bon100

I need advice, we want to spend a week's vacation in the Caribbean for our 25th anniversary this June. We like tropical (not arid) scenery, great beaches for swimming, hiking, good snorkeling, decent, clean accomodations, moderate pricing if possible. We are not into the bar scene, crowds, & tourist traps. Any suggestions?

RoamsAround

The dominican Republic and Jamaica are both very lush islands with lots of moderately priced resorts. These two islands are among the most economical destinations in the Caribbean.

You also might want to check out Tortola in the British Virgin Islands - it's hilly with interesting flora and fauna, has terrific golden sand beaches, accomodations in all price ranges and access to some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean.

Other lush islands are St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Lucia. These islands offer everything on your list with the exception of snorkeling which is only fair at best.

bon100

Thank you for all the great suggestions, I will definitely check out Tortola & some of the other islands you've mentioned. We went to Jamaica way back in the 90's & did not have such a good experience. The poverty was overwhelming,(80% unemployment on Jamaica at the time). We encountered so many poor children begging for school clothes/shoes that it broke my heart, especially as we did not bring much with us. We ran into a lot of thievery also. While I'm sure that its improved since then, we are not keen on a return trip.

cm318

Virgin Gorda is a beautiful island with good snorkeling. There are some really fabulous villas for rent -- and I suspect this year you might be able to find a bargain.

We went there last June and loved it. Rented Villa Adagio (direct from the owner) -- here are some pics from our trip:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2809896...7605869744772/

I don't think you can go wrong with Virgin Gorda.

Happy planning.

bon100

Lovely pics cm318, thank you for sharing! The island does indeed look great & that villa w/pool as well.
I will definitely look into renting a villa; we did that on Hawaii's Big island & spent 1 week each in two homes (Kona & Hilo) across the street from the ocean.

virginia

hi bon100, this site lists all the houses on mahoe bay, virgin gorda - where adagio is. i've had my eye on several of them, love open deck, but am headed to grand cayman in a few weeks instead.
http://www.virgingordabvi.com/villas/mahoe-bay/
virgin gorda is, however, one of the more expensive islands to visit.
on tortola you might like long bay beach resort, sugar mill or ft. recovery.
also check out secret harbour beach resort on st. thomas. st. t is a very busy island but secret harbour is an oasis of peace and beauty. good beach, good snorkeling, good onsite restaurant and small beach snack/bar. and red hook is a 10 min taxi ride and has a few small shops and restuarants and the ferry to st. john (20 mins) where you'll find excellent hiking.
and if you're going the villa route then i'd say st. john is optimal for you. gorgeous beaches, excellent snorkeling, low key, great hiking, lush and hilly. tons of villas of all sizes and descriptions.