Caribbean islands Where to go?
 

Could anyone offer any insight to Cap Juluca, Caneel Bay, or Biras Creek? My husband and I are looking to go away w/ friends, for 4 nights, and have looked into the places above. We were all set to book Cap or Caneel but recently read a lot of negative reviews saying both are very run down and not worth the money? Would anyone recommend an island like St. Thomas instead?

You want an island like St. Thomas? Well, why not St. Thomas? What is it that you especially like about St. Thomas? This may help people to make recommendations that best suit your needs. Also, what sort of price range are you considering (including airfare) and when will you be traveling?

My one recommendation is to limit yourself to destinations you can reach on a non-stop flight (or, at least with minimal flying) since you will only be away for four nights. You don't want to waste your vacation time sitting in too many airports.

It really depends on what you are looking for. I think St Thomas and Anguilla/Virgin Gorda are very different islands. The latter are more quiet than the former. Fewer people on the beach etc. On VG and on Anguilla there were many times when we had an entire beach to ourselves. Anguilla has awesome restaurants. To me having a quiet remote island is priority. So it really depends on what you and your friends are looking for in a vacation.

The negative reviews of Caneel are typically by people who didn't do their homework before going and expected their big bucks to buy lots of glitter and glitz. Caneel is upscale casual, with very comfortable, well tended rooms, in keeping with beachfront ambiance. The draw for Caneel is the lush grounds, the privacy, the views, and the incomparable SEVEN tree-shaded white sand beaches, all with wade-in snorkeling. Caneel is in the National Park, with no development to be seen anywhere. Caneel is paradise on earth if you want those things.

p.s. Go onto Caneel Bay website,
www.caneelbay.com and download their video. What you see there, as nice as it is, does not begin to do it justice.

I can't speak for Caneel Bay or Biras Creek... but I absolutely loved Cap Juluca. It was beautiful, relaxing, with great service.

Thanks for the info, it is helpful. Basically we found out about the travel times for Anguilla and St. John and then threw in St. Thomas and now are looking at Barbados since from east coast there are direct flights to those places, even though they are much busier very different from BVI, etc. We want a nice, relaxing, short vacation in April for 4 nights, price range of Cap Juluca type of places. We would prefer less of kids/family focused type of places to be honest. We don't want to spend a day travelling though, so once we found out that the places we were looking at required a transfer, some of them seemed to far for 4 nights. We would have definitely gone w/ Cap Juluca but it seems many of the reviews say it isn't worth the money anymore and very run down. We are fine w/ casual Caribbean but don't want to spend a lot for a hotel that isn't worth it. (e.g. dirty, run down, etc.)

Barbados is wonderful! The class act there is Coral Reef Club. Low-rise plantation-style buildings and cottages in lovely tropical grounds and nice beach. Family-owned for some 50 years, and it shows. See www.coralreefbarbados.com

Stayed at Cap last August and couldn't have been more pleased. Definitely NOT dirty and/or rundown. Service was impeccable and the beach is amazing. Every resort with as many visitors as Cap will get a negative review now and then. IMHO they typically come from people who didn't know what to expect.

Also, Anguillians have to be one of the most friendly peoples I've ever encountered. What was truly unique about the place was the constant and seamless intermingling of the locals and the travelers. There is no divide, and every is treated like family. Definitely DON'T let some negative reviews turn you off of Anguilla.

St. John is similarly wonderful, but a good bit more "Americanized."