carol18

Suggestions...want to take my 19 year old daughter to the Caribbean for her winter break from college. We both love the beach, water sports and a little night life. I need very clean Accomadations near the beach...but other than that...we are flexible. I don't want to go to Jamaca or Punt Cana. Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Even who to call to book...would like a good value got the dollar. Thx Carol

RoamsAround

Sorry to sound blunt but there are hundreds, if not thousands, of places in the Caribbean where you can find "very clean accommodations" that are near or on a beach and where you'll find water sports and a little night life. We need a little more help from you in order to narrow down your choices and make meaningful suggestions. So tell us:

1) When will you be traveling?
2) Where will you be traveling from?
3) How long a trip are you planning?
4) What is your budget for airfare, accommodations, food and activities? This is perhaps the most important question so give us a specific dollar range. Terms like "good value for the dollar", "affordable", "not too expensive", etc. are meaningless without a point of reference. By the way, when it comes to costs "winter" is the most expensive time in the Caribbean so getting "good value" for your dollar is going to be relative.

It would also help if you told us why you don't want to go to Jamaica or Punta Cana (which I assume also means you don't want to go anywhere else in the Dominican Republic). Tell us too, what type of activities you enjoy and whether or not you want to visit a large island or a small island.

We'd like to help but need more info from you.

carol18

Jan 3 to Jan 8...didnt want to go to Mexico and Punta Cana because I've been there and didnt love the beaches there as much as St Marteen...spent a summer there a while back and thought the beaches and sea was spectacular. Jamaca sounds too dangerous...I am traveling 2 women and i am going to chill out and relax...dont want to be concerned about crime.
i also wanted a less commercial island.
This morning, I was reading in this forum someone was asking about all inclusives and they recommended a website...caribbean all incluseive...cant find it now.
I booked Grand Pineapple in Antigua...intimate island, beautiful beach, water sports, all inclusive...good value....DID I MAKE A GOOD CHOICE? ANY FEEDBACK?




















i called and booked....The Grand Pineapple...all inclusive in Antigua.
anyone know anything about that resort...it seemed to have a beautiful beach, island and water sports...

would






I c

carol18

http://www.caribbeanallinclusive.com...ve_resorts.cfm

THE LARGEST ASSORTMENT OF ALL INCLUSIVE IN THE CARIBBEAN...

DTAntigua

Grand Pineapple is a good choice. The beach is absolutely beautiful and the island is relative laid back.

HOWEVER there is absolutely no nightlife in the area, except for a small disco, which by all reports doesn't usually have many people.

If you can do without nightlife, its fine, but i'd just like to add that caveat.

If you're looking for a slightly more lively place with budget all inclusive, Halcyon Cove on Dickenson Bay is a good choice. There is music, restaurants and several lively bars, and even a casino. Should be roughly the same prince as Grand Pineapple, if not cheaper.

carol18

Thanks...I am trying To Chang to Halycon Cove...thx for the heads up...greatly appreciated

carol18

The wholesale operator doesn't handle Halycon Cove...I will see if it would not be too expensive to take the penalty

DTAntigua

@Carol, there is also Jolly Beach to consider, which is another fantastic option. Good prices for AI, beautiful stretch of beaches, and lots of bars/restaurants, all in a safe gated area. If you want to travel outside, there are quick buses (betwee $1-2 US per trip) that will get you to several gorgeous beaches only 5-10 minutes drive away, in addition to lots of nice beach bars and restaurants

carol18

Hi...I canceled Grand Pineapple
E...so I can make a new reservation....between Jolly Beach and Halycon Cove...which do you prefer????

carol18

I just booked Jolly Beach...hope it was the right choice

carol18

I booked a car to explore the island...is it a safe island?

Odin

I think you made the right choice for your budget and class of hotel. I stayed at Hawksbill and visited Halcyon Cove which is also a Rex hotel and was very glad we didn't stay there or on Dickenson Bay. I can see there are lots of bars/restaurants in Dickenson Bay and the beach is lovely, but it's crowded with one hotel after the other and the general area is not pretty at all.

Jolly Beach however is really stunning, and for the budget the Jolly Beach Hotel is a good choice but hope you have booked something better than the supersaver room.
As for renting a car, it's perfectly safe to do so and explore the island, its worth going over to the Grand Pineapple area to see the stingrays and Bettys Hope. Jolly Beach hotel is popular with young people and there are alot of restaurants in the hotel to choose from. We went scuba diving with the outfit at the hotel, run by a nice Englishman.

carol18

Odin...thx...do you think an economy car will be adequate to drive around or do I need a 4 wheel drive?

Odin

An economy car is adequate but make sure it's not too battered, we rented a small car but it had no pull at all so swapped it for a small jeep, which was nice but not essential.

carol18

Read some reviews on trip advisor...they kept on mentioning sand flies and mosquitoes. Do you think they are especially worse at Jolly Beach or is it a buggy island? Any thoughts are bug repellents...possibly an effective organic one...please let me know. By the way, thanks everyone for your input, new to Fodors and I don't think I will ever book another trip until I check it out here

DTAntigua

An economy car is fine.

I think Odin gave some great advice. However, the good thing about being on Halcyon is that there is a much quieter beach (which is just as nice) just a few minutes walk away, if you think that Dickenson Bay gets too crowded.

However, Jolly Beach is a great choice, and there are several restaurants and beaches that can easily be reached by a quick bus ride.

An economy car is more than adequate for most areas.

The sandflies/mosquitos aren't worse at Jolly Beach - it's more that people don't seem to understand the schedule of these creatures! Do your best to stay indoors just before and after dusk and dawn - this is when these critters come out. Most people use Off repellent, it seems to work fine. If you DO come out close to dusk/dawn, ensure that you have applied a decent amount of good strength repellent.

My girlfriend has several times - the first time the only bite she got was the day she was leaving! The next time, the only time she was bitten was when we were trying to see the sunset, and we hadn't put on any repellent.

carol18

Thanks Dt