Hawaii vs. St. John / St. Thomas

[Quimby4]

My question is, How does Hawaii compare with St. John / St. Thomas and other Caribbean areas?

We love, love Hawaii. Have been to Maui, Kauai and Oahu many times, will make it to the Big Island someday.

How do the beaches, snorkeling, weather etc. compare.

Will we be disappointed to venture out from Hawaii ?

Thanks for any input

 

[quiltergal]

I'm a die hard Hawaii fan and just got back from my first trip to the Caribbean. By all means go! You won't be disappointed. It's very different from Hawaii, but not in a bad way. The snorkeling is very good. We went to Grand Cayman and swam with the stingrays, and snorkeled Coral Gardens. The beaches are beautiful. Seven Mile Beach and Rum Point are right off a post card. We were in Grand Cayman the last week in Jan and the weather was fantastic. Not unlike winter in Hawaii.

 

[Henry M.]

I would say some Caribbean beaches are nicer than Hawaii. The weather is also generally nice as long as you don't go during hurricane season. In Belize, for example, the water is clearer than in Hawaii and the world's second largest barrier reef comes almost all the way to the shore at one point. So diving and snorkeling are spectacular. There are also ancient Mayan ruins you can visit inland.

Having said that, I still find Hawaii the best mix of civilization and tropical paradise. When I go to the Caribbean, I really enjoy my vacations but after a week or 10 days I am happy to be headed home. When I go to Maui, my family and I are sad to be heading home even after 2 or 3 weeks of being on the island. Somehow a beautiful Caribbean resort gets old after a while and the conditions for normal every day living (not being a tourist) are just different.

Bottom line, though, I think the Caribbean is definitely worth visiting. It is a beautiful region, with great beaches, clearer water than Hawaii, and beautiful scenery. You don't have to give up Hawaii at all, but a trip elsewhere now and then will surely expand your horizons.

 

[KOR5Star]

I agree with everything emuyshondt said except for saying some of the beaches are better than Hawai'i. I think they are different, not better. Personally, I miss the wave break of Hawai'i when I'm in the Caribbean.

As said already, Grand Caymen and Ambergris Caye Belize are both great diving and snorkeling spots. (Belize City is a little scary. I'd love it if we could fly directly onto Ambergris.)

Speaking of St Thomas and St John in particular... I don't care for them. I'm definately going to get flamed for saying this, but I'm speaking the truth. Anger over past slavery is passed off as "culture" on these islands. We hired a guide to explore the island and every sight we saw had a horrible slave story associated with it. I realize this is history, but it depresses every new discovery.

There are references to slavery just about everywhere you turn. This is not "culture". This is one point in history. There must be other points of interest, but anything other than slavery seems to be ignored on these two islands.

The shops, especially on St Thomas, lack variety. Walking in one is like walking in the next. Jewlery shops have taken over and are EVERYWHERE!

I'd recommend the Caribbean, but don't expect Hawai'i. There's only one Hawai'i. ...and it's far better than the Caribbean.

If you go, I'd recommend other Caribbean destinations over St Thomas or St John.

And watch yourself at night. Get back to your resort by early evening and you'll be OK.

 

[Walt]

What Destinations Do You Recommend?

If you go, I'd recommend other Caribbean destinations over St Thomas or St John.

And watch yourself at night. Get back to your resort by early evening and you'll be OK.

And do you need to get back to your resort by early evening on all of the islands?

Walt

 

[debraxh]

We've been to many places in the Caribbean and St. Thomas is our least favorite by far. Only spent one day on St John and it was beautiful and a place I would probably return. The only way you'll get me back in St Thomas is to arrive at the airport and take the ferry to St John

We like both destinations, but have been visiting Hawaii more frequently due to the easy travel from the west coast. For us, most Caribbean destinations require overnight travel which I hate!

 

[moonlightgraham]

Baseball Analogy

I always use the baseball classification analogy when I get this question having been to both where the caribbean is the minor leagues. Some islands a class A, some AA and some AAA. Whereas, the Hawaiian Islands are the major leagues. While there's differences between the class A, to AA to AAA the biggest jump is from AAA to the majors.

 

[citymouse0_1]

St. John I really liked what we saw and did. One beach we visited was as good as any I have ever seen. I don't ever need to go back to St. Thomas.

Having said that, Hawaii is my slam dunk favorite.

 

[nonutrix]

I like the Caribbean, ok...but for my time and money, it's Hawai'i hands down!

nonutrix

 

[randyz]

I have been to Kona 3 times in the last number of years, and just recently returned to the Caribbean (Eleuthera, Bahamas) a month ago.

IMHO asking which is better Caribbean or Hawaii is almost impossible to answer, both are great and similar, but in other ways different. I have visited Martinque, Guadaloupe, Jamaica, Bahamas (3) in the last 20 years.

Eleuthera is an out island, the beaches are fabulous and beyond anything I have seen on the Big Island. The reefs and snorkeling great. Surfers beach is as good as Hawaii but virtually deserted. No fast food period, no name brand stores period ..... and no hospitals. In one week visited 4 beaches with pink sand, most miles long and found 0-10 people on them. The downside, harder to get too, roads rough to primitive (almost needed a 4x4 to get to surfers beach), no shopping, expensive food. And no scenery away from the beach and water.

Jamaica I found very much like Hawaii, (tropical and mountainous) but there is poverty. Martinque and Guadaloupe were also like Hawaii, but their is the French language to deal with. Since those islands have French social supports, no real poverty.

For ease of access (I live on the west coast), travelling with younger children (in the past for me), amenities, quality of services I would choose Hawaii. To really get away from it all, parts of the Caribbean are unbeatable. As for quality of beaches I think its like arguing which quality wine is superior.

Randy

 

[KOR5Star]

I always use the baseball classification analogy when I get this question having been to both where the caribbean is the minor leagues. Some islands a class A, some AA and some AAA. Whereas, the Hawaiian Islands are the major leagues. While there's differences between the class A, to AA to AAA the biggest jump is from AAA to the majors.

I love this analogy and agree whole heartedly.

If you don't mind, I'm going to use it. Well... on second thought... even if you do mind.

 

[KOR5Star]

And do you need to get back to your resort by early evening on all of the islands?

Walt

This is true for most of the Caribbean islands, but for someone that does not know the island already, I'd say it's better safe than sorry. There is a lot of poverty and ill feelings pent up in the Caribbean.

Surprisingly, I would not classify Aruba as one such island, even though they had that awful cheerleader incident. A very sad and tragic event indeed.

There is poverty and ill will on the Hawaiian Islands as well. If you searched, you could find Hawaiians that hate mainlanders. But it's limited to certain areas. It doesn't feel like a majority opinion like it does in the Caribbean. For the most part in Hawaii, you are as safe at 1AM as you were at 1PM. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for most of the Caribbean.

 

[Transit]

I like both places but hate the plane ride to Hawaii from the east coast if I were on the west coast I'd choose Hawaii.

 

[falmouth3]

I have been to Maui once and we loved it. We kept ourselves busy and never were bored. I can't say that for our shorter Caribbean trips.

However, as far as snorkeling, we have been snorkeling in several locations in the Caribbean and found it far better every time than snorkeling around Maui. I don't know if our observations are similar to others.

 

[johnmfaeth]

I haven't been to Hawaii yet but have visited many Caribbean Islands.

I'll start by saying Hawaii seems almost magical from the many travel shows I've watched and 20 years of getting a half dozen travel mags. I can certainly appreciate why so many love it.

Each island in the Caribbean has its own personality which is very different based upon the individual history.

St. John is absolute paradise and has virtually zero crime. Probably because land values have made the native families (in general) far wealthier than the ex-pat residents (who are still doing well enough to pay $1.5 million for a 3 bedroom house). No economic issues = no crime.

St. Thomas has two faces. That which is "assaulted" by 5,000 to 10,000 daily cruise passengers and that which is off their path. Spend a day at Hull Bay or Secret Harbor with a dozen or two other beachgoers and you'll see the real St. Thomas, complete with world class snorkelling. I guess the same can be said for Trunk Bay on St. John which has a thousand visitors by 11 AM (mostly bussed in cruise ship types) while the next bay in either direction has 30 people.

Aruba is another great island with almost no crime, great beaches, great restaurants. But it's a desert island and not very naturally pretty.

St. Maarten has great beaches, great restaurants, and great beauty but poverty (mainly on the French side) means it's impossible to rent a car without seeing evidence of a break in attempt in just one week. But no one is getting mugged in the streets. Again, take a drive to the beaches above Cupecoy and they are pristine with the entire beach to yourself most days. Good luck walking through downtown when two cruise ships are in port. It's like Times Square in NYC.

One Caribbean issue is the cruise ships have turned the ports in "clone" shopping areas, agree fully with the earlier posting.

My point is every Caribbean island has places which are incredible and waiting to be discovered. You usually have to go the opposite direction as the cruise ship people to find them. But the rewards are priceless.

I will intentionally leave Jamaica out of this one. The people truly dislike tourists, probably the result of centuries of colonialism that were (almost) ended in our lifetimes, but continue economically.

And let's be frank...the stereotype of the "ugly" american tourist did not invent itself. Most caribbean folks are raised very proper, they want a full good morning or good afternoon before continuing, not a 'hi". Failing that test brings out the worst in them from my experiences. That doesn't help at all. Nor does the far too frequently expressed habit some visitors have of talking "down" to the "help". It's a respect thing.

Not making excuses, just trying to share my experiences. Good and bad everywhere...

John

 

[Sooby]

We have been to several Caribbean Islands and would not return to some & St Thomas is one of them. We actually paid to tour the Island and be scolded for hours about the ugliness of the wealthy. Never again! As for St. John I think it is OK. St. Lucia is very nice and much friendlier. The Windjammer Landing was great there. Aruba is very pleasant and we felt very safe even at night. Unfortunately the place we stayed is no longer there- The Royal Palm Club which was very nice. We definitely would go back to these two Islands. We love Hawaii. The Big Island is my favorite because of the Parker Ranch steaks and easy roads to get around. We love staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village and will be staying next month at the HGVC's new timeshare which has access to the Hilton facilities. That is absolutely the best vacation for us even if the flight is long! Good Luck with whatever Island you choose. Sooby

 

[LisaRex]

One of the main reasons I prefer Hawaii over the Caribbean is that Hawaii gets hit with far fewer hurricanes. 2005 was a horrific year for those who lived and vacationed in the Caribbean. I believe it started very early (June?) and lasted through November. Oy!

