Which island for a proposal?

Hi Philly!I am Tropicaldreamer2 from the Tripadvisor site.(I used my name on this site.)You should get some good advice on this forum.

I see that you find St John to be too expensive..maybe look into Negril,Jamaica.The Beachcomber looks really nice and is on a nice long stretch of beach.I believe that it is around $150 a night.

If you are interested in Negril...here is a website to check out www.negril.com

Philly:
Sorry to confuse you but I just noticed that you want to try snorkeling.I know that it is wonderful in St John and the beaches are calm..which is also what you prefer.

You could always rent a villa on St John.Did you ever check out the website that I gave you on the other forum?Just in case..here are some more.

www.caribbeanvilla.com
www.caribbeanway.com
www.seaviewhomes.com

Also would you prefer an island that is flat or mountainous??St John is lush and mountainous..Aruba is the opposite.Good luck and I am sure that you will get some good advice on this forum.I like it better than Tripadvisor

Philly:
I just checked..found a few villas on St John some with a pool or jaquzzi or both for around &1200-1500 for a week in June.They were on the caribbeanvilla website.I think those prices will be cheaper than Gallows Point that I recommended on Tripadvisor.
Again..good luck!

Hello Tropicaldreamer2!

Thanks for the suggestions. This is driving me nuts, every island looks so great it's impossible to pick. As far as flat or mountainous, it doesn't make too much of a difference. It would certainly be nice to see forests and waterfalls, but not a requirement.

What are the advantages to renting a villa as opposed to staying at a resort? (aside from the extra privacy). It seems like we'd have to rent a car for the week doing that, especially on St John.

Negril looks like a good choice for the price. Isn't Jamaica considered a "dangerous" island to visit, though?

I can tell this is going to be extremely tough choosing with all the different options and prices.

Bucuti Beach would be ideal for you both.

We stayed there last June and it was such a wonderfully relaxing vacation.

I could rave on and on about this hotel but I suggest you check out the reviews on Tripadvisor, they are renovating the older rooms this year.

www.bucuti.com

Expedia is showing a rate of $175 per night, so a 7 night stay would be $1478.

Let us know where you decide to visit.

BTW, I also suggest Idle Awhile in Negril - wonderful place and when we visited in May we felt very safe even late at night walking back along the beach

Try the Mayan Riviera area of Mexico. I can personally recommend the Barcelo Maya all-inclusive resort. There is good snorkelling right at the resort and there is so much to do or not to do at the resort. It has one of the best discos in the area and one of the best theatre in the area that is included. It is your choice. The Barcelo Maya has one of the best beaches in the area that is almost 2 miles long and is quite private and cool white sand and calm clear turquoise water.

I would not worry about hurricanes too much in June. The height of hurricane season in Caribbean or Mexico is September and the further you move away from that month, the less likely you are to have one. Not saying it couldn't happen, but the chances are less likely.

We have been 3 times now to the Barcelo Maya resort at the end of June to the beginning of July and have wonderful weather, although it is hot, but then all of the Caribbean would be hot in June.

All inclusive is basically your most cost effective way to do the Caribbean and drinks and food can be expensive in the Caribbean. With all inclusive also included is non-motorized water sports and some all inclusives motorized water sports are included, sports equipment is included as well as activities if you want and entertainment and most times snorkeling and even diving lessons are included. Each all inclusive resort is different in what they include so read the travel brochures or on line sites for the resort. Also, all you can eat or drink (both alcoholic and non alcoholic). Most all inclusives have at least a couple of ala carte restaurants that are included during your stay. Most all inclusives include tipping, but we usually tip to those who are very good to us, but it is not required. There are some very good all-inclusive resorts in this area of Mexico. Also, with all inclusive you will basically know what your vacation will cost before you go away and there will not be any big surprises on your hotel bill at the end of your stay, so it makes it easier to plan. If you want you can still go out for that special dinner once or twice during your stay and you are not tied to your resort as some would have you believe. Check out my second reply on the Aruba tripadvisor forum regarding how to get a great sell-off. It is cheaper than some other Caribbean destinations and the Barcelo Maya is very good value for the dollar.

