# Just have returned from Hawaii....



## gidat1 (Jan 2, 2007)

Hello:  

Just came back from a two weeks in Paradise. Kids and wife very thoughraly happy, but now are asking me what is in agenda for the next year. We live in Panhandle of Florida. Hawaii was a very long trip. any suggestions for Carrabian Islands. We loved the clear blue ocean, Coconut trees and the mountains.  

Hawii was kind of expensive to get there.

Any suggestions here for the next year?

PhilP


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## qlaval (Jan 2, 2007)

ARUBA!

Go and make some search....you'll see


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## anne1125 (Jan 2, 2007)

Just about anything in the Caribbean is wonderful.  The water is soooooo beautiful!

We have been to Aruba, Cancun, Jamaica, and are going to St. Martin this summer.


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## TexasSunshine (Jan 2, 2007)

I would not reccommend Jamaica.. I would recommend Aruba, Barbados, or St. Maarten. The Grand Caymans are nice (I hear, I am going next year), but it is attractive for divers, very quite otherwise. I have heard good things about Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Lucia as well.


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## Cathy in Boston (Jan 2, 2007)

I second (third?) Aruba.  My number one vacation destination.  Great beaches, great restaurants, and casinos.  What more could anyone ask for, lol.


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## irish (Jan 2, 2007)

definitely aruba!! most of the resorts have kids activity clubs. but one thing to keep in mind, aruba is not a place to do much site-seeing. it can pretty much all be seen in 1 day so if you are not a beach-pool person you might want to take that into consideration.


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## Cathyb (Jan 2, 2007)

Second St. Lucia and Aruba.  Aruba is more like the U.S. than St. Lucia.  We also love St. Maarten for the dual culltures of Dutch and French.  Personally we would avoid St. Croix for the crime problem.


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## Corinne (Jan 2, 2007)

*So many islands, so little time...*

Hi PhilP,

The Hawaiian islands are hard to top, but with the Caribbean at your doorstep you have many wonderful alternatives to try.  With varied history, culture and geography, each island has its own special flavor.  One key advantage to vacationing in the Caribbean vs. Hawaii is you don't have a 12+ hour flight to contend with.  As for prices, you will not find them much different from Hawaii, unfortunately, so be prepared.  

I would recommend - 
     St. John, USVI  - some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.   Beautiful water, nice snorkeling, some great views.  2/3 of the island is a National Park, so it is much less commercial and more laid back than many other Caribbean islands.  As with a visit to the Hawaiian islands, there is effectively no language/currency/cultural transition for Americans.  Can be a difficult timeshare exchange.  Also, there is no airport on St. John.  You must fly into STT, and ferry over to St. John.

    Bermuda - May onward through summer if you are going for a beach vacation.  This is one of our favorite islands because of all it offers - not just gorgeous beaches and warm, turquoise waters with good snorkeling and diving, but interesting historical sites, good restaurants, and interesting cultural sights to see.   A golfer's paradise, too.   In addition to being a difficult exchange in prime sesason, the downside (for some) is that you cannot rent a car in Bermuda.  Transportation is either by taxi, bus, or a rental motor scooter.  Currency linked to the dollar.  English speaking.  

   Grand Cayman - Another of our favorites.  The beaches are nice, but for me it is the fantastic snorkeling and diving in that incredible clear blue water that brings me back.  There are an assortment of other "things" to do to keep you busy if you weary of the water activities. We like the Botanic Garden, Rum Point, and Smith's Cove (a new find for us this past visit).  Stingray City is interesting for at least one visit.  The island is clean and safe (highest per capita income of all Caribbean islands?), with a currency which is linked to the US dollar.  English widely spoken.  Oh, and there's good news!  You _can_ rent a car here, and will need to if you stay on the East End.  Bad news!  They drive on the left.  It's not an issue for me, but I know it is for others.   

    St. Thomas, USVI.  Much larger island, more developed, less "natural" than nearby St. John.  However, I noticed you're a Marriott owner and they've just opened a new Marriott timeshare in STT.   It should be pretty nice, and you can day trip over to St. John easily if you want to get away from it all. 

    Aruba - people go for the fine sand beaches, beautiful water, gambling and good food.  It is quite arid and very flat so you don't get the lushness and scenery that most people come to associate with the Caribbean islands.  I never found much in the way of snorkeling here.  Quite Americanized, which is not a bad thing for those who are more comfortable with the familiar, but there is a lack of cultural richness that is part of the appeal of Hawaii, for example. As someone else pointed out, there is little to do or see on the island beyond the beach.  The main tourist attraction - the Natural Bridge - collapse a couple of years ago.  Bummer.   Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, so if you want to travel to the Caribbean during the summer it's a safer choice.  Also, because it is so far south, deep winter temps are usually nice and toasty.  Important if you're spending a lot of money and effort to spend time at a beach destination.  Also Marriott timeshare options there.  

    Curacao - Along with Aruba and Bonaire, one of the ABC islands just off the coast of Venezuala.  Similar climate to Aruba, but less geared toward  tourism.  The island's main industry is refining oil, and when the wind blows just right, you know it.  Why do I recommend it, then?  Well, I like the Sea Aquarium resort there quite a bit.  I could snorkel and even dive right off the beach there.  Free access to the adjacent aquarium was a neat benefit.  The resort was small, but had great units.  And there were some great restaurant options on the island.     

    St. Lucia - this is a striking island geographically - the Piton mountains, rainforest, simmering volcano, beaches, etc.  Windjammer Landing is the timeshare you probably want to go to there, but there is great variance in the quality of the units so do your homework.  Be aware, also, that this is a very poor island - unsettlingly so at times.   I don't feel like I have to return.  

