Scuba Diving

Grand Cayman is known for diving vacations. It is one of the top diving destinations. People travel to Grand Cayman to evolve their vacation around scuba diving. That was the reason I went to Grand Cayman actually. Well I did not scuba dive but my cousin and her husband did. They invited me along on their vacation to babysit their 6 year old daughter while they went scuba diving. (This is why I address my cousin all the time in my blog). They went on 13 dives the 6 days we were there.

Divers can choose from a variety of dive sites. There are about 175 sites to choose from. Divers can explore steep, deep walls, swim-throughs, sponges and colorful corals, reefs, wrecks, and all of the marine life. You might see, sea turtles, angel fish, lobsters, eels, groupers, parrot fish, etc. etc. etc. Most dive sites are just minutes from the shore. The Kittiwake is the latest dive attraction and is quickly becoming one of the most popular Caribbean dive sites. A submarine rescue vessel sunk in 2011 and has taken up the northern tip of Seven Mile Beach.

Grand Cayman is strict with reef conservation. You are not allowed to touch or harm them in any way. Grand Cayman's reefs offer a variety of marine life encounters. This gives photographers and videographers great photo opportunities to capture. These reefs are unspoiled while corals thrive in the warm water. Experienced divers also have the option of wall diving to witness the beautiful sea life at a different level.

This is my cousin exploring reefs of Grand Cayman.

Cayman Brac

Cayman Brac is one of the three Cayman Islands. I previously wrote a blog on Little Cayman (Click here to read) and wanted to share more information with you about another island so we are familiar with all three islands. Cayman Brac is about a thirty minute plane ride from Grand Cayman Airport. If you like adventures and nature, you would love this island.

The population of this island is about 1,800, which is still small but a lot more then Little Cayman. The island is about 14 miles long and 1 mile wide. It is named after its 140 ft bluff, 'Brac' is a Gaelic name for a bluff. A bluff is a large central limestone outcrop that rises along the length of the eastern side of the island up to 140 ft above the sea level.

There is a lot of outdoorsy things to do on this island! The bluff is something is see, and you can visit a lighthouse on the top on the bluff for an amazing view of the island and ocean. There is also a LOT of limestone caves and sinkholes, above the water, to explore. You can go rock climbing, fishing, hiking, and lots of exploring. This island is the home to over 200 species of birds! It sounds like this island is right up a nature lover's alley to me.

Also, of course there is diving, which is at every island. The Caymans are known for diving! Something else that is different and could be fun for dinner, is fish for your own food. You can fish in some of the shallow waters and bring your fish back and your chef will cook it for you right away. All of this for a half hour plane ride from Grand Cayman and it is a completely different island.

Conch

Conch, where is even start with this... I will start with a little story. Some background of myself, I used to be a huge picky eater, which I still can be at times, but I am open to trying new things now! Which means, I just started eating seafood not too long ago. Being from Chicago, there is not a huge variety of fish available on a daily basis. That being said when you start naming seafood like Grouper, Trigger, and Conch, I am thinking 'What the heck is that?' Well, I learned at lot about the sea life on this trip!

I tried Grouper and Trigger at other restaurants and they were amazing, it was a white fish. One thing I was seeing on multiple menus were Conch. It was as meals and appetizers, cooked in an abundance of ways. I never asked what it was until my cousin wanted to order it for an appetizer. All she told me was trust me you will like it, which it was good, but I want to share with you what they are so you don't wonder what you are eating like I did.

Conch is a vary popular food on the island. Conch is a sea snail that lives in the pretty shells we would love to collect on the ocean (See above). There are many different species of conch. All parts of the conch meat are edible, but the white meat is the only thing appetizing. You will find Conch cooked/served all kinds of ways. It can be eaten raw, in salads, (which I do not think I am brave enough to try) or cooked as in fritters, chowders, burgers, etc.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

If you love nature, wildlife, or just a bunch of flowers this should be on your bucket list. Queen Elizabeth II opened Grand Cayman's only Botanic Park in 1994. In 1994, only the Woodland Trail was complete, where is a trail that is 4/5 of a mile long. The trail was mapped out so you would get the opportunity to see the unusual and significant habitats. This park is estimated to contain more than 50% of the native flora of the Cayman Islands. The park is open from 9am to 5:30pm everyday and the last admission is at 4:30. It cost $10 US dollars to get in.