The Weather Channel has made it worse; every tropical depression is tracked and you have no idea whether you're watching a hurricane in its infancy or just a bad rainstorm and so you have no idea whether to cancel reservations/flights or just go with the flow. (Friends of mine went to Cancun knowing that a tropical depression was making its way into the Gulf of Mexico. Sure enough, a huge hurricane struck right in the middle of their vacation and they were stranded for several days at a shelter.)

 

[fnover]

I like both places but hate the plane ride to Hawaii from the east coast if I were on the west coast I'd choose Hawaii.

I would rather fly for 10 hours to Hawaii then the shorter flight to the Caribbean In our limited experience with the Caribbean (St. Thomas, Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Jamaica) it doesn't compare to Hawaii.

 

[johnmfaeth]

Hi LisaRex,

Actually, if you go to www.stormcarib.com you will find that the Eastern Caribbean was unaffected by hurricanes last year. St. Maarten for example had one tropical storm pass by last year but hasn't seen a hurricane since 2000.

Same can be said for the Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, etc.

Aruba hasn't seen a major storm in 45 years. Neither has Bonaire or Curacao, it's Southern Caribbean cousins.

The poor folks in Mexico and some of the Western Caribbean did have a tough one.

Most people don't realize, there are really three Caribbeans from a historical weather perspective.

Take a look at the storm data, you may find it interesting.

 

[bigfrank]

If I were to go and stay in just one place I would pick St Johns hands down. If I wanted to do more time and Island hop I might go with Hawaii but might still go with St Johns because you have the rest of the US Virgin Islands. I like St Croix as well.

 

[jehb2]

Soooo...which island should I go to

This is a great thread. We go to Hawaii every year (sometimes twice) and it just hasn't gotter boring. But I have been thinking that we should probably try the Carribbean. But everytime I read I walk away confused about which island I should go to. This thread has been very helpful, but with all the wonderful information I'm still confused.

Which islands are A, AA, and AAA.

 

[Quimby4]

Thanks!

Thanks for all of the great input. Many of you have reaffirmed my thoughts about Hawaii. We are planning on going to Kauai in 2008 pending a good exchange, but we usually get lucky!

I think in a few years, when the kids are older and can endure the long flight, we will have to try an exchange into Westin St. John which I hear is next to impossible. So if it ever works out then it is meant to be, or not.

I would love to hear more about St. John..

I was really interested in Atlantis but from what I have read on TUGS and tripadvisor, Atlantis just sounds too big, crowded, and expensive for our style. We are casual beach people who prefer not to have to fight for a chair on the beach or at the pool.

Thanks again for all the great ideas!!

 

[DavidnRobin]

I second the St John comment - do not lump St Thomas (STT) with STJ - even though they are within spitting distance from one another. 2/3 of STJ is a protected National Park - no other Carib Island has such protected space. If you like beaches, good food, and open space for hiking - STJ is great - if you are going for nitelife and gold then STJ is not the place.

The Carib and Hawaii are very different - there are a lot of very poor people on the Carib Islands - mix that with the large crowded islands and you will not likely want to leave the resort unless you are a brave-type (e.g. Jamaica)- otherwise, most of them are worth visiting.

WSJ is a great resort - no chair hourding and no reason to.

Check out VINOW.COM

 

[bhrungo]

"St. John is absolute paradise and has virtually zero crime. "
(trying to quote someone, didn't work)



St. John is a beautiful island. My Husband and I lived on St John back in the 90's. We moved away because of the crime! Don't get me wrong, the resorts are for the most part safe, but I wouldn't even go in to town by myself during the DAY sometimes. Have seen too many weird things happen. We always felt safe at work, (the Hyatt Regency, which is now the Westin)

I would love to go back for a vacation, but would NEVER live there again.
On the other hand, we LOVE Hawaii and would vacation there or live there and feel much safer.

 

[Quimby4]

I second the St John comment - do not lump St Thomas (STT) with STJ - even though they are within spitting distance from one another. 2/3 of STJ is a protected National Park - no other Carib Island has such protected space. If you like beaches, good food, and open space for hiking - STJ is great - if you are going for nitelife and gold then STJ is not the place.

The Carib and Hawaii are very different - there are a lot of very poor people on the Carib Islands - mix that with the large crowded islands and you will not likely want to leave the resort unless you are a brave-type (e.g. Jamaica)- otherwise, most of them are worth visiting.

WSJ is a great resort - no chair hourding and no reason to.

Check out VINOW.COM

DavidnRobin, that is exactly what we like beaches, open space, hiking, good food and relaxing!! We don't care about nitelife or shopping!! Great info.