Help me go somewhere in the Caribbean

In My Humble Opinion
1

The missus and I want to take one last vacation before the baby arrives, and that means sun, nice beaches (clothing not necessarily required), snorkeling and paddling. Hiking and bicycling would be great.

A nice clean place to stay is a necessity. I do not want to be dealing with a six-month pregnant woman who’s ill, plagued by biting insects, or grossed-out by lizards crawling around a hotel room. Good food is always required (whether cooked by me or someone else).

If I was on the west coast, I’d go back to Hawai’i in a heartbeat, but it’s long flight from NYC, so I’m contemplating the Caribbean. *But I know nothing about the Caribbean * so I’m hoping you have some suggestions.

Where have you been that’s good, and what did you like about it? That’s bad and should be scoured from the earth?

Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti , the Domincan Republic and Cuba all suffered bad hurricane damage this fall. Have those places recovered?

2

If you’re looking for creature comfort and pampering with a great stretch of beach, may I suggest an upscale all-inclusive in Negril?
My niece and her husband just came back from a fabulous vacation at a resort called “Swept Away.”
Really nice rooms, a great staff that bent over backwards to make them comfortable, nightly on-site entertainment, a full spa and really fabulous food.

3

It’s not the Carribean, but I had a great time on the west coast of Costa Rica this summer. I’ve been doing all-inclusives lately, but when you get out of the resort, the people there are still nice and laid back. And the police aren’t on the take.

The resorts on the east coast of the Dominican Republic are much the same, and have better beaches, but you don’t want to leave them. DR is corrupt, filthy, and downright dangerous to foreign tourists. Dominicanoes are anything but laid back; they’re heavily into machismo.

I did a non-all-inclusive to Aruba, which is why I do all-inclusives now. It’s a safe place to drive around, but it’s hideously expensive, and like the rest of the Carribbean, everybody’s hustling. Parts of it are quite picturesque, but most of it is ugly desert. If you’ve got money to burn, though, the food is outstanding (which is never the case with an all-inclusive, AFAIK).

4

My favorite Caribbean island (so far) is Anguilla; it has gorgeous beaches and great restaurants. It’s also very safe and civilized. It has no night clubs or casinos, not much for shopping if that’s your thing. However, a short ferry ride away is the French and Dutch island of St. Martin/St. Maaren which has a nude beach (on the French side, of course), casinos, shopping, night life. Don’t know whether a 6-month pregnant lady would be up to the boat ride, though.

5

I’ve been to a bunch of places in Caribbean, and I’ll throw in my $0.02. I’ve been to:

Jamaica: Ocho Rios & Montego Bay
Puerto Rico: San Juan, Mayaguez & Rosy Roads
Bahamas: Bimini, Freeport, Nassau (and some uninhabited islands)
DomRep: Santo Domingo & Puerta Plata
Key West (Hey, it might as well be)
St. Thomas, USVI & St. Johns
Gitmo Cuba (special pass required, but actually not a bad place)

IMHO, if you just plan on staying in some all-inclusive resort, and never intend on leaving the facility, then I’d say it really doesn’t matter what country you go to. But if you plan on sampling the local culture, I’ll offer the following:

Jamaica is truly beautiful, with absolutely stunning scenery. However, it’s a violent place, and you’d really need to be on your guard at all times. Ocho Rios has Dunnes River Falls, which is quite a famous tourist trap, and lots of fun. Also, you can find some crazy deep lake, and the beach where "Cocktail was filmed. Eh, it’s a nice beach. (Complete with “Cruise Bar”) I think that was near Montego Bay. I’d never pay to go to Jamaica.

DomRep, while living up to its reputation as a corrupt and dirty 3rd world country in Puerta Plata, I actually found Santo Domingo quite pleasant. We had no problems from the locals, and the downtown area was very historic and clean. The water leaves a little to be desired, but otherwise nice. We spent about 3 days there. We had stowaways sneak aboard the ship one night, and hide in a berthing area to try to make the trip back with us to the states. Did I mention we were on a Coast Guard cutter? No kidding.

