Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 [Paperback]

Jonathan Runge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1999 | Series: Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000

Since it was first published in 1988, Rum & Reggae has become the recognized guidebook to the Caribbean

by in-the-know travelers, baby-boomers, as well as active and adventurous types of all ages. Wonderfully witty and wry, Jonathan Runge and Co. have written the most comprehensive, accessible and downright entertaining guide to the annual vacation land of millions of people. Geared to the North American market, Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 provides the basics - how to get there and get around to where to stay and eat - as only an experienced, somewhat jaded Child of the Sixties could know them. Nothing escapes his critical eye: from the ultra-fabulousness of St. Bart's and the

migratory habits of the yachty set; to the driving beat of merengue in Santo Domingo and the "undiscovered" archipelago of Los Roques. New! to this edition is Cuba, with a focus on the time capsule that is Havana. Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 is an indispensable book for any journey to the tropics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An irreverent and highly personal guide with and emphasis on places to stay and places to party..." -- Travel & Leisure

"As guidebooks proliferate, those with a sharp point of view, whether or not one agrees with it, can seem as refreshing as a cold drink of water at midnight after a supper of salami....Rum & Reggae is perhaps an extreme example of the opinionated guidebook.... Clearly, this book is not for the porch crowd." -- The New York Times

About the Author

JONATHAN RUNGE is the author of four previous travel guides: Rum and Reggae, The Insider's Guide to the Caribbean (1993); Hot on Hawaii, The Definitive Guide to the Aloha State (1989); Rum and Reggae, What's Hot and What's Not in the Caribbean (1988); and Ski Party! The Skier's Guide to the Good Life -co-authored with Steve Deschenes (1985). He has written articles for Men's Journal,

Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Out, Skiing, Boston, and others. He has been a travel writer since 1985 and has lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y. and South Beach. Back in the Bay State again, Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 is the first book to be published by his own company, Rum & Reggae Guidebooks. Jonathan is an avid skier, sailor, diver and salsa fan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Rum & Reggae Guidebooks Inc; Revised edition (September 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893675009
• ISBN-13: 978-1893675001
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,253,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bigger and better than ever!, October 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 (Paperback)

At last! Mr. Runge has updated his Caribbean guide and it is better than ever. He includes more locations, more activities, more places to stay, and more ratings. His opinions are sharper, his descriptions are more detailed, his guidance is right on the money. This book is NOT for your average vacationer, this is for the sophisticated traveler who's looking for something out of the ordinary. Like YOU!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this book is in a class by itself, February 2, 2000

By 

Bill B. (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000 (Paperback)

Well, Mr. Runge has finally come out with an encore to his classic book on the Caribbean, and he has outdone himself. He has once again given us all the best kept secret places in the Caribbean, and not a moment to soon. I was afraid he was down there permanently this time after a six year information drought between editions and it was killin' me!. So all I can ask now, is that he quickly pack up and give us more of the same quality for some other destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii, or perhaps a south Pacific island guide. I just hope he can maintain this extraordinary level of "insider's" scuttlebutt as he expands his travel territory. This is far and away the best book on what to do and where to go in the Caribbean that has ever been put together, and I believe I own all of them (over 50 Caribbean vacation guidebooks in my library, and I would throw them all out to keep this one). A masterpiece.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opinioned travel guide - nothing wrong with it., March 3, 2009

By 

Zoran Kahric (Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rum & Reggae's Caribbean (Rum & Reggae series) (Paperback)

This is not a travel guide like ones with beautiful color pictures of the beach and only nice reviews. There is not a single color photo in this book. I traveled to few of the islands mentioned and mostly agree with author. As with any other opinion some people will agree and some will not.

This is a very good book to read before making reservation for your vacation. It gives brief tour of many islands so you can decide which one you like to go this time. It will guide you to popular and some not so popular places. Most of the book is for low budget travelers, so $200 a day hotel is classified as "wicked pricey". Covers all the important places you should consider visiting but it is not very detailed about each island.

When you decide which island you like for the next trip take some island specific book and do more thorough research about it. Please don't spend all your time in all-inclusive resort eating mountains of steak and potatoes and drinking Bud. There is so much to see and enjoy there.