ShariG

My husband & I would like to go to the caribbean in Spring 2008 to celebrate our upcoming anniversary. We have been to Sandals Antigua,and Sandals St. Lucia and had great experiences 10-15 years ago. We went to Sandals Royal Bahamian 5 years ago and was very disappointed in the resort, very worn & not well kept up. We are soured on Sandals now. But we do like the All Inclusive aspect. We have also gone to Aruba in the past and enjoyed that. We are looking to spend 10 days somewhere with a very nice resort, nice pool, nice swimmable beach, good dining options relatively close by,good availability of watersports like windsurfing, kayaking, and water skiing. We would like some nightlife available close by but not necessarily at the resort. We would like to have quiet accomadations available, not with blaring music from a nightclub, etc. I hae been looking @ Anguilla, Barbados, & Bermuda, and haven't found something that jumped out at me. One concern is trying to get a nice beach without the annoying beach vendors, and also avoiding an island that has an abundance of mosquitos. Any suggestions for islands and resorts would be much appreciated!! Thanks so much!

mnag

I think you may enjoy Bermuda. The hotels are great and some have a dining exchange program (dining included in price but you can also dine at restaurants associated with other hotels in the program) that we enjoyed. Very sophisticated vibe. Check out the Reef or Pompano. Pompano had thier own "water sports shop" at the hotel. The only concern is timing. If its march/april water may be a bit cooler since its a bit north of the caribbean. Anguilla is very quiet and don't beleive there is much nighlife other than dining.

Knowing

Like you, we became soured on Sandals, as well. Both Barbados and Bermuda are places to consider, but I would not do an A/I on either one. You would miss out on too much. Both have great hotels.
Barbados is wonderful and has so many things to do. The shopping is delightful. There are many different products some of which are duty free upon presentation of passport. The dining is outstanding.
Bermuda is quiet and I think you would be quiet content there, as well.

Lucky_Dog

I just replied to folks looking for a honeymoon in Jamaica and while I'm online and on a roll, I will include most of my comments below re Jamaica.

I will admit right up front that I am biased in that we own a home in Jamaica. But that also gives me more insight into the island, I think. Our home is at the Tryall Club (which has about 60 villas) and the club offers much luxury. Villas have their own staff and pool (there are one and two bedroom condos that share a large pool and you can choose to have staff or not). Tryall has a gorgeous golf course and tennis courts and a beach. The web site is www.tryallclub.com and you can get plenty of info there about prices etc. Oh and they have some gorgeous weddings there!

Nearby is Round Hill which has hotel rooms and some "cottages" or villas and some with private pools. No golf there, but they have a lovely beach, spa, and tennis.

There are tons of hotels in Negril in various price ranges but I don't think you will find luxury and privacy there. You WILL find loads of sun worshippers and partiers there.

A few miles to the east of Montego Bay is a lovely lovely Ritz Carlton with golf, tennis, the fabulous service Ritz is known for. I don't think you will find a private pool there though.

Near the Ritz is Half Moon which has hotel rooms and some villas/cottages. It has loads of activities from horseback riding, a new spa, croquet, tennis, golf etc.

ShariG

Thank-you all for your suggestions, I appreciate it! I have a couple of questions for Knowing, what resorts or hotels would you recommend on Barbados. It sounds like there's more to do on Barbados than Bermuda from your posting, is that right? Did you rent a car on Barbados? Thanks so much!

girlonthego

I would recommend the Reefs in Bermuda. I would wait until after May 1 for better weather.

Bermuda has nice beaches, good dining usually included in your stay, and a classy atmosphere. There are no beach vendors on the island. Public transit to town is safe and cheap.

Knowing

Hi Shari,
We love the Hilton on Barbados. We loved lazing beside the swimming pools and the expansive beach next to the azure colored ocean. We stayed on one of the executive floors, which means you get a separate living room, two bathrooms, and two balconies. You get a free continental breakfast that includes juices, cereal, yogurt, pastries, meats, coffee. In the afternoon, you get tea and pastries. You also get a nightly social hour complete with hors d'oeuvres (two hot items that change nightly, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers) and a self serve bar. My husband prefers lingering over a leisurely big breakfast of omelets and bacon and sausage, etc. so we were able, for an extra fee, to be able to go downstairs and eat there.
I can promise you peace of mind that you would find plenty to do on Barbados. Plenty of nightly entertainment, as well.
We did not rent a car. They were getting ready for the world cup cricket (we were there in Feb 2007)and road construction was BIG. We found a driver that we thought was special and we organized our time for recreational activities and nature tours, dinners out, etc. and he did a good job. I would have no qualms about renting a car now. In fact, we will be back there again this Feb before we visit Palm Island and I can't wait. We love Barbados!

xkenx

ShariG, Barbados has everything and is a wonderful place. The class act on the island is Coral Reef Club on the upscale and calm water west coast. Family-owned for 50+ years, plantation style low rise bldgs. or cottages on gorgeous grounds and nice beach at the edge of Folkestone Underwater Park. See www.barbados.org and www.coralreefbarbados.com