USVI, was awesome. It’s very “Americanized”, so you’d feel most at home there, but there’s no mistaking it’s a Caribbean island. Huge mountains makes for stunning scenery, and a great place to pick up jewelry. Seriously, they have more jewelry stores there than anywhere else in the world (literally? I dunno, seemed like it). It’s crazy. Pretty happening nightlife, as I recall.

Puerto Rico, was nice, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was still in the states. Old San Juan, while perhaps a somewhat dangerous place, was the area I liked the most. The street parties on the weekends look like a tourism commercial, and yet it really happens. Real historic place with lots of tourist spots.

The Bahamas have quite the setup in Nassau - Paradise Island. It’s like Vegas with water. Lots and lots of water. If you’re into resort type partying, then think about Paradise Island. Great people, great food, typical tropical paradise beaches and all the big time casino gambling you can handle. I love the Bahamians as well. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work and go to school with several Bahamians, and I can’t speak highly enough of them.

And finally - Cable beach at Gitmo has some kick-ass beach parties!

I know quite a few people who’ve been to the islands further out to the East in the Caribbean chain, and they all seem to favor those islands when this type of conversation comes up.

6

Also not the Caribbean, and assuming you’re not planning on going in the next couple of months (it’s still winter y’know), but Bermuda fills almost everything you ask for (hiking and cycling being the exceptions). It’s easy to get around (when six months pregnant) by (very friendly) buses, ferries and taxis. Lots of beaches, lots of snorkelling. And plenty of museums and indoor-stuff, should it take your fancy. And no big nightclub/party type stuff.

(And a rather pragmatic aside - should something bad happen, I’d feel more comfortable going somewhere where there’s verifiably first-class medical treatment available.)

7

A sailboat charter vacation in the Virgin Islands is awfully hard to beat.

8

May God have mercy on us, but for too many would-be DR boat people, ending up caught aboard a USCGC is actually getting lucky in the attempt…

Yeah, but watch out crossing the street (they’re American, but drive on the left). Ideal USVI setting for the described outdoors activities would be St. John, the undeveloped one next to St. Thomas. Another advantage, fast access in an emergency to San Juan and 1st-world medical facilities. All in all a very good package for the “island” thing.

Actually, the really dangerous part is new San Juan… still no more of a hazard than many American downtowns. Hey, your guys sit on one of the primo spots on the waterfront. And a walking tour of the fortifications is one good hike.

But if the person can afford it, they should go away from SJ. Fajardo, to the NE (site of the el Conquistador Resort and some smaller hostelries) is a swell area with fine access to beaches, snorkling, paddling AND nature preserves (both coastal and mountain rainforest) for hiking, a smaller, less-intense city, and still within an easy drive to SJ. For real get-away-from-it-all you can then hop over to Culebra Island. You will be AWAY from it all.

Well, many of the islands tend to officially discourage that last preference, though within many all-inclusives in DR they kinda wink-and-nod, and if you’re at the other side of the cay off from El Conquistador in PR the authorities may pretend they don’t see you if you behave yourself. In USVI it’s a no go. Jamaica is more tolerant as long as you stay within the resorts area; but St. Martin and the other French isles are the ones for this.

9

Perhaps I was mistaken, and meant new, vice old. Unfortunately, most of our time was spent at Rosy Roads, but we had a few days in San Juan. In the haze that was my earlier days, I remember small winding cobblestone streets and brick 2 and 3 story buildings with little balconies, and it seemed that all the parties just emptied onto the street. It was a very fun time, and I wish I could have experienced more. That would have been old San Juan, right?

10

I haven’t been to Anguilla, but would highly recommend St. Martin/St. Maarten. We rented a car and drove all over the island. Very safe and people are friendly. We found good places to eat all over the island, but if you go there do not miss eating at the Grand Case. It is like nothing you’ve ever seen; a group of excellent restaurants on a one way road out in the middle of nowhere. Some restaurants have hawkers offering drinks, etc. if you go there to eat.

Another boat ride will take you to St. Barth’s which is where the rich people go. The shopping there is like Rodeo Drive and Jimmy Buffet has a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” restaurant there. Again it is like no other restaurant you’ve ever eaten at.

