The Islands - Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean: Lovetripper Guide - page 160

Information: Contact the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board
at 370 Lexington Ave., Suite 313, New York, NY 10017, 800-

835-8530 in the eastern US, or 800-232-7770 in the western

US. In Canada, at 801 York Mills Rd. #210, Don Mills, Ontario,

800-835-8530; and in the UK, at 110 St. Martin's Lane, Lon-
don WC2N 4DY, 0171-240-4259, fax [phone]. Website:

www.bvigovernment.org.

Cayman Islands
F or the American traveler, perhaps no other Caribbean is-
lands offer the comforts and the “This is almost like back home”
feeling of the Cayman Islands, especially the most popular des-
tination: Grand Cayman. This island, together with its
smaller cousins, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman , enjoys
the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. It is friendly,
safe, and tailor-made for couples looking for a slice of home on
their vacation. Here you'll find all the comforts of the US, as
well as an American standard of service in many restaurants,
bars, and hotels from many stateside ex-pats who make their
home in these lovely isles. For some visitors, this Americanized
atmosphere is as welcome as eating a Big Mac in Paris; for oth-
ers it is a comforting way to experience the islands.

All that comfort comes at a price, however. The Cayman dollar
is stronger than its US equivalent, so at present the US dollar is
worth only 80¢ CI. Prices in hotels, restaurants, shops, and at-
tractions reflect that unfavorable exchange rate and high stan-
dard of living; we've paid as much as US $36 for breakfast for
two in a hotel restaurant.

These lofty price tags don't deter the nearly 300,000 US vaca-
tioners and business people who visit every year. The vacation-
ers are drawn by protected waters as clear as white rum,
teeming with marine life, offering one of the best snorkeling
and scuba vacations in the region. The business world is at-
tracted to these small islands for an entirely different reason:
tax-free status. (Remember The Firm ? Portions of that movie,
based on the John Grisham book, were filmed right here.)