Another destination to consider if you are watching your dollars is Punta Cana. The beach there is outstanding, but there is not much to do off the resort, and you must be very careful of the drinking water in Punta Cana and must drink and brush teeth with bottled water. The Mayan Riviera of Mexico is more forgiving and we usually brush our teeth with tap water and drink bottled water simply because the water taste better and we have never gotten sick. Most of the newer resorts in the Mayan Riviera have water purifications systems on site. There is a lot of culture and history in Mexico.

I found Aruba very commercialized/Americanized with almost every American fast food chain, a couple of American restuarants such as Hooters and Tony Romas, lots of highrises on the beach and personally I felt like I was on a beach in Florida with a Arizona landscape.

Some of the outislands in the Bahamas would also work for you and your budget and the beaches are amazing there.

June will be HOT so bring lots of sunscreen.

I would suggest heading to a local travel agent, because they can offer you package deals that we would not know about. I would also tell them your plans for the trip and maybe the hotel will throw in some special things because it is a special trip.

All that said here are a couple of places you might want to check.

www.where2stay.com will list LOTS of islands, resorts and give you pricing for high and low season.

www.romorabay.com is a favorite place of mine. The accomodations are cute villas overlooking the bay, great food there and they will make it special, probably with a bottle of champagne.

Food in the carribean is expensive, because it has to be shipped in, and most of it is not locally grown, so figure that in your budget.

Some of the outisland, though the pricing on restaurants in not that much higher.

Harbour Island is pretty easy to get to, you can fly directly into Nassau either take the Fast Ferry over (very romantic trip) or a 15 minute flight.

There are also fun places for the evening and walking on the beach at night is very beautiful.

Hope this helps have a wonderful time.

That is so romantic!!! Christie has given you some good sites on St. John. It can be done on a budget. Do you have a range? If you give us a range, we could give you even more suggestions. Also look at Caribbeandays.com. They list some cute little condos near Cruz Bay. They also average about $125/night so are also pretty economical.

Philly:
The advantages of renting a villa are that you can save money buying food and preparing maybe breakfast and lunch at the villa.That's what we did and ate dinner out.You also will have alot more privacy.

We basically packed a cooler with sandwiches for lunch as we were out exploring most of the day.

Most villas have coolers,lounge chairs and towels that you can use for the beach.If you rent a villa check with the company to see if they are included.

Here is a nice cottage..not sure of the price but you could call and ask.Its a 5 minute walk to Francis bay which is a nice beach. www.stjohnusvi.org/new_page_2.htm after you get to this site click on "Honeymoon Cottage" it is fully AC which is needed in St John in June and looks very nice and private.

Philly:
Forget that I ever recommended Beachcomber in Negril...it got very bad reviews.Marion on this board pointed that out to me.(thank god!)

If you are considering Negril(but hopefully St John ) check out Idle Awhile or Couples resorts.

ttt

I vote for Isla Mujeres, in Mexico with Playa del Carmen a close second and Akumal a distant third.

(All three are easy to get to from Cancun.)

They all three have what you want.

Good luck and congrats!

christiegr:
I love the idea of the villa, I'll definitely start looking at those sites you gave me for prices. How much are groceries on the island, like sandwich fixings, cereal, etc? And how much are restaurants for dinner? Also what should I expect to pay for a jeep rental? I'm trying to gauge how much it will cost in total to visit St. John. Even if we don't do that this time it sounds like something I definitely want to do in the future.

wantsomesun:
Good suggestion with the bahamas. Airfare is a lot cheaper there than most other places so I'll check it out, thanks.

Tuxedocat:
My hope is to pay no more than $2500. I may cut the trip down to 4 nights to make this possible.

Mexico is very tempting, since it's so much cheaper, but I feel like it's lacking in the romantic feel of a caribbean island.

Also how would you all rate the sun on these islands in June compared to Florida's sun in July (around Tampa?) My girlfriend is a redhead, very fair skin, but she does OK in Florida using a lot of SPF 50.

I agree that Mexico is not as romantic if you want a traditionally-exotic island with the lush hilly scenery.

The romantic villa suggestion is perfect as long as you don't expect her to cook!