11

Yea, that would be Old San Juan. For anyone else… please do as JRDelirious says and try to get away from Old San Juan. You could go to Ponce, on the southern part of the island. It has many historical buildings and different tourist places to visit. And it has the Museo de Arte de Ponce

Here’s an old thread with some suggestions (mostly Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my town (heck, I live in ugly Río Piedras), but there are very pretty things to see outside the metro area.

12

My experiences in the Caribbean were while I was working on a low grade class of cruise ship. (The accomodations stank. :smiley: ) During that time I went to Aruba; Barbados; Curacao; Jamaica; St. Kitts; St. Maartens; St. Thomas; Panama; Cartegena, Columbia; Puerto Rico and other islands I can’t recall at the moment. I’m not the most positive person to talk to about the Caribbean, between why I was down there, and the fact that something in the air gives me a 6-week head cold every time I went down, I’d rather be strapped onto an anthill and smeared with honey rather than go back, so take my advice with a bit of caution.

First off, avoid, like the plague, any island, or nation, where the majority of their hard currency comes from tourism. If you choose to go high end, you’ll be fine, of course, but I get the impression you’re trying to arrange this on something of a budget. Personally, I was always disturbed by the idea of trying to spend time enjoying life in the ritzy enclave while being able to see the gripping poverty where the natives lived. Islands/nations that fall under this category include Jamaica, St. Thomas, St. Kitts. (Again IMNSHO)

Secondly, I don’t really know why, but the Dutch administered or formerly Dutch administered islands seem to be better places than anyone else’s islands as a general rule. In part, I think, because the Dutch set up their colonies as trading enterprises and built other infrastructure to support and improve that role - not simply plantations or to claim territory to keep it out the hands of rivals. Thus, even in places like Aruba, which seemed almost as poor as Jamaica, there wasn’t the sense of anger and seething resentment underneath the populace. The people there were kind, and welcoming, beyond what I ever experienced from the ‘tourist’ areas. And considering we’re talking about people treating squids on liberty like real people, that’s very impressive. :smiley: If it weren’t for my problems with the air down there I’d enjoy revisiting Curacao or Aruba with time to explore more on my own.

Third - check out the local domestic situation before going somewhere. I don’t believe it’s still the case, but at the time we went to Cartegena it was a port that the US State Department was keeping run-of-the-mill citizens away from, if at all possible. It’s also the only time I ever recieved combat pay. For a liberty port. :eek: :confused: I, and several of my friends, decided this was a gross concept error, and choose to remain aboard ship instead of going to the port. I’m not trying to say anything about Columbians as bad people, frankly most of their domestic problems are the result of the War on Drugs here in the US. It’s just that I would prefer to make sure my vacation doesn’t end up with me enjoying a chance to be a pawn in someone else’s political statement.

In short - I’d recommend the following islands as worth a visit: Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, St. Maartens, and Puerto Rico.

Avoid at all costs: Jamaica, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and I think St. Martins.

For the rest you’ll have to decide what you want to do before you make up your mind where to go. I’m a history buff, so I found both Curacao and Aruba fascinating for their interesting history. As a rad tech, baking in the sun always struck me as simply getting a radiation burn - and thus something to be avoided. :wink:

13

I’ve only stayed on St. John, which I love. It’s very quiet, but I’m guessing you aren’t going for nightlife. There’s tons of snorkeling and a decent amount of hiking. We also kayaked there.

If you’re going upscale, you can’t beat Caneel Bay. Beaches and restaurants onsite, free use of snorkeling gear, town is a short cab ride away and the place is blissfully quiet (though we were there in the off season). The rooms have no TVs, radios, phones or clocks.

14

kelly5078, this is the line sold by many of the tour companies and all-inclusive resorts to keep the tourists confined within their walls.

The DR has a very low crime rate relative to Latin America and the Caribbean, though like everywhere where there is poverty, tourists have to be sensible and not flash the cash.

I’ve lived here in the DR for the best part of six years and am somewhat dismayed at your inaccurate dismissal of my adopted country and its people. People here are generally friendly, generous and welcoming, the scenery is more often than not stunning. If you are travelling as a couple you will not be affected by the machismo, which in any case is not exclusive to the DR.

