CARIBBEAN VILLAS

About Island Hideaways

Island Hideaways has specialized in Caribbean villa vacations since 1986. We represent hundreds of luxury vacation villa rentals throughout the Caribbean islands. Island Hideaways was named "A first-rate agency that specializes in Caribbean properties" by BusinessWeek magazine, and our website is a Best of the Web pick by Forbes Magazine. Please call us toll-free at 800-832-2302, or email us at villas@islandhideaways.com with any questions, suggestions, or comments.

Passport Reminder

With recently implemented exceptions for special cases*, all travelers must present a passport to enter the United States. This includes U.S. citizens returning from the Caribbean. U.S. citizens visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico do not need a passport because they are U.S. territories. Obtaining a passport can take a month or more, so plan ahead for holidays in the Caribbean.

* Announced by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security on September 4, 2007: The temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation, allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere, including the Caribbean, using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt, ended as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens who departed the country under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.

Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country.

Recent Newsletters

March 2008
Caribbean Villa Newsletter
Featuring Mystique Villa in Anguilla, Horseback Riding along the beach, and Koalkeel restaurant.

February 2008
Destionation of the Month
Featuring Turks & Caicos with Villa Lynda, Scuba Diving, Whale-Watching, and Da Conch Shack restaurant.

February 2008
Caribbean Villa Newsletter
Featuring Virgin Gorda with Aquamare Villa, "The Baths", and The Rock Cafe.

More Newsletters

Destination of the Month

April 2008 Edition - Jamaica

Welcome to Island Hideaways' Destination of the Month newsletter, a new series highlighting the very best villa vacation destinations across the Caribbean. In the same vein as our Villa of the Month newsletter, this monthly column will take you to some of the world's most beautiful tropical paradises. Once you're there, we'll introduce you to the area's top restaurants, activities, and villas so that you can make the most of your dream vacation. We still encourage you, however, to contact our Villa Consultants when you're planning your Caribbean villa vacation because they have personally inspected many of the properties we represent and know the islands intimately. If these newsletters are a road map to the best of a destination, you can consider our consultants your tour guides.

Jamaica

Waterfalls that tumble into translucent streams amid emerald rain forests. Long, secluded stretches of white-sand beaches that rival any in the Caribbean. A vibrant culture that pulsates to the beat of reggae. This is Jamaica, our Destination of the Month.

An island-nation situated in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba, Jamaica offers countless attractions, such as historic rum distilleries and coffee plantations and the popular Doctor's Cave Beach in Montego Bay. Horseback riding, hiking, whitewater river rafting, scuba diving, and a wide variety of other watersports are among the island's most popular activities.

Jamaica is also home to some of the most famous golf courses in the world. From the majestic, mountainous beauty and awesome ocean views of White Witch Golf Course-Jamaica's newest-to The Tryall Club, a Caribbean classic, the most fervent golfers-as well as those just starting out-will discover heaven here. Other world-class courses on the island include Cinnamon Hill and Half Moon, a newly renovated course originally designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones and surrounded by our featured villas (see below). Named the 2007 Premier Golf & Spa Resort of the Year by Caribbean World magazine, Half Moon also features the Caribbean's only David Leadbetter Golf Academy. So many great courses to choose from makes Jamaica one of the top destinations in the Caribbean for golf vacations.

For more information about this destination, please go to our Jamaica destination guide.

We represent nearly 200 villas on the island, and our villa consultants can help you decide which is right for you. For a superb luxury golf vacation, we recommend the following:

The Royal Villas at Half Moon

Warm up to spring with a Caribbean villa vacation experience. Part of the luxurious Half Moon resort, this community of villas-ranging from four to seven bedrooms-offers the perfect sanctuary for the ultimate golf vacation in Jamaica. When you stay in one of these residences, it's the best of both worlds: the privacy and comfort of your own home and the amenities and personal service of a 5-star resort.

Most of the villas are serviced by a private staff of three, including a butler, housekeeper, and cook. Relax and let your staff cater to all your needs and desires, be it an impromptu luncheon by the pool or a romantic dinner on the beach. From dinner reservations to spa appointments, allow your staff make all the arrangements.

All of the homes feature a private swimming pool and an ocean or garden view, and amenities include two golf carts for transportation around the resort, air-conditioning in each bedroom, cable television, Internet access, and much more. Villa guests also have exclusive access to all of the resort's amenities.

Set on 400 acres of impeccably landscaped property along the island's northern coast, the resort at Half Moon offers a diverse range of activities, attractions, and services. Two miles of white-sand beachfront. A dolphin lagoon. An equestrian center. A wellness program including a state-of-the-art fitness center and the new Fern Tree spa. And a Pre-arrival Concierge to help you plan your entire trip. All this and more is yours when you stay at one of the Royal Villas at Half Moon.

For more information, please go to the Royal Villas at Half Moon listing on our website.

It would be our pleasure to further describe this exquisite property to you; please call us toll-free at 800-832-2302 for more information or to make a reservation.

Best Bets: What to Do in Jamaica

Island Hideaways' villa experience in Jamaica offers something for everyone, not just avid golfers. Sunbathe at the pool, play tennis, spend an invigorating day at a Caribbean spa, or simply lounge on the beach. If you're interested in sightseeing, a trip to Ocho Rios to see island's most famous attraction is our featured activity…

Visiting Dunn's River Falls
One of the most breathtaking sights in Jamaica, Dunn's River Fall is a magnificent waterfall that empties into the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea. You can enjoy incredible views of this natural treasure from the beach at its base or get a sense of its power by viewing it from the top after a short hike-with a tour guide or without one. The journey to the top-600 feet-is scenic and not overly difficult. If you do plan to climb the falls, dress accordingly (ie., wear sneakers and clothes you don't mind getting wet.)

Best Bets: Where to Eat in Jamaica

After a day of play, enjoy a meal-perhaps prepared to order by a personal chef-at your villa, or venture out to a nearby restaurant to savor authentic Jamaican cuisine. The choice is always yours, but one of the best restaurant choices in Jamaica is right at Half Moon.

Sugar Mill Restaurant
There are five other dining options at Half Moon, but this is the resort's signature restaurant. It features eclectic cuisine with a Caribbean twist, live music, an excellent wine cellar, and a romantic atmosphere. A three-minute shuttle ride from the lobby of the resort, the restaurant is set beside the water wheel of a former sugar plantation. Dine al fresco on an open terrace adjacent the water wheel and overlooking a tranquil pond or inside by candlelight; you can't go wrong if you're looking for a romantic evening.

This exquisite setting combines with excellent gourmet dishes to make Sugar Mill one of the most critically-acclaimed restaurants in Jamaica. A couple of the restaurant's specialties include smoked marlin and chicken pineapple stew, while the menu also offers Caribbean classics like Jamaican red peas soup and a combination of jerk pork, chicken, and fish served with mango chutney, rice, and peas.

Sugar Mill opens daily, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., for dinner only and is available for receptions and private parties. Dinner reservations are required, and we at Island Hideaways would be happy to make them for you. We can also recommend other restaurants in Jamaica; please contact us toll-free at 800-832-2302.

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We have been receiving some calls and e-mails from clients commenting that they are no longer receiving our monthly newsletters. Please let us know if you change e-mail addresses so that we may keep the newsletters coming your way.

This communication is a special deals notification only. Island Hideaways shall not be liable for any clients' failure to receive such e-mails.

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