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| CARIBBEAN - CAYMAN ISLANDS : NOT ONLY A TAX-FREE HAVEN by Julie Rekai Rickerd   The Cayman Islands were a well-known holiday/banking destination long before John Grisham immortalized them in his thriller, "The Firm". Grand Cayman and the small neighboring islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1503. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake's fleet of 23 ships made a two-day pit stop on Grand Cayman. By the late 17th century, the Caymans were under British rule and remain a British Crown Colony to this day. The islands have a written constitution, a locally-elected legislature, accountable to the British Parliament, since 1835 and a British-appointed Governor. Prior to its development as a premier vacation and tourist venue, the Caymans were best known as a tax-free haven, the repository for great stashes of off-shore monies, the Switzerland of the Caribbean. George Town, the capital of the Caymans, has a total population of 42,000 but boasts well over 600 local and international banks. In addition to tax-free financial shelters, the Caymans offer visitors tax-free purchases such as liquor, jewellery, crystal and china. Beguiling as high finance and shopping may be, it is the Caymans' natural wealth and beauty that draws tourists to its shores. The islands are surrounded by a crystal-clear, warm, turquoise see with an abundance of extraordinary coral reefs, aquatic life and vegetation. The white, sandy beaches are spectacular, including Grand Cayman's renowned 7-Mile Beach. The snorkeling and diving opportunities off the islands are superb. Stingray City has consistently been named "the best 12-foot dive in the world". A nearby sandbar for non-divers has become a 'petting zoo without cages', drawing hundreds of people-friendly stingrays that come to frolic and be fed treats among the awed families of adults and children. Grand Cayman's Heritage Trail is a well-marked, land-based driving trail that highlights shipwrecks, survivor camps, forts, lighthouses, shipbuilding facilities, maritime communities and historical architecture. Sprays of seawater reaching 20 to 30 feet can be seen off the East End of the island. These blow holes are created as the water is forced through small holes eroded in soft areas of the iron-based shore. The 65-acre Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park has a vast diversity of tropical plants, herbs, flowers, wetlands and wildlife including the elusive, indigenous blue iguana. Within its grounds, an authentic traditional Cayman home, complete with its sand garden landscaping, recreates the past. Grass lawns are a relatively new phenomenon in the Caymans and not welcomed by many of its citizens because of the large amounts of scarce fresh water they require to keep them green. Pedro St. James, dating back to 1780, sits perched atop a 30-foot limestone cliff. It was originally built as a plantation 'great house', home of the 'masters' during the days of slavery on the islands. Following the Emancipation Act of 1833 that freed all slaves, this great house became the birthplace of democracy in the Caymans. Tours of the mansion include an excellent 20-minute multi-media presentation of the history of the Islands. Children and adults alike can marvel at hundreds of colorful butterflies at the Butterfly Farm and follow their births from caterpillar, cocoon to butterfly stages. The Turtle Farm at Boatswain's Beach protects and breeds many species of the once abundant turtle population around the Caymans, including the endangered green sea turtle. Huge tanks display these amazing creatures that almost became extinct as they were ruthlessly harvested for their meat and shells. Their rehabilitation depends on enterprises such as this farm that nurtures and returns hundreds of turtles to the sea each year. To hike, the 2-and-a-half-hour Mastic Trail often takes twice as long to complete with frequent stops to admire the varieties of plants, trees and, particularly, the numerous species of birds. Downtown George Town has wonderful shopping outlets, including a large, bustling, local craft market. Local, many-flavored rum and rum cakes fly off the store shelves. The capital's National Museum and National Gallery are well-worth visits. The Museum is housed in a 19th century building that has served as a jail, courthouse and church before its present incarnation. Its collection of over 2,000 artifacts includes a handmade catboat, old coins, historic documents and natural history specimens. A brief half-hour flight from Grand Cayman, Little Cayman offers experienced divers the thrilling Bloody Bay coral wall that begins at 20 feet and plunges to at least 6000 feet. The Island's Booby Pond Reserve, a protected refuge for West Indian whistling ducks, frigate birds and over 20,000 red-footed boobies, is birders' heaven. Fishing for bone fish, small tarpon and permit fish in South Hole Sound Lagoon and on Tarpon Lake presents a worthy challenge to light tackle action anglers. Diving enthusiasts are challenged off Cayman Brac as they explore a 330-foot Russian frigate, intentionally sunk in 1996, and renamed MV Captain Keith Tibbets. It is now colonized by corals and teeming with marine life of every imaginable shape, size and technicolor hue. This small island also has intriguing caves to discover, all of which are used as shelter and protection from major storms and hurricanes. Accommodation on the Islands runs the gamut from ultra-luxury resorts and condos to homey B&Bs. Dining ranges from multi-starred restaurants and feasts on the beaches to take-out picnic and fast food fare. The freshly caught fish and seafood are superb. Apart from its ideal climate, clean, warm sea, magnificent beaches, safe and unique attractions, the genuine hospitality of the Caymanians make the Caymans an exciting and rewarding holiday destination. Photo: courtesy Cayman Islands Department of Tourism |
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