Looking for recommendations/experiences with Caribbean area for vacation

[AmdEmAll]

Family is going on a vacation beginning of August. Parents in their late 50's, Brother, his 4 year old daughter and me.

Parents haven't been on vacation in years.. want somewhere not crazy expensive but tropical, amazing beaches, water.

I've been to Saint Martin 3 times, and Anguilla twice. Looking for somewhere new though.

We are liking Punta Cana, Dominican Republic & US Virgin Islands so far. Possibly Bahama's?

Post your experiences!

EDIT: They will be flying down from Detroit (DTW) most likely to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and flying out from there.

 

[irishScott]

My GF's sister and her husband went to Aruba for their honeymoon a couple of years ago. They enjoyed it, and apparently it wasn't that costly.

 

[MarkXIX]

Why not try Puerto Rico?

 

[AmdEmAll]

Why not try Puerto Rico?

Not really what they are looking for. A little busy and populated and at least in San Juan.. the beaches are not that nice really. Im sure other parts are much nicer however.

 

[AmdEmAll]

My GF's sister and her husband went to Aruba for their honeymoon a couple of years ago. They enjoyed it, and apparently it wasn't that costly.

Aruba was on the list and has been dropped because its not really "tropical" enough. It is dry and arid according to wiki. I still want to visit it one day though.

 

[Printer Bandit]

go to the place that has the clearest blue water and white sand beaches.

 

[RossMAN]

Grand Cayman, Barbados, Grand Turk or St Kitts

 

[OutHouse]

you have a PM

 

[AmdEmAll]

Grand Cayman, Barbados, Grand Turk or St Kitts

Why one of these over the others?

 

[John Connor]

Grand Caymans? Bermuda? This song should get you started. LOL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP07Oyr7enQ

 

[Scarpozzi]

Look out for Pirates! Watch this and you don't have to spend the money...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLZAejMTZVo

 

[GasX]

Ambergris Caye in Belize or if you want off the beaten track, Cay Caulker, Belize

Safe
English is primary language
Not expensive
2nd largest barrier reef in the world
etc...

 

[Anubis]

Why one of these over the others?

Grand Cayman because everyone speaks English and its the safest of all the Caribbean islands (you are not stuck on the resort)

also in August this is about how populated the beech is (this is the east end of grand cayman in June)

 

[yinan]

Belize was awesome. While not in the Caribbean Bonair was also nice.

 

[purbeast0]

my #1 recommendation would be Turks and Caicos (specifically providenciales). google "Grace Bay" and you will see why it was rated one of the #1 beaches in the world. the island is just completely relaxed and has the best vibe.

my #2 would be aruba. been there twice and would go back there in a heartbeat. i love everything about aruba. there is a lot to do here and partying is there if you want to do that too.

barbados and bahamas also own, as does cancun. the only place i've been in the caribbean that i wouldn't recommend is costa rica. it was okay but nothing special. but i know costa rica is huge and i would probably go back ,just not to the area we went to. it was for a wedding so we didnt' have a choice as to what part of the country we visited.

and about puerto rico... while i've never been there, my coworker who sits right next to me grew up there and moved here like 10 years ago, and he hates it lol. and that's not common for spanish people, they usually have a lot of pride in their countries. he said he would not recommend going there though and would much rather go elsewhere in the carribean.

as for aruba not feeling "topical" enough ... you are crazy. it is extremely tropical. although, it is more of a "desert" than other tropical places with lush forests and what not. but when i think tropical, i think turquoise water and white sand beaches. they don't have palm trees there, but the divi trees are pretty awesome. and there is a constant breeze in aruba so you never feel too hot.

 

[cbrunny]

Don't go to Jamaica. Not worth the money. Lots of better places to go.

 

[mmntech]

I've traveled across the Caribbean. A lot of the islands are six and half a dozen of each other. Here's my thoughts.

My favourite destinations:
Aruba: Yes, it's arid, but there's a lot to do there. Some of the most beautiful beaches and great restaurants, shopping. The nearby reef and sunken ships add plenty of opportunity for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Cuba: Sadly, you guys can't go yet. Which is good for us because it's only loud French Canadians we have to deal with. The people there are super nice, and it's one of the safest islands to travel. Old Havana is a must-visit if you like history.

St Martin: Beautiful island with good shopping and decent beaches. Not much to say about this one.

Grenada: The spice island. If you're looking for tropical, this is it. Also a great culinary experience.

Barbados: Not much to say about this one either. It's the richest island in the Caribbean, but still offers tropical atmosphere if that's your thing.


Least favourite
Antigua: The home to AnyDVD and not much else. People here were very rude.

St Lucia: It's a rundown and impoverished island, that never feels quite safe. Outside the luxury resorts, there's not much to do here.

US Virgin Islands: Nothing particularly wrong with these islands except that they're heavily Americanized. It felt like a trip to Florida.

