Welcome to IslandZest's Blog
Caribbean carnivals, travel tips, events, costumes, rum brands, rum tastings and much more!
Carnival Band Directory: Your Ultimate Guide to Caribbean Mas Bands
This is a list of carnival costume bands for various carnivals in the Caribbean and other parts of the world. This list has the bands organized by country and will feature from the popular carnivals such as Trinidad Carnival, Crop Over, St. Lucia Carnival and Jamaica...
A Guide to the Best Places to Stay in Barbados
Barbados is known for its tropical weather, clear water beaches and warm friendly environment. Speaking as a proud Bajan, over the years I have seen the country evolve its tourism landscape and built many hotels, guesthouses and villas that cater to all travelers....
How Rum Tastings Enhance the Travel Experience
A rum tasting is an event where people sample different flavors and styles of rum, enjoy special cocktails made with rum, and learn about the rums history and production. While they vary in format most tastings are organized as rum distillery tours. Educational rum...
The Top Five Rum Brands in Barbados
Barbados is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. When thinking of the country the tropical weather, beaches, food and relaxation may come to mind. However, Barbados is well known for its rum production and is regarded as the birth place of...
Bermuda Carnival Planning Guide
Bermuda Carnival is a colorful fiesta, a vibrant expression of culture held annually in the month of June. The festival showcases the islands music, food and beauty. While Bermuda Carnival is one of the newest carnivals in the Caribbean, it is also one of the fastest...
Grenada Carnival Planning Guide The Spicemas Experience
Grenada Carnival 2025 We decided to update this article as next year is Spicemas and carnivals are back in full swing. While the pandemic has been over for a couple years now I personally know many people who decided not to travel or take part in carnivals for a...
Trinidad Carnival – Planning Guide
Trinidad Carnival is one of the biggest street parties in the world. It has become one of the staples for carnival enthusiasts and is without a doubt the biggest carnival in the Caribbean. Some call it the greatest shows on earth, it brings together people from all...
Dominica Carnival – Planning Guide
Dominica Carnival is also referred to as Carnival Mad Dominik and is the main carnival celebration in Dominica. Dominica not to be confused with the Dominica Republic is a small island in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is close to the French islands of Guadeloupe and...
The Impact of Coronavirus on Caribbean Carnival
No one could have predicted that a pandemic would shake the world like this, a pandemic that limited social interaction and events worldwide including Carnival. The only country to have their carnival in 2020 was Trinidad and Tobago (lucky bastards). This was because...
The Top Soca Songs for Trinidad Carnival
Soca music is the backbone of Trinidad Carnival. Without good music from artists during the festival, fetes, cruises, Carnival Monday and Tuesday would not be the same. This is why every year we look forward to songs produced by new and established artists. Music...
A Complete Guide to Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival 2019 Notting Hill Carnival is one of the most anticipated events in the UK. Every year, the streets of London come alive with Caribbean culture and flavor. Over the course of two days, people unite and celebrate with soca music, floats, colorful...
The Best Earplugs for Concerts, Carnivals and Music Festivals
Did you know that excessive noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss? Spending hours consistently around loud music can damage your ears. That is why it is important you wear earplugs to concerts and to events around carnival.You may ask yourself why you...
Guyana Carnival – Everything You Need to Know
Guyana carnival is the newest edition to the carnival family in the Caribbean. Starting in 2018 the festival is in its early stages of development. However, it already shows promise to become one of the best carnivals in the Caribbean. The carnival coincides with...
Barbados Crop Over Festival – The Best Carnival
The Crop Over festival is a culturally rich event celebrated annually, drawing visitors from around the globe. Rooted in the island's colonial history, when it marked the end of the sugarcane harvest, it has since evolved into a dynamic celebration of Bajan culture,...
The Best Hydration Backpacks for Carnivals and Music Festivals
The first time I saw a hydration backpack was around two years ago at Crop Over. My friend had bought one to store his water in for the day. I was impressed at how convenient the backpack was. While the rest of us had to take trips to the drinks truck to get our...
Cucumber Lemon Mint Water for Weight Loss
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I had many bad habits. One of those habits was drinking lots of soda. I have a sweet tooth and had to have a soda with every meal. After starting the gym, I cut back on sweet drinks and drank at least eight glasses of...
Colorism in the Black Community
Colorism in the black community is a serious issue. Starting in slavery it exists today causing division among our people. Jamaican dancehall artist Spice tackled the subject recently in her song ‘Black Hypocrisy’. To promote the song she posted pictures with a much...
Foreday Morning Jam – Crop Over Barbados
Foreday Morning, is the one of the highlights of the Barbados’ Crop Over Festival. It is a pre-dawn celebration filled with captivating soca music, dynamic energy, and a blissful mix of paint, powder and revelry. Known as “J’ouvert” in other Caribbean islands, this...