The Caribbean islands "support a vibrant mix of cultures" with "contradictions [that] hit you the moment you arrive", according to Lonely Planet.

From a centre for the slave trade which suffered centuries of European oppression, the Caribbean has been transformed into an area with its own unique culture and identity.

This is reflected through its people, which Lonely Planet said range from "cricket players and Rastas [to]Cuban rebels and lobster fishermen".

However the Caribbean isn't a place which tries to hide its difficult past and a number of islands have attractions which allow visitors to experience it for themselves.

Brimstone Hill Fortress in St Kitts and Nevis is a relic left from the time when Europeans were forced to defend the island from the threat of pirates waiting in the surrounding waters. The fortress was designed by the British and built by African slave labour.

While Brimstone Hill Fortress might be the most well recognised example, there are many more buildings around the islands which were also sustained by the slave trade. These include Sunbury Plantation House on Barbados and the historic centre of Willemstad in Curacao.