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Hawaii versus the Caribbean

M

mlpmd56

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
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Greetings Tuggers,
I went out to dinner the other night with friends who I really like and who have traveled as much or more than I have. They are avid scuba divers. I am more of a snorkeling fan. Anyway, the husband was going on and on about how he prefers the Caribbean to Hawaii, as the water is warmer, and it is less expensive. I will give him that it is fun to visit the various cultures, different islands, different countries that the Caribbean has to offer. Yes I do think Caribbean waters are warmer, and they are a beautiful color that you don't see in Hawaii. The most fantastic snorkeling I have ever done was in Curacao. But there is SOMETHING about the "feel" (Aloha?) of Hawaii that I love most of all. It feels like coming home. And if I NEVER go through customs and immigration in Miami again, I will be glad!
Not trying to start a Hawaii/Caribbean war. I am just wondering if anyone else can put their finger on what it is that makes Hawaii so special.
Marcy
 
Today you could be on Maui and it would feel the Caribbean. Lahaina is 90 degrees with 80% humidity and no breeze!!!
 
I'd have to say the people. The Hawaiian people have been extremely friendly
To us on every trip we've been there.

If a war does start it might be a little one sided because we are in the Hawaii
Forum.:D
 
There are clear pros and cons for both. The Eastern people prefer Caribbean the western folks Hawaii, purely by cost and time to travel.

The main drivers for Hawaii are IMHO are:
- the exotic look and feel, that mountainous tropic feel
- it is generally not as hot and humid as the Caribbean, so generally better weather year round
- I think the most important, for those who are not so adventurous, it is still the USA.

The main drivers for the Caribbean are:
- Cultural diversity and history
- Variety of types of vacation, (big resort or more isolated travels depending on where you go)
- Still some very pristine water and dive locations.

I like both, but Caribbean travel offers more variety at a lower price point for me.

Mind you I have been to all Major Hawaii islands and have travel there 6 time already. But then again I have been to every nation in the Caribbean except for Grenada, Martinique, Montserrat, and Haiti. Some of them I have been to many times as well, like BVI (8 times) and St Vincent and the Grenadines (4).
 
I'll take the bait. For me, there are a lot of reasons I much prefer Hawaii:

1. Hawaii's islands are--with just a few exceptions (St. Lucia comes to mind, for example)--much more visually stunning and beautiful than most of the Caribbean islands.

2. As the OP mentioned, the Aloha spirit is alive and well in Hawaii--something noticeably absent in the Caribbean. During my most recent visit to Hawaii last month, for example, EVERYONE--from the maids to the waiters to the front desk clerks to the airport shuttle drivers--were universally friendly and accommodating. And that's not unusual: that's the culture of Hawaii. In the Caribbean, finding people like that is the exception. For the most part, the natives do not like tourists and wish they'd just go home.

3. Hawaii's restaurants and resorts are first class--and adhere to USA cleanliness and food safety standards (for the most part, as I realize there are exceptions). Quality is very uneven in the Caribbean. Even the roadside stands and taco trucks tend to be much cleaner and more aware of sanitation standards than what you see in the Caribbean.

4. It's less humid in Hawaii. For me, that's a big plus.

5. According to Wikipedia, the last major hurricane to hit Hawaii was in September 2005. Hurricane Kenneth produced up to 12 inches of rain on the Big Island. The Caribbean experiences at least one major hurricane every year, and usually more than one.

6. Maybe it's just me, but I like the fact that I only have to show my Driver's License as valid ID to board a flight to Hawaii. I realize one can do this if traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, but you'll need your passport for the rest of the region.

7. Hawaii is very, very safe--with the single exception of bad parts of Honolulu, which are not tourist areas anyway.

8. The Hawaiian culture is, in a word, beautiful. From the lei flower garlands to the luau to the gentle and seductive nature of Hawaiian hula dance, Hawaii's gentle beauty bades visitors to return time after time.

9. The most massive and powerful telescope in the history of the world will be in operation on Mauna Kea in 2022. Why? Because of the exceptional clarity of the skies in Hawaii. The air is clearer there than anywhere else on earth.

10. Hawaiian coffee. Hawaiian pineapple. Hawaiian macadamia nuts. Hawaiian Ahi. Hawaiian Shave Ice :)

Go ahead, Caribbean Lovers. Have at me.
 
You don't need a passport. Your health insurance generally applies in Hawaii. From the western half of the US, it's easier to get a flight to Hawaii. We used to own a timeshare in St. Maarten and much of the not connected to resorts was third world. Electric supply was sporadic. In many Arabs of the Caribbean it costs more as prices are in euros. Much of the food comes from central and S.
America. The quality can be questionable.
As far as timeshares go, consumers laws are much weaker in the Caribbean than in Hawaii.
 
I do prefer Hawaii for most of the reasons given above.

But to be fair, I'd put St. John at about 80% of the Maui experience across the board, the board being for natural beauty, friendliness of the locals, snorkel chances, easily accessible beaches, and I'd rate it better than Maui for its unspoiled nature. Also, no danger of sharks and it's not half the world away!

I also want to put in a good word for the people and overall climate of St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Martin, the downside being that with greater poverty comes a higher risk of crime. [Apart from a couple of horror stories in Antigua, the risk of crime in the Islands is almost always limited to car break-ins or theft of unattended property.]
 
....and St John is, after all, ALSO still the US.
 