There are different parts/sections of the Park. For instance, there is a Floral Color Garden that is to create an informal garden which can alternate between floral designs. It is also laid out by colors. This Botanic Park is also the home to 10 of the 26 orchid species recorded from the Cayman Islands and you will not find 3 of them anywhere but at the Cayman Islands. One of the unique three, is the Cayman's National Flower, the Wild Banana Orchid. I thought this was so interesting because orchids are my favorite flowers and they are so rare in the US! I wish I could grow these everywhere around my house! I guess I need to buy a house in Grand Cayman. :)

Every year, the Botanic Park has annual shows for guests. The Annual Orchid Show is an exhibition of locally grown orchids and it promotes the conservation of the native orchids. You can learn the techniques of growing orchids. Plus, the money goes to a good cause. The proceeds from the Show will go toward the establishment of an orchid garden in the Park. Visit the website here for more information.

(Wild Banana Orchid)

Stingray City

Grand Cayman is the only place you can get up close and personal with stingrays. So if I say so myself, it is a must see in Grand Cayman! This is a busy tourist attraction, but keep reading and you will understand why.. 

Watch this video on Stingrays!! 

It may have all started when stingrays began gathering in the sandbar area awhile ago when fisherman returned from an excursion and cleaned their fish in the water of the sandbar. The remains of the leftover fish were thrown overboard and the stingrays eventually getting smarter and realized they can get leftover food here! Eventually, the stingrays associated the sound of the boats with food. As divers realized this, they noticed they can feed these stingrays by hand. Now today, the boats full of tourists always bring pails of food for the stingrays, feeding them by hand, attracting more and more stingrays to come visit. 

Stingray City is in the Grand Cayman's North Sound in the sandbar area. You need to take a short boat ride to the sandbar area no matter what. There are several different options for that. This attraction is for ALL ages. You can stand in 3 feet of water and you will be surrounded by about two dozen stingrays all by natural habitat. You touch and feed a stingray, along with snorkeling by coral reefs and seeing tropical fish. Talk on the island, if you kiss a stingray... you will have 7 years good luck! :) Book your trip to Stingray City HERE! It is a must see!

More Advantages of Staying in Condos Over Hotels

Hey everyone! Welcome back! Today, I was researching other blogs about the Cayman Islands and other Caribbean travel blogs and everyone had such great points, ideas, and other interesting facts. One post in particular addressed 'Advantages of Staying in Condos Over Hotels' in the Cayman Islands. (See post here!)

I could not agree more with this post and I wanted to share it with you and enhance and add more advantages to it. I stayed at a condo unit called Coconut Bay in West Bay, Grand Cayman and I loved it! I agree that staying at a condo will make your vacation more enjoyable. Some of the reasons are listed below.

As stated in the post linked above:

1. Privacy - You have your own private condo to do whatever you please to do. You can bring your meals outside and enjoy the ocean scenery without trucking your way through lobbies.

2. Space - You have more room in a condo! You can have a condo with 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen,  and patio instead of a hotel room with multiple beds and a pull out couch in one large room.

3. Amenities - The condos have washers and dryers, stove, coffee maker, grill, etc. You can do as you please without bothering anyone. The amenities are a great convenience! (Trust me!)

4. Cost - If you are vacationing for a week with a family or other couples, renting a condo is the cheaper route. You can save money on meals because you are able to go to the grocery store and buy meals for breakfast, lunches, and a couple dinners and you can save hundreds! At a hotel, you would have to eat out every meal.

More advantages I wanted to add were:

5. Children - If you are traveling with children, you have the comfort of watching the kids play in the pool/ocean right from your patio. When it is lunch time, you can make a quick meal and have them playing and enjoying the water in no time, which make you and the kids happy!

6. Convenient - Watch the sunset every night right outside your door. Life could not be more convenient. You can bring a glass of wine out on the beach and enjoy the breathtaking view with the other travelers.

Little Cayman

Here is something about the Cayman Islands that will be a nice change up from Grand Cayman. It is Little Cayman. Little Cayman is one of the three Cayman islands. It is the least developed and the smallest of the three. It is known for a great honeymoon location and is a top Caribbean destination.

The population of this island is about less than 170. Just imagine, that is about the population of a block in Chicago! (Hard to believe!) Little Cayman is only ten miles long and one mile wide. It is a great honeymoon place because their is a lot of privacy and complete relaxation. The beaches are gorgeous with blue water and white sand. What gets better than that?!

Little Cayman is great for scuba diving. There is tons of different sites to dive. Bloody Bay Wall Marine Park is one of the most popular dive sites for divers around the world. It is known for the drop-offs and swim throughs in the ocean. If you are not into diving, there is also a lot of snorkeling in Little Cayman before the walls drop off with a variety of coral and sponges. You might see lobster, octopus, rays, reef sharks, turtles, and plenty of tropical fish! Another interesting fact about Little Cayman is you might get the chance to see unique birds. Little Cayman is a home to the largest colony of Red-Footed Boobies. (I did not know what there were at first, but look how CUTE they are in the picture below!)