us have your feedback

We wish you every success with Deana's recipe, do let us know how you get on, or perhaps send us some of your recipes by email for inclusion in our Rum 'N Recipes series.

Man o' war birds, Mondesir and mother-in-law tongue!

It's one of the quiet pleasures of travelling in the Caribbean to come across odd and romantic names, of plants, animals and places. No doubt the idea that they are romantic at all is in the rose-tinted eye of the beholder - what can seem impossibly exotic to a traveller is probably just, well, normal, to a resident - but what can you say about angel's tears (a flower), ramgoat rose (another flower) and a poor me one (no, not a request for a drink, but the nickname of the mournful silky anteater in Trinidad).

Some names derive from the division of West Indian English (and French and Spanish), and its European forbears. Some are words that are now lost in Europe - pickney (for children) is now gone and nobody in the UK has heard of praedial larceny (for stealing crops) any more. Others are simply a nice turn of phrase, or a funny way of looking at the world, and all the more fun for that.

You are bound to see frigate birds. They soar overhead like articulated black arrows, riding on the high winds, turning, diving. They are fast, like the frigates of centuries past. But they are nothing to compare with man o' war birds. They appear off the coast of Tobago and like their old naval counterparts, the attack dogs of the age, they are fast and ruthless. They ambush other birds on the wing, sweeping in from behind, grabbing their victim by the foot and shaking them, tumbling all the while, until the victim regurgitates its meal in fright. Then the man o' war bird dives, scoops up its prize and sails off in triumph.

Plant names are equally expressive. Red hot cat's tail, the flower of the chenille plant, is a dangling series of scarlet furry blooms like a tail. The bottle brush, with its long and delicate petals, may be far too flimsy to wash the inside of a bottle, but you can see where this flower of the myrtle family got its name. And then there is the lipstick palm (aka the sealing wax palm), with its bright red sap which could be used as lipstick and sealing wax. Shame-a-lady is a sort of mimosa, a grass with leaves akimbo. And when they are touched they close up, bashful as a batting eyelid. But surely the most expressive name, which speaks volumes of complicated relationships, is a particularly nasty-looking, vertical fleshy green leaf that is planted as a border in gardens around the region. Sanseveira is pointed, variegated and, well, slightly devil-like. Its other name is mother-in-law tongue!

Many place names have an extraordinary ring to them. It happens in all the Caribbean languages, but French Creole names, which pepper the Windward Islands between Guadeloupe and Grenada, seem particularly resonant somehow - Perdmontemps (literally 'waste my time'), Mondesir (My Desire) and Malgretoute (Despite Everything) are the names of estates that were cut into the forest in centuries past. What romantic stories are there behind these names? They speak of the heartfelt love for the old West Indies that barely exists now that people visit for a week by plane. And then there are tales hiding in the names. There is a place in Grenada called Béké Moui - where 'the white man died'. Who knows what the story was.

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

Informal Christmas programme especially for families at Settlers Beach, includes visit by Santa.

During the Christmas holiday season this year, Settlers Beach will once again be arranging a programme of informal activities for young and old. Last year saw the hotel's first Christmas programme, part of an overall improvement plan put in place by General Manager, Vanessa Sumpter, when she took over in 2007. It was such as success that it will be repeated.

Settlers Beach is a favourite of independent minded travellers, particularly families. The small hotel has an informal sense of community and tranquillity which sets visitors instantly at ease. And it's this informality and sense of place which sees so many guests return year after year. With this in mind, Vanessa decided last year to add a couple of informal seasonal activities that would make Christmas at Settlers more lively. Not so much a Kids Club - that would not work at Settlers as families tend to do their own thing - but the occasional activity in which adults can join in the fun.

Last year's activities worked really well, so this year a similar programme is being put into place. There are plans for more lavish Christmas decorations in the lobby and lights for the gardens, plus for the first time there will be a fully blown, themed party on New Year's Eve (known locally as Old Year's Night), complete with fireworks. Not all of the activities will be planned in advance. Vanessa is happy listen to the guests' suggestions and requests and to add things ad hoc. For instance, she might do another 'Popcorn & Movie Night' with other goodies thrown in for the older children.

One thing that will be included this year, however (even though it is not mentioned in the programme), is a Christmas Arts & Crafts session, at which a local teacher will show children how to make their own Christmas decorations and cards. This will certainly come in useful if parents have arranged a Christmas tree and decorations for their villa (trees must be ordered by the end of November, at extra cost) and want a personal touch.

The highlight of the Christmas programme is Carols by Candlelight on December 23rd. It is held on the lawn, which will be specially lit for the occasion. Well known local singer and guitarist, Derek Fields, will re-tell the Christmas Story and sing carols. All guests will be given candles to hold, and offered mulled wine, mince pies and other Christmas goodies with the compliments of the hotel. On Christmas Eve, children can look forward to an appearance by Father Christmas and enjoy Santa games, nibbles and sweeties. The Christmas programme, which is listed below is still being fine tuned and guests will get an updated version when they arrive.

Settlers Beach Christmas and New Year Programme 2008

BOOKING IS REQUIRED for all of the above events. For further information and the *cost for meals and the New Year's Eve events, please contact Settlers Beach directly. All bookings for these events can be made with Settlers Beach Front Desk personnel upon arrival or you can notify reservations before you arrive. Please note that events are subject to change without notice and additional events may be added on an ad hoc basis. All guests will receive an updated programme on check-in.