The Caribbean for Dummies

About the Authors Being in the Caribbean as part of their job means that Echo and Kevin Garrett get absolutely no sympathy from their friends when they are on deadline -- nor from their two young sons, for that matter. Recently, when Kevin was leaving to spend eight days photographing and writing about Jamaica, he told their sons he was going away on a business trip. The eldest, Caleb, arched an eyebrow and asked, "Does this business trip involve an island?" Indeed, the Garretts make the Caribbean their playground, having hiked, biked, snorkeled, dived, windsurfed, sailed, shopped, and dined their way through the islands over the past decade. Kevin is the author of Fielding's Caribbean. His articles have appeared in Affordable Caribbean, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Biztravel.com, Bridal Guide, Chicago Magazine, Coastal Living, Elegant Bride, Executive Getaways, Fantastic Flyer, Great Outdoor Recreational Pages, Investor's Business Daily, Islands, Second Home and The Self-Employed Professional. He and Echo updated/wrote chapters on Aruba, Bonaire, and CuraCao for Rum & Reggae's Caribbean 2000. The duo also co-wrote chapters on Tennessee and Georgia for three Fodor's guide books. An award-winning photographer and member of the American Society of Media Photographers, Kevin's images (www.kevingarrett.com) have run in several of the above publications as well as Voyages: The Romance of Cruising (Tehabi Books), Hemispheres, Los Angeles, Management Review, Smart Money, Southern Accents, Travel Holiday, Travel & Leisure, Weight Watchers, and World Trade. Echo worked as an editor at McCall's and Venture before going freelance in 1988, racking up credits from the New York Times to Money, where she became a contributing writer covering travel. Her stories were frequently picked up by television media, and she was interviewed on Good Morning America about staying safe while you travel. Her first book, How to Make a Buck and Still Be a Decent Human Being, was published by HarperBusiness in 1992. Echo was a founding editor for an award-winning Web site, BizTravel.com, responsible for Executive Getaways; a contributing writer for "News For You," the best-read, front-page column in Investor's Business Daily; and a contributing writer covering hospitality and restaurants for The Atlanta Business Chronicle. She's now a regular contributor to Business Week's "Frontier" section. Her work has appeared in more than 50 national publications. One of their favorite recent assignments was following in James Bond's footsteps in the Caribbean for Coastal Living. They stayed at Goldeneye, Ian Fleming's Jamaica estate where he wrote all 14 James Bond novels. As part of the assignment, Kevin went diving with sharks accompanied by the folks who do the shark wrangling for the Bond flicks. When they are not living a James Bond fantasy, the Garretts live in Marietta, Georgia.