Category Archives: Caribbean

Christopher Columbus accounts of the Caribbean include harrowing descriptions of fierce raiders who abducted women and cannibalized men stories long dismissed as myths.

But a new study suggests Columbus may have been telling the truth.

Using the equivalent of facial recognition technology, researchers analyzed the skulls of early Caribbean inhabitants, uncovering relationships between people groups and upending longstanding hypotheses about how the islands were first colonized.

One surprising finding was that the Caribs, marauders from South America and rumored cannibals, invaded Jamaica, Hispaniola and the Bahamas, overturning half a century of assumptions that they never made it farther north than Guadeloupe.

Ive spent years trying to prove Columbus wrong when he was right: There were Caribs in the northern Caribbean when he arrived, said William Keegan, Florida Museum of Natural History curator of Caribbean archaeology. Were going to have to reinterpret everything we thought we knew.

Detail from a painting by John Gabriel Stedman. Public domain image

Columbus had recounted how peaceful Arawaks in modern-day Bahamas were terrorized by pillagers he mistakenly described as Caniba, the Asiatic subjects of the Grand Khan. His Spanish successors corrected the name to Caribe a few decades later, but the similar-sounding names led most archaeologists to chalk up the references to a mix-up: How could Caribs have been in the Bahamas when their closest outpost was nearly 1,000 miles to the south?

But skulls reveal the Carib presence in the Caribbean was far more prominent than previously thought, giving credence to Columbus claims.

Previous studies relied on artifacts such as tools and pottery to trace the geographical origin and movement of people through the Caribbean over time. Adding a biological component brings the regions history into sharper focus, said Ann Ross, a professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University and the studys lead author.

Ross used 3D facial landmarks, such as the size of an eye socket or length of a nose, to analyze more than 100 skulls dating from about A.D. 800 to 1542. These landmarks can act as a genetic proxy for determining how closely people are related to one another.

The analysis not only revealed three distinct Caribbean people groups, but also their migration routes, which was really stunning, Ross said.

Researchers used 16 facial landmarks to analyze skulls, a technique often used as a genetic proxy. You can tell how closely people are related or not by these types of measures, Ross said.

For the past 30 years, archaeologists have debated how the Caribbean was settled and by whom. The skull analysis revealed three distinct people groups and migrations. One previous hypothesis proposed the Caribbeans colonizers included people from Florida and Panama, but the researchers did not find biological evidence to support this line of thinking.

Looking at ancient faces shows the Caribbeans earliest settlers came from the Yucatan, moving into Cuba and the Northern Antilles, which supports a previous hypothesis based on similarities in stone tools. Arawak speakers from coastal Colombia and Venezuela migrated to Puerto Rico between 800 and 200 B.C., a journey also documented in pottery.

The earliest inhabitants of the Bahamas and Hispaniola, however, were not from Cuba as commonly thought, but the Northwest Amazon the Caribs. Around A.D. 800, they pushed north into Hispaniola and Jamaica and then the Bahamas where they were well established by the time Columbus arrived.

I had been stumped for years because I didnt have this Bahamian component, Ross said. Those remains were so key. This will change the perspective on the people and peopling of the Caribbean.

For Keegan, the discovery lays to rest a puzzle that pestered him for years: why a type of pottery known as Meillacoid appears in Hispaniola by A.D. 800, Jamaica around 900 and the Bahamas around 1000.

Florida Museum photo by William Keegan

Why was this pottery so different from everything else we see? That had bothered me, he said. It makes sense that Meillacoid pottery is associated with the Carib expansion.

The sudden appearance of Meillacoid pottery also corresponds with a general reshuffling of people in the Caribbean after a 1,000-year period of tranquility, further evidence that Carib invaders were on the move, Keegan said.

So, was there any substance to the tales of cannibalism?

Possibly, Keegan said.

Arawaks and Caribs were enemies, but they often lived side by side with occasional intermarriage before blood feuds erupted, he said.

Its almost a Hatfields and McCoys kind of situation, Keegan said. Maybe there was some cannibalism involved. If you need to frighten your enemies, thats a really good way to do it.

