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For my birthday next month, my husband asked me to pick somewhere I might want to go.
It's so soon - I have less than a month to figure someplace out!
I've posted on the Europe forum, as well as the U.S.
We live near Boston MA, and want somewhere where it doesn't take a whole day to fly to, such as Phuket Thailand, which we love.
My goal is to go somewhere warm, with plenty of charm - interesting avenues, charming archicture - where it's safe to stroll around by myself, taking pictures of anything -
My husband loves to just sit on the beach all day and relax - I'm more into discovery, of markets, boutiques, antique shop after antique shop.
I also love wildlife and wildlife sancturaries - anything having to do with birds or animals.
I don't want to have to depend a lot on a car, so it'd be great to just walk outside our place and have an infinite number of things to see or do.
We aren't much into museums, we do like things happening around us though.
Price range - doesn't matter right now.. just trying to find a destination - my husband is used to fine accommodations, however.
Any destinations you have to offer, I'd be happy to hear about.
Thank you!
Where to go one week mid-April 09, charming, walkable, lots to do?
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Hmmmm. I've been to a lot of Caribbean islands but I don't believe any of them fit the bill completely. The warm weather, great beaches and 4 or 5 star accommodations are easy. It's some of the other things that give me pause. I can't think of one antique shop that I've seen anywhere I've been in the Caribbean but admittedly I don't generally shop for antiques while in that part of the world. There are a few islands where there are wonderful little boutiques and shops but then you have the request of wildlife sanctuaries and not wanting to depend on a car. It's a tall order.
The shopping is good on both sides of St. Maarten/St. Martin, particularly in Marigot on the French side. Great beaches, wonderful restaurants, good people-watching on Orient Beach. There's a butterfly farm on the island but I'm not sure about any other wildlife sanctuaries.
Another possibility is Barbados. The population is large enough that there's a large variety of offerings on the island, plus it has beautiful beaches and some upscale accommodations. I don't know about wildlife.
You'll be able to find wonderful beaches and nice accommodations just about anywhere in the Caribbean. But some islands are flat, dry and scrubby while some are hilly and lush. Not all have any shopping to speak of, such as Anguilla, while some islands are cruise ship magnets largely because of their shopping opportunities. If you want to see wildlife perhaps you should look for an island with a rainforest that you can hike through.
Perhaps a better fit might be someplace in Mexico. Maybe Puerto Vallarta, although I don't know how much wildlife is nearby. But the other things might be.