Miami to Miami

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.

The lovely little dual islands of Bimini consists of two main islands—North Bimini Island and South Bimini Island— as well as countless cays. Located just 50 miles off Florida’s coast, Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the United States, and as such is the most “American” if all the Bahamian Islands. Yet, the miles and miles of pristine beaches are witness to the fact that yes, this is the Bahamas and yes, this is paradise indeed.

The lovely little dual islands of Bimini consists of two main islands—North Bimini Island and South Bimini Island— as well as countless cays. Located just 50 miles off Florida’s coast Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the United States and as such is the most “American” if all the Bahamian Islands. Yet the miles and miles of pristine beaches are witness to the fact that yes this is the Bahamas and yes this is paradise indeed. Perhaps Bimini’s most famous resident was none other than Ernest Hemmingway who considered it his favourite escape. Yet the islands’ history dives deep. Due to their proximity to the US mainland the islands served as a speakeasy and offered the chance to buy alcohol during prohibition. As expected Rumrunners were rife in those days and would keep their “stores” on the Bimini’s beaches. The islands chequered history does not stop there though. Bimini also boasts an influence in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech that was composed during a sailboat outing with a local boat builder. A bronze bust of Dr. King is displayed at the Bimini Craft Centre in Alice Town.

San Felipe de Puerto Plata is the capital of the Puerto Plata province on the Dominican Republic’s Atlantic north coast. The city is best known for its beaches. Playa Dorada’s lengthy beachfront is backed by resorts and an 18-hole golf course. The city’s old colonial-era center is dominated by the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, a Spanish fortress that now houses historical and military artifacts.

Samaná (pronounced sah-mah-NAH) is a dramatically beautiful peninsula, like an island unto itself, of coconut trees stretching into the sea. It's something of a microcosm of the Dominican Republic: here you'll see poverty and fancy resorts, brand-new highways as well as bad roads, verdant mountainsides, tropical forests, tiny villages lined with street-side fruit vendors, secluded beaches, and the radiant warmth of the Dominican people. Samaná is the name of both the peninsula and its biggest town, as well as the bay to the south. It's worth noting that to locals, Samaná denotes only the largest town, Santa Bárbara de Samaná, which makes a great departure point for whale-watching or an excursion to Los Haitises Park across the bay. The bay is home to some of the world's best whale-watching from mid-January to late March. It is now the site of Puerto Bahia Marina and Residences and the Bannister Hotel, contemporary, luxurious yet moderately priced. This complex has brought an entirely new level of tourism to this area, and given yachts a full-service facility in what has always been a desirable cruising destination.A visit here is really about two things: exploring the preserved natural wonders and relaxing at a small beachfront hotel. The latter is most readily accomplished in Las Terrenas, the only true tourist center, where you can find picturesque restaurants, accommodations of all types (including the new oceanfront Sublime Samaná and the luxury condo-hotel, Balcones del Atlantico), and great beaches. At Las Terrenas you can enjoy peaceful playas, take advantage of the vibrant nightlife, and make all your plans for expeditions on the peninsula. The other pleasures are solitary—quiet beaches, the massive national park Los Haitises, and water sports and hiking. A relatively new toll road connects Santo Domingo to the peninsula; it's about a 2- to 2½-hour drive. Small El Catey International Airport is near Las Terrenas and is now being served by twice-weekly JetBlue flights (Wednesday and Saturday). On the Dominican Republic's Samaná Peninsula, the green mountains teem with coconut trees and dramatic vistas of the ocean. The area is full of hidden beaches reachable only on foot or by sea, protected coves, and undeveloped bays. A visit to Samaná is really about two things: exploring its preserved natural wonders and relaxing on the beach. There are a number of all-inclusive resorts where you can hang your hat, quaint and low-key beachfront hotels, as well as new world-class properties, where you can find complete relaxation and tranquillity.

Tropical forests and aquamarine seas with kaleidoscopic diving opportunities abound at Samana. A place of salsa rhythms picturesque beaches and scenic layers of coconut palm trees the peninsula is a highlights reel of the Dominican Republic's best experiences. Choose to hike the mangrove forests of Los Haitises National Park or enter caves adorned with ancient art from the Taino Indians which plunge into the earth nearby. Pound through jungle trails on horseback seeking out towering waterfalls skim across the waves on powerful jet-skis or nurdle inland at your own pace in a sea kayak. Samana offers all of the snorkelling and diving that you would expect from a stunning Caribbean destination but it’s also renowned for the larger sea creatures that dwell in its waters - with mighty humpbacks visiting the bay during winter’s months. Set away from the lavish all-inclusive resorts Samana has an authentic feel. Stroll streets of shacks stacked with rosy fruits - sampling the freshest juices - and head to renowned beaches like Rincon. Just offshore the beautiful speck of an island Cayo Levantado waits. Here you'll find rich snorkelling with extraordinary visibility below the crisp clear waters. Get a closer view of the teeming reefs where tiny fish dart back and forth. Or simply lie back and let the sun gently bronze your skin in the embrace of the brilliant bright white sand.