Whether or not it was accurate, the European perception that Caribs were cannibals had a tremendous impact on the regions history, he said. The Spanish monarchy initially insisted that indigenous people be paid for work and treated with respect, but reversed its position after receiving reports that they refused to convert to Christianity and ate human flesh.

The crown said, Well, if theyre going to behave that way, they can be enslaved, Keegan said. All of a sudden, every native person in the entire Caribbean became a Carib as far as the colonists were concerned.

The study was published in Scientific Reports.

Michael Pateman of the Turks and Caicos National Museum and Colleen Young of the University of Missouri also co-authored the study.

The research was funded by the National Museum of the Bahamas Antiquities, Monuments and Museum Corporation and the Florida Museums Caribbean Archaeology endowment.

Editors note: You can read more about this work in this piece from North Carolina State University.

Sources: William Keegan, keegan@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-273-1921;Ann Ross, ahross@ncsu.edu, 919-515-3122

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Study puts the 'Carib' in 'Caribbean,' boosting credibility of Columbus' cannibal claims - University of Florida

The new year has already brought a new restaurant and entertainment venue to Winston-Salem. The Rhythm Lounge & Grill opened Jan. 3 in Marketplace Mall at 2101 Peters Creek Parkway.

The Rhythm offers a Caribbean-themed menu for lunch Tuesday and Wednesday, dinner Thursday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday. The club plans to offer live music Thursday through Saturday nights and during Sunday brunch.

The Rhythm is in a 7,000-square-foot space in the middle of Marketplace Mall that used to house a Burlington Shoes store. It has a maximum occupancy of about 450.

Georjean Mahario and Lee Tompkins are partners in the new venture. Mahario used to own Irie Rhythms, a Caribbean-themed restaurant in Silas Creek Crossing shopping center near Hanes Mall. Irie Rhythms operated from 2014 into 2019. Last summer, it changed its name to Sea Breeze when Maharios daughter, Brianna Mahario, took over as owner. Brianna Mahario closed the restaurant this fall when she decided to relocate.

Mahario already had plans for another restaurant when she met up with Tompkins, who has worked in the music industry for many years. I was a rap artist in the 80s. Then I was a producer with Melba Moores company. And I was a soundman on the road for years, Tompkins said.

I wanted to do something different with music, Tompkins said, and (Mahario) wanted to do something with food, so we said, Why not do something together?

For lunch and dinner, Mahario is offering many of the same entrees that Irie Rhythms was known for, including oxtails $16), jerk chicken ($10) and curry shrimp ($12).

A new entre is the grilled salmon with mango salsa ($12).

The appetizers are almost all new, except for Jamaican beef patties ($4). Appetizers include beer-battered fish bites ($8.50), sweet and sour meatballs ($8), trio of chicken wings ($13.50) and yucca fries with house-made rhythm sauce ($4.25).

For brunch, The Rhythms menu includes shrimp and grits ($14.95), brown stew chicken ($10) and whole fried red snapper with a choice of sauces ($16.95). There also is The Rhythm wrap ($8), with eggs, cheese and more in a spinach or tomato-basil tortilla wrap.

We always have vegetarian and vegan options because I am one, Mahario said.

At brunch, the vegetarian breakfast bowl ($9.50) consists of grits or potatoes topped with scrambled eggs, sauted vegetables and cheese. At lunch and dinner the veggie rundown ($8.50) consists of sauted vegetables in a sweet and spicy coconut curry sauce.

The Rhythm has full ABC permits, offering beer, wine and cocktails. Specialty cocktails include tropical rum punch ($9) with guava, strawberry and banana puree; pineapple juice; and rum. The mango tea ($8.50) combines tea with mango puree, mango chunks and vodka. The Rhythm sangria ($7.50) mixes wine with mango, pineapple and strawberries.

Tompkins said he plans to offer a wide variety of music, including country, jazz, reggae and older hip-hop.

It will be all old-school, music I have in my record collection that Id like to hear, he said.

The music at night will be for people ages 35 and up we wont be playing anything done after 2000, Mahario said.

Though the music genres at night may vary a lot, they said, brunch usually will be jazz or gospel.

Local trumpeter Joe Robinson played The Rhythms first brunch on Jan. 5.

