American World Traveler Summer 2018 Issue

ing our tour with Felicity Sailing; we adored
our little luxury catamaran with its great crew.
This vessel is ideal for small groups. Now
about those sharks.
A portion of Hol Chan Marine Reserve set
upon the second largest coral reef in the
world- was once an area where local fishermen
would clean their catch. The marine life
soon figured out that boats mean free lunch,
so nurse sharks and stingrays began frequenting
this area en masse. After fishing
was banned and the marine park established,
snorkel tours began to go there. Some
of the tour operators throw in a bit of chum
to attract the sharks (our boat did not,) but
they don’t need much encouragement. They
make a beeline for every newly arrived boat.
I wasn’t really afraid of swimming with this
type of shark, I’ve encountered them before,
and as our captain said, the worst you can
get is a big hickey as they suck in their food
like high-powered vacuum cleaners- they
don’t bite it outright. But with a frenzy of them
circling right beneath my feet I must admit I
was a tad intimidated. But then I saw three
magnificent rays waiting below and I decided
it was worth it. It was. And once we swam on
to the reef I actually forgot about them as we
explored the gorgeous healthy coral awash in
colorful tropical fish. On the way back however
I suddenly found myself smack dab in
the middle of over a dozen sharks!
Thankfully, they simply parted like the Red
Sea so I could pass through them without
incident. That was pretty cool. Later, we
stopped at Caulker Key for lunch and we
were joined by a pod of dolphins on our
return sail! It was an absolutely perfect day at
sea. If you go to Belize, this it is a must do
experience. It’s really not scary at all.
Visit: www.felicitysailingbelize.com
Puerto Rico Is Rising Like a Phoenix
Contrary to what some might think, the
tourism infrastructure of Puerto Rico has
bounced back big time. My insider sources
have confirmed that the port, downtown San
Juan and the Condando areas are more than
ready to receive visitors. The beaches are in
great shape and the majority of the major
hotels have reopened, and a brand new
resort Serafina Beach Hotel just opened in
March! The downtown core is abuzz with
music and nightlife, and the historic attractions
are welcoming all. The only major natural
attraction still not open to the public yet
is the El Yunque National Forest.
Miami public relations executive Maite Velez-
Coutu visited her family there recently, and
she says, “Actually I was very pleasantly surprised
at what good shape things were in.
Nature has done its job, and all the green
beauty is back. It’s still a bit ragged around
the edges in some parts- but the island is
absolutely ready for visitors. I was also VERY
excited to see a younger generation of entrepreneurs
popping up and pushing forward
in places like Calle Loíza and
31
Santurce. They’ve been busy opening
cool new restaurants, trendy bar and shop
concepts and areas that were not a ‘must
visit’ destination now have new life. That
bodes very well for the island’s future!”
So plan your visit to beautiful Puerto Rico
now, they are eagerly waiting for you.
Visit: www.seepuertorico.com
Amstar DMC –Terrific Tours & Transfers
As a frequent female solo traveller I’m often
asked about my concerns for safety, especially
in foreign countries where I don’t speak the
language. It’s a fair question, but one thing
I’ve learned is to find a reputable tour and
transfer outfit that you trust, and use them
whenever you can. I found such a company
in AmstarDMC. I always check to see if they
are operating where I am going, and I have
used them all over Mexico, in Jamaica, Costa
Rica and in the Dominican Republic. They
also operate in Hawaii. I find it worth paying
a little more than grabbing a local cabbie to
be assured of safe, professional reliable
transfers from the airport to the hotel or from
region to region. I also use them to book my
excursions, because they vet their sub-operators
well and use only the most reliable and
safety conscious outfits. I have booked amazing
experiences with them like whale shark
snorkeling in Cancun, rainforest tours in
Costa Rica and ruins tours in Tulum. My most
recent excursion with them was a cool swim
in a bioluminescent bay at night in Falmouth
Jamaica. It’s called luminous lagoon and the
water was warm as bath water and the effects
of the glow in the dark waves surreal. I highly
recommend them.
Visit: amstardmc.com
Award-winning travel journalist
Sue Campbell is based in Montreal but makes it
her business to be on top of everything cool, hot,
and new under the sun throughout the
Caribbean and Latin America.
World Traveler welcomes her as a
regular columnist.
Follow her on
Instagram and Twitter @suectravel
American World Traveler Summer 2018