Poverty means that there are areas that could be cleaner, but this is seldom the case in tourist areas. Corruption is a problem at government level, but this should not affect a tourist on a short stay. If your experiences have been different, I’d be curious to hear about it.

Barbarian, I would not recommend the All Inclusives, although I accept that this is what some people prefer. If I were to suggest a specific spot I’d go for the north-eastern Samana peninsula: hotels worth finding out about are Todo Blanco, Club Bonito and Villa Serena in the village of Las Galeras. These are all small-scale hotels in a beautiful setting, and the activities you expressed an interest in are all on offer there.

A little less remote are the hotels and resorts at Bayahibe in the south-east. Take an excursion to Isla Saona while you are there.

Hurricane damage is not an issue. The areas I mention were not affected, and most hotels and resorts in Punta Cana have recovered from what damage there was. Proximity to Haiti has never affected the tourist resorts. Most are a good few hours drive away (Samana is a full day’s drive; Bayahibe, about 7 hours) from the Haitian border anyway.

Other parts of the Caribbean that I’ve visited - the Honduras Bay Islands, St Lucia and St Vincent are pretty and laid back.

However, if you require a Caribbean destination that is more or less guaranteed to be crime-free, may I suggest Cuba. :smiley: :smiley:

15

Martha
Well, I admit to using a rather broad brush on an entire country, and for that I apologize.

My experience with the machismo thing is based on a couple of times when guys started giving my son a hard time for not wanting to do something (I forget what now), and for a couple of other times when my wife was kind of bothered by men (not molested or anything, just given to believe that she was only a lowly woman). It didn’t happen a lot, and certainly would not keep me from going back, but I didn’t think it was called for.

As to the overall dirtiness, yeah, it struck me as considerably dirtier than Costa Rica, which seemed just about as poor to me. I’m not saying the Domincanos are dirty, just that the govt doesn’t seem to show much interest in cleaning things up. This is not unusual in third world countries, but that doesn’t make it pleasant. And again, I didn’t see the whole country, just some stuff on the eastern end.

The stuff about corruption I admit to getting from tour books (though not from resorts). They seemed to agree that the police there consider tourists driving around as a source of income. Since this also is not uncommon (at least not in parts of Mexico), it didn’t exactly beggar belief. But no, it’s not personal experience.

Sorry to have offended.

16

Did you bareboat? And if you did, who did you use?

17

Yes, several times with various charter outfits based on St. Thomas.

I wouldn’t call St. Thomas a place to avid at all costs, but most charterers make a beeline east, toward St. John and the BVI, where the laid-back & secluded islands and anchorages are to be found.

The big advantage of a charter is that you get to change your scenery at will: a deserted beach in the morning, a world-class snorkeling spot in the afternoon, a choice of interesting restaurants that evening. You wouldn’t call it cheap, but it compares rather well with the cost of shore-based vacations (most of whose participants are, by their third day, rather aware that their horizons are limited).

18

I can understand that, and I’m not saying that there weren’t things I did and enjoyed on St. Thomas. I just found that the people were less than welcoming, and the signs of disenfranchisement were a bit shocking when stumbled across. I got the impression that for all the affluence of the tourist areas most of that money wasn’t staying on the island, and certainly not really spreading through the economy as a whole.

Again, these are impressions of someone who ended up down there because of his military duty, and who would never have chosen to go down there on his own, which affects how I looked at things. And for all that I didn’t care for being treated like someone who was a bad smell, I have to admit that sailors have spent centuries earning and perfecting a reputation, as a group, for obsteperousness. It may be different for someone with a regular haircut, or have changed in the past 10 years. Or both. YMMV

19

Right - I’ve seen this too.

And also for dumping lots of money on the local attractions. Though nowadays this is mostly done by the cruise ship passengers, not the sailors.

20

Apologies accepted. As with every country, there is good and bad to be found everywhere. Costa Rica is years ahead of the DR environmental awareness front, but I’ve witnessed a noticeable improvement here over the last few years. Police roadside corruption has certainly declined in the last eight years or so.

Anyway I’m sorry to hear that you and your family had those negative experiences in the DR, and hope you will give it another chance some day. The eastern end of the country is not representative of the country as a whole. Try the areas I mentioned in my first post. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. :slight_smile: