ANy of you been to the Carribean?

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Angela

I've been to a number of the islands. I'd say visit Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent...there are great deals for a number of islands (and please don't discriminate on Aruba as one incident is far less than what occurs in most other places including where most of us live). A great deal of the Caribbean relies heavily on tourism as part of their economy...each with something special to offer.

Antigua has miles of beaches which it is known for. Trinidad doesn't rely so heavily on tourism, but is a great place to visit, especially during Carnival. Tobago(sister island to Trinidad), would be a better island for beaches if that is what you are looking for (and a 15 min flight from Trinidad).

Barbados is one of my favs offering great nightlife as well as beautiful beaches & plenty of places to see. St. Vincent offers beautiful beaches as well...check out the Grenadines with the most picturesque beaches in Bequia & Mustique. Dominica has very pretty waterfalls, though not much to do unless you're into eco-tourism. The flights are a little difficult to get to. St. Lucia is another beautiful island with it's pitons (google St. Lucia & I'm sure you'll get a picture of them). Friday nights in Gros Ilet are fun, so don't miss that.

Aruba is very clean and has very low crime, despite the incident. Great sandy beaches and you can visit just about any time of the year without worries of inclement weather. The same can be said about it's neighbouring islands Bonaire & Curacao.

My top 5 picks:

Barbados - Almost any time of year is nice. Christmas/New Years is high season & expect the island to be busy. January is Jazz Festival. April has the Oistins Fish Festival (so if you like seafood)..July & August is Cropover (Carnival type festival with plenty of parties ending with a parade of masqueraders on the road).

Where to stay: If money is no object, Sandy Lane would be the BEST hotel. But if you're on a budget like me, rent a villa or apartment on the south coast since it's convenient to get around & offers the amenities of being at home (ie. you get a kitchen).

St. Lucia - Has the best Jazz Festival in the Caribbean in May. Weekly Friday night parties in Gros Ilet are popular and their Carnival season begins soon after Jazz festival into July.

Where to stay: Ladera Hotel offers the prettiest views in my opionion & the restaurant offers really good food.

Trinidad & Tobago - While not the typical or even touristy spot, Trinidad & Tobago offer great cuisine, a Carnival like no other, and beautiful beaches (most being in Tobago). Trinidad has had a recent increase in crime, but this shouldn't deter you if you keep your safety in mind. Don't flaunt a lot of jewelry or cash, & you should be just fine. If you're into nature, Trinidad has a lot to offer with kayaking, fishing, bird watching...an unusual twist to the typical Caribbean vacation, but still worth checking out. Trinidad has a very diverse population (Indian, Chinese, Syrian, Black, Spanish), so there are a lot of festivals & holidays throughout the year celebrating the different cultures within the island.

Where to stay: If you're on a budget, guesthouses are cheap when it's not Carnival season. Alicia's guesthouse is a popular one. There is also the upside-down Hilton and a Crowne Plaza.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines - This is where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed & has beautiful beaches. You can visit here just about any time of the year (as the others). All 3 islands are situated in the Southeastern Caribbean and while there is still a rainy season/hurricane season, they've been pretty lucky to not sustain any real damage. Sail to Mustique & Bequia for more serene beaches...Catamarans are a must on this trip.

St. Maarten - friendly people & beautiful beaches, St. Maarten has a Dutch & French side. The island offers 2 diff worlds in one small place. Carnival time is in late April into early May. Take a hop on over to Anguilla while you're over here. It's a favourite destination of even those that live in the prettiest of islands.

The last two I typically stay with friends, but check out the weblinks provided for a listing of hotels.

Jessica

I go to Puerto Rico every year but i've been to the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and St. Thomas

goodflgirl2k

We went to the Bahamas, there is a town next to Freeport called Lucaya. That was the nicest place, great beaches, nice shops, casino, fabulous cuisine! Beautiful downtown location! http://www.portlucaya.com/
http://reservations.halladazevacations.com/hotel/10015751-11304398O.html?ses=cf69ac0828a0dc398f5b4e29599d8d7a22931ps#MorePicture

oh and the beaches are very private!