We have stayed in a villa on several occasions, and you can't beat the privacy and feeling like you are the only two people in the world.

Try to get one with a pool and that is out of the view of others. Romance abounds!

If you are looking for a house rental, I can suggest Island Realty on Harbour Island, they list all the houses on island and again you are talking off season so the pricing would be excellent.

If you don't know the outislands, Harbour Island was voted the #1 destination in the carribean by the Travel Channel, it looks very romantic, lots of homes dating back to the late 1700's, sort of a carribean Martha's Vineyard.

I'm a redhead and VERY fair, so I understand and using sun screen all the time I have not gotten burned, but don't go out in the hottest part of the day.

A nice thing about HI is you don't need to rent a car, everything is walkable, since the island is only 3 miles long by half a mile wide.

You might enjoy Timothy Beach Resort in St. Kitts. www.timothybeach.com

Located on the beach (Caribbean side), great place to lime with the locals, lots of great beach bars. Amazing sunsets.

For more information on the island visit www.islandimage.com

Philly:
You could easily do dinner for about $50 since you stated that you both do not do apps.,desserts or drink much.If you end up on St John do another post for restaurant recommendations and we will be glad to assist.

For jeep rentals..I think that it would be around $300 for a week.I'm not sure about the smaller jeeps as we had to rent a Montero (the largest rental they had)we had 6 in our group.We used Delbert Hill the number is: 340-776-6637 (St John is part of the US so rates are same as other long distance.We have AT&T and it's .07 cents a minute.)I would ask for the best price on a rental for 2.

Groceries are usually about 25-40% more than at home.

As for the sun wear 50 sunblock and you and her should be fine.

If you go to Aruba..it is closer to the equator and has tradewinds so you could be getting burned and not even know it.Wear ALOT of sunblock.My husband and I got sunburned in Aruba because it's hard to feel the sun with the tradewinds.

Any more questions...just ask.
Christie

HI Philly, this is a very sweet idea. I have been to Aruba and the weather is generally the same year round-Hot and sunny!! The beaches have the white sand and the water is turquoise green. It is somewhat americanized, but I also thought it was a safe island(we weren't hanging out all night at the bars). We stayed at the Marriott. The Bucuti is a great hotel for couples. Children are discouraged. There are so many choices that can be economical there. The food choices can be very economical (the beauty of being somewhat americanized.). Then you can pick a couple of nights to have nice dinners and some cheap ones too. Go to aruba-bb.com It is a bulletin board that you can read all about Aruba. People there are Aruba lovers. They can recommend the best place for your money, etc...
Have fun proposing.

wantsomesun: The out islands look really nice but somewhat pricey. Luckily I can get really cheap flights from southwest from Philly to Ft Lauderdale, but I think I might choose a location that's easier to get to for our first trip (i'd hate to miss a flight or something due to delays, when dealing with 2 different airlines). Thanks for the suggestion though! I'm going to keep all of this info compiled for the future and helping other people out.

lizpereira: wow! St. Kitts is pretty cheap, airfare from NYC is only $400, or $480 from Philly. And Timothy Beach Resort has its cheapest room at $120 a night in winter too. Why's it so much cheaper than other islands? I noticed that some people said the beach wasn't as good as St John, but from the pictures it still looks very beautiful. Thanks for the suggestion, this might work out very well.

christiegr: Thanks for all the pirce info, that will really help with my planning. The wind is one thing that kind of turns me off from Aruba - I don't mind it being a 'desert' island as we'd spend most of the time at the beach, but constant strong wind could get old, and my girlfriend has long hair too. Also getting a horrible sunburn early on could be bad.

girlonthego: Thanks for the feedback about Aruba. We may very well end up there due to the price and how easy it would be, and all the good things I hear about Bucuti.

Wind was a big concern of mine, but it was just a constant breeze. It was never overwhelming at all and I hate a windy place. The Marriott is at the end of the strip and I believe it is calmer down there. The Wyndam hotel juts out and seems windier. If that makes any sense. And anywhere you go in the caribbean will be very strong sun. So, bring lots of sunscreen no matter where you go... Oh and because of the constant breeze, you have less bugs(mosquitos). I never saw any bugs. There are a ton of Iguanas so maybe they eat their share too!!