Now, not an island, but still on the Caribbean, I would recommend a visit to Playa del Carmen or thereabouts.  As with Hawaii, you get not only fabulous beaches, water and snorkeling/diving, but myriad historical, archaeological and cultural sight-seeing opportunities.  The geography is varied and interesting, as are the people.  Want a more Americanized scene?  Stay in Cancun.  And your dollar stretches much farther here than it ever will in any of the other islands mentioned.  

There are many islands I have yet to visit and would like to, but of the ones I've been to these are some of the reasons I went and continue to go.   One day we'll look forward to hearing about your visits to these islands and your thoughts on them.  Until then, happy vacationing!

-Corinne


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## McFail (Jan 3, 2007)

That was an excellent summary Corinne! I have been to many of the islands you listed and you captured the big points very well.

Aruba is a great place to start exploring...


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## ownsmany (Jan 3, 2007)

*vote goes to  . . . Aruba*

Aruba get's my vote.  Beautiful beaches.

Been to Grenada (wouldn't recommend as it rain the every day we were there), St Martin & St Thomas - both beautiful, Jamaica ( didn't really like as such a long drive on windy roads to get to Ocho Rios and areas outside of resorts are bad areas from what I could see).  

Aruba - the friendly island - has my vote.


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## Corinne (Jan 3, 2007)

*Caribbean Dreamin' (on such a winter's day)*

Thanks, Northern Willy.  I had fun mentally revisiting each island as I wrote it up.  Not quite as much fun as being there, though.   It's been 13 days since I returned from Grand Cayman and my tan is fading fast.  This was my meager attempt to hold on to the sunny bliss of that vacation just a little longer.  Ah...



Northern Willy said:


> That was an excellent summary Corinne! I have been to many of the islands you listed and you captured the big points very well.
> 
> Aruba is a great place to start exploring...


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## BevL (Jan 5, 2007)

We're thinking of the Caribbean in '09 and we will want to go for two weeks - we live on the west coast, so a week just is too short for so far to fly.

For those who go for two weeks, do you usually go to two different places, or stay in one place for two weeks?  What are the airfares like?  Is it similar to Island Hopping in Hawaii, although I know it's different countries.

Thanks in advance.

Bev


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## lynne (Jan 5, 2007)

If you like sailing, you may want to consider a week on a windjammer barefoot cruise and then a week on land.   

We have sailed around the BVI as well as windjammers that depart from one island and end on a different island.   There are many options.  The only time we used a timeshare trade was for a week in Barbados and tied it to a windjammer cruise.   Most of the time we will rent a house for a week or stay at a resort or B&B.

As we have always done these trips from NY prior to moving to Hawaii, I cannot comment on the airfare from the west coast.  Two weeks in the Caribbean is a very relaxing vacation.


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## BevL (Jan 5, 2007)

Lynne:

Sounds good on paper but I get seasick (hate boats other than a large ferry or something comparable) and hubby can't stand anything confined - a week on a boat would be not a good thing for us.  

And is it usually best (from the west coast) to fly to, say, Florida and then pop over?

Bev


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## Avery (Jan 5, 2007)

BevL said:


> Lynne:
> 
> Sounds good on paper but I get seasick (hate boats other than a large ferry or something comparable) and hubby can't stand anything confined - a week on a boat would be not a good thing for us.
> 
> ...



If there aren't direct flights, then Florida is a good jumping point. So is San Juan, so is JFK.

But if I lived in CA, I'd go to Hawaii every time... Better year round weather, endless sightseeing, much less "tourist hustle..." I know there are exceptions, and there are several islands I really enjoy, but not as much as Hawaii...


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## Eric in McLean (Jan 9, 2007)

Cathy in Boston said:


> I second (third?) Aruba.  My number one vacation destination.  Great beaches, great restaurants, and casinos.  What more could anyone ask for, lol.



Quite a bit.  For one, I wouldn't want to vacation where some people think a 20 MPH wind is a cool breeze.  If I want a casino, I'd go to Vegas, not some island that doesn't offer anywhere near the same odds.  The food is good but the good restaurants charge NYC prices.  The island is otherwise devoid of any tourist attractions....the natural bridge having collapsed recently....go there for wind-surfing....it's not a bargain by any means.


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## caribbeansun (Jan 10, 2007)

*Excellent post Corrine*

Corrine - outstanding post!  Nice to see an accurate non-biased assessment of many islands that should prove helpful to many Caribbean newbies.


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## caribbeansun (Jan 10, 2007)

Bev, you are going to find travel to the Caribbean to be a full day affair with a number of plane changes.  My SIL came from Kamploops through YVR to Grand Cayman for our wedding and it wore her down.  Be aware it's going to be expensive airfare from BC as well.  

Most island route through Miami so you can start there in checking airfares and possible routings.

Inter-island travel is rather problematic depending on where in the Caribbean you go to so you could find yourself bouncing from one island back to Miami before getting to another island which will cost you a full day of travelling.  FYI we've gone to Cayman for 3 full weeks the last two years.  

I've talked with many people that have vacationed on Grand Cayman and jumped over to Cuba for a week which is easily done on Cayman Air.  Keeps your costs down as well as accomodation etc is cheap on Cuba.  
Also, from Grand Cayman you can visit either of their sister islands using Cayman Air.

A viable alternative for you would be somewhere in Mexico - think Mayan Riviera, Cancun down to Playa Del Carmen (including Cozumel) as these flights are much less onerous from the west coast and cheaper BTW.




BevL said:


> We're thinking of the Caribbean in '09 and we will want to go for two weeks - we live on the west coast, so a week just is too short for so far to fly.
> 
> For those who go for two weeks, do you usually go to two different places, or stay in one place for two weeks?  What are the airfares like?  Is it similar to Island Hopping in Hawaii, although I know it's different countries.
> 
> ...


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