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10 places to visit in the Caribbean

Top 10 places to visit The Atlantic crossing over, the Caribbean awaits your pleasure. But where to go first? Pilot author Chris Doyle has some suggestions

Saba
Walk to the top of Mount Scenery. You climb 1,064 steps, through cloud forest vegetation of giant philodendrons, clusia and tree ferns, which resembles a magnificent garden. Clouds passing below will sometimes give you a weird sensation of sitting on a cloud. If you get breaks in the cloud at the top, there are magnificent views from several places. (Hiking Statia's Quill is also recommended and anchoring in Statia is easier.)

Barbuda
Visit the Frigate Bird Colony, one of the Caribbean's natural wonders. Frigate birds are masters of the air. At 2-3lb, they have the greatest wing area in proportion to their weight of any bird. The colony is an unearthly spectacle. The frigates' strange cries and the noise of their clicking beaks come from all directions and the air above is alive with dark wheeling birds. As far as the eye can see, clumpy little mangrove bushes are full of heads sticking out, looking like intelligent fruits from another planet.

Antigua
Spend time in English Harbour. This was England's main Caribbean naval base in the 18th Century. The whole of Nelson's Dockyard has been beautifully reconstructed to house hotels, restaurants and businesses. It is an outstanding historic monument, all the better for being used. The park extends for some miles, with fabulous walks to views.

Montserrat
For sheer drama, it is hard to beat an active volcano. The view from St George's Hill looks right down on the massive flow of volcanic effluent, which sweeps from the Soufriere Hills Volcano and covers the central part of Plymouth, leaving just spires and roofs peeking through the ash. You can visit Richmond Hill, right on the edge of town itself. A tennis court here looks fairly normal, until you notice that only the very top of the net is above ground.

Guadeloupe
Visit Jardin Botanique de Deshaies, a perfect botanical garden with a path that leads you through 1,000 species of plants and trees, from cactus to orchids. They have created a 50ft waterfall with rivers and ponds. You will see brightly coloured parakeets and rosy flamingoes. Kids will love the red and blue Macaws in their Caribbean-style birdhouses.

Dominica
Ride silently through the rainforest canopy suspended in an open gondola that holds eight passengers on the Rain Forest Aerial Tram. As part of the trip, you can get off and walk across a suspension bridge several hundred feet above the Breakfast River Gorge. The whole trip is breathtakingly beautiful. Open Saturdays and cruise ship days.

St Vincent
The hike up St Vincent's Volcano takes you on a winding path through agricultural land, rainforest, cloud forest and then onto high slopes where only tiny plants grow. Have lunch at the top amid the clouds and await a break in them for a glimpse inside the huge smoking crater and, if you are exceptionally lucky, to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea

Grenada
Hidden deep in Grenada's agricultural land is the Grenada Chocolate Company. This tiny co-operative produces some of the world's purest and best dark organic chocolate. It is all done with antique and home-built machinery, mainly solar-powered. Combine a visit here with the River Antoine Rum Factory, where you can watch rum being produced as it was well over a century ago, using a giant waterwheel for power.

The Grenadines and Tobago Cays National Park
Anchor in the most beautiful setting amid a group of small deserted islands, protected from the sea by Horseshoe Reef. By day enjoy the water colours of gold, brown, blue, turquoise and green. By night the stars are cast across the sky like wedding confetti thrown in an excessive gesture of bonhomie.

Trinidad
Visit Trinidad Carnival, the Caribbean's most spectacular show. Real aficionados will want to arrive about a month in advance of the event to enjoy the build up. Carnival dates for 2006 are
27-28 February. (Reservations essential: 444-5136, or via Rock)

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