Caribbean Suggestions for Discriminating but Budget-Minded Family
 

Please help us find a Caribbean destination for our late February vacation with our kids. We are looking for a villa or small resort on or within a short walk to the beach. Although we are not interested in super-resorts, we do want to make sure that there is off beach snorkeling and enough other activities to occupy the kids, ages ten and thirteen. We would prefer a small, vegetated, hilly island like Tortola. A villa would be great so that we could save some money by cooking in but we are overwhelmed by the large choice of villas out there. We would like to keep our accomodations to around $500 per night. We have previously vacationed at White Bay Villas on JVD, Bavarro Bravo in Punta Cana, Jaguar Reef in Belize, Lambert Beach on Tortola and various Caribbean Club Meds. Love the BVI but willing to try something new. We are desperate for some advice. Can anyone out there help?

It might not be a short walk to the beach, but what about St John?? It seems to meet most of your criteria.

Long Bay Hotel (www.longbayhotel.com) on Antigua might be a good choice for you. it's a small, family-run hotel on the east coast of Antigua, which is a little less developed than the rest of the island. The beach is smallish but very pretty, there is pretty good snorkeling off shore, and the hotel is built on two fronts of water--the Caribbean beach side and a bay side that empties out into the Atlantic. They offer tennis, snorkeling, kayaks, and Hobie cats as part of their nightly rates. Scuba and anything else motorized are extra.

Rates also include daily breakfast, dinner, service charge and tax, so keep thata in mind when you see the rates. Long Bay offers a few cottages with kitchen facilities so you keep leftovers from the restaurant, or if you want to make sandwiches for lunch, or if you just want to have sodas, milk, juice, or snacks on hand for your kids.

Know you've been to the BVI, but to experience something very different than the beaches on Tortola, check the rates at Mango Bay (on Mahoe) on Virgin Gorda. Altho the beachfront villas are out of the pricerange, the 2 bedroom suite might come in pretty close to your price range.

Thanks for the suggestions. We are checking out Mango Bay. The crewed charter looks a little expensive and though we've thought about St. John -- we'd love some specific villa or hotel recommendations (other than Caneel or the Westin). Any other advice???

on St. John, you might want to try Gallows Point. It's a condo complex on the water with no beach but almost anywhere on St. John you'll travel to the beaches other than at Caneel. There is some snorkeling there. Others who have stayed recently could give you recommendations as to unit location as some are in need of a bit of a redo and others are on the side facing the ferrys so you might hear them. I think it is Suite St. John that has no units facing the ferrys and their units are probably close to the range that you are looking. I'm not sure that you'll find a waterside villa in your price range on St. John in February. mclaughlinanderson.com is a good source of villas and very knowledgable about their listings.

have you tried the all inclusive packages in Dominican Republic? They are very affordable!