8-10 days vacation in Caribbean, we would love to hear thoughts!
 

Hi all !

My wife and I live in California and we are planning our honeymoon trip. We would love to hear your thoughts on vacationining in and round the Caribbean.

We're budgeting around 8-10 days. Here is what we would prefer:

- It would be nice to avoid crowded tourist beaches, something a bit more mellow would be preferable
- It would be nice if there were nearby island we could explore. Potentially we would spend 4 days on the first island, and take a ferry to another island for another 4 days
- Great scuba or snorkeling spots would be a bonus

We would be looking for a combination of some relaxation, some exploring, and native culture. 8 days on the same beach would likely be too montonous for us.

We would be going in November, tail end of the hurricane season, will this pose a hurricane threat at all? I know there is no guarantees, but would like to know if this is something I should be worried about.

We really would appreciate any and all suggestions! We've never been and would love to hear your thoughts if you have traveled in the area. Thanks so much!

First off, the later in November you go, the better the odds are you won't encounter a hurricane (the peak time for storms is between the end of August through the end of October/early part of November). Even then, the odds of a major storm affecting a given island during a given 8 to 10 period are small. You can research the frequency for hurricanes on sandy given island at: www.stormcarib.com - use the "Climatology link at the top left of the Home Page and select "Hits & Misses", scroll down and click on the island you are interested in visiting. you'll be directed to a chart showing the dates and intensity of every hurricane/tropical storm to affect that island since 1851. Study the data and you'll see just how few hurricanes there are in November.

Second, if you travel in early November you won't encounter any crowds no matter where you go. Thanksgiving Week will attract more people (especially families) so factor that into your timing.

If scuba and snorkeling are high priorities consider visiting the US and/or British Virgin Islands. They offer some of the best diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean plus the islands are linked by a series of ferries making it very easy to travel between almost a dozen different islands. For laid back islands in this grouping look at St. John in the USVI's and Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke or Anegada in the BVI's.

Grand Cayman offers some great diving and snorkeling but it's a little difficult to reach other nearby islands (Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) which are not all that different from Grand Cayman.

Another close grouping of islands would be St. Martin (fairly populated), Anguilla (very quiet) and St. Bart's (very French). Snorkeling/Scuba on these
islands is OK but not as good as in the VI's of Caymans.

If you are looking for "Old World Caribbean" charm consider visiting the sister islands of St. Kitts and Nevis (they are only a few miles apart) Dense rainforests, old ruins, dormant volcanos, hidden waterfalls, scores of hiking trails, and a rich history make visiting these islands a unique experience. Scuba and snorkeling is not a strong suit on either island but if you are content with one or two dives and below average snorkeling then you'll be fine.

Lastly, look at Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua has a long British history dating back to Admiral Nelson and the island boasts 365 beaches. Barbuda is a short plane hop away and boasts miles upon miles upon miles of deserted beaches.

One last comment, getting to the Caribbean from California is a bit of a trek and most likely will require one or two connecting flights and perhaps an overnight stopover while on route to your final destination. Airfares will not be inexpensive.

I would add to RoamsAround's list of St Martin-St Bart's-Anguilla the island of Saba. Not a great beach island, but wonderful scuba and good hiking. A St Martin-St Bart's-Saba trip would give you three very different experiences.

Definitely consider staying in the Rodney Bay area of St. Lucia. From there you can take a catamaran excursion to the French island of Martinique.

St. Lucia is awesome. Try www.vrbo.Com for a wide choice of private accommodation.

Good luck.

Aruba is beautiful...so is Turks & Caicos