AS A holiday choice to beat the summer heat, many Americans are finding the Caribbean an appealing spot.

Not only are the beaches spectacular, it's also not expensive: the entire cost, including airfare, hotel, airport transfers, all meals and drinks, runs to around US$1,100 (S$1,517) a person for a decadent weekend away.

Prices are good, with some hotels and resorts cutting as much as 60 per cent off their winter rates.

This summer, rooms at Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort, Rose Hall in Jamaica can be had for as little as US$199 a night compared with US$509 in mid-March.

Starting rates at the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis drop to US$335 a night from US$490.

Families travelling with children 18 or under can get a second room for half the cost or as low as US$167.50 a night.

The islands themselves are getting a lot more aggressive about trying to lure visitors over the slower summer months with festivals that show off what the island has to offer.

Each summer, for example, Barbados celebrates Crop Over (www.barbdos.org/ cropover.htm), a festival
involving calypso competitions and parades. Grenada's Carnival, one of the island's biggest festivals, begins in July and gains momentum leading up to Carnival Sunday, usually in the second week of August.

Other islands try to draw visitors with big-name stars.

In July, Jamaica hosts the Reggae Sumfest, which has featured popular performers such as Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Missy Elliott.