ThereseRose

I've been to the Bahamas in Nassau and it was pretty decent. Of course, this was in 1977. I've heard the Sandals resorts are nice if you are a couple. DO NOT GO TO ARUBA!

porthuronbilliam

Lets see. I have visited St. Kitts/Nevis, Antigua, Jamaica, and have briefly seen many others such as the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Dominica, St.Lucia, Puerto Rico, etc. while cruising. As for which one is the nicest, that's like comparing apples to oranges to bananas to etc; they all have their own identity/attraction. St. Lucia is very pretty and is often compared as "the Hawaii of the Caribbean," Dominica was by far the most pristine/undeveloped island I've been to,have great memories of St.Kitts and Antigua, and the Virgin Islands were also very nice and probably more expensive (althou Laura E is correct about St. Lucia and Antigua being pricey too)than the others because they are US/British run (but you don't need a passport if you're a citizen), etc. etc. Although every one of these places is "tourist focused" to some extent, the places that I found to be the most (funny most people want fewer tourists) touristy in the Caribbean are probably Jamaica or, to a lesser extent, the Dominican Republic. Another thought, although it is not what you would consider a Caribbean island, is Cozumel/Cancun (Cozumel is my favorite vacation spot and I think I've convinced 5 different posters on Yahoo Answers that is the place to go; you can check my answers). As to when to go, that is also a good question. I have always gone after hurricane season and before the Summer (between February and April)starts to avoid the excess heat; although temperatures have still ranged from the 70's to the 90's.

laura e

i have been to trinidad, tobago, dominican republic, st lucia, barbados and antigua. they are all very nice. i would say barbados is the most touristy and it shows in the prices. trinidad is the least touristy and the best to get an idea of what its like living in the carribean the cost of living is great so you wont need a lot to spend. st lucia and antiqua are also nice but again a bit pricey. dom rep really good value for money and there is good tours around the island which is relatively poor in places. the best time to visit the carribean is between sep and apr when its the dry season the further south you go like trinidad and tobago the less likely you are of hitting a hurricane as they usually travel north up to florida. hurrican season is usually may -sep.

St.Vincent and the Grenadines is the best island to visit. Not many people know about this small island. It isn't flooded w/ tourist-if you're looking for tourist, Barbados would be a great place to visit. You can take a plane from St. Vincent R/T for $100 US to also visit Barbados.If you want unspoiled nature, black & white sand beaches, see the oldest botanical garden in the western hemisphere, see where Piriates of the Caribbean was filmed, friendly people, good food, best diving & snorkling in the bluest waters and memories for a life time; St. Vincent is the place to visit. The Best place to stay is w/ a host family.They can take you to all the places on the unbeaten paths. You can check with the local RC Church for host families.If you don't like the host family thing-then my Uncles Resort: YOUNG ISLAND is a wonderful place to stay.End of June & the first week of July is the best time to go. WHY? B/C it is carnival time!!! You get to purchase a costume & participate in the festival events. It's great fun! Body paint,people dancing, drinks & food, Queen show, Battle of the Bands-great for couples, single people or Families. Anytime is a great time to visit SVG!Hope to see you this Carnival!!!

Aloha

Even though Aruba, Barbados, St. Marteen, St. Thomas, and the Dominican Republic are beautiful. Puerto Rico is the best. Especially in San Juan, Ponce, Rincon ,Luquillo, etc.(do some research on these cities) there are a lot of tourist-oriented attractions. Also its spectacular scenery will not disappoint you.
Some nice places to stay are: Embassy Suites in Dorado or Isla Verde (very near the main airport); Marriott Courtyard or Hotel San Juan in Isla Verde; Copamarina Hotel in Guanica, Rincon Beach Hotel in Rincon, etc. It all depends in what part of the island you want to stay.But the ones in the Isla Verde Area are the most used by tourist, because they are very close to the Luis MuÃ±oz Marin Airport.

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