Neutral
Puerto Rico: Old San Juan is cool to visit but can be done in a day.

St Kitts and Nevis: A quiet spot to visit if you're looking to just veg out for the week. Nothing else beyond that.

Curicao: Like Aruba but not quite as nice as Aruba. Go to Aruba

Bahamas (Nassau): I made the mistake of going during Spring Break. A drunk frat boy tried to steal my hat. I guess that soured my impression of this island. Outside of that, the whole island feels like a giant tourist trap. Go there for Atlantis and nothing else.



Not sure what to pick? I highly recommend a cruise. Lets you see multiple islands, because most of the attractions there can be seen in a day anyway. Stay away from Carnival and Royal Caribbean and look for smaller, more intimate ships. You'll have a better time.

 

[NuclearNed]

US Virgin Islands, from a few years back:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=13163

 

[echo4747]

my #1 recommendation would be Turks and Caicos (specifically providenciales). google "Grace Bay" and you will see why it was rated one of the #1 beaches in the world. the island is just completely relaxed and has the best vibe.

my #2 would be aruba. been there twice and would go back there in a heartbeat. i love everything about aruba. there is a lot to do here and partying is there if you want to do that too.

barbados and bahamas also own, as does cancun. the only place i've been in the caribbean that i wouldn't recommend is costa rica. it was okay but nothing special. but i know costa rica is huge and i would probably go back ,just not to the area we went to. it was for a wedding so we didnt' have a choice as to what part of the country we visited.

and about puerto rico... while i've never been there, my coworker who sits right next to me grew up there and moved here like 10 years ago, and he hates it lol. and that's not common for spanish people, they usually have a lot of pride in their countries. he said he would not recommend going there though and would much rather go elsewhere in the carribean.

as for aruba not feeling "topical" enough ... you are crazy. it is extremely tropical. although, it is more of a "desert" than other tropical places with lush forests and what not. but when i think tropical, i think turquoise water and white sand beaches. they don't have palm trees there, but the divi trees are pretty awesome. and there is a constant breeze in aruba so you never feel too hot.

I haven't been to Turks and Caicos but everyone that I've spoke to raves about it (although its a bit expensive) Been to Aruba many many times I wouldn't cross it off your list. Very nice clean island which is pretty much out of the hurricane/tropical storm paths (keep in mind you are travelling in August) Barbados is also nice too, but I prefer Aruba myself

 

[echo4747]

my #1 recommendation would be Turks and Caicos (specifically providenciales). google "Grace Bay" and you will see why it was rated one of the #1 beaches in the world. the island is just completely relaxed and has the best vibe.

my #2 would be aruba. been there twice and would go back there in a heartbeat. i love everything about aruba. there is a lot to do here and partying is there if you want to do that too.

barbados and bahamas also own, as does cancun. the only place i've been in the caribbean that i wouldn't recommend is costa rica. it was okay but nothing special. but i know costa rica is huge and i would probably go back ,just not to the area we went to. it was for a wedding so we didnt' have a choice as to what part of the country we visited.

and about puerto rico... while i've never been there, my coworker who sits right next to me grew up there and moved here like 10 years ago, and he hates it lol. and that's not common for spanish people, they usually have a lot of pride in their countries. he said he would not recommend going there though and would much rather go elsewhere in the carribean.

as for aruba not feeling "topical" enough ... you are crazy. it is extremely tropical. although, it is more of a "desert" than other tropical places with lush forests and what not. but when i think tropical, i think turquoise water and white sand beaches. they don't have palm trees there, but the divi trees are pretty awesome. and there is a constant breeze in aruba so you never feel too hot.

You are spot on...I haven't been to Turks and Caicos but everyone that I've spoke to raves about it (although its a bit expensive) Been to Aruba many many times I wouldn't cross it off your list. Very nice clean island which is pretty much out of the hurricane/tropical storm paths (keep in mind you are travelling in August) Barbados is also nice too, but I prefer Aruba myself

 

[smackababy]

Don't go to Jamaica. Not worth the money. Lots of better places to go.

I liked Jamaica, even if it was probably not so safe away from the resorts.

 

[echo4747]

One other thing which is kind of nice about Aruba, is that the US customs are right there in Aruba. On your flight back home you will clear US customs in Aruba instead of wherever you first land back in the USA.

 

[smackababy]

One other thing which is kind of nice about Aruba, is that the US customs are right there in Aruba. On your flight back home you will clear US customs in Aruba instead of wherever you first land back in the USA.

2nd best part about Aruba is if you're Dutch, you can make pretty white girls disappear and not have any issues!

 

[Phokus]

Marked 4 later

 

[edro]

The best beaches I have been to were in Saint Thomas (Magens Bay) and Punta Cana (our honeymoon).
The Dominican is cheap too.

A lot of your experience can be based on season and weather. Make sure you check out the optimal beach seasons for each location. Some are terrible during rainy season due to murky choppy water.

Listen to some Marley to get in the mood.