mp413

Ok, I know NOTHING about the Caribbean, never been there. I want to go in August but I've seen a mention here and there about HURRICANES? Is this true? Is August not the best time to visit? This IS my summer vacation so I don't want to risk it.

PS-if the Carib. is out, any suggestions for similar type of holiday elsewhere (I'm on the East Coast so no Hawaii suggestions please!)

ejcrowe

Well, August is definitely a part of hurricane season, