# Hawaii vs. other tropical islands



## presley (Mar 2, 2013)

A question for the Hawaii fanatics ~ are there any other tropical islands that compare to Hawaii?  Specially, anything US owned or close to US.

I'm asking because I am a Hawaii fan and on the west coast, so more likely to go there than to other similar islands.  I read reports of visits to places like Bermuda, Barbados, St. Thomas - they all sound lovely.  Are they comparable or better than Hawaii?  

Up to this point, the only place I liked as much (or maybe even more) than Hawaii is Disney's Castaway Cay.  That is only a cruise stop, though, there is no overnight stays there.


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## DeniseM (Mar 2, 2013)

One big consideration is that Hawaii is in the US, which makes many things a lot easier:  language, customs, money, food, law enforcement, emergency medical care, etc.  

If you are the adventurous type, those things may not be important to you, but they do make vacations simpler and in many ways, safer.  YMMV


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## ricoba (Mar 2, 2013)

I guess, you could try Samoa or Guam, both of which are US protectorates.  Or even the Philippines, which at one time was governed by the US.  But none of these choices as you know, would be close to the US mainland.


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## presley (Mar 2, 2013)

I guess I should ask, if all things were equal, pretend that all tropical islands used US dollars, etc., are there any that are as enjoyable as Hawaii?

Things I love about Hawaii:
Warm water - MAJOR reason for me to go there
Fruit stands on the side of the road
Beautiful scenery
Even temps
If it rains, who cares... doesn't change anything
Ability to go to rain forest, volcano, beach and desert all in the same day! 

People make the Bahamas sound good, but when I visited Nassau, I knew I'd never need to go back.  As nice as Atlantis is, it can't hold a candle to Hawaii for my personal liking.  

Poverty in Hawaii doesn't bother me, but it seems to bother me a lot in other places.


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## DaveNV (Mar 2, 2013)

You have to factor in cultural differences, too.  Hawaii has a familiar culture and "Spirit of Aloha," etc, that we all know pretty well.  The islands in the Caribbean have a MUCH different history, both culturally and economically.  They are governed differently today, and tourists have a very different kind of experience visiting there.  Contrast the differences between Don Ho and Bob Marley.

So to answer your first question:  For me, no.  There is nothing else to compare to Hawaii.  

Dave


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## Blue Skies (Mar 2, 2013)

We were in Honolulu in early January 2013, went snorkeling, and thought the water was cold.  The water in the Caribbean seems much warmer for snorkeling.


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## slip (Mar 2, 2013)

I agree with Dave and the OP. Besides Hawaii, all the other islands I've been to,
I don't have a desire to go back. Hawaii has that Aloha that keeps me going 
Back. I also love Hawaii for all the reasons on Presley's list. I'll have to watch 
This thread to see if anyone thinks there's something like it because I'll just
Keep going back to Hawaii.


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## timeos2 (Mar 2, 2013)

We tried to like the Caribbean islands as much as Hawaii as it is a much shorter (and cheaper) area for us to get to & stay at. But there was no comparison. Hawaii is unique. When they coined the word paradise I believe they had Hawaii in mind.


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## DanaTom (Mar 2, 2013)

We've been to a dozen or so Islands in the Caribbean, and while they all seem to have unique qualities, none are the all-in package deal that Hawaii is.   With that said, after a visit to Hawaii this year, we do think it's time for a visit back to a Caribbean Island.....    St Thomas or Aruba... as we have yet to visit them.   

Aloha!


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## x3 skier (Mar 2, 2013)

I don't know, Honolulu always reminded me of Indianapolis with an ocean.

Kauai and the Big Island were fine but I enjoy different cultures so the Caribbean and Mexico is more to my personal liking for travel and different experiences in a tropical climate.

Cheers


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## Rascalsmom (Mar 2, 2013)

I much prefer St John over St Thomas for natural beauty!

Also boating and diving in the BVI's.

From our location it's 20-24 hours to Hawaii, and the additional expense and hassle of dealing with the time change hasn't been worth it for our family.   We can get to the USVI easily.  

When our children are all off to college we will probably return to Hawaii for a couples trip.