Sandy VDH said:
The main drivers for the Caribbean are:
- Cultural diversity and history
- Variety of types of vacation, (big resort or more isolated travels depending on where you go)
Click to expand...
I really disagree that the Caribbean wins on these points. They apply just as strongly to Hawaii, especially the second point where I would give Hawaii the edge.
 
Hawaii hands down.

We have been to the Carribean many times but since we have had young kids, we prefer Hawaii.
Just returned from trip to Kauai (first time there) - to me it was magic land one of the most beUtiful places on earth.
However, the real reason we prefer Hawaii is healthcare and safety.
We ran into trouble in Dominican when our daughter was only 3. We had health insurance and had to go to the hospital. Doctor did not speak English... That was just the beginning of it...

Also, can't beat the safety of Hawaii. Police in Hawaii have integrity.
 
With some relatively minor exceptions, underwater, I prefer the Caribbean. Out of the water, I prefer Hawaii. And since I spend more time out of the water, and it's easier to get to, I'll go much more often to Hawaii.

Jim
 
Passepartout said:
With some relatively minor exceptions, underwater, I prefer the Caribbean. Out of the water, I prefer Hawaii. And since I spend more time out of the water, and it's easier to get to, I'll go much more often to Hawaii.

Jim
Click to expand...

...and I spend much more time IN or ON the water, hence the Caribbean as my choice.

By diversity in the Caribbean, I was referring to multiple cultures, native (e.g. Caribe, Arawak) or Colonization (e.g. Spanish, Dutch, French, Danish). Clearly there is history in Hawaii.

I love Hawaii, I was just trying to provide some counter points. I would think because it is the US would be the top reason for a lot of people.

My favorite shore dive/snorkeling spot on the planet is likely on the Big Island, Two Step is awesome, but a little far.
 
I've been on a Hawaiian "binge" the last few years, and have spent several weeks a year on the different islands. I like Hawaii for it's diverse beauty, abundance of activities, great weather (generally not as hot and humid as the Caribbean), and the safety and ease of traveling within the US (other than the long/expensive flight from the Midwest). My sense of the "aloha spirit" is a bit diminished by the disproportionate taxation on timeshare owners, and comments by the Maui mayor and county commissioners who portray us as the scourge of the islands every time a new budget is proposed. :annoyed:

We just returned from the Bahamas, and now our family wants to shift some of our beach travel away from Hawaii and back to the Caribbean. The locals were incredibly friendly and gracious, the water was gorgeous(!), the food was great, and shopping was fun. The downside is for summer travel when kids are out of school - it's bloody hot and humid!
 
As an ex-sailor I much prefer the BVI's. You can easily sail to many diverse ports, restaurants, snorkeling holes, etc. Hawaii doesn't offer anything close to the number of anchorages etc.
However, after I got too old for sailing we live half the year in Hi. For many of the reasons in the past postings.
 
I like both - and go to both every year. They are very different - and of course the Caribbean is much more diverse. I have sailed the BVI, Grenada and The Grenadines, and Antigua-Nevis-St Kitts. We have gone to St John (USVI) every year - own TS there - since 2006.

If you have not been to St John (USVI - a US territory - 2/3 National Park. The median home price is ~$1.5MM - so it does not have the same poverty level seen on other island) - put it on your bucket list... IMO

Two St John YouTube videos to share - you will not see this in HI (but you will see other cool things)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb5Fzb0lsBs&list=UU5XBUKwidwqKKZpEW0OO_mg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esgx6bPaZbM&list=UU5XBUKwidwqKKZpEW0OO_mg
 
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I'm a big St. John fan as well, although we are going back to Hawaii this year for the first time in several years.
 
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DavidnRobin said:
I like both - and go to both every year. They are very different - and of course the Caribbean is much more diverse.
Click to expand...

While it is true that there are a number of things that you find in the Caribbean, it wouldn't be more diverse in the respect that things in the Caribbean that are not in Hawaii are in a number of other places ... Many things in Hawaii are found nowhere else in the world.
 
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Hawaii has the humpback whale migration, and Maui Gold pineapples.

Plus, the Brady Bunch went there on vacation. That alone should be a sign of superiority.
 
daventrina said:
Many things in Hawaii are found nowhere esle in the world.
Click to expand...

*** English lesson here ***

= endemic




I have seen humpbacks with calves in the Caribbean, they give birth there. I have also seen killer whales. Just saying......

...but I still love both. Although having just been to Bora Bora and the Maldives in the last year, if you are a water baby, they put both Hawaii and the Caribbean to shame.
 
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Hawaii hands down
 
First some caveats: We've never been to the Caribbean, and in Hawaii we tend to be in or around the tourist-ish areas (pretty normal for timeshare folks, so we may be a bit insulated), and we've not been on Oahu since 1989. But we've been in Hawaii 8-10 times and loved every minute of every trip. We've spent most of our time on Big Island, but also all the other islands except Nihau. An earlier comment mentioned the aloha spirit, and that is alive and well. I can count on one hand (maybe two counting Maui) the number of times I've heard a horn honk in all the times we've been there. Traffic is polite, as is about every resident we've ever talked to.

I've heard that the Caribbean is great for water activity....but I don't do boats. And we're past the age where we look for 'adventure'. For us, Hawaii has been pure magic. Hard to pin down, but I think it's "that aloha thing". It lives.

----------Zach

PS Someone mentioned a Hawaii Forum. How do I find that?
 
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