Reedy Press is pleased to announce the release of our newest guidebook, 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die, by Bob Curley.

Every vacation in the Caribbean is the trip of a lifetime, and 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die is your guide to creating timeless memories wherever you are traveling in the islands. You’ll discover everything “irie” about the unique food, culture, music, and vibes of each destination in the Caribbean.

You’ll “lime” like a local in Barbados’ friendly rum shops, spice up your Jamaica trip at the island’s best jerk shacks, and follow Puerto Rico’s Ruta de Lechón to the most savory roast pork in the world. Get into vacation mode by joining a pirate invasion in the Cayman Islands, or baring it all on the most notorious party boat in the British Virgin Islands.

Fill your “bucket list” with experiences like swimming with pigs in the Bahamas and whale sharks in Mexico, island-hopping on a charter yacht, exploring the haunting ruins of towns buried by volcanoes, and cruising the streets of Havana in a ’50s-vintage classic Chevy. And of course you’ll meet the warm and welcoming people who bring the Caribbean to life: Carnival dancers in Trinidad, the Kuna tribe of the San Blas Islands of Panama, Anguilla singer and living legend Bankie Banx at his handmade Dune Preserve bar, and countless others.

Come along with local author and travel writer Bob Curley for an insider’s perspective on the many island experiences he’s enjoyed. From the pink sand beaches of Bermuda to the tops of the Piton mountains in St. Lucia, 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die will take you to the very best of the islands, from the well-worn tourist path to unexpected and extraordinary, “only in the Caribbean” moments.

100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die is available wherever books are sold; signed copies are available direct from the author.

Please contact Alex McPherson at amcpherson@reedypress.com to arrange an interview or appearance.

Book Details: 100 Things to Do in the Caribbean Before You Die — part of the 100 Things to Do Before You Die series, by Bob Curley, ISBN: 9781681062662, softcover, 5.5 x 8.5, 192 pages, $22.50

About the Author
Bob Curley has spent more than 20 years traveling in and writing about the Caribbean as editor of the about.com/TripSavvy.com Caribbean Travel website and as a contributor to Caribbean Journal, Coastal Living, Fodors, USA Today, and countless other publications. Among the other “islands” he loves best is his home state of Rhode Island, which he explores in 100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Before You Die and the forthcoming Secret Rhode Island.

Author Contact:

Bob Curley, curleybob@gmail.com

TALKING POINTS FROM THE BOOK: 

• The Caribbean is nearly synonymous with rum, and with good reason: the fiery spirit was first distilled from molasses in the Caribbean in the 17th century. In Grenada (#4), the River Antoine Estate still uses water power and natural fermentation to make its Rivers rum, while rum shops (#6) are the cultural heart of the island of Barbados. Memorable rum drinks include the beachy Painkillers of the British Virgin Islands (#8), the San Juan born Pina Colada (#12), and Ernest Hemingway’s favorite daiquiri, still poured in the bars of Havana (#28).

• Piracy was once a serious and deadly business in the Caribbean, but it’s all for fun when pirates and ships flying the skull-and-bones invade the Cayman Islands every September during the Pirates Week festival (#41).

• Dolphin encounter programs at aquariums may be popular, but there are far cooler ways to meet sea creatures in the Caribbean, including swimming with whale sharks, the gentle giants that migrate annually off the Mexican Caribbean coast (#56); playing with stingrays in the Cayman Islands (#59); searching for sea turtles in Bonaire (#104); and going on a whale-watching cruise in Dominica (#107).

• You can’t really see the Caribbean without getting out (and in) the Caribbean Sea, whether that’s taking a plunge at the exotic Baths on Virgin Gorda (#64), diving the protected reefs of the Cousteau Reserve in Guadeloupe (#74), or chartering a yacht for an extended cruise between islands, dive sites, and hidden coves in the British Virgin Islands, the Grenadines, or the Bahamas (#113).

• Montserrat’s reputation as the “Emerald Island of the Caribbean” has less to do with its lush vegetation than its annual St. Patrick’s Day party (#120) — the local version of Carnival that’s a nod to the Irish immigrants who came to the island in the 17th century. Interestingly, the celebration originally emerged as a commemoration of a failed slave revolt against some of the very same Irish (and English) landowners.

• St. Croix hook bracelets (#146) are the ultimate in-the-know Caribbean souvenir, commonly worn by island visitors and residents alike. How you wear it matters: the open end of the hook facing your wrist means you are single, while wearing it with the open end facing your elbow signals that you’re in a relationship.

• How important is the nutmeg to Grenada? It appears on the island’s flag, was the “black gold” that fueled the island’s development, and provides income to nearly one-third of Grenada’s population. The Spice Island’s favorite spice is still processed by hand in the town of Gouyave (#18), offering a fascinating window into the intense labor that goes into the production of this most versatile seed.

• Nearly every Caribbean island has a Carnival, but with all due respect to Barbados’ Crop Over and the other lively celebrations hosted annually across the region, there’s still no real rival to Carnival in Trinidad (#122) — the biggest, loudest, and oldest in the islands. Locals literally spend the year after the last Carnival getting ready for the next one, but visitors also are welcome to join the party by signing up to march with a Mas band.

• Do go chasing waterfalls when you’re in the Caribbean, an Instagram-ready experience that also provides a refreshing cooldown from the sticky tropical air. Waterfalls can be found on most of the lusher islands, but some of the best places to bask in a cascade are on the island of St. Vincent in the Grenadines (#111).

• The Dominican Republic isn’t all about its beaches: Santo Domingo (#136), the nation’s capital city, is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. Founded by the Spanish in 1496, it’s even older than San Juan or St. Augustine, and the city’s historic Zone Colonial includes buildings dating to the 16th century, including the home of Diego Columbus (Christopher’s son) and the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, completed in 1550.