Note to brides book early to avoid the BridalWars at The Reef Resort

Courtesy of Alana and Dave
December Wedding 2007

Note to brides --- book early to avoid bridal wars. Just like the gal-pals in BrideWars, they must get married at the Plaza, and the Plaza, as scripted in the movie, has the same policy as The Reef Resort; only one wedding a day --- guaranteed. Candice Bergen, the movie's wedding coordinator is akin to Linda Locke, The Reef's onsite wedding coordinator. Locke is extremely creative and goes the extra mile to ensure every guest is pampered. Her candid approach to what the resort offers; a casual atmosphere, the largest beaches on the island, private dock, attention to details and more, makes the resort a great consideration for brides seeking a relaxed, affordable affair on Grand Cayman Island. Don't take my word for it, check out all of the guest comments here: http://www.thereef.com/en/weddings/testimonials.html.

Did you know that Grand Cayman offers some of the best wedding vendors in the world? Do you know why? The island is an international financial powerhouse amassing some of the best vendors in the world to ensure the perfect party, event and more.... The great news is many of these vendors are available for weddings and Locke has a Rolodex to impress. Reach Linda Locke at weddings@thereef.com or check out all things weddings here: http://www.thereef.com/en/weddings/weddingPackages.html.

A new restaurant name, Pelican's Reef, a new beach bar name, Rusty Pelican and a new Food & Beverage Director, Mike Flowers will bring about some new changes in The Reef's menu offerings. Flowers is a well-known restauranteur, as he was the owner of Cayman's own Lone Star Bar & Grill for over 25 years. His experience will bring an entire new flavor to both the Pelican's Reef and Rusty Pelican. Locals needn't worry as legendary entertainer Barefoot Man and Andrew Bacon are still on tap!

Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com reports "Chicago O'Hare airport, Washington Dulles and Seattle-Tacoma International airport all unveiled new runways Thursday which cost a combined $1.9 billion to build. Though the new runways may not dramatically alter congestion nationwide, they will almost certainly reduce flight delays at each individual airport." This is great news for travelers seeking the surf, sand, and splendor of a Grand Cayman vacation at The Reef Resort as Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare airports are also offering direct flights to Grand Cayman via Grand Cayman Airways.

One of the world's premiere travel magazines, Travel & Leisure, is offering their readers an economic approach to travel for December (www.travelandleisure.com). As the economy falters "luxury" will become redefined and less prominent than the experience itself. The Arabian Business News had a very interesting article entitled; What is Luxury? (www.arabianbusiness.com/537435-what-is-luxury). The article defines luxury as the opposite to what is currently being offered as mass-market styled luxury and takes a look at the luxury of tomorrow: bespoke, one-of-a-kind, and eccentric. How refreshing!

For readers of Travel & Leisure, enjoy this month's issue and as you browse through the pages see if you can find properties that are redefining luxury. We at The Reef Resort define luxury as "simple": simple travel, simple relaxation, and simply doing nothing. Check out our offer on page 34. We invite all readers of Travel & Leisure to come experience the resort and simply do nothing!

Peter Greenberg renowned travel expert reported in his latest newsletter, "This fall, international travel is set to be a much better experience than domestic travel. As carriers cut U.S. routes and raise domestic fares, overseas routes will be largely unaffected because of the long-standing bi-lateral agreements between countries, which make airlines reluctant to give them up. Prices may even go down from previously steep levels, as airlines cut prices in an attempt to stimulate demand in this sluggish economy. In fact, this Thanksgiving you may want to consider going to London instead of to Grandma's house in Louisville for dinner - because overseas airfares are almost the same as domestic fares. Don't believe us? A quick check on Expedia.com reveals that it costs $563 to fly from JFK to LAX over the Thanksgiving holiday, and only $641 for a roundtrip from New York to London. Atlanta to San Francisco costs $472, but for only $57 more, you could go to Montego Bay, Jamaica instead." Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Irish Times by Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com. This is a great travel site to learn the latest and greatest: sign up for Greenberg's free newsletters at www.petergreenberg.com

"Did you know one-half of U.S. adults, or 98 million people, have taken an adventure trip in the past five years," reported from Travel Industry Association of America (TIA). What you might not know is the East End of Grand Cayman Island provides some of the best organic snorkeling and scuba diving in the Caribbean, as this area is one of the most undisturbed on the island with new dive sites being discovered regularly. The Beach Locker, a satellite dive center operated by the resorts dive partners, Ocean Frontiers, is now open. Note, Ocean Frontiers is a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm IDC Center offering all levels of instruction from a basic beginner lesson in the pool to Divemaster and Instructor programs. A brand new all inclusive dive package is available and affordable contact reservations@thereef.com

Most travelers are familiar with safaris in Africa but did you know Grand Cayman offers its own sea safari? A Grand Cayman styled safari is an ocean adventure using a kayak as opposed to a Jeep or Land Rover but the premise is the same for a sea safari. Like an African safari, a sea safari offers snapshots of nature in motion. A sea safari offers travelers opportunities to explore secluded shorelines, inlets, bird-nesting areas, and mangrove communities. An experienced guide will point out scenes of interest and describe the importance and interdependence of these fragile ecosystems with the surrounding coral reefs. A refreshing swim and snorkeling around a healthy coral head is also part of the adventure. A nighttime outing will allow travelers to enjoy the phosphorous glow from the plankton below and if the moon is full, guests can see bioluminescent ocean plants. Very memorable. Visit online to learn more, www.caymankayaks.com

The Passport Card is a new card issued by the U.S. Government and is used for entrance into the U.S. via Canada, Mexico, seaports and for use with cruises but it cannot be used for air travel. Why get it? Read more by clicking below, and see for yourself why you may or may not need this card. Please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

From 2001 to 2006, destination - wedding spending grew by 318 percent at constant prices, from $3 billion to nearly $10 billion with resorts and lodging in exotic or tropic locales stand to gain the most growth, reported in the April 2008 issue of Kiplinger Finance. Did you know that Grand Cayman, due to its financial strength offers some of the best wedding vendors in the Caribbean and beyond? Destination weddings on Grand Cayman have been popular for many years, and The Reef Resort, has seen a dramatic increase in weddings.

The resort's off-the-beaten path location, 1,600 sq.-ft. beach, (the largest on the island) all beachfront suites, the new spa, plus their one wedding a day guarantee have made the resort an increasingly popular choice. Linda Locke, the onsite wedding coordinator, has recently launched a unique pre-destination wedding scouting trip to the island. The package was developed as a romantic getaway weekend for the newly engaged couple that is making a decision on where to host their destination wedding. "This idea dawned on me one day as I wanted couples to come and experience the island and the resort plus meet with photographers and florists, and review catering options, locations and more. The purpose of the package was to prepare and educate couples to make sure their wedding day was seamless, joyful, and memorable. Brides and grooms today are concerned with planning a family-friendly wedding, since families play such a huge role.

Couples want to consider their family's wants and desires and there is no better person than a family member to make the final judgments." Contact Linda at www.theknot.com and or Destination Weddings www.destinationweddings.com

The news is gloom and doom regarding airfare to the Caribbean. With a bit of planning and knowledge travelers can fly to the Caribbean painlessly and also book a decent fare, visit The Window Seat at Travelocity www.windowseat.travelocity.com. This site is very informative and delivers up-to-date news when flying to the Caribbean.

Women are influencing every aspect of the marketplace and travel is no exception. Did you know twenty-four percent of American women have taken a girlfriend getaway in the past three years and 39 percent of American women plan to take one in the next 3 years? (AAA Girlfriend Travel Research Project #070005) The Reef Resort offers a variety of girlfriend getaway packages: Cheat'en Husbands getaways (perfect for the women whose husbands have strayed) and Beach Chic Escapes (a getaway for women who love all things beach). Women will relish the resort's large beaches; all oceanfront rooms and the resorts off-the-beaten path location, all are ideal for rejuvenating friendships. Contact reservations for additional rates, packages and special offerings. reservations@thereef.com

Some of the best experiences on Grand Cayman aren't found on the "tourism" developed 7-mile beach. Take a hike to the "inner sanction" of the island and feel like a discoverer as the Mystic trail offers a two mile stretch back in time - dating back at least 100 years through one of the last remaining example's of the Caribbean's dry, subtropical forests allowing guests to glimpse plants and animals that are unique to the Cayman Islands.