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## cgeidl (Mar 2, 2013)

*Vacation or adventure*

We have lived on Oahu and have made about 25 trips back to Hawaii since 1967.  We still like Oahu best even though I understand the Indianapolis comment. We go each year for about a month and spend three weeks on Oahu and one on another Island. I call this a vaction as we go back to places we have been before and repeat many past experiences.
An adventure to me is going to a new country with all the different experiences. we have seen most of the Caribbean Islands,some Pacific islands like Okinawa and Guam and several Thailand Islands.Also Sicily which is my favorite Island next to Hawaii but this is Mediteranean climate and hardly tropical although temperatures climb higher in the summer when we would not go..
What to we like about Hawaii.
Number 1. Is the Hawaiian people 2. The many choices of what to see and do 3. the comfortable climate. Wehave found the Thai Islands humid and too hot in the coolest months and the Caribbean sweltering in April with high humidity.
In spite of these differences we also enjoy seeing another culture but have no desire to go back to other tropical places we have been.
Our next tropical adventure may be Tahiti and these islands.


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## lynne (Mar 2, 2013)

We love St. John and the BVI for the color of the water as well as the miles of white sand beaches.  We chose Hawaii for retirement as it is a US state, the people, the slower pace and the natural beauty.  It has been 7 years since moving here and we still love it.


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## MOXJO7282 (Mar 2, 2013)

tropical no, but Hilton Head Island is a really special ocean/forest environment.  Being about to experience an oceanfront setting coupled with a forest nature preserve makes for a really amazing location.


It is our favorite.... right behind Maui that is.


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## WalnutBaron (Mar 2, 2013)

As you know, everyone has their own opinions about this sort of thing, and preference is purely subjective. But for my money, the only place that's comparable is Tahiti and Bora Bora. 

Of the three possible alternatives you mentioned, I've been to two of them: St. Thomas and Bermuda. St. Thomas is a U.S. territory, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands--so the official language is English, you won't need a passport, and the U.S. Dollar is the currency of choice. That said, it's a big step down from Hawaii. Its natural beauty, while significant, does not compare to the Hawaiian Islands. And its beauty is unfortunately spoiled by poorly planned development, urban decay, and a decided lack of anything resembling the Aloha Spirit (i.e. the people are, with notable exceptions, not friendly or hospitable, at least in my experience).

Bermuda is a British territory. The Queen's English is spoken, it's much more formal than any other island I've been to in terms of dress code and customs, and it's actually a very nice vacation destination. It, too, lacks the kind of spectacular physical beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. It's basically a flat piece of coral and sand about 22 miles long with some beautiful hotels and resorts and marked by the capital of Hamilton, which is a very nice city of restaurants and shops and government buildings. We enjoyed our visit to Bermuda very much. One caution though: it is NOT a tropical island. Bermuda lies basically east of Virginia, so it's much further north than most people realize and you'll need to do some research on average temperatures and rainfall for the time of year you might wish to go.

All in all, I admit to being bitten about fifteen years ago by the Hawaii bug. We're so blessed to have Paradise a relatively short and easy flight from the West Coast.


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## LisaRex (Mar 2, 2013)

Hawaii's beauty is fierce, IMO. You have a lot of jagged, jet black lava rocks transposed against a glorious blue sea.  There is more lava-strewn coastline than sandy beaches. The islands are bigger, the mountains are taller, and the weather is overall more temperate year round. 

Hurricanes are prolific in the Caribbean, but IMO Hawaii is more inherently dangerous: the tides are stronger,  the wind is fiercer, the ocean is rougher and colder (hence sharks), the drop off into the ocean is more sudden, and people often die from flash floods and getting sucked into blowholes, or getting tossed into the ocean by rogue waves or riptides.  When they say never turn your back on the ocean, I take it very seriously in Hawaii.   

But Hawaii is glorious.  At night, it's soooo romantic.  The entire island slows down.  The ambience at night is incredible, with tiki torches, and meandering paths through beautiful landscaping, and soothing Hawaiian music always in the background.  I love sitting on my lanai at night and just listening to the ocean, which seems to calm down at night. 

The Caribbean is an entirely different animal.  The 2 most beautiful beaches I've ever been to (Trunk Bay and The Baths) are in the Virgin Islands.  The green blue of the Caribbean is an entirely different blue from Hawaii. 

The beaches in the Caribbean are more numerous, more expansive (both in width and depth) and more forgiving on the feet.  And the slope from the beach into the sea is much more gradual. The waves lap at your toes instead of knocking you over like they do in Hawaii. And the water is warm, like bathwater.  Snorkeling from the shore is incredibly easy in the Caribbean. 

The Caribbean islands are much, much smaller than Hawaiian islands, but much more numerous and clumped together.  From most islands, you can easily island hop to another island via a ferry.  In some places, you could easily kayak from one island to another.    

