Caribbean in January (coming from L.A.)

Old Nov 11th, 2008, 03:07 PM
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Caribbean in January (coming from L.A.)

I'm planning a trip for my mother and I that would be for 5-7 days in early January. She is 74 but moderately active. Where should we go? Here's the criteria:

* beautiful beaches
* reasonable chance of good weather
* island culture and/or historical points of interest
* would like to avoid a painfully long flight if I can help it, although I'm resigned to the fact that anywhere in the Caribbean will not be a short flight for us since we live in L.A.

We have been to Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Bart's and Cancun, and would prefer to try someplace new.

Please help, and thanks!
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Old Nov 12th, 2008, 02:46 AM
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You can fly non-stop LA to Jamaica. In Ocho Rios, there is Jamaica Inn, a charming, family-owned-for-50+ years small hotel, Jamaica Inn. No place gets better reviews from travelers. Private beach.
Also, you can fly nonstop to Miami, then nonstop to Barbados, an interesting and varied island. Lovely people, great sightseeing, including plantation houses, gardens, cave, history. You'll need maximum time there.
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Old Nov 14th, 2008, 05:31 PM
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Thanks so much for your suggestions! I have been reading a bit about Grenada, how do you think it compares to Barbados?
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Old Nov 14th, 2008, 05:44 PM
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Hi rem1970,

It's no secret, I am a big fan of Grenada!

Beautiful beaches - check
Good weather in January - check
Island culture - check
Long flight - sorry, this is the drawback

Grenada is beautiful, not yet built up like other islands. It has a strong caribbean culture and Grenadians are among the friendliest people we have ever met. I Grenada. It's a much slower pace than Barbados.

If you want to see photos and trip reports from our trips, I would be glad to share.
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Old Nov 15th, 2008, 09:16 AM
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As already noted, Air Jamaica is a non-stop option from LAX, otherwise you'll be connecting over (most likely) MIA or DFW.

Distance wise, the closest islands to the West Coast are Cayman and Jamaica... to take two Eastern Caribbean Islands you noted (Grenada and Barbados), you are adding at least 2-3 hours travel time.
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Old Nov 17th, 2008, 02:21 PM
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Barbados has relaxing sandy beaches and ultra blue water.
Many culture/historical points of interest: The Sunbury Plantation House is a colonial mansion that has been fully-restored and is open to the public. It allows visitors to step back in time to see what a wealthy plantation house was like first-hand. Gun Hill Signal Station and St Nicholas Abbey are also worth seeing.
The L'Azure restaurant at the Crane serves sumptuous seafood and is located on an oceanfront cliff. Other great places to eat include The Tides, The Cliff, Daphne's, Fish Pot, the Restaurant at Southseas, Champers and Pisces.
In the evening, the Harbour Lights show is worth seeing for the culture and music.
The weather is good year round.
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Old Nov 26th, 2008, 02:03 PM
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Thanks so much for the great info everyone. Mymoosie, I would love to see photos and trip reports, and also get suggestions from you about where to stay and what to do while in Grenada. The flight schedule to Grenada seems slightly more humane than the one to Barbados,

But Barbados is still a place on my must-see list, so I am grateful for the suggestions.
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