Gabi

We love to travel, but are on a budget. Love to snorkel, love the beach, don't need a resort, just a clean place and beauty. Any suggestions? Thanks in Advance!

joan

Gabi: <BR>Here's my suggestion: <BR>Fly to Governor's Harbour on Eleuthera, and rent Calypso (www.vacationspot.com), a 1 bedroom oceanfront cottage complete with kayak and bikes (we loved staying there last year), with on-site pink beach and snorkeling complete with turtles. The air from the east coast can be under $400 pp, Calypso is under $1000 for a week off-season. You will need a car, I think they're $350/week. So altogether, a week for under $3000 including meals out... Is this still too much? We also did a last-minute all inclusive to Couples Negril for $2000, but it was only 4 nights... I don't know how you could get much less than this without staying in a "dive"...

karen

Gabi: Punta Cana is still an unbelieveable deal. We were there during high season (early Feb) and it cost us around $1300pp for 8 days including airfare, transfers and we stayed at one of the top all-inclusives. I know that there are 4 day packages for considerably less and other resorts can cost as little as $700pp for a week, depending on where you're coming from. I know you say you don't need a resort but most of this area is all-inclusives. But it's hard to beat and you'll get your snorkling (ours even included scuba daily and horseback riding if you wished). It's also breathtakingly beautiful inside the resorts!

d motl

Consider Isla Mujeres--a small Carribean island about 10 miles off Cancun. Very Inexpensive (nice room with A/C refridge and two beds for $55 Hi and $33 low) . The island is safe , laid back, has great beaches ,and gives you the warm fuzzies real quick. Also snorkeling is available from shore or by tour boat. Snorkle tour of 4 hours with picnic lunch of grilled fish costs $15. Food is very reasonable with an evening meal costing $4 to $8 for most items. We spend a month a year on the island and keep up a home grown brouchure that is great for the first timer. Will gladly e-mail it to you if you request. dan and ginny

Jen

<BR>I'm not a camper, but there are campgrounds on St. John if you don't mind that route. <BR> <BR>Watch for air specials. Take nonperishable foodstuffs or better yet, go on a diet while traveling. <BR> <BR>Pick an island that appeals to you and research it to the hilt. Look for an island with good shore snorkeling so you don't have to pay for outings.

Mariarosa

Hi Gabi! While I don't consider it he Caribbean per se, the cheapest place that we have been to that has 1) good beaches, 2) good snorkeling is Cozumel. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in town (not far from the ferry), rented a car, and visited different beaches and snorkeled in different places. The Bed-and-breakfast was clean and cute, perfect for people who don't need any amenities, and are on a budget. It was abour $40 per noght: www.hciendasanmiguel.com Good luck!

Mariarosa

Hi Gabi! I have a typo in the url. It is: www.haciendasanmiguel.com I also forgot to mention that Cozumel has many reasonably priced eateries.

adventureantigua.com

Want cheap and excellent snorkelling then go to Barbuda. You can camp on beaches 14 miles long with no other foot prints or you can stay in a guest house in the village for next to nothing. <BR>Barbuda and Dominica are my favourite places in the Caribbean. <BR>Eli

Dolli

I agree with Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Absolutely beautiful beaches. It is a beautiful place to relax and the resorts are great. We stayed at the Melia Tropical through Apple Vacations and although is started out at around 1300pp, we ended up paying around 1100pp. Check out their website and also Debbiesdominican for a ton a reviews on anything to do with the island. If you have any specific questions, please e-mail me.

Beth

I would highly recommend St Kitts. It has so much stunning natural beauty above the water and lots of good off the beach snorkeling. If you decide on St. Kitts, I can send you a list of snorkeling sites. We stay at Timothy Beach Resort. http://www.timothybeach.com <BR>It is a small intimate resort with an ocean side pool and restaurant and great sunset views of the Caribbean. We've been to the Dominican Republic and Mexico and both of us became ill in these countries even though we were extra careful about the water. That sort of thing has never been a worry on St. Kitts. It's a great place for children too.

Beth

Hi again. Forgot to mention that the rooms at Timothy Beach start at $80/night in the off season.

Paul

Try a low-season stay on either Marie-Galante or Terre de Haut (Les Saintes). Both are a 15 min plane ride from Guadeloupe (airfare about $80 from there, or you can take a 45 min boat trip there for about $30). Beaches are beautiful and uncrowded, rooms in small hotels or B&B's can be found for about $60 per night, and you'll have either island mostly to yourself. You will encounter little or no English language, however, so brush up on your French or bring a phrase book.

cecilia

Hi Check out cvoa.com <BR>villa and airfare package. My fiance and I are going to Carriacou in Sept for $2000, not pp for both of us combined. villa is beautiful, private, 15 minute walk to beach, your own plunge pool, very romantic. $800 for 7 days airfare is 517 pp/rt from jfk. email me for more info. this is a big villa with lots of rooms there are smaller ones for 50-60 p/nite. <BR> <BR>cecilia

Suzzanne

Could those of you who have tavelled to Punta Cana tell me where you booked your trip. I keep seeing deals on the internet but when calling local agents the price is outrageous.

Diane

We booked thru Travel Center at http://www.travelunlimited.com