Another note of interest; Grand Cayman has seven protected bird sanctuaries, including the QE II Botanic Park, Colliers Pond, Salina Reserve and the Majestic Reserve. Among species sighted in Grand Cayman are the Tricolor Herons, Common Moorhen, Green Herons, Black-necked Stilts, American Coots, Blue-winged Teal, Cattle Egrets and rare West Indian Whistling Ducks. Visit the Cayman Islands website for additional information on unique activities: www.caymanislands.ky/activities

Two Caymanian restaurants are just minutes away from the resort and yes, you can hob-knob with the locals as both restaurants serve traditional island favorites. Contact the onsite concierge for directions and details; concierge@thereef.com

• Vivian's Kitchen, serves up traditional Caymanian cooking -- turtle soup, conch specialties and more
• Over the Edge, a local's favorite where guests feast on fresh, just caught seafood including lobster at a very fair price.

Did you know you can find all things native to Grand Cayman in just one place? Visitors to the island will want to make the trip to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park, www.botanic-park.ky The park was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth and guests can transverse more than 25 acres experiencing Grand Cayman of old, as this is an undistributed wilderness, a sanctuary if you will, of all that is natural and indigenous to Grand Cayman. Visitors can even spot the elusive Blue Dragon, an extremely endangered species with only 20 or so left in the wild. To support the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, The Reef Resort has designed a program entitled; Adopt a Dragon, where guests can experience a Blue Dragon vacation, and The Reef Resort will donate $25 to the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. Call reservations today and ask about the Blue Dragon Vacation package and for additional information on the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme visit: www.blueiguana.ky or book Adopt a Dragon vacation contact reservations@thereef.com

Last Wednesday marked the 41st agriculture show here in the Cayman Islands. This event always falls on Ash Wednesday and is treated as a day out for the family and to have a good time. From foodies to farmers this event is a treat for all. In fact, this year had biggest crowd on record with over 10,000 people attending.

The event features prizes in a variety of categories from produce to native crafts. As I walked in I was greeted with the smell of a multitude of food items which made my selection that more difficult (I opted for the Turtle Stew). After I got something in my stomach, I ventured over to see the farm animals on display. Cows, goats, pigs and chickens were on display for the competition - certainly a treat for the young children.

The next area I ventured to was where venders were selling various plants and trees such as mangos, hot peppers, and guavas. As a big lover of Ackee and codfish, I was forced to buy an Ackee tree for my own yard. For those who don’t know, Ackee is a fruit that turns red when ripe and looks like scrambled eggs when served. This is why Ackee and Codfish is generally eaten at breakfast time.

There was also a children's area with bouncing castles and slides which is perfect when you need a break.

Every year the Agriculture Show brings something new and exciting for people of all ages and this year’s show was no different.

Conch season is in full effect right now in Cayman and I feel its time the world becomes acquainted with this mysterious creature of the sea.

Conch pronounced 'Konk', is a marine snail found in the waters of Atlantic and holds a special place to all Caymanians as a food source. Conchs live in shells averaging 8-14 inches in length and can be found generally inside the reef areas of Cayman.

Conch season started on November 1st and continues until April 30th, 2008. Some quick info on rules and regulations for taking conch:

Conch may not be taken from any of the marine protected areas around the three islands, including the recently introduced Wildlife Interaction Zones.

The legal catch limit for conch taken from the open zones is five per person or 10 per boat, per day, whichever is less. Removing more than the prescribed limit is an offence.

It is also against the law for anyone to receive or purchase more than five conchs taken from Cayman waters in any one day.

Stew Conch, Conch fritters, Marinated conch, and conch salad are just some of the different ways one can consume this animal. My personal favorite is the Stew Conch.

