Cayman Islands: 'I visited a Caribbean tax haven on holiday - it's as close to paradise as you could get'

Not surprising really, since it’s one of the world’s leading tax havens, where residents pay no income tax whatsoever. Eat your heart out, Rachel Reeves.

For residents and visitors alike, the Caymans live up to their billing as ‘a paradise on earth’, though it’s a sunshine vacation that’s not exactly in the bargain basement.

The BA flight (www.britishairways.com) alone can set you back more than £1,000 if you travel premium economy, with extra space and leg room.

It’s worth the extra for a near-14 hour flight, putting down en route in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

In addition, hotels, meals, taxis, and tourist attractions are not cheap. But what price do you put on being in a safe Caribbean paradise?

How do you put a value on walking down pristine beaches of pure white sand, with turquoise seas beckoning you to take the plunge?

And what a joy to be treated everywhere you go with what locals call ‘Cayman kindness’. Two million visitors a year can’t be wrong.

Wise heads go after the end of November and before June.

That way you avoid the potential blast of hurricane season, though the Cayman Isles are to the west of recently-hit Jamaica, and that helps to protect them.

The three islands constitute a self-governing British Protectorate, and there is a substantial number of Brits who work here or who visit.

However, the majority of visitors are American and Canadian ‘snow birds’, flying south to escape the harsh winter weather conditions back home.

From being discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, to then becoming a stronghold for those legendary pirates of the Caribbean, this former British colony burst on to the modern world as a specialist, premium financial hub.

Salaries in the sector are said to be 50 per cent more than in the UK, with no taxation on income.

The downside is the sky-high cost of living, driven up by huge transport costs and import taxes on everyday items, including food. Not to mention the ever-soaring property prices.

However, visitors are warmly welcomed, and residents are not rarified or snobbish.

It’s a pretty down-to-earth place, and that’s maybe a surprise when you learn that around 1.4 trillion US dollars-worth of transactions go through the Caymans each year.

There’s no immediate evidence of a smug or show-off mentality.

Having cash reserves and comfort seems to be taken in its stride, and everyone enjoys the outdoor life, the warm weather, good food and the abundant natural attractions.

So what do the Caymans’ two million annual holidaymakers do when they’re not sunbathing or ordering cocktails as they watch the spectacular sunsets over the western Caribbean?

Sun, sea, sand and swimming in the hotel pool or from an adjacent beach are a staple.

Snorkelling and scuba diving are on the agenda if that’s your bag - and the crystal-clear waters and coral reefs harbour a host of fascinating wildlife.

One ‘must do’ is to experience ‘Stingray City’ after sailing out across a sheltered bay just off Grand Cayman Island on a catamaran trip organised by the Red Sail company.

My wife and I set off with a sense of expectancy aboard the Spirit of Cayman.

It’s exciting enough climbing down the steps built into your catamaran as you sail over a shallow-water sandbar.

You end up half swimming, half walking as you manoeuvre through the waves, aiming to touch the sandbar below.

Catamaran Captain Frank and his assistants attract the stingrays by giving them food titbits, and the stingrays then allow you to stroke their velvety underwings.

If you bend down and kiss one, it’s reputed to bring you seven years of good luck.

I managed it and now eagerly await Bradford City securing another promotion in the near future! Scores of other holidaymakers surround you in the seas as other boats arrive.

Then, when you are safely back on board, it’s off to Rum Point for an open-air lunch before the journey back to your hotel by sea and mini-bus. It’s truly a one-off experience and leaves you feeling exhilarated.

The big ‘sell’ for the three Cayman islands is a unique combination of ‘luxury, adventure and relaxation.’ Its famous Seven Mile Beach is hugely impressive, stretching round the bay, and allowing public access for residents and visitors alike.

Its diving and snorkelling is designated as world-class; and there is paddle boarding, kayaking, and jet ski-ing on offer.

The Cayman culinary offering is high quality and wide in range. After all, there are 140 nationalities in the mix of the 88,000 people who live here quite happily.

Nature-wise, the Crystal Caves are quite a spectacle, and for plant lovers there’s the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Gardens.

One great curiosity is a two-hour night boat tour to the Cayman’s glowing Bio Bay, where you can observe ‘nature’s magical light show’.

Tiny organisms light up around you, creating a surreal underwater experience called bioluminescence.

More permanently, the new shopping, lifestyle and residential centre, Camana Beach, is a big draw. It’s close to the main hotels, and has added a new dimension to the retail and culinary scene.

It’s just down the road from most hotels, giving easy access.

Many visitors choose to come between March and June which offers lovely weather, fewer crowds, and pleasant temperatures of around 80°F/26°C.

We stayed three nights each at the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort, followed by the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort and Spa just up the road (bwww.marriott.com).

The food was excellent, especially at the Westin’s award-winning Beach House.

I was able to tell both hotel managers that their staff were a credit to them, showing professionalism, application, and tht ever-present quality of being ‘Cayman kind’.

www.visitcaymanislands.com