Frommer's Caribbean 2008

by Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, John Marino

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Caribbean features gorgeous color photos of the stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and colorful coral gardens that await you. There are dozens of islands and hundreds of accommodations to choose from, so our guide compares all the options, helping you find the tropical getaway that's right for you. We've included web addresses for every hotel, so you can check out pictures as you make your decision. Inside you'll find in-depth, honest reviews of lavish honeymoon resorts, intimate inns, family-friendly motels and condo complexes, and more, with selections in every price category. We'll point you to the loveliest secluded beaches, and send you to the best places for snorkeling, diving, golf, sailing, tennis, deep-sea fishing, and more. You'll also get a complete shopper's guide, and up-to-date coverage of the hottest nightlife in the region, from glittering casinos and sizzling reggae clubs to funky beach bars. You'll even find an up-to-date cruise planner, tips on finding the best package deals, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap.

Genres: Travel

816 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 1989

About the author

Darwin Porter (1937-) is an American travel writer, producing numerous titles, mostly for the Frommer guidebook series, over a 50-year career span.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frommer’s gives a great review of each island in the Caribbean. Each island section starts with the brief overview of the island, along with a brief overview of things-to-do, shopping, nightlife and entertainment, along with eating and drinking. Next is the section called Essentials which gives information on visitor information, getting there, and getting around. The next section is called Fast Facts which gives quick information about the island, such as banking information, currency, documents, map of the island, electricity, emergencies, hospital, language, liquor laws, safety, taxes and service charges, telephone, time, water and weather. The next section is called where to stay which gives brief information about staying on the specific island and then lists the places to stay from very expensive to inexpensive. Next is the where to dine section which gives brief information on dining on the island and then lists the places to dine from very expensive to inexpensive, and also will have the places to dine split up between specific cities or sections on the island. Next is the beaches section which gives information on each beach. Next is the sports and outdoor pursuits section giving information on everything there is to do on the island such as cruises, deep-sea fishing, golf, off-roading, watersports, etc. The next section is exploring the island such as the major city(s), national parks, countryside and the water around the island. The final two sections are shopping and the island after-dark, each gives information on the best shopping on the island as well as little unknown places, and gives information on what to do after dark on each island. The beginning of the book has a best of the Caribbean which gives information on such things as the best beaches, sailing, diving, honeymoon spots, family vacations and dining.

Being a person that travels quiet a bit, at least twice a year, and having purchases quiet a fewer travel books this is a great one for the Caribbean. I love the fact that each island is specified and each of the sections that are offered and the information present. Nice to be able to have a book going over all of the islands in the Caribbean, but still gives a breakdown of each and every island. I really enjoyed the book and the specified information on each island and the maps as well. Though it would have been nice to have a detailed map of the major cities on each island but I understand there is only so much room in the book and considering this book is already almost 800 pages long, it is getting to be too much and any bigger could make it hard to bring on the trip or to even read. This kind of book would be great to purchase on an e-reader and would also be great for writers of these travel books as they could put more information in the book along with detailed maps and colored photos.

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library and it is full of post-it notes. The book is quite comprehensive and allowed me to learn basic information about each Carribean destination and identify some potential vacation spots. I appreciated the early chapters, which included a short overview of each island as well as the best beaches, restaurants, snorkeling, etc. The authors also categorize the hotels and restaurants by price, which helps to plan a budget-friendly vacation.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, looking into another trip. Barbados!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to T & C in November!

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for cruises because it covers so many islands.