Many of our past guests vividly remember the warmth and unique humour of Phil Maguire, our Restaurant Manager from 2002 through 2006. Phil was recently visiting and came to our annual staff Christmas party. I thought I'd share his letter to our inimitable Resort Manager, Mr. Lawrence Haughton... the bold highlights are mine:

Mr. Lawrence,
I'd like to thank you very much for your kind invitation to the staff party last week. It was certainly most enjoyable. It was like stepping back in time. But having been away for the better part of a year gave me a somewhat clearer view of what has been achieved at the Reef.

Practically every management guru who has ever been published stresses the need for team-building. In itself it's a worthy concept but too many leaders/managers pay mere lip-service to the idea. I'm firmly convinced that at the Reef you have left the notion of team-building far behind and instead have managed to create a Family.

I was observing how different people interacted at the party last week, both during the presentations and either side of them, and it struck me that the genuine warmth and regard that people from a variety of different backgrounds appeared to have for each other would not be matched or bettered in too many other establishments.

Seriously, I think you have achieved something pretty unique, and the end result is clearly greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Long may it continue!

One could say this is the "touchy feely" and intangible part of the business, but it is very, very real and vitally important to treat your staff like family, as they will then treat guests not just as VIPs, but as an extension of that family.

I'm sitting here typing this in a seminar at a conference on resort marketing, but haven't heard anyone talk about "family" yet :)

The Cayman Islands offer some unique opportunities for the popular hobby of bird watching, as they are host to a surprisingly wide range of resident birds. They also act as a staging post for many migratory birds and other occasional visitors. Cayman is particularly fascinating for the study of wildlife, as species long resident on one island can evolve slightly differently from their mainland counterparts, and develop characteristics not seen anywhere else.

The first studies of birds found in Cayman were published by C.B.C. Cory in 1886, but were restricted to descriptions of birds found in Grand Cayman at that time. Numerous brief visits by ornithologists then followed. Then in 1982, Patricia Bradley came to live in Grand Cayman and began to put together comparative monthly records of bird sightings on all three islands. Her highly regarded field guide Birds of the Cayman Islands (now in its second edition) describes the biogeography of the area, and gives details of the history of bird settlement and migration. Full bird descriptions are provided, with colour pictures by Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet and the author. International experts also visit Cayman to study its bird life, some under the auspices of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ Visiting Scientists Programme. In 1994, for example, Nedra Klein from the American Museum of Natural History arrived to conduct a study of local Tanagers, Warblers and Bananaquits. In 1997, Betty Ann Schreiber also helped conduct the survey on the Red-footed Booby Pond on Little Cayman.

The National Trust organizes regular bird watching activities conducted by local ornithologists and avid bird enthusiasts. Weekends often see members gathering at a selected location, usually in the Botanic Park, for a field trip. Check our Calendar of Events for the latest activities. The Cayman Islands Bird Club has very supportive of the work of the Trust, and has made some substantial contributions to the greater understanding of local avifauna (birds). Members have also assisted with the census conducted on the range and population of Cayman Islands Parrots, and have constructed a comprehensive list of birds sighted at The Governor Michael Gore Bird Sanctuary.

Some of the most important locations for bird watching in Cayman are held in trust for the people of the islands. These include the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, the Mastic Reserve, the Cayman Brac Parrot Reserve, and the Little Cayman Booby Pond Nature Reserve. Rare and endangered birds also find sanctuary in the Salina Reserve and the Central Mangrove Wetland. Other interesting and protected sites include Meagre Bay Pond in Pease Bay, Colliers Pond in East End, Vulgunners Pond and Palmetto Pond at Barkers in West Bay, and islanders’ own gardens. An astonishing variety of birds can be seen right outside the window of island residences. Several native species have become quite happy to live in built up areas, and can been seen feeding on garden plants and insects. To date, a total of 219 different species (both resident and migrant) have been recorded.

For “would be” birdwatchers, very little skill or equipment is necessary to begin this intriguing pastime. A good pair of binoculars is recommended and a field guide to assist in identifying the birds spotted is helpful. The best time for bird watching is either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Just remember that birds depend on their habitat for everything, so on field trips (especially to Reserves and Sanctuaries) take nothing out and leave nothing behind. If you should see a bird you believe has not been previously recorded, make careful notes about when and where you view and at what time. Take a photograph if possible, then contact the Bird Club. Every birdwatcher is a potential discoverer!