Some call it "paradise." Others call it "heaven on earth." Well, one thing is for sure, a Caribbean island travel is exactly what you need if you’re looking for beaches, boats, banks, bikinis, and other tropical vacation essentials.

Located right at the tip of South America and surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, the Caribbean is not just the No. 1 playground for the Americas, but also comprises movie-set beauty, coconut tree-clad mountains, verdant valleys of sugarcane and bananas, and seashore galore. Even the cities here glow with glorious architecture and the towns dotting the region have been established long before the automobile.

The islands are awash with island-flavored culture with just the subtlest hint of European influence, and world-class hotels, resorts, restaurants, activities, attractions, and shopping. There are over fifty island destinations to choose for your Caribbean island travel and each has its own extensive catalogue of accommodations and activities for the Caribbean’s famous exotic warm weather.

Below are our top picks for an awesome Caribbean island travel:

New Providence, the Bahamas

Most visitors erroneously call it "Nassau" because the island is the site of the nation’s capital, which was named after the Dutch Prince of Orange-Nassau in 1695 after he took over the British throne. In truth, the island is New Providence where about two-thirds of the Bahamian population lives, and where millions of dollars are invested in Nassau, Cable Beach, and Paradise Island. In recent years, New Providence has created a name for itself as one of the top places to visit when on a Caribbean island travel.

Considered an offshore financial center, New Providence is most obviously a fabulous shopping bazaar and Caribbean island travel destination. Stroll along the world-famous Bay Street and side streets and bask in the Caribbean carnival atmosphere. Or visit one of the out islands of the Bahamas – the famous Nassau and Paradise Island, connected with each other by a bridge.

But while the Bahamas has plenty to offer, what it is really most famous for is its island groove. The drumbeat is the essence and the soul of Bahamian culture with the instrument setting the heartbeat for all Bahamian music, including rake ‘n scrape, Junkanoo and goombay.

Bermuda

An isolated paradise, Bermuda sits right in the middle of the great chasm – the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe. Couple that with a history of English settlement and you have an island that is as unique as its topography. This Caribbean island travel destination is spotlessly clean, quaint, orderly, and extraordinarily pretty. Think pink and green. Pink for the pastel shades that wash this 21-square mile island. And green for the color of money that Bermuda’s offshore banking and insurance sectors generate. Plus, it is only a convenient 2 ½ hour flight from most major cities on the US East Coast.

There are no slums, no billboards, and very, very few fast food outlets. Inconvenient? Not likely. Because all this is minor compared to the glorious sight this Caribbean island travel destination offers. From the colonial architecture of the tidy homes that line its roads to the fragrant tropical flowers – Bermuda is all beauty and grace.