Caribbean Island Like Phuket, Thailand?
 

My fiance and I had the pleasure of staying in Phuket, Thailand before the tsunami, and now we are looking to replicate the trip for our honeymoon but this a lot closer to home. It was over 24 hours in either airplanes or airports getting back to our home in Nashville. We would be going to South Pacific if it weren't for the long travel time involved. We'd like to go somewhere that has a direct flight from Miami.

We loved Phuket, for several reasons:

1. The resort was incredible - Le Meridien on the beach and yet only $90 a night!!!
2. The resort was clean and safe, yet you had the feeling of adventure everytime you left the hotel.
3. Shopping - we hate to admit it but we LOVED the incredible designer ripoffs in Thailand - getting a pair of Diesel jeans tailored for you for less than twenty bucks!
4. Possibility of daily excursions - we took the day trip to Phi Phi Islands... The most beautiful place I have ever seen.
5. Prices - everything was really reasonably priced.
6. Restaurant choices - we had been halfway around the world for almost 10 days and started to get sick of "exotic" food and we were happy to have the choice of KFC and McDonald's. Sad, I know, but we are more adventurous in areas other than the culinary.
7. Lots to do. No shortage of actitivies, and if we wanted to go to the next beach then a tuk-tuk ride was just like $2.

So are we going to be sorely disappointed when we go to the Caribbean? Neither of us have been to the Caribbean before (except for a short trip to Puerto Rico for me). I want to go to an island with choices of activities and restaurants but we don't want it to be overly touristy or overrun with little kids (it is our honeymoon after all!). And although we don't want it to be like South Beach, we would love the shopping choices that it has, and would love to have just a few nightlife choices as well.

I hope I have provided a little challenge to the Carib experts out there. I was dead set on going to Iceland for our honeymoon but finally decided to save that for my birthday next year. So from one extreme to another!

Also if it helps - we are going in mid-July. We would prefer an island that's not unbearably hot.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I also meant to note that we'd rather not go somewhere with a stuffy dress code. We are both 25 and really casual. My fiancee doesn't own a pair of khakis - just not his style. We would like to be able to wear jeans or shorts and not feel out of place.

I've been looking at the resorts on Mustique - definitely our style but just seems so hard to get there. Also seems pretty dead at night and no shopping.

Mustique does not have what you're looking for.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but the Caribbean does not have what you're looking for.
I have been to Phuket. It's exotic and cheap.
The Caribbean is a very expensive destination. And not really a shopping mecca per say. Caribbean is COMPLETELY different from Phuket. Food is extremely expensive, even on the islands that you find KFC.
the place that comes closest to your list, (and is nothing like Phuket) would be Mexico. Pyramids to see, lots of water activities, good cheap food, American chain restaurants, pretty resorts. (They do cost more than Phuket)
Having said all this, I love the Caribbean way more than Phuket.

No, not too harsh, that is the information I am looking for.

Although, the expense is not an issue. This is our honeymoon and we are prepared to spend a good amount of money on it. I guess my main concern is that we will be bored. I know that the first two or three days, we'd just like to relax but after that we'd like to have a choice of excursions and activities... Just a trip to a neighboring island is good to have as a choice just in case.

We love the super modern resorts... And as silly as it sounds, a really nice bed is important too. I am looking at Carlisle Bay in Antigua right now. We are fine with seclusion as long as we can have a rental car and get out a few times if the resort food is either too expensive, too frou frou, or we just want to get away for a bit.

Thanks for your advice. Since I have never been to the Caribbean, I am still just gathering lots of information and I am not giving up on it yet as it is the closest place to home... and I hate long flights.

I don't like saying this but it will be difficult for to find what you want in the Caribbean. Mustique was mentioned, this is probably the most upscale expensive island you could find. Beautiful island unfortunately doesn't fit tyour need. St. Barts maybe, but no KFC etc. St. Maartenn/St. Martin might be worth doing some research. Good luck.

I agree with Blamona on everything said. I also have been to Phuket which is wonderful, but not like the Caribbean. Since you are looking for something like Phuket, I don't have any suggestions. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Owa

While nothing in the Caribbean can replicate your trip to Thailand, I think you might be able to find at least some of what you're looking for in Grenada. Here are some of the highlights:

- Except for the cost of the airplane flight to get there, Grenada can be very reasonably priced. You can find a place to stay for under $100/night, especially in July, but some of the higher end spots (LaLuna, Bel Air Plantation, Spice Island) will cost significantly more.

- The topography is very mountainous and lush, with waterfalls, rain forest, a crater lake, sulfur springs, etc. to explore. Lots of opportunities for hiking and exploration, and I understand that there is now even a river tubing excursion.

- The beaches are varied and beautiful. There is the classic miles-long white strand at Grand Anse. Yet one of my favorites is a grey-sand (volcanic) palm-fringed gem called La Sagesse which conjures up visions of the South Pacific. Plenty of others to choose from as well.

- A wide variety of interesting local cuisine. Unlike many of the Caribbean islands where most food is shipped in from North or South America (and is correspondingly mediocre and expensive), a good bit of the food on Grenada is grown locally. Some of it is familiar, and some isn't. Spices and fruit grow riot on the hillsides, though the nutmeg trees were decimated by Hurricane Ivan. You can have a flying fish sandwich on the beach, or a roti in town, for under $10; you can have a gorgeous lobster dinner on the beach for under $30; or you can splurge on gourmet dining as well. I think there is a KFC on the island, and I'm sure there is a Chinese place as well as pizza if you're looking for the familiar.

- While shopping is not the attraction in Grenada, the town of St. George's has one of the most interesting and vibrant markets in the Caribbean. You'll find mostly local products and work here -- spices, locally-made chocolate (from locally grown cocoa beans), local rum, cosmetics, local batiks. You'll be amazed at what can be made from nutmeg!

- Grenadians are among the nicest, friendliest people you'll ever meet. Greet them with a pleasant good morning and you'll be rewarded in kind.

- Because of it's proximity to the equator, Grenada's weather doesn't change appreciably with the season. The next few days' forecast (I'm checking because I leave for my 4th visit soon) calls for highs of 80-82 and lows of 78 with as steady easterly breeze of about 12-15 knots. Add a degree or two to the temperature, and deduct a few knots from the wind speed (while adding a slight southerly component) and you'll have your July forecast.

- Grenada is outside of the hurricane belt, something you should consider for a July honeymoon. Being out of the hurricane belt is, of course, no guarantee, as 2004's freak Hurricane Ivan reminded all of us, but it certainly improves your odds. I don't travel anywhere in the West Indies from June through November without having bought trip interruption insurance.

- Grenada is largely off the beaten tourist path, though it is not completely remote. You won't see high rise hotels or time share hawkers here; by the same token, you won't see much in the way of duty free shopping either. Cruise ships do call in Grenada, but they tend to be the smaller ships and don't seem to have as large an impact as they do elsewhere.

For more information about Grenada, visit www.grenadaexplorer.com.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage, and good luck planning your honeymoon!

Nothing in Caribbean comes close to Phuket. Some of your requirements could be found in St. Martin. Big shopping districts in Marigot(French side) and in Philipsburg(Dutch side),a lot of night life,possible trips to near by islands, very nice beaches, gormet and casual dining,casinos and water sports. Not very lush or exotic, modernized. most of the resorts DO NOT come close to Ritz-Four Seasons level, most wouldn't even compete with Hayatt or Sheraton, mostly time shares with few small privetely owned hotels with no full services, but mostly nice.
Hope this helps.

St.Martin is probably as close as you can get to your requirements...there's the option of a daytrip by ferry to Anguilla or split your stay between the 2 islands. Anguilla is renowned for it's beaches and St.Martin has the commercialised atmosphere, nightlife (including a casino) and food options you want

St. Thomas fits your bill pretty nicely. You can still get some very reasonable rentals there as well as posh resorts like the Ritz-Carlton. Tons of shopping. KFC and Micky-D's, and other cheaper food options. You explore the island and other nearby islands (St. John, Tortola, etc.) fairly easily. St. Barts is a bit on the upscale side too.

Hi
I think you'll be happiest in a developing country with great beaches. You'd love Roatan, Honduras, or someplace in Mexico, like fly into Mazatlan and stay in one of the beach towns: cheap nice accoms and lots of local flavor.
Mexico has a Caribbean coast, I'm not familiar with that coast, but maybe Tulum area.
Congratulations on your wedding.
Peterman

I know this suggestion is not the Caribbean but have you looked into Portugal. Plenty of culture and things to do. Plenty of delicious local cuisine. You'll probably find KFC or something like it. It's a beautiful country and the people are friendly. It's not expensive to shop / dine / stay there. Yet you could go upscale too. You could split your time between the Algarve and Lisbon. The climate in July should not be too hot if you're staying near the water. The reason I also suggest it is because it is easy to get to from the east coast. 5 hours from NY so it can't be too much further from Miami.
Anyway it is just my 2 cents. It sounds like more of what you are looking for. I also thought Mexico was a good suggestion. Puerto Vallarta is great but Portugal is closer to you.
Congratulations! Hope this helps.
Annika

There are actually quite a few places to list ..... then I remember the KFC , and shopping and it`s back to square one . Are they absolute musts ....