We have travelled a fair amount in the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida and never felt the sun as strong as in Aruba. If you do choose to go to Aruba, take tons of strong sunscreen and repeat applications often. Don't forget ears, top of feet and places you might forget.

Aruba sun is so strong because it is so close to the Equator and because of the wind you won't notice you are getting burned, so be very careful.

I am fair skinned and irish. I did not get burned in Aruba because I was careful. I was also careful with my kids. I got fried in Puerto Rico many years ago on a cloudy day. Yes, the sun is strong in Aruba. Good common sense rules. My husband (who normally tans) burned because he only put on number 8. He put on 40/50 after that. I would use precautions on all of the islands especially if you are fair.

Philly:
Please make sure to let us know where you end up going.

Also a trip report posted when you return would be nice..I am interested in how your 1st trip to the Caribbean will be and if she accepts the proposal. Again..good luck and you just might find that special place for your honeymoon oneday.

St. Kitts is cheap in low season. Avoid Xmas and March Break. It is not as expensive as the more touristy islands. St. Kitts is the caribbean's best kept secret!

I think you and your girlfriend will love it.

There also lots to see and do. Visit historical Brimstone Hill Fortress, sunset catamaran cruise, snorkeling, golf, rainforest tours, diving or a day trip to sister island of Nevis.

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

Another website is www.myislands.myeyez.net

Philly:
I'll bet that by now...you are getting really confused.Good luck with the research.I can only keep recommending St John if it's affordable for you.If not,really look at Negril Jamaica..I have found some very good rates.For 2 in Oct/Nov for air and hotel $1150 total for 2 this is at Cocolapalm Resort.(we are going there during that time frame)I would think that March or June would be close to the same prices.Good luck!!

Wonder where Philly is?

Hi Phillyyo - T&C would be my recommendation. We've been twice in June and never had an issue with bugs. Grace Bay is incredible and you can snorkel straight off of the beach in many spots. It also has it's share of condo resorts so you can have a kitchen to shop and prepare some meals to save on $$. The sunsets are breathtaking and would be a wonderful place to propose. Good luck with your research and choice. :0)

christiegr: I'm still here, my girlfriend's been over so I've had to avoid looking at any conspicuous sites. I'll be sure to let you know my choice, I'll have to decide by November since I'm going to surprise her with the trip for her birthday (another way to throw her off on the purpose of the trip!)

I don't know what your budget is, but here's an idea:
In Turks and Caicos, you can do a secluded picnic on a beach all to yourself!!! The excursion company will actually set a table on the shore (in the water) and leave you with food, cooler with drinks, and cell phone. Can't get more romantic than that!!! (and that water is to die for, so turqouise and clear)

Blamona,
Thanks for running off the troll (zipthewhatsit)I think that your post may have helped.

Philly,
Your girlfriend is lucky to have a romantic guy like you.

Philly,
Here is a website that shows pictures of the beaches in St John.http://www.vinow.com/stjohn/beaches_stj/
Enjoy!

blamona - great idea! I didn't think of that when I recommended T&C. The area they leave you (Pine Cay) is absolutely gorgeous and you really do feel like castaways. What a romantic setting for a proposal!

blamona: That's an awesome idea, I actually read a post on tripadvisor from a guy who did just that. That would be a perfect way to propose. I think right now my choices are between T&C and St Kitts, but having seen pictures from T&C (my uncle had his honeymoon there) I am heavily leaning that way...the beaches are incredible.

phillyyo...don't you just love a bunch of women answering your post? grin... you are such a romantic, i think. your girlfriend is very lucky! aruba is nice, but americanized. st. kitts and nevis are my favorites....awesome island experience. if you guys don't drink or eat much, it is affordable. i can't wait to hear what you decide. i have just gotten back from a weekend in new york city, and i am missing this board!

