A Perfect Day To Experience Labadee, Haiti

Labadee is considered to be a private tropical paradise owned by Royal Caribbean for five centuries now.
There are two main historical monuments on Labadee, - the Nellie's Place and the Old Bell Tower. These 2 monuments are frequently visited by many tourists where they will learn about their historical facts.

Old Bell Tower
Courtesy Photo by Flickr

Nellie's Place
Courtesy Photo by Flickr

There are lots of various activities and interests you can enjoy at Labadee whether you are an adventure-seeker, explorer or a beach lover due to its picture perfect coastal location.

If you are seeking  for thrill adventures, you might want to try zip lining called the Dragon's Breath Flight Line, or go para sailing over 300 ft. above. Both of these activities give you a bird's eye view of the peninsula and the beaches.

Other activities are the Wave Jet Tour or doing the High Speed Coastal Adventure Ride, and the experience of riding the Dragon's Tail Alpine Coaster as it goes down the mountain of Labadee.

If you're the explore type, you can enjoy a walking tour of sites to learn both the past and present histories of Haiti, or you can tour it by sea on a cultural experience.

Beach lovers, you will enjoy exploring bountiful beaches and choose your favorite beach-perfect spot to enjoy and relax,while enjoying a sip of your favorite cocktail.

If you prefer swimming in calm waters of the beach, try the Columbus Cove and Nellie's beach, while the Dragon's Tail is perfect for lounging and capturing sunrays that has a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.

There are also two types of shopping experiences in Labadee. You can visit the Artisan's Market/The Artisan's Village and the Trading Posts.

Take note that the Artisan's Market only accepts cash, while Trading Posts accepts seapass card.

Try to enjoy everything Labadee has to offer to the fullest! Visit the Dragon's Plaza, explore Buccaneer's Bay, Town Square, Adrenaline Beach, Barefoot Beach Club and the Columbus Cove.

St. Maarten Island Tour

I would definitely agree that St. Maarten is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Did you know that this island was mostly popular for salt? It was because during the 17th century when the Dutch settlers were still living in this island, they started to harvest salt from the Great Salt Pond where they export it back to Europe.

It was also during that time that the natives called the island "Land of Salt" or "Soualiga".

It's probably one of the reasons why they called the island "Land of Salt" because the Europeans started craving for salt, where they would rely on the place for getting salt, - a must have ingredient of food until today.

As you explore Philipsburg, the charming capital of St. Maarten, you'll be seeing the Dutch influences back to the colonial days, as you walk through the narrow roads with pastel-colored houses which are still intact. These houses still reflects the colonial architectural designs with 2nd storey verandas and flower-filled courtyards.

The St. Maarten Island Tour is one way of further exploring the area in order to visit the two-sides of the island; - the Dutch and the French sides.

You will also get the chance to explore more at Marigot, - the French capital, and Philipsburg, the Dutch capital. This is a great overview to see the uniqueness of these two islands!

This narrated, scenic tour ride will bring you to view the Great Salt Pond, and as you continue, you will see spectacular views of the Orient Beach and its neighboring islands. You will see more charming towns of Orleans as well as while you continue going your way, passing the lovely town of Grand Case going to Marigot (French side).

Once you reach Marigot, you will be allowed to explore both the outdoor markets and boutiques in the area. The outdoor markets are all around the Port of Marigot, and some boutiques across the street. You have 45 minutes of shopping. (not even enough time if you're a shopaholic! ;)).

On your way back to Philipsburg, you will see the monument that serves as a boundary separating the French and the Dutch sides of the island, then you will then have a 10-minute photo opportunity at the scenic International Look Out Point.

At the end of the tour, you'll have the option to stay a while at Philipsburg for more exploring and shopping, or return back to your ship right directly.

Just a note: - shops at Marigot are mostly closed during Sundays and holidays, so you might want to consider some other days for shopping other than those days.

FACT: St. Maarten/St. Martin is the world's smallest landmass governed by 2 nations - Netherlands & France!