B

and I need suggestions, please. My husband and I are planning an anniversary trip (sans toddler) for our 5th wedding anniversary.<BR><BR>I always see those pics of long stretches of shallow, crystal clear turquoise water where you can wade far out into the water, ankle or knee deep. People's chairs are practically in the water and very few, if any, people around. Hammocks next to the water.<BR><BR>I've heard that the Grand Caymans fit this description, but would like for those of you who have been to give me your 2 cents.<BR><BR>Are there any resorts (located in GC or not) that fit that description - someplace where our drinks would be brought right out to the water? I don't really care if there isn't a big nightlife scene.<BR><BR>Since this is our first trip w/o the baby, we're not necessarily looking for a budget hotel, but are willing to splurge a little.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance for your help!

bolivarez

Doesn't this ring a bell for anyone out there?

susan1

When are you going? That makes a big difference.<BR><BR>From what i've heard, Cayman Island doesn't have any luxury/upscale resorts.<BR><BR>Have you thought of Aruba? They have long stretched beaches where you can walk for miles.<BR><BR>I would suggest the Hyatt or Raddisson in Aruba.<BR><BR>Or possibly The Westin or Caneel Bay in St. John.

bolivarez

We would be going in late January or early February of 2004. My parents are giving us their timeshare slot and we would be swapping it out to stay at the Morrits Tortuga (sp?). Would that make a difference?

Cassandra

For our 25th, we went to St. Martin to the Esmeralda on the northeast coast (Orient Beach) in the French area. Fits the description, but with the caveat that it and the neighboring resort tend to have many European guests who are nudists, although many were not. Didn't bother us, and we liked the hotel, the private pool with our &quot;villa,&quot; and the stellar food in their restaurant. We took side trips over to Marigot and Grand Case (skipped the Dutch part/casinos entirely except for the airport), could have taken a side trip over to Anguilla which is supposed to have the best beaches in the Caribbean (although not much else). Some people raise questions about safety on St. Martin -- we didn't feel &quot;insecure&quot; and the Esmeralda is on gated land. See http://www.orientbeach.com/esmeralda/

kdennie

I have to disagree with susan1. Grand Cayman offers many luxury/ upscale resorts. We have stayed at the Royal Reef Resort twice and found it top notch. It is next to the Morritt's Tortuga Resort which is also very nice. Both are locatd in an area called the East End. It is about a 45 minute ride from 7-mile Beach and the airport. The water is great. Just walk out and begin snorkeling. If you dive, Ocean Frontiers is one of the top rated dive shops in the world. They are located in the East End area and at the Royal Reef. Further down the road is Rum Point. That is where you can spend the entire day on the beach or swinging in a hammock. They have a restaurant, shop, dive shop, restrooms with showers and changing facilities and a snack bar where they can bring you drinks and food all afternoon long. If you go make certain you book a trip to Stingray City where you can feed and swim with the stingrays! Food is a little expensive but we usually bring what we can and visit the grocery before arriving at the resort. I would also recommend renting a vehicle since you are not within walking distance of many activities. The people are friendly, the water is gorgeous and the island, to me, is one of the best in the Caribbean. You won't be disappointed. Hope you have a great trip.

Knowing

I would tell you that at least on 7MB there are no &quot;luxury&quot; hotels - yet. And, of course, GC is not known for their nightlife. When we were at the airport on our way home, we were talking to another couple who had stayed down at Morritt's. They loved it! I didn't ask about the rooms, but they had a lot of good things to say about the resort in general. I think you'd be very happy there.

cindyn

B-- since you'll have to wade thru a sea of info on the web (and not all of it objective), I'd go to local travel agency and grab all the Caribbean brochures you can find to get a general idea of how islands look and lodging costs.<BR><BR>National Geographic Traveler publishes a beautiful guide on the Caribbean with gorgeous pictures and nice overview of islands.<BR><BR>The Caribbean Tourism Organization (formerly Caribbean Coalition for Tourism) publishes a free comprehensive, colorful annual 'Caribbean Vacation Planner' which profiles all the islds and provides basic info, along the lines of a guidebook. You can request the planner: http://www.doitcaribbean.com/info/index.html.en-US<BR><BR>As for your trip-- do you want anything beyond the beaches? e.g. Dominica and St. Lucia are rugged, St. John is very green...Trinidad and Jamaica more culturally lively. I've heard from friends that Anguilla is stunning (Cap Juluca is the resort to be if you want to drop a ton), as well as even some of the remoter islands in the Bahamas. The Caymans happen to be one of the more expensive islds for lodging/ tourist level value. There's good diving and the famous Seven Mile Beach of white sand (which also means bumper to bumper hotels). So you'll have to head to quieter areas. In any case, you'll have fun!

Maureen

The most beautiful beach we've ever seen is in Provo in the Turks and Caicos. The water is incredibly clear and the beaches were not crowded.

meljam

B,<BR>For my anniversary, I took a suggestion from my maid and went to Grenada! WOW! We stayed at La Luna, every cottage is private with it's own plunge pool and the beach has so many blues and greens I could spend all day describing them. laluna.com has the info and pics. The people are warm and friendly and if you rent a car and drive, you can find beaches where you two are the only ones for miles! Have fun!