La Romana is a city on the Dominican Republic’s Caribbean coast and a gateway to nearby resort areas. Overlooking the Chavón River, Altos de Chavón is a re-created 16th-century Mediterranean village with artists' workshops. An obelisk painted with colorful images of local life stands in the city center. South of the city is Catalina Island, with beaches, coral reefs and the wrecked ship of pirate William Kidd.

Rolling golf courses unravel along pristine coastline while caves plunge deep into forest-coated mountains and fields of sugar cane wave in the sea breeze. With its beaches of unmistakable Caribbean beauty and culture-packed cities La Romana opens up the Dominican Republic's charms and serves as a fantastic jumping-off point for the rainforest and islands of Cotubanamá National Park. Accessible only by boat Palmilla is an isolated and exquisite stretch of white sand beach which peeks out from the jungle's clutches. Sleek reef sharks patrol the shallow waters of Isla Saona a stunning island waiting just offshore. Wade out on a soft shelf of sand into the knee-deep water as you explore some of the most majestic beaches on the planet or visit protected sites where tiny turtles take their first cautious steps. An excursion west to Santo Domingo is always tempting and you can pay a visit to the capital's Ciudad Colonial - the oldest permanent town built by Europeans in the new world which was founded by Bartholomew Columbus. His older brother Christopher Columbus also has an eternal presence here. The great explorer's remains rest in Columbus Lighthouse which fires shards of light high into the sky. Back in La Romana the Altos De Chavón's massive bowl of an open-air amphitheatre is the perfect place to share a concert experience with 5 000 others as the stars flash vividly overhead.

Just 7 miles (11 km) long and a little more than 1 mile (1½ km) wide, this island, the capital and seat of the Turks and Caicos government, has been a longtime favorite destination for divers eager to explore the 7,000-foot-deep pristine coral walls that drop down only 300 yards out to sea. On shore, the tiny, quiet island is home to white-sand beaches, the National Museum, and a small population of wild horses and donkeys, which leisurely meander past the white-walled courtyards, pretty churches, and bougainvillea-covered colonial inns on their daily commute into town. But things aren't entirely sleepy: a cruise-ship complex at the southern end of the island brings about 600,000 visitors per year. That said, the dock is self-contained and is about 3 miles (5 km) from the tranquil, small hotels of Cockburn Town, Pillory Beach, and the Ridge and far from most of the western-shore dive sites. Pristine beaches with vistas of turquoise waters, small local settlements, historic ruins, and native flora and fauna are among the sights on Grand Turk. Fewer than 4,000 people live on this 7½-square-mile (19-square-km) island, and it's hard to get lost, as there aren't many roads.

Beach masterpieces of silky white sand and sparkling water shifting from turquoise to royal blue welcome you to idyllic Grand Turk. Underwater ramparts of coral teem with vibrant marine life while tranquil beaches reward with a haven of relaxation. Part of the Turks and Caicos islands group an enchanting string of islands that share jaw-dropping natural beauty Grand Turk is a truly divine Caribbean escape. Your first port of call is always likely to be the blissful sand beaches that roll down to that trademark intense sea. Governor's Beach is a vision of pink sand lapped by teal waters and a perfect rendering of your most lavish imagination. Pillory Beach is another favoured option nestled a little further to the north. Graceful stingrays slide through the waters at Gibbs Cay and you can wander among huge queen conch shells strewn over its sands. Later sunset will burn and boom above as you taste fresh barbecued snapper mahi-mahi and lobster platters. The stunning coral reefs that attract keen divers from across the globe have been far less welcoming to ships historically and the wrecks that rest on the seabed attest to their hull-shredding credentials. Flashing out warnings and standing tall since 1852 Grand Turk Lighthouse is a true icon of this island. Wild donkeys and horses may join you as you roam below the rusting cast-iron tower which gazes out protectively over the North Reef.

Miami is one of the world’s most popular holiday spots. It has so much to offer; from its countless beach areas, to culture and museums, from spa and shopping days out, to endless cuban restaurants and cafes. Miami is a multicultural city that has something to offer to everyone.