Can anyone that has been to Hawaii comment on which caribbean islands would have the same feel? I want to feel safe at night, beautiful beaches, lush greenery. I want to plan a tropical getaway, but can't afford to take the time to travel to Hawaii this time - was hoping for a 3 or 4 hour plan trip instead of 8 or 9. We will take about 6 or 7 days and we are traveling from midwest. <BR>Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

Nevis reminded us of Hawaii. The greened-over volcanic mountains are similar, the beaches are nice, and the people friendly and laid back. There is lush greenery. We loved the Montpelier Plantation Inn.

<BR>It's not in the Caribbean technically, but definitely tropical. Consider Bermuda for drama (smaller scale than Hawaii of course) & culture, cleanliness & safety. On the plane you will be amazed at how many people are going for the 14th, 19th or 25th time. It's not for beachbums (more formal) but there are beautiful beaches where you can bum around. About 3 hrs. from Atlanta. <BR> <BR>In the Caribbean, the safest, cleanest islands are probably the Caymans & Aruba (also the most westernized, but still nice). The Caymans are just a short hop from Miami. <BR> <BR>Those are the 3 destinations I'd recommend researching. <BR> <BR>Moosh <BR> <BR>

ST.Lucia is the closest I've ever seen to hawaii

Many caribbean islands tend to be rather dry and arid, but most resorts are lush and have beautiful beaches. The British islands, e.g. Cayman Islands, British Virgins, Turks & Caicos Islands are, in my opinion, safer than the rest. We feel safe in any of the british islands.

I don't know where you are in the midwest but I don't think you are going to get to many islands in the Caribbean in 3 to 4 hours. The most likely are Puerto Rico, the US Virgins, and perhaps the Cayman Islands. Various parts of Puerto Rico have parts similar to some of the Hawaiian islands. Although I find it hard to compare the islands in the two areas. Some of the islands mentioned here would take longer than flying to Hawaii. Frankly I don't see how the difference of 4 or 5 hours in flight time will make that much difference. I think overall costs to the Hawaii area will be less for comparables including air.

The Caribbean islands each have a very unique flavor to them. Having visited several of the islands, as well as Hawaii, I can tell you that they are only similiar in terms of their vegetation. If you want to visit an island that has waterfalls, rainforests, etc., I would first try Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are also good bets.

Jo, <BR> <BR>I just returned from St. Lucia about a month ago and someone had told me that St. Lucia was the closest thing to Hawaii in the carribbean and they were right. If you're looking for lush green scenery, volcanoes, a rainforest and waterfalls then St. Lucia is a good place to look.

St. Lucia would be my nomination for a Hawaiian substitute. As far as air flight time is concerned, have you checked into charter flights? My husband and I belong to a travel club here in the midwest and have found the price to be the same (or somewhat cheaper) than commercial, but in most cases they are direct flights having only to stop for refueling, depending upon which island they are returning from. (I won't mention the name of our club because I don't want other posters to think I am advertising.) Also, when we flew to Hawaii on commercial air, we had to make a connecting flight and ended up taking over 12 hours counting transfer time. One drawback to the charter flights is you have to fly their days -- but if your days are flexible, a charter flight might offer another option.

We have been to Hawaii 3X and most of the Caribbean. If you really don't want to travel more than 3-4 hours from the midwest you may want to consider something on the mainland. On the wast coast of Florida is Longboat Key, It is located about half an hour soth of Tampa. This island is lush, has a variety of places to stay, from ultra lush to cabins tucked in the jungle. It is very safe and just off the coast at Sarasota. The atmosphere, sans mountains, can resemble some parts of the Oahu's north shore or Kanapali in Maui. It's also a cheap flight.

My husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii, and recently visited the Caribbean. I think that all of the above comments are pretty accurate. Here's my take - We were so taken with Hawaii, that when we planned our trip to Anguilla, we put all of those Hawaiian expectations away, and decided that the Caribbean would be a completely different experience. And it was absolutely fabulous. We spent a lot of time learning about the people and the culture of Anguilla, while also enjoying the pristine beaches and gourmet food. Although you may find a Caribbean island that looks similar to Kuaui, it won't be quite the same. But look for a wonderful island with beautiful beaches and rich, Caribbean culture, and you'll have a wonderful time. Again - just my opinion from my own experience. Good luck!