In the summer, the mosquitoes and humidity can be bothersome. And, of course, you have an entire hurricane season that can wreck your plans.  But in the winter, the weather is a perfect respite from the winters on the continent. 

One of the biggest contrasts between the island is the people. The Caribbean islands are inhabited by former slaves, and there are still lingering effects of that racial divide.  While xenophobia certainly exists in Hawaii, it is targeted more at people who want to stay; tourists are generally welcomed.  In the Caribbean, there is a very palpable tension between the haves and the have nots. It's subtle, but it definitely exists.  

For instance, in Hawaii, service people are slow because they're on "island time," in the Caribbean most service people seem defiantly slow. They seem annoyed that you're interrupting their day. 

Another example:  One day we were riding in an open air taxi with our friends.  The black driver waved to every other black person he saw, whether they were workers or locals.  He stopped to offer a ride to a local woman walking on the street, and didn't charge her for the ride.  He never waved to a white person, even fellow taxi drivers.  If you aren't paying attention, you'd miss it.  But I did, and I felt a bit uneasy. 

A final example:  We were at the local grocery store, with its sky high prices.  The cashier rang up a local in front of us.  His dozen items totaled $10 or so, which was a fraction of what it should have been. Blatant but obviously tolerated.

The Caribbean is still worth visiting, though, so don't let that stop you from checking it out.  It's just an entirely different flavor than Hawaii.  Both are drop dead beautiful!


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## csalter2 (Mar 3, 2013)

I don't think that the Carribean or other tropicial islands compare to Hawaii for one main reason.  That reason is that Hawaii is a state in the greatest and wealthiest country in the world. It's just that simple. I don't say that being an egocentric American, I say that because it's the honest truth. 

I have been to many islands in the Carribean and in Europe and Asia. The biggest difference that is very obvious is the standard of living in Hawaii is higher than in all of the others because it is a state in the greatest and wealthiest country in the world.  I hate going to the Carribean mainly because of the pressure to purchase in the touristy areas. Have you been to the Dunn River Falls of Jamaica, or just outside of Paradise Islands in the Bahamas? You have the locals there and other islands applying heavy pressure beyond belief on you to buy their souvenirs. The poverty is just in your face and it disturbs me. 

Also, on many of the Carribean islands, there is nothing more to do than to hit the water all day.  My tan is fine so I don't need to sit in the sun all day. I like variety in my daily activities. Hawaii offers a multitude of activities that can be taken advantage of that are both in and out of the water.  That's why I love Oahu so much. You have the best of a city and the best of an island all in one. The Hawiian islands are also larger than many of the other tropical islands so there is more to see and do on them. 

I will admit the water in the Carribean is warmer, but on hot days I don't want warm water. I want to be refreshed by cooler water. However, since I live near the southern California coast's beach cities, I feel any water is warmer than the frigid temps we experience here.   The temperature in Hawaii is perfect year round with no humidity. I don't sweat every two minutes and feel the need to take a shower on an hourly basis. 

I also don't like being bugged by insects. One of the things that hit me on my first trip to Hawaii was that when my kids and I were sitting on the balcony of our hotel eating dinner that there were no flies flying around interrupting us and trying to attack our meal. That is nice to be able to truly enjoy the environment. 

We as Americans are just so lucky in so many ways. Hawaii being a part of our union is a real feather in our cap.


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## taffy19 (Mar 3, 2013)

I like Hawaii. It is Paradise to us. I read that St. John Island is also very beautiful and a bit like HI.

After reading some of the last posts here, I am more hesitant to go to the Caribbean. I really wanted to but would have to go alone.

The color of the ocean and the warm water is what lures me the most but I hate mosquitoes and flies plus the hurricane season besides some of the other remarks too. It is hard to see so much poverty and people trying to beg from the tourists just to survive.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 3, 2013)

The OP asked for recommendations on where he might like to go that is like Hawaii.  

Instead of recommendations, some of what he's getting is xenophobic rants. 

Not what he asked for.  I'm not going to lecture, just say that the content of some of the posts makes me uncomfortable.

EOM.


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## GregT (Mar 3, 2013)

Presley,

We really love the Virgin Islands.  The beaches and water are spectacularly beautiful, and the proximity of the islands to one another make the excursions a real treat.

We try to do a Caribbean trip every other year because its a wonderful addition to our Hawaii routine -- and everyone knows we love Hawaii.     

Considering your experience of visiting Castaway Cay, I do believe you would have the same feeling if you visited St. Thomas or St. John.   You would lay on a beach that is like powdered sugar and look at/swim in beautiful aqua-colored water.    The Virgin Islands are also very lush and green, and there is natural beauty in the National Park system as well.