Wow, thank you so much for all the responses. While we realize that no where will be quite like Phuket (obviously - it was halfway around the world - it won't have the same characteristics as the Caribbean), we just loved it despite not being your typical beach people. In fact, we'd like to be in a more upscale area for our honeymoon - in Thailand we were always worried about being scammed! But we are pretty street smart, so it's not a huge issue.

Right now I am looking at Le Guanahani in St Barth's. It just has the character & style we want, plus the ability to get out and explore. The only problem is getting there... I guess we'd fly into St. Maarten and then take the speed boat. Is St. Barth's really stuffy? I know that all the celebs like to stay there and they've got your Prada-like designer shops. Is high end shopping the only kind we'll find there?

Annikany- We had actually been considering Portugal and might consider it again if I can find that the flight is either the same or less. I just really feel like we should go to a beautiful island for our honeymoon since we generally would be the ones who would gravitate towards exploring a European city over an island anyday. But it just seems more relaxed and romantic for our honeymoon.

And now I feel bad for mentioned KFC... I see how it makes me look like a trashy touristy traveler, but sometimes you just don't feel like spending all your money on food, plus I am the world's pickiest eater so I like going where I know what to expect.

So... any tips on St. Barth's are welcome as well as any easy-to-reach islands. Is it one of those islands where you have to wear khakis and a polo to dinner? It's a difficult balance - we definitely want the "cool" factor that St. Barth's seems to have, but also the possibilities that some place like St. Maarten has to offer.

No need to feel badly about mentioning KFC , just thought if it was not an absolute must .... more options would be available.Good Luck with St.B.

mistybc:
don't feel bad about mentioning your tastes or what you want out of a vacation!!! Honesty will get you the best answer.
While the food is excellent on some islands, sometimes you just want a break from it. :-)
I'm a very picky eater, I don't even eat seafood, yet spend all my time on islands!!!
If this makes you feel better, I'm a "has to have AC and TV on vacation". If I didn't say taht when I ask for advice, I may not be happy with the choices.
St. Martin may be closer to your style, and you can easily take day trips to St. Barts and Anguilla. (The beaches in Anguilla are stunning!)
Food for thought :-)

mistybc
I knew what you meant about the food. No worries. I hope you find what you're looking for in the Caribbean. I have the same concerns as you when I consider travel. I like options and variety. I just wanted to mention that I was surprised how tropical Portugal felt. I wasn't expecting that at all. My only wish is I had been there with a special someone because it felt like a romantic place. Anyway, good luck to you. Let us know what you decide.
Annika

Blamona- Yes, we want a TV & AC too. Even if we don't turn either on, we want the option.

I'm thinking you might be right with St. Martin. It seems like little day trips to the other islands would be a good idea. Plus St. Martin is much easier to get to - just two flights instead of two flights and then coordinating a boat ride to St. Barts. The pictures of Anguilla look amazing too. We do need to decide something soon but when there are so many different islands, it's a bit overwhelming to try to decide! Would you recommend the French side of St. Martin? That's what most people prefer, I think?

Annika- I love your name so much. It makes me think of Pippi Longstocking (one of her friends was Annika). I would not have thought of Portugal as tropical so I am glad you mentioned it. I'll give both options to my fiance and we'll see what he thinks. I would be happy either place I am sure!!

I'm still afraid nothing will ever top our day trip to the Phi Phi Islands though.

Mistybc,
Try not to set yourself up for disappointment by thinking nothing will ever match up to a previous experience. I have been to the Caribbean numerous times yet each return trip brings me something new. None will ever be the same as my first but then again nothing in life is ever ths same as the first. You don't want to replicate but have a "new first" after all, this time it will be the first trip with your new husband. How great is that? You will make new memories, then add them to the vault to be called upon anytime you want to remember just how good life is.

Go and may you and yours have a wonderful trip but most of all a wonderful life together.

which side of St Martin to stay on- it depends what you want out of your vacation.If you want more active night life I would suggest staying on Dutch side as that where most of it is including casinos. It is better to drive during the day to French side to explore and be close by to your hotel on Dutch side at night, then have some drinks and then to try to navigate those roads in the dark.

Thanks mistybc! Yes Pippi had 2 friends. Tommy and Annika. They were brother and sister. LOL!

