Dropping off the grid

08 August 2011

We've all thought about it. Jetting off somewhere where your cell phone won't work, emails aren't taking up your time and the only thing you need to worry about is which beach to sink your toes into. With major companies offering vacation deals like never before, this is your chance to spend some time away from it all. Need to know where to go? Allow me to suggest the Caribbean.

Sure, you could soak up some sun and have a great time in Puerto Rico. If you wanted, you could lap up the luxury at a resort in the Bahamas as well. But, if you're really looking to drop off the grid for awhile, I suggest digging a little deeper, traveling a little farther and getting a bit more lost.

The Virgin Islands

Take a look at a map and just to the right of Puerto Rico is a small chain called the Virgin Islands. With half belonging to the US and the other half to the UK, this group of islands is the perfect starter for those looking to ease into a life more relaxed.

Popular with the tourist crowd, the Virgin Islands offer a great mix of luxury accommodations for those looking to be pampered and a more bohemian lifestyle for those looking to escape. You'll find both the UK and US islands to be welcoming and thanks to their proximity to Puerto Rico, relatively easy to get to.

If you happen to find yourself in the British Virgin Islands, you'd do well to look up a bar called The Soggy Dollar and go and enjoy their famous Painkiller. Just be prepared to swim for it, the bar is nothing if not appropriately named.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

If you've got a few weeks in the Caribbean under your belt and want to travel even farther, then I can't think of a better place than the string of tiny islands that make up St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Each island has its own unique flavor. You'll find the island of Mustique to be the home of some of the richest people on the planet, while other smaller islands have only just recently been wired for electricity.

Want to get a bit closer to Hollywood? St. Vincent and the Grenadines is where the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed and you have the opportunity to visit a few of their shooting locations. If you're not looking for glamour, get in a bit of snorkeling on the world's third largest horseshoe reef.

Regardless of where your travels take you, when you experience the blue waters and friendly faces of the Caribbean you'll know that if you were going to drop off the grid that this is the place to do it.