One cautionary comment however -- there is a level of poverty on St. Thomas that is not visible in Hawaii.    This is something we preferred about Aruba versus St. Thomas -- Aruba didn't have the same level of poverty as in STT -- but it wasn't as lush an island, much more barren.

We've had positive interactions with the St. Thomas locals, and have found that as long as we are pleasant, they are very pleasant.   

I hope this helps!

All the best,

Greg


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## DanaTom (Mar 3, 2013)

Sorry you fell uncomfortable by some of the posts...    

I really don't see that the posts here showed any real hatred....   it seems they provided preferences and the OP did ask how the Caribbean compared to Hawaii.  









Fern Modena said:


> The OP asked for recommendations on where he might like to go that is like Hawaii.
> 
> Instead of recommendations, some of what he's getting is xenophobic rants.
> 
> ...


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## Kauai Kid (Mar 3, 2013)

We went to the island that is half Dutch and half French.

Never been back.

Hawaii for us in spite of 9.5 hrs of flying required.

Aloha, Sterling


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## LisaRex (Mar 3, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> Not what he asked for.  I'm not going to lecture, just say that the content of some of the posts makes me uncomfortable.



Then I'd suggest you not go to other travel sites.  If you read some of their posts, you'd think that St. Thomas was in the middle of a war zone.  Or that you're lucky not to be beheaded by drug lords if you go to Cancun.


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## MichaelColey (Mar 3, 2013)

We haven't found anything that compares to Hawaii.  But we're still looking!  In the meantime, we'll make regular trips back to Hawaii as well.


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## artringwald (Mar 3, 2013)

We've been to 7 Caribbean islands, and as others have said, they all have their own natural beauty, but the natural beauty of Hawaii is mo bigga bruddah. If we lived on the east coast, we might go to the Caribbean more often because Hawaii is such a long trip. The solution is just to stay there longer to make it worth it.


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## presley (Mar 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the posts.  This is exactly the type of information I was looking for.  I know many people online who visit those areas annually, but they all live on the east coast.  I wondered if it was worth my time to go all the way over there.  

It doesn't sound like I'd be able to keep busy over there for very long.  I'll think I'll put that on a shelf and maybe visit on a cruise sometime, but won't bother flying all the way over there and feeling stuck for a week.  I had always wanted to visit Atlantis and ended up doing a shore excursion there and felt done.  I do live in San Diego County, so I'm always comparing places to just staying home, too.  San Diego is a tough act to follow and Hawaii is even tougher.  

I'll stick with what I know that I love.


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## PassionForTravel (Mar 4, 2013)

Presley,

The best way to get an intro into Caribbean islands is with cruising. The flight to Miami is about as far as Hawaii. Then you get to try a bunch of different islands in a week. It you really want to get an immersion take a ship out of San Juan a little longer flight but not to bad, we did that last year, and we did back to back cruises. A total of 11 islands in 14 days. If any strike you fancy you can go back.

I think the water in the Caribbean beats hawaii, a standout is St. John. I also think that for the most part the beaches do too. The only island Of all the islands I've been to in the Caribbean that rivals Hawaii for natural beauty is st Lucia. However the poverty and overcrowding in the main town is very intense.

I've met people on all the islands that were very friendly, but given the poverty the pressure to buy is Always there.

Now saying that I haven't run into any islands yet except for hawaii that make me want to come back to year after year and I'm heartbroken every time we get on the plane for home. The reason is the culture, the music, the vibe, the whole package. Nothing we've found can compare.

I haven't been to Tahiti yet so I will reserve final judgement till then.

Ian


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## csalter2 (Mar 4, 2013)

*The question was...*



Fern Modena said:


> The OP asked for recommendations on where he might like to go that is like Hawaii.
> 
> Instead of recommendations, some of what he's getting is xenophobic rants.
> 
> ...



The OP asked if theere were any other tropical islands that were comparable. Thus, he asked for a comparison which is what people are giving him.


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## csalter2 (Mar 4, 2013)

csalter2 said:


> The OP asked if theere were any other tropical islands that were comparable. Thus, he asked for a comparison which is what people are giving him.





artringwald said:


> We've been to 7 Caribbean islands, and as others have said, they all have their own natural beauty, but the natural beauty of Hawaii is mo bigga bruddah. If we lived on the east coast, we might go to the Caribbean more often because Hawaii is such a long trip. The solution is just to stay there longer to make it worth it.





presley said:


> Thanks for all the posts.  This is exactly the type of information I was looking for.  I know many people online who visit those areas annually, but they all live on the east coast.  I wondered if it was worth my time to go all the way over there.
> 
> It doesn't sound like I'd be able to keep busy over there for very long.  I'll think I'll put that on a shelf and maybe visit on a cruise sometime, but won't bother flying all the way over there and feeling stuck for a week.  I had always wanted to visit Atlantis and ended up doing a shore excursion there and felt done.  I do live in San Diego County, so I'm always comparing places to just staying home, too.  San Diego is a tough act to follow and Hawaii is even tougher.
> 
> I'll stick with what I know that I love.



I must say that cruising is the way to do the Carribbean . I went to the Grand Cayman as a stop on my cruise and was oh so thankful that I was only there for a few hours because I had seen it all. I agree with you that home is tough to beat. I live about 45 minutes north of you and it has got to be worth my while to leave particularly during the summer.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 4, 2013)

You do a pretty cut and paste

But I don't think you read my tagline.  Then again, maybe you did, who knows.  

I didn't have a problem with what you said in answering the OP, btw.

Fern



csalter2 said:


> The OP asked if theere were any other tropical islands that were comparable. Thus, he asked for a comparison which is what people are giving him.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Mar 4, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> The OP asked for recommendations on where he might like to go that is like Hawaii.
> 
> Instead of recommendations, some of what he's getting is xenophobic rants.
> 
> ...



I'm with you, Fern.  Reading this thread brought to mind another thread in which someone commented that one of things that was so nice about the Mayan resorts was that you could go there and it was like you hadn't even left the United States.


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## Ron98GT (Mar 4, 2013)

Of all the Caribbean islands that we've been to, I still prefer Puerto Rico which is part of the USA.

If your going to the Caribbean, or even Hawaii, for sailing, you can't beat the Virgin Island, US or BVI.

The Southern Caribbean (out of Puerto Rico) is great for cruising (cruise ships).   

Hawaii is a great place to ride a Harley.   It's also a great place over-all, which is why we try to go there twice a year.


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## siesta (Mar 4, 2013)

I prefer the caribbean islands over hawaii.  We enjoy hawaii, and I have had dozens of trips starting before I could even remember, but I have the opposite preference of many posters who say they like hawaii because its part of the US.  When I leave the continental US I dont want to feel like I'm still in it.  I like the rich history of the caribbean, the cities are much older with more history, older architecture, and with colonial roots still strong.  I have heard some people reference a racial divide, but I dont see it that way, in fact many islands embrace their colonial roots, for example barbados which is independent still has afternoon tea time and cricket is the national sport.  The water in the caribbean is more beautiful than that of hawaii, and the snorkeling and scuba in the caribbean is beyond compare (except for my dive experiences near and around the great barrier reef).  Additionally, each island has something unique regarding the culture, food, drink, music, and I dig that.  I find myself scratching my head when I hear people say caribbean locals are not welcoming, because we have found most to be very welcoming, often more so than hawaiian locals who are not too pleased with tourists buying up their land.  In fact, I find more caribbean locals talking to me about how great it is to own and live there, no property tax and no estate tax, and if you buy enough land they make you a citizen. Taxi drivers are often eager to show me local real estate.  Whereas talk about buying land in hawaii to a local and I'm sure it wont be as comfortable as a conversation. Additionally most tourists in hawaii are continental american visitors, besides the japanese invasion (no pun intended).  Whereas in the caribbean you have a nice mix of tourists from europe, and travelling in shoulder season often I as the American am the minority, and I like that, it makes socializing with locals and other tourists much more interesting. When I was in Aruba last April, the American rush was just about subsiding, and most tourists were dutch, german, spanish.  It felt good to be one of the few americans at the bar, and have very interesting conversations with my fellow tourists who's lives and perspectives are naturally different.

We love Hawaii, especially the dramatic changes in scenery, but we love the caribbean vibe even more so. But im thankful we all dont like the same places, or our favorite beaches would be alot more crowded


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## Elli (Mar 4, 2013)

iconnections said:


> I like Hawaii. It is Paradise to us. I read that St. John Island is also very beautiful and a bit like HI.
> 
> After reading some of the last posts here, I am more hesitant to go to the Caribbean. I really wanted to but would have to go alone.
> 
> The color of the ocean and the warm water is what lures me the most but I hate mosquitoes and flies plus the hurricane season besides some of the other remarks too. It is hard to see so much poverty and people trying to beg from the tourists just to survive.


Why don't you try a Caribbean cruise instead?


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