Caribbean: November '08 - Advice needed for newly married twenty-somethings!
 

These boards have been super helpful for my husband and I planning our honeymoon to Italy (May, 2008)--- I am hoping you could provide some insight/thoughts as to where in the Caribbean we should go in November for about 5-7 nights.

My husband and I are in our late twenties, and are looking for somewhere beautiful in the caribbean that isn't too touristy, somewhat off-the-beaten path (but not ridiculously hard to get to from NYC), and somewhere we can play tennis, swim, and do a whole lot of nothing (with beautiful beaches). We are not into gambling/casinos, partying or going to clubs, and would far prefer quiet dinners and walks on the beach.

Looking for a romantic, "hidden gem" type of resort (which preferably would have a tennis court), and our budget is about $300 a night.

We have been having trouble finding anything within that price range (everything seems to be either ridiculously expensive/over-the-top or not nice enough or worth spending $200 for).

Maybe I'm asking for too much, but does anyone have any recommendations as to which island to go to/where to stay?

Friends have mentioned Anguilla and St. John's, but I haven't seen any hotels that we can afford, etc. I LOVE the idea of Virgin Gorda, but hotels there are so scarce and SO expensive - at least the ones I've found.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated....Thank you so much in advance!!!

Hello,

It sounds like you would enjoy the Cayman islands. It has beautiful blue waters, and great for diving and other undersea activities. There is the Pedro St. James historical site, turtle farms, stingrays, conch farms, botanical gardens. The beaches are pretty close to perfect with calm waters, too. There are a couple of resorts that would fit your tastes and budget in the Cayman Islands, too, but without sacrificing quality and comfort.

I think Anguilla is definately where you want to be and you can make it work on your budget. Anguilla has EVERYTHING you are looking for and is the single most romantic place we've ever been. We are taking our fifth straight trip there in November.
Look into Ku and Turtle's nest. It is November, so you will have not yet hit high season and should be able to get close to your price range. You can google both on-line. They both consistently get good reveiws. Good luck!

St. John could work for you if it's early Novemeber. Estate Lindholm for around $200 a night, the Westin for $265 per night or rent a villa. If you could go in October Gallows Point is nice option. We like to rent villas with private pools and with a budget of $2,100 you easily find a nice villa.

Thanks to all for the advice!

I will look into Cayman Islands and Anguilla - thanks for the recs! I've heard of Ku in Anguilla, so I'll look into that as well as Turtle's Nest...

Pulley, I actually started looking into villas, and they seem like a great option. Do you have any reputable websites you would specifically recommend with respect to finding a villa?

Thanks so much!

Here are two websites that might help you lodging-wise.

Grand Cayman:
www.caymanvacations.com
Lots of choices for condos on the beach (and some with tennis courts). 7MB is beautiful and great for long walks.

St. John:
http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/
Plenty of villa options in a range of prices. St. John is perfect to do "a whole lot of nothing."

Have a great trip whatever you decide!

Look up trip reports to the destinations that you are looking at. Many of them, including the ones that I had posted, would give you links to see photos from the trip.

One of the reasons that you can't find "affordable" accomodations in VG or St. John is that there are far more villa rentals on those places than full service hotels. Aguilla and Cayman Islands will have more of those. That said, with more hotel development you will find yourselves with much less privacy.

However, privacy is a relative thing. If you are a new to the Caribbean I think our definition of "off the beaten path" might be different from that of yours. For example, when I refer to "private" me and my wife literally meant beaches that we could claim to be ours for the whole day without a neighbor on the beach.

VG and St. John are good choices because they are modern, with decent amount of amenities, yet they are relatively quiet.

Thanks to all for your helpful thoughts...I'm beginning to think about really looking into villas - it's such a perfect idea for going with another couple, but even just for the 2 of us, it sounds like there are affordable options (thanks for the links pijeta!)

We actually are looking for total seclusion when I say "off the beaten path" -- we really like vacations that are relaxing and private and away from everything -- for our budget, though, I'm not sure it's really possible but we're definitely trying :)

Thanks again!

Have you considered Grenada? I don't know about flights from NYC but have a look at the following - http://www.lasagesse.com/info.htm.
Although I haven't been yet, we are considering it for our next trip. It gets good reviews and is definitely off the beaten path. Sounds heavenly to me.

Try looking at Guavaberry Spring Bay vacation homes on Virgin Gorda, also look at the villas at Mahoe Bay also on VG, some of them rent based on how many bedrooms you are using, I am renting Adagio villa for $2200.00 a week for 2 people.

www.18degreesnorth.com -- the most perfect honeymoon spot in Anguilla!

I agree with the prior suggestions of Virgin Gorda and Anguilla. Check into villas in the Nail Bay area on VG if the ones of Mahoe Bay are too expensive. Another suggestion would be to look into Eleuthera (bahama out islands). Definately off the beaten path with miles and miles of empty beaches. Here is a link with villa rentals (many options in your budget) on Eleuthera.

http://www.a1vacations.com/eleuthera...fa/find.squery

Thanks to all! I am going to check out all of these links -- it's great to know there are affordable villas out there. I'll let you all know what I find! THanks :)

MaryD - We are seriously looking into 18 degrees North - it looks beautiful, and although a bit out of our price range, it includes all taxes/service charges -- that, with a kitchen, I think will make our stay affordable (since we won't be going out to eat every meal, etc.)

I had a few questions for you --

1. Did you find that the location was convenient in terms of access to restaurants, other beaches etc? Does it feel "out of the way" at all, or difficult to get other places (either by walking or driving)?

2. Safety wise, did you feel safe in the area you stayed? The only concerns I have about villas versus hotels is that there is that they are more isolated.

3. Were there any grocery stores nearby to actually stock the fridge/kitchen? If we decide to do it, I want to make sure that's possible, since that's why I'm willing to spend a bit more $$$ to do it.

If you have any other words of wisdom, I'd really appreciate your thoughts.....The owners seem very responsive in their emails, so that seems promising!

Thanks so much!

The owners are wonderful, they're on the island, and they do a little fridge stocking for you. It's very safe (nice neighborhood -- mix of rentals and owners); very private; and the most well-stocked grocery on the island is just down the street (Best Buy -- fresh meat every day & a deli). This villa has the most well-equipped kitchen of any place I've ever stayed in! Sandy Hill Bay is just down the hill and Shoal Bay East is a straight shot across the island (10 minutes max). It's a very special place -- in the infinity pool at night, perched on the cliff, a gazillion stars -- does not get any better than that!

Go to www.anguillaguide.com and order a free map. It will really help you figure things out.

Thank you so much! It looks amazing -- I appreciate your advice!