We honeymooned at the Grand Palladium in the Rivieria Maya, MX. It is highly recommended!! Beautiful!! You could pop the question at Tulum! The ancient ruin just about fifteen mins. south of the Grand Palladium and very beautiful!! Xel-Ha is a wonderful place to snorkel and it is also close! Don't stay at the Sunscape, Riviera Maya. We had a horrible experience there! My favorite island in the Caribbean is St. Lucia. It is lush, tropical rainforest. To give you a specific beach or area I can't. We were there off of a cruise ship. It is just beautiful everywhere!!!!!!!!! Good Luck...

I have pretty much decided on T&C. It has the beautiful beaches, the Sibonne hotel is the basic, cheap place I was looking for as well (who needs a nice pool with that amazing sea?) I really love the idea of the day trip to the secluded beach, it'll be a perfect opportunity. And I've even seen some cheap airfares to Provo out of Philly, so I'll be watching those daily.

Thanks to everyone for all of the great suggestions, it's been very helfpul. Hopefully we'll be fortunate enough to visit all of the places everyone suggested at some point in the future. I'll be sure to give my report afterwards - I'm likely going to make it a March trip so it won't be too far away.

Philly,
Glad to hear that you have found a place.Good luck with the proposal.And I look forward to the trip report!

Phillyyo: for your secluded beach trip, look into JBTours.com and Silverdeep.com. The pictures are really what the beaches look like!!!
If you're on a college budget, I can also give you other ideas to save you money there. (ex. where some private beaches are so you can set up your own picnic, and where the reasonable places are to eat, like Tiki Hut )
Good luck!
Christie, your welcome about the troll

blamona: Please do give me all your suggestions! We're both pretty frugal and wouldn't enjoy spending a ton of money on dinner. I plan to get sandwich fixings and do that for lunch, and eat at reasonable restaurants at night (maybe 1 or 2 really nice places as a treat).

phillyyo: I must warn you it's an expensive island, but here are some tricks:
thegecko.tc
Tikihuttci.com (check out menu and prices, really cool place)
thesandsresort.com, then click on resort, then click on Hemmingways, then click on current menu. One of my favs, on a deck on the beach.
The Gecko shuttle now goes to IGA supermarket, where you can get sandwiches and such.
Across the street from the Sands and Sibonne is Saltmills Plaza, with a cafe, some restaurants, and next to that is Danny Bouoys, a pub.
If you are at least 25, you can rent a car a couple of days, in the $30-$60 range per day. Look at tciway.tc and click on autos for all the different car rentals and prices. You can drive down to Pelican beach and practacally have the beach to yourselves, just make sure you take a picnic!! Also picnic at Sapodilla Bay and see Chaulk Sound on the way. The water on Chaulk Sound is so turqouise it GLOWS!!
WhereWhenHow.com is also a good source for info, plus when you land, pick up that magazine for free (anywhere on the island) it will info for everything.
and have fun!

Good choice, phillyyo - I think you will love T&C and I know your girlfriend will be blown away with how much thought you've put in to the proposal. Best of luck!

Phillyyo: after she said yes, you should print this post and give it to her!!!

haha great idea

Great idea! If I was her and read the forum and all the research you did, I'd be blown away. Not to be read at "the moment" of course, but later. Reminds me of that show "Perfect Proposal" on TLC. Yeah, it's a "chick" show.

She loves all those TLC shows

This whole plan stems from the not-so-subtle comments she makes while watching all those TLC wedding shows. Even though we've discussed getting married and we both know we're going to get married some time after we graduate, she's made it clear that she wants a 'real proposal'. Hopefully this will be real enough for her (I would want to do something like this anyway, and the best part is I doubt she'd ever expect me to do something this elaborate!)

Best of luck!!! Can't believe we have to wait til next year for your trip report. Be sure to post. You are going to be busting at the seams to finally let your secret out when the time comes. When is the birthday?

I know, it's going to be tough keeping it secret. She's rather nosy at times so I'm having to be very careful. Her birthday is in mid Nov so by then, even if I haven't bought the tickets/made reservations then at least I'll be able to tell her about the trip (disguised as a birthday present of course.) I was thinking of dropping clues for her in her apartment before hand, like a snorkel, flip flops, sunglasses, beach towel etc.

Philly,
Dropping clues sounds like a great idea!