Upcoming acts at The Rhythm will include Winston-Salem bands the Phase Band, playing R&B and funk, on Jan. 16 and West End Mambo, playing salsa and Latin jazz on Jan 18. The Rhythm will present hip-hop duo Das EFX and rapper Mr. Cheeks on a double bill on Jan. 24.

A side of Sauteed Mixed Vegetables with Oxtails at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

Sweet & Sour Meatballs at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

Oxtails at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

The full service bar in The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

Georjean Mahario and Lee Tompkins are co-owners of The Rhythm Lounge & Grill in Winston-Salem. Above, shrimp and grits.

Shrimp & Grits, from bottom left, clockwise, Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Oxtails and a side of Sauteed Mixed Vegetables at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill.

Shrimp & Grits at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

The stage at The Rhythm Lounge & Grill

The Rhythm Lounge & Grill is accessible from Marketplace Mall.

Original concert posters adorn the walls in Rhythm Lounge & Grill.

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The Rhythm Lounge & Grill is offering live music and Caribbean-inspired food at Marketplace Maill - Winston-Salem Journal

A gathering at Wayman AME Church on West Olive Street in Bloomington was more than a service. It was a Latin American celebration of traditions associated with the feast of the Epiphany.

We are a church in the heart of the community with a heartforthe community, and we want there to be unity in the community and we want this to be an open space for that and were going to continue to keep our doors open to the community, the Rev. Dr. Brigitte A. Black said about the program, "Caribbean Cultural Connections: From Christmas to the Three Wise Men."

The service began Friday evening with church member Ky Ajayi and his daughter Laras Caribbean-flavored drum call, which referenced the culture of three islands whose traditions were highlighted: Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Attendees then sang the traditional spiritual hymn Go Tell it On the Mountain."

For the next hymn, organizers added non-traditional elements. Agape dance troupe Director Lyndetta Alsberry told those in the pews about specific movements that went with the lyrics.

The evenings featured speaker was Jessie Dixon-Montgomery, an associate professor of Hispanic studies at Illinois Wesleyan University, who said for 30 years Cubans could not celebrate Christmas or the feast of Epiphany usually on Jan. 6. It marks the visit by three kings to bring gifts to the Christ child.

Los Reyes Magos, the three wise men, who traditionally visited Cuba did not come bearing gifts because of the government of Fidel Castros revolution of 1959 which abolished all religious holidays since they were against Communist principles, said Dixon-Montgomery.

Dixon-Montgomery said the ban on religious celebrations changed after Pope John Paul II visited Cuba but that children now mostly receive toys from charities because so many live in poverty.

In the Dominican Republic, Christmas has become a bigger celebration as ex pats who fled the revolution and settled in New York and New Jersey returned to the region with a more American emphasis on gifts and a big Christmas Eve dinner.

Family members gather together and have great Dominican food, including the roast suckling pig and pastelles which are like tamales, Mexican tamales, but they are not made out of a corn base. Its usually plantains or it could be yam or it could be yucca, she explained.

Dominican children do not receive gifts until the Day of the Kings on Jan. 5. Children put water and grass under the Christmas tree before bed for the camels as the Three Kings pass in the night.

In Puerto Rico, the Christmas season begins in late November with parrandas, parades and carolers singing mostly secular songs as they travel their neighborhood. Dixon-Montgomery said the season ends with a big parade and the three wise men traveling the island, handing out gifts to children.

Part Of Your Identity

Among those attending the Caribbean Cultural Connections service was Jenn Carrillo, a Bloomington City Council member who was born and raised in Mexico City. She migrated to the U.S. with her family as a child.

Carrillo saidpreserving traditions helps immigrants maintain a cultural identity and connection to their roots.

The wisdom, the magic and the rituals of our ancestors are an essential part of who we are, an essential part of our identities, and they are the things that help us make friends into family members, houses into homes, and cities and towns into real communities, she shared.

Carrillo thanked church leaders for providing a space to share traditions which she says too often immigrants are forced to abandon when they come to the United States.

Not only do we have to leave our ancestral lands and our families, but we also have to give up parts of ourselves to be able to have a life here. And so it is important that we move with intention and that create spaces such as this one to begin to share with one another so that we can make ourselves and each other whole in community. I want to encourage us to keep doing this, she said.

Dixon-Montgomery agreed events such as the Cultural Connections celebration help build important connections.