About your honeymoon to the Caribbean. You're going to love it! I married and honeymooned in the Caribbean (Bermuda). My photographs are awesome! Somehow that does not seem to fit your desires though. Such a tough choice to make because they are all so different. However they will all please you. :-)

(Portugal- what a great country. Would love to go back sometime soon).
Best wishes!
Annika

I'm guessing Cancun is nothing like Phuket, but it *would* meet all your requirements. You can find an all-inclusive very cheap. There are plenty of luxury hotels. You can take the bus (around 50 cents) to any of the beaches -- Playa Delfina was the prettiest beach on the island, IMO! There's always something to do, but it's easy to relax there. We took a side trip to Chichen Itza (ancient ruins) and a cenote (a natural underground pool) and loved both. Street vendors everywhere, but you don't get harrassed on the beach -- only if you go to the markets, in which case you're there to haggle anyway ;) Lots of great Mexican food (obviously) but you can find fast food or a Planet Hollywood when you just want a burger. We also felt safe there at all hours, because the nightlife is so busy that you never get that creepy, isolated feeling.

P.S. I forgot to say that I know Cancun wouldn't "count" as Caribbean -- it was just the first place that popped into my mind after reading your post! Also, we went in July and it did NOT have that crazy, cheesy Spring Break vibe. If your honeymoon in between February and April, you'd probably want to steer clear.

You could also consider Curacao, with a side trip to Bonaire.

Your original post was a couple weeks ago so you may have already made up your mind. But, if not, I'd encourage you to consider St. John. I think it would fit almost if not all your requirements.

It's a beautiful island (lush green mountains, 2/3 National Park, awesome beaches in the National Park with great snorkeling right off the beach, as well as very nice for swimming & sunbathing).

It has a nice little town (Cruz Bay) with some great restaurants and nice quaint shops. If you want more shopping, you just jump on the downtown ferry to St. Thomas & you have tons of shopping.

St. John is just a short ferry ride from not only St. Thomas but almost all of the BVI's (Jost Van Dyke, Norman, Cooper, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, etc). You can also take one of the many daysails offered which can take you to one or several other islands for a day.

There are only 2 hotel/resorts on St. John so most people rent villas (which is, IMHO, an absolutely delightful way to spend a honeymoon). Your own home, with a private pool, usually a killer view, and just nice & romantic.

Really look into St. John if you haven't already done so.

I agree with ParadiseLover about St. John. The most gorgeous beaches in the Caribbean, very unspoiled, but enough going on, and easy island-hopping. If you can afford Mustique or Carlisle Bay, then look into Caneel Bay Resort on St. John. This is eco-beach lovers' paradise on earth. 171 rooms scattered about 170 acres and SEVEN tree-shaded white sand beaches with wade-in snorkeling. Within the National Park, so there is no development to be seen anywhere.

hi misty,

i know you mentioned the south pacific was too far, but keep in mind, it's only 7 and 1/2 hours from los angeles. i am very excited about my upcoming trip to st john (caneel bay resort) which was recommended here by the wonderful, knowledgeable fodorites. :) however, if you are still considering the south pacific, think about bora bora. pearl beach resort in bora bora was simply amazing. here's a link:

http://pearlbeachresort.com/bora/main.asp

we went for our honeymoon six years ago, and i have always tried to replicate that trip (bahamas, kauai, maui) and NOTHING comes close. although, in my opinion, the closest thing in the caribbean to what i loved about tahiti seems to be st john. i'm spending more money on st john, than i did on tahiti. i'm a big fan of turquoise, shallow, lagoons, and st john does have snorkeling from the beach. turks and caicos was our second choice, because of the shallow water.

good luck on whatever you decide. :)

We just got back from Belize and really enjoyed it! Lots of things to do - snorkeling, fishing, cave exploring, sea kayaking, mayan ruins, animal sanctuaries. We stayed at Turtle Inn in Placencia which was beautiful but no a/c or tv ( and those birds start chirping early! ) It's owned by Francis Ford Coppola so it's expensive but the food is good ( mostly Italian! ) The swimming off the beach isn't great b/c the reef limits the wave action and the sea grass grows there. The people are very friendly and the tour operators are licensed by the gov't.

Just in case anyone is finding this thread now, looking for ideas... We ended up going to Isla Mujeres in Mexico and LOVED IT! For several reasons:

1. It was easy to get to, which was VERY important to us . Just a short, two-hour direct flight from Nashville to Cancun, 10 minute cab ride to ferry, 20 minute ferry ride to island.
2. Our Hotel: http://www.hotelsecreto.com/
Perfection!!! And only $225 per night!
3. Garrafon National Park: http://www.garrafon.com/
We spent a day there and loved it.
4. Renting a scooter and being free to go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted.
5. The ocean was gorgeous there - turquoise! Especially at the south end of the island.
6. Cost: Cheap!!! Food and drinks were dirt cheap there, but still good quality.

