Best Island for Discovery/Culture
 

Hi, i was wondering if anyone had any advice on planning a possible trip to the Caribbean (or similar location) during Christmastime? My family and i go away alot but right now we're fresh out of ideas and are taking a few locations (Morocco for one) for a "test run". I was was wondering if anyone had any opinions about the best carribbean island for CULTURAL/NATURAL EXPLORATION. We love Afro-Caribbean culture, food and art as well as snorkling and nature-like activities. If anyone has any advice i would really appreciate it as time is of the essence. Thanks!

St. Vincent and the Grenadines have a Christmas tradition Nine Mornings. Christmas caroling revelry etc. I have been on the island the first and into the second week of December and there is always a celebration or activity of some sort. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to visit during that time. I have participated in the candlelight vigil for peace and the lighting of the national Christmas tree in Kingstown. Bands, dance groups elementary and secondary schools participate with song and dance, petry. Really a wonderful experience.
If you do a google you will find a multitude of websites with info on the country.

Barbados has a rich British-Afro-Caribbean culture, including art and planty of countryside exploring. One of the most "complete" islands around.

Another one that would fit the bill is Dominica. I believe it's one of the rainier islands, so I'd check rainfall averages for Dec. beforehand if that matters to you. Although all that rain made for tons of rainbows and many gorgeous waterfalls.

The best one for you would be Trinidad and Tobago, followed by Jaimaica.

Very low-key and very community-oriented, the Treasure Beach area of Jamaica on its South Coast celebrates
Christmas eve with a gospel concert/tree lighting ceremony/children's parade/church pageants for the 5 villages and their
visitors. Black cake, sorrel punch, gungo pea soup are the holiday favorites. See the community Web site
at http://treasurebeach.net and go the archive, keywording in 400 days previous
and 'Christmas' for photos. The area is country, old-fashioned fishers/farmers
Jamaica with an expat community but no big resorts/AIs/holiday crowds. From wild dolphin searching by boat to Pelican Bar to YS Falls to Little Ochie to Guts River -- there are many fairly
untouristic/natural diversions. And good roadside/cookshop food/beachbar shacks. The area is like going beyond
Fez/Marrakesh/Agadir to Essaouira...

Saba & Montserrat come to mind...You'll not find nicer people in the Caribbean than the Montserratians.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there still a colony of Arawaks in Dominica?

hi, Carrybean. You're in the ballpark--it's Caribs, not Arawaks. As far as I know, there are no living descendants of the original Arawaks or Ciboney/Siboney.

Yes, there are still 'pure' Carib and
Arawak/Taino descendants on Dominica.

Ahhh, I was partly wrong then. Thanks for the correction, Tiv.

Thanks for the info!

How about Puerto Rico? The coast is beautiful and in the interior, there are waterfalls,caves and rainforests. Puerto Rican food and music are fantastic as well!

ejcrowe: I see a sign on one of the villas near our house in Coral Bay, "Ciboney." I thought it was just the family's name. It refers to Arawak? Well, live and learn...

hi, Tux. I'm pretty sure that the Siboneys and the Arawaks were separate tribes, both of them more in the peaceful hunter-gatherer (or in this case, fisher-gatherer) vein than the fiercer Caribs who came later.

Then again, I was also pretty sure that there were no known Arawak or Siboney descendants, and I was wrong about that. :)

Not an island, but Belize has a lot of what you are looking for. Rain forests, wildlife, Mayan ruins, beautiful coral reefs, interesting culture . We visited local Creole and Garifuna communities, and had a wonderful time. Even got to see a jaguar (a rare sighting, I am told).

I would recommend the Andros Beach Club in the Bahamas. It is a secluded Beach House on a nearly private 4 mile beach. You can do all sorts of nature-oriented activities. It is only an hour from Florida yet very pristine and unique.