I think were at a point now where we feel people are so different. Theyre nothing like us. We dont want anything to do with them. They look different. They talk differently. And so I think we need to find some connection between, said Dixon-Montgomery.

Dixon-Montgomery has only been in Bloomington-Normal for four months, arriving from Galesburg where she taught at Knox College. She said while it has been a mostly welcoming community, some people are surprised to learn she has experienced subtle racism.

If theyve never experienced it they think, Things have gotten better. Theyre not like they used to be in the 60s,' and someone told me that. And then when I started recounting personal incidents they said, 'OK, we see the division, we see that people are not quite as happy as we thought they should be, she shared.

Dixon-Montgomery added, Its not that Ive experienced big things. Ive experienced some subtle things that make you say, People still arent coming together. People are still afraid and dont know one another and theyre still afraid to reach out.

The longtime teacher said she embraces any opportunity to raise cultural awareness, even when it comes to Spanish language.

There is also a tendency in our community to label any Spanish speaker either Spanish or Mexican, and I want people to know there are a lot of Spanish speakers in 22 countries, including the United States. There are a lot all over the world and they bring valuable traditions and valuable values to the pool, she said.

She said sharing cultural traditions and spreading knowledge locally can help break down some walls rather than, as she put it, building walls we dont know exist.

People like you value experienced, knowledgeable and award-winning journalism that covers meaningful stories in Bloomington-Normal. To support more stories and interviews like this one,please consider making a contribution.

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Church Shares Caribbean Culture to Build Local Connections - WGLT News

Within the decade beginning this year, the Caribbean may have solutions to the growing scourge of Type II diabetes, have a new economic approach as former colonial nations, and re-establish links with sub-Saharan Africa.

These projected achievements are thanks to a 20 million pounds sterling (US$26,000,200) research fund the University of Glasgow (UG) supplied in the first phase of a continued development programme in repayment for benefitting from the proceeds of slavery and in so doing giving a face to the concept of reparations.

The work is to be done by Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research that will have offices in the Caribbean and Glasgow.

It is the first institution within British university history, dedicated to the slavery reparations policy framework, read a statement issued by the University of the West Indies and University of Glasgow, administrators of the Centre.

The representatives of the two universities met in late December, to rollout the research and project development agenda for the Centre which is aimed at confronting and eradicating the debilitating legacies of slavery and colonisation in the Caribbean.

Led by Vice-Chancellor, Hilary Beckles, UWI had begun negotiations with UG for compensation since 2017 after that Scottish university published a document admitting to its culpability for slavery by benefitting donations by slave owners.

Between the 1780s and 1880s it received millions of pounds in grants and endowments from Scottish and English slave owners that served to enrich and physically expand the near 600-year-old university, stated part of the reparations agreement reached last August and signed by Dr. Beckles and Dr. David Duncan, University of Glasgows chief operating officer.

That agreement established the Centre that will target and promote solutions to Caribbean development problems in areas such as medicine and public health, economics and economic growth, cultural identity and cultural industries, and other 21st century orientations in Caribbean transformation.

Last months board of directors meeting at UWIs Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, set out targets for the 2020 decade.

Headings of the three tasks set out are:

1. The public health crisis in the Caribbean, particularly the chronic disease pandemic, with special focus on identifying research-based solutions to reduce the burden of Type 2 Diabetes and its sequelae complications, such as diabetic foot amputation;

2. The search for post-plantation economy development policies that are innovative and progressive in the struggle for economic growth in the global economy; and

3. Recognising that slavery and colonialism drove deep wedges between Africa and its Caribbean family, [develop] strategies for project implementation to tackle the day-to-day cultural divide between Africa and the Caribbean.

Last August, UWI had stated the, agreement represents the first occasion on which a slavery-enriched British or European institution has apologized for its part in slavery and committed funds to facilitate a reparations programme. In this instance, the two universities have adopted a regional development approach to reparations.

The seminal agreement, the first of its kind in the Western World for slavery reparations since British Emancipation in 1838.

