Day trip to Grand Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale (about 15 hours): Taking the Balearia Express Boat is a great way to touch the Bahamas. (Freeport in Grand Bahamas) Three hours after leaving Fort Lauderdale, I was enjoying the crystal clear water and white sand. The boat left Fort Lauderdale at 8 A.M. and arrived back in Fort Lauderdale at 10 P.M. (Very Punctual) I had about 5+ hours free time in the Bahamas. Special roundtrip fare of $67 ($49 + $18 Tax) purchased from TravelZoo. The ocean was calm during my trip. On the Island, I rented a bike for four hours ($15) and went to a local beach and local bar/restaurant.

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La Soufriere, St. Vincent: Before my trip to the Caribbean, I gathered some information online. I was confused between St. Lucia and St. Vincent, both countries are very similar. Saint Vincent has a volcano mountain called ‘La Soufriere’ and St. Lucia has a beautiful bay and town called ‘Soufriere’. Both places have active volcanoes with volcanic gases (volcano sulfur). Hiking to La Soufriere in St Vincent is very adventurous. As recommended, hiring a local guide is a smart decision. Otherwise, it is easy to get lost as the hiking path is not obvious and some paths are covered with tropical bush like a jungle.

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The Pitons, Saint Lucia: UNESCO Heritage Site! Two steep mountains in the Caribbean; Petit Piton (2421 feet=738 meters) and Gros Piton (2283 feet=696 meters). I hired a local guide and started to hike the Petit Piton at 6 A.M. (The earlier the better because of the heat and humid). Very steep and rocky. Hiking to the Petit Piton is a real stretch the arms and legs. It took one and half hours to go up and 40 minutes to come down. The ocean view from top is one of a kind. You can view the town of Soufriere,

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Fort de France, Martinique, France: I did not feel like this was an Island, rather a big city. Martinique is the biggest Island in Caribbean. Stores display fashionable clothes and shoes. People are dressed well. Walking is pleasant. No hassles to tourists. Surprisingly, there is a McDonalds (Free Wi-Fi) but not yet Starbucks! Great local Biere (Beer) ‘Lorraine’. Groceries are relatively inexpensive; A bottle of French wine (3.95 Euro = 6 USD) and Emmental cheese (about 9 USD/pound) and French bread (Less than 1 USD). Enjoyed a Napoleon pastry and Croissant with coffee at a little street cafe.

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Grenada, Eastern Caribbean: Grenada, a three hour plane ride from Miami is one of the Easternmost Caribbean Islands. The climate is tropical, the sky is crispy blue, the rain is clear and warm, and smiles look bigger. Travelling for me is enjoying FREEDOM from work and responsibilities. Visiting Seven Sisters Water Fall in Etang National Park in Grenada and walking the local fresh market in St Georges are two must things to do in Grenada. Hiking up to the Seven Sisters Fall, a farmer showed me a nutmeg tree. The nutmeg fruit is about the size of an egg.

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