The Caribbean you don't know

Hi there, it's Lily. And I'm here to talk rum and the *real* Caribbean beyond its white-sand beaches and luxury hotels [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hello, Pursuits readers! It’s [Lily Girma](, from the travel team. I’m sitting here wishing I were at a fabulous bar in New York City, ordering a dark rum on the rocks, even though I rarely consume liquor. I blame Marc-Kwesi Farrell, the Trinidadian-born founder of Ten To One, whom I interviewed for our [latest Industry Shakers profile](. His story of creating a true pan-Caribbean rum really stuck with me, and not just because Ten To One blends the spirit from four island nations that often compete with each other—in rum and in tourism. For starters, I thought I knew about the region’s most beloved spirit—until I had to write about it. I spent years reporting on the Caribbean tourism scene while imbibing more rum cocktails than I’d like to recall. Most rums use additives, I learned. Ten To One does not. To Marc’s credit, he didn’t laugh out loud at me when I asked if the dark rum was strong or not. “It’s not strong and weak—they are notes, like you’re doing a wine tasting,” he explained. Ferrell is looking to change notions of the Caribbean through his rum. Photographer: Christian Rodriguez for Bloomberg Pursuits But what stood out to me the most about Marc’s mission is his determination to dispel the (tourism-driven) stereotypes of Caribbean culture. When I asked him what success for Ten To One looks like, a snippet which didn’t make it in the final story, he said it would mean “that we’ve been able to successfully reshape the narrative around Caribbean culture,” which is “more than just the beach you saw at some all-inclusive resort one time. It’s much more dynamic than that.” I understood the latter all too well. I launched my career as a travel writer and photographer by going against the image of Caribbean countries as a monolithic, paradisiacal escape where locals are always happy, the rum flows like water (that part might not be wrong) and White Lotus vibes are the reason to visit. Marc is pushing back through a premium rum. I did it through storytelling (and seemingly, while Marc was still in business school...where does time go?). Luxury beach resorts in the Caribbean make it easy to not want to venture off their premises. Source: Waldorf Astoria Cancun I gave readers advice about seeing the other side of the Caribbean islands and the uniqueness of each: road tripping across Jamaica’s lesser-developed eastern coastline, seeing the Dominican Republic [beyond Punta Cana](, enjoying Puerto Rico through food tours and Afro-Puerto Rican culture, and hiking a community-managed nature reserve [in Antigua](. Trinidad Carnival, in Farrell’s home country, resumed this year for the first time since the pandemic. Photographer: Sean Drakes/LatinContent via Getty Images Yet even as a staunch defender of the offbeat Caribbean vacation, I realized that rum didn’t hold my attention when outside the region. Farrell was right. After our conversation, I thought back to the majority of my rum encounters. They involved all of the cliche island activities: potent welcome rum punches at the resort, sunset booze cruises, or tours of former sugar cane plantations turned distilleries where guides conveniently brushed over the destination’s cruel colonial history. Only one event, I recall, had raised rum’s profile a notch in my eyes: the [Barbados Food and Rum Festival](. Sunset at Curtain Bluff resort, a luxury hotel in southern Antigua’s Morris Bay. Photographer: nik wheeler/Corbis Documentary RF You might be tempted to shrug it off as mere branding, but the Ten To One story leaves us, I think, with this question: Can the way a product is made, presented and spoken of help dispel preconceived, “trope-ish” notions about a place? In the meantime, if you’re heading to the Caribbean region this summer, consider authentic, cultural ways to experience the region’s diverse destinations—with or without rum cocktails along the way. I share a few ideas in this this week’s newsletter that, coupled with the [latest breathtaking luxury hotels](, may have you packing up ASAP. Connect with Lily on [Instagram](, [Twitter]( or [via e-mail](mailto:AskPursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=Hi Lily!). See an authentic Caribbean. Time your visit to coincide with one of the distinct cultural festivals returning to the region in 2023, from carnival celebrations to jazz fests and sports.  [St. Thomas Carnival, USVI, April 8-29]( A month of colorful parades in Charlotte Amalie, plus street food, arts and crafts, steel pan music, and other live performances. No passport needed if you’re a US citizen. [Saint-Georges International Music Festival, Guadeloupe, April 8-15]( This inaugural event honors 18th century Black virtuoso violinist and composer Joseph Boulogne, who was born in French overseas territory. Expect chamber music, plus 50 musicians from 20 countries. JetBlue now flies nonstop from JFK to Pointe-a-Pitre since November 2022. [St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, May 5-14]( After a three-year hiatus, St. Lucia’s popular jazz festival is back with a lineup of local, Caribbean and international artists at scenic Pigeon Island National Park. Community-based art events will also be hosted island-wide. [Spicemas Grenada, August 1-15]( One of the Caribbean’s most vibrant carnivals, thanks to the “Jab Jabs”—masqueraders with black oiled-bodies in helmets with devil horns parading through town. [Reggae Marathon, Jamaica, December 3]( Negril’s annual marathon attracts runners and spectators. A great way to mingle with locals, enjoy reggae concerts, local food and, of course, the beach. African safaris are back. Another part of the world experiencing huge demand in 2023, as so-called “revenge travel” continues, is Africa. The safari remains at the top of bucket lists. But there are more places and ways to experience it. Browse through our stories, recent and from the archives. [The African Safari Is Changing for the Better. Here’s What You Need to Know]( [A New Breed of Safaris in Botswana Aims Higher Than Just Animals]( [Safari Companies Rethink Who Should Stay at Their Lodges]( [How Rwanda Became the Unlikeliest Tourism Destination in Africa]( [The Wrong Way to Go On Safari, According to a Wildlife Photographer]( [Face-to-Face With the Largest, Rarest Primates on Earth]( File under fascinating. I’ve always been drawn into digging up and learning about the [buried or forgotten history]( of destinations, particularly the stories that feel difficult to accept but are important. So when I recently came across an academic video presentation titled “[Locating Canadian Slavery](,” I knew I had to make time for it. If you’re thinking “not in Canada?” or know little about the history of enslavement there, you should watch it. If you make it to Nova Scotia one day, make a worthwhile stop at the [Black Loyalist Heritage Center]( in remote Birchtown. As this presentation explains, even though Birchtown was home to the largest free Black settlement outside of Africa in the 1780s, slavery did continue in this area as well, including in other parts of Canada, such as Montreal and Ontario. ICYMI. Not to toot our own horn, but we just had a really awesome week at Pursuits, having scooped up some major acknowledgments from our industry peers for work published in 2022. Bookmark these award-winning stories—they’re all worth it: Gold Awards “[How to Plan a Last-Minute Summer Getaway Without Breaking the Bank](” —Nikki Ekstein (Travel Tips & Advice) “[One Thing Most People Don’t Know About Birding, the Hot Travel Trend](” —Jennifer Flowers (Sports, Recreation and Adventure) “[Branson’s Virgin Voyages Courts First- Time Cruisers, Cures Inhibition](” —Fran Golden (Cruises) Silver Awards “[Montana’s Big Sky Ski Resort Finally Gets Its Moment in the Sun](” —Jen Murphy (Sports, Recreation and Adventure) “[Travel Trouble](” Business section takeover in Bloomberg Businessweek —Nikki Ekstein, James Ellis and Chris Rovzar (Trade Travel Article) Bronze Awards “[The Hotel Industry’s Big Carbon Lie](” —Jackie Caradonio (Sustainable Travel) Honorable Mentions “[Crystal Cruises’s Epic Demise Leaves Customers Out $100 Million – or More](” —Fran Golden (Cruises) “[Hawaii Is Rethinking Tourism. Here’s What That Means for You](” —Jen Murphy (Sustainable Travel) You had some questions. So here’s some answers. Whatever the topic, keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits Instagram]( and [e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=I%20have%20a%20question). Travel is so expensive right now—any hacks? I feel your pain. There isn’t much you can do to lower airfare this year other than shifting the days you fly; I just had to fork over close to $700 for a roundtrip fare from the east coast to Punta Cana, more than double what I normally pay. You can save money with hotels, however. As Pursuits’ points-and-miles wizard Ramsey Qubein recommends, stay at new properties that offer opening discounts. And make your dollars go even further by paying via loyalty programs. All details here on [the only hack for hotel discounts that still works](, plus a list of new hotels to try it at. Don’t forget to make sure your plastic is working for you, too. Here’s a rundown of the [best travel credit cards for 2023](. Is Mustique worth it? Exclusive Mustique is one of the few Caribbean isles I have yet to visit, but after multiple trips to various parts of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines archipelago, I’d go in a heartbeat. But we’ve also got insight on Mustique specifically—check out [this amusing take]( from Pursuits correspondent Brandon Presser, or get inspiration from a [poolside lunch]( at the Cotton House. Will Peru remain safe to visit this year? It’s difficult to predict whether Peru’s political tensions and protests will flare up before the high trekking season ahead this summer. Machu Picchu’s reopening last month is a positive sign, sources we spoke to said. [Check out these tips]( on how to prepare for your trip. Machu Picchu, one of the World’s Seven Wonders, reopened on Feb. 15, after a series of nationwide protests. The Inca Trail has reopened as of March 1. Photographer: Roger Parker New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Pursuits newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](