Posted 4:03 pm, January 14, 2020

2020

Excerpt from:

The face of reparations - Caribbean Life

Dengue fever outbreaks in the Caribbean have reached record high levels, thanks to climate change. Since the beginning of 2019, approximately 3 million Americans have contracted the virus, and 1,372 are reported dead. According to Forbes, this is the highest number of cases recorded. Countries including Honduras, Belize, Saint Martin and Antigua & Barbuda have all been affected.

Multiple sources report that 2019 was a terrible year for dengue outbreaks. Tyler Sharp, an epidemiologist at the CDCs Dengue Branch in Puerto Rico, said that 2019 ..is turning out to be a very bad year for dengue, probably the worst weve had since 2010.Once you have a dengue outbreak thats occurring, its quite difficult to stop it. Its also difficult to contain it.

The cause of Dengues prevalence? Climate change. Dengue fever is spread by mosquitos, who populate and move to new regions as the climate warms. Oliver Brady, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, called the disease, one of the few infectious diseases at a global scale thats still increasing and expanding. Modeling for the disease is based on temperature, and any region that reaches the suitable habitat temperature for the mosquito will be vulnerable to Dengue.

Climate change also affects the disease because when its warmer, the disease can mutate and relocate more quickly. Multiple doctors and experts confirm Dengues connection to climate change. According to the New York Times, climate change is threatening to increase the spread of dengue worldwide by expanding the range of the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

Executive Director of Caribbean Public Health Agency Dr Joy St. John, told Forbes of the climates impact, Climate change has warmed the Caribbean environment and shortened the mosquito breeding cycle. Studies have also demonstrated that the mosquitos disease transmission capacity is increasing. To solve the problem, Dr. St. John called for Integrated Vector Control Management and new technologies to counteract these mosquito friendly conditions.

Read more about climate change and disease in One Green Planet, including how deadly diseases are increasing due to climate change, deforestations role in spreading deadly diseases, and how Ebola is linked to climate change.

The United Nation recently released a report warning countries about the dangers of climate change. They also urged people to reduce their dairy and meat intake by opting for more plant-based foods as one way to take climate action. We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter!Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!

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Warming Climate Causes Dengue Fever Outbreak in Caribbean Leading to Almost 1400 Deaths in the Last Year - One Green Planet

First he saved Rose in Titanic, and now Leonardo DiCaprio has saved a man who fell overboard in the Caribbean.

The actor, his girlfriend, and some friends were on a luxury boat off the coast of St. Barts on December 30th when a Mayday went out asking for help locating the man, reports The Sun. The 24-year-old Club Med cruise crew member identified only as Victor had fallen overboard near St. Martin after a night of excessive drinking. When DiCaprio heard the news, he agreed to redirect the boat towards the man making his the only vessel to respond to the distress call.

DiCaprios crew spotted the man some hours later near the island of Saba. When they finally pulled poor Victor aboard, hed been treading water for 11 hours. He was severely dehydrated and Leos crew provided water, food, and dry clothes before handing him off to coastguards.

(Read: 50 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020)

I should have died, the man reportedly said as he was being rescued. In fact, the captain put Victors chance of survival at 1 in a billion, especially as daylight was fading and a storm was coming in. So its not an exaggeration to say DiCaprio literally helped saved a strangers life.

DiCaprio may have missed out on the Best Actor win at this years Golden Globes, but lifesaver is probably a better title anyway. Besides, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood still managed to take home awards for Best Picture Come, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt.

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Leonardo DiCaprio saves man who fell overboard in the Caribbean - Consequence of Sound

Its not easy to become a classic.

Its not just half a century of luxury, or years of visits by legendary names.

A classic resort is about a vision, a look, a philosophy and relentless execution.

Being flanked by two of the regions most scenic beaches doesnt hurt, either.

Curtain Bluff, one of Antiguas iconic resorts, has long been a Caribbean signature, a resort the very mention of which seems to stir emotions in travelers.

Set on the southern coast of Antigua and founded by the late Howard Hulford (whose wife Chelle still lives in the resorts Bluff House and still hosts a weekly cocktail party for guests), Curtain Bluff is the sort of grand property that doesnt seem to exist any more.

And yet it has never felt more current, more now.

After several years of upgrades that included changes to even the very smallest of details, Curtain Bluff is, well, better than ever.

The property, which includes a mix of 72 rooms and suites, all of which boast beachfront views, is still the luxurious, indulgent space it always was but its got an even more sparkling look to it.