I cannot highly recommend this place. It is not overly touristy... In fact, the only chain store on the island was a 7-11. We took the ferry over to Cancun one day and HATED IT. Although I did get to shop at Zara, which we don't have at home. But otherwise... It was bad news. But we expected to hate it... Just not our thing. We rented a car and drove to Belize, only to miss the last flight to Ambergris Caye, but thats okay. We drove back toward Cancun and found the most incredible place in Tulum:

http://www.anayjose.com/Suites/Suite-Estrella/

The next day we spent in Tulum, going to the ruins, etc... Very nice.

I think our trip cost less than $2000 with four nights hotel, flights, and rental car... What an awesome deal.

Thanks for the update, Misty! Isla Mujeres sounds gorgeous. We didn't have to chance to visit there while we were in Cancun (which we did love -- but I think the beaches were much nicer pre-hurricane!) but the hotel looks gorgeous. Interesting that you took a side trip to Belize -- I never thought of that or I would have done the same! (This is why I always love when people post follow-ups to their threads!)

I too thank you for the update. I reread this whole thread and while doing so, couldn't help but wonder where you went. Wish more posters would do so. Glad you had a nice honeymoon.

Go to St. Barth. See all the beautiful beaches on my website.
www.iledestbarth.com

Ingo

Mistsybc,
We're planning our 25th anniv. trip in Nov. and Isla Mujeres sounds like it's exactly what we're looking for. We seem to also have similar interests/lifestyle.
Can you tell where we catch the ferry, how much, do you need reservations?
Hotel Secreto looks fabulous. are there rooms right on the beach, or only oceanview? Are there good restaurants in the hotel area? Would you recommend renting a car?
Please elaborate about driving to Belize, and what you did while you were there.
Don't mean to pile up the ques., but we seem to be on the same page as to what we like to do on vacation.
Thanks in advance.

Misty,

Thanks for the report - we looked at Hotel Secreto last year but we were booking late and they were fully booked and we went to Nisbet Plantation on Nevis instead.

I still have all the research for Isla Mujeres and we will visit in the future - So many islands so little time :-D

I was on Isla this past January and will probably return next spring. Great little island.

I'll try to answer some of your questions. From the Cancun airport, the simplest thing to do is arrange a arrange a transfer from the airprot to Puerto Juarez where the ferries leave from. With Best Day the cost (in January) was US$9.00 per person, one way. This isn't a private transfer, although ours turned out to be, and I've read that happens frequently. To insure a private transfer, try Cancun Valet. Both have web sites.

No need for reservations for the ferry. Cost is about US$3.50.

I've never stayed at Secreto, we stay next door at Media Luna. Both are small, less than 20 rooms. All units face the ocean, nothing between you and the beach but the pools.

The downtown area is only 3-4 blocks away. Loads of very good restaurant options.

No need for a car on Isla. I think you can bring one on the car ferry from the mainland, but I sure wouldn't bother. You can rent a golf cart to explore the island, it isn't very big, only about five miles long and not nearly that wide.

It's about six hours from Cancun to the Belize border. Many car rentals won't allow you to cross the border with their rental cars. We've made the trip a couple times by bus, never with a rental. Across the border in the Belize, the first town is Corozal. I've not spent much time there, we've just been heading to the airstrip to fly on to Ambergris Caye. Corozal really isn't much of a tourist town. I've not seen any beaches, there are a couple of nice places to stay.

JeanH:
Thanks for the info. Can you tell me about your stay at Media Luna? Is it a 3 or 4 star hotel? Would you call it a "luxury spot" or along the lines of a Hilton? Celebrating our 25th anniv., so would like to splurge a little. Is there snorkeling off the beach from Media, and if so, how was it? Thanks.

I know this is an old thread, but I was reading it before my latest Caribbean trip. I never went to Phuket, but we had a great time in Ko Samui, Thailand. We knew we couldn't get exactly that, but wanted to go somewhere nice that would be closer (NorthEastern US).

We ended up going to St. Martin (only the French side). Click on my screen name to see the whole report. We were able to find nice quiet beaches, great restaurants, and an interesting mix of people. The town of Grand Case reminded me of a town that was on Ko Samui (only much smaller), particularly the restaurants over the beach. The only thing missing were the spas and massage treatments. We probably could have found them, but didn't go out of our way to.