What hasnt changed is the Hulford vision of hospitality, of serene, beautiful luxury, of a place that makes you feel something.

And its still delivered in a rather unique way an all-inclusive that never feels like one, a luxury resort whose warmth makes you feel as if youre staying in your own private club.

And its rooms, always the sort of lavish accommodations youd expect from a legend, are fresh and gorgeous, with little touches like espresso machines, somehow preserving the jet-set look with a modern sheen. (Thats without mentioning the suites, particularly the propertys splurge-worthy wing, the Hulford Collection, a luxury oasis punctuated by plunge-pools perched above the ocean.)

Its that duality that manages to extend itself across the resort timeless and fresh, family-friendly yet perfect for adults seeking seclusion; apt for active travelers (the Caribbeans best tennis center is on hand) and those merely in search of a week of lazing on the sand.

And thats certainly true of the all-inclusive program. Its an all-inclusive experience that doesnt feel like one, where you always feel like youre being indulged.

Its at once the sort of rarefied space we dream of and an energetic, crisp resort ripe for honeymoons and experiential travelers alike.

In other words its a classic.

See more in the latest Caribbean Journal Video.

For more, visit Curtain Bluff.

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Curtain Bluff, an All-Inclusive Caribbean Classic, Is Better Than Ever - Caribbean Journal

Leonardo DiCaprio got to play a real-life hero to a man who fell off a yacht in the Caribbean and had to tread water for hours. The Oscar-winning actor, his girlfriend and their friends were on a luxury vessel last week when an emergency call went out asking for help looking for the man, Britain's The Sun newspaper reported.

The vessel carrying DiCaprio and his crew was near the island of St. Bart's, and the man fell overboard near the neighboring island of St. Martin, according to the Sun. "The captain of his ship sent out a panicked emergency message and Leonardo and his team agreed to look for the poor guy," a source told the newspaper.

The man was found near Saba island, south of St. Martin, the Sun reported. He was severely dehydrated and had been treading water for 11 hours, the source told the newspaper.

"I should have died," the man reportedly said after he was rescued. The luxury vessel's crew gave him food and dry clothes before handing him off to authorities.

Over the weekend, DiCaprio attended the Golden Globe Awards, where he was nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy film for his performance in "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood." Taron Egerton won the award for his portrayal of Elton John in "Rocketman."

Continued here:

Leonardo DiCaprio helps save man who fell overboard in the Caribbean - CBS News

Hilton has been rapidly expanding its footprint in the Caribbean, and its latest resort in the region will debut on the island of St Kitts.

The highly-anticipated Koi Resort will open this month under Hiltons Curio Collection brand, according to St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris.

Its the first-ever Hilton-branded resort in St Kitts and Nevis.

Koi is already taking reservations for stays as early as Jan. 10, according to the Hilton Web site.

The resort, which is adjacent to the popular Royal St Kitts Golf Course, will include 102 rooms and suites, along with amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi, the Asian-fusion eatery Koi Restaurant; the Jaya Kitchen and Bar; a pool; a full-service spa, a fitness center and meeting space for up to 300 guests.

There is keen interest by developers to operate luxury branded hotels in St. Kitts and Nevis, Harris said this week in a statement.

Indeed, St Kitts has quietly become one of the hottest luxury hotel destinations in the wider Caribbean region, from the celebrated Park Hyatt St Kitts in the islands luxe Christophe Harbour development to the eco-luxe Belle Mont Farm in the north of the island.

The opening is part of a wider hotel boom for St Kitts, which is slated to see at least 700 new hotel rooms open in 2020, Harris said.

That will also include the islands new Ramada Hotel, along with the new T-Loft at Wyndham project and the Sea View hotel in West Basseterre.

The latter is slated to open in the first half of 2020.

Its all part of what has been a full-fledged tourism renaissance in St Kitts, which has been seeing surging arrivals and a wave of new flights to the destination from carriers like American Airlines and upstart carriers like Sun Country Airlines.

For more, visit the Koi Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton.

CJ

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Hilton Is Opening a New Caribbean Resort in St Kitts - Caribbean Journal

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Win trip to the Caribbean by getting fit at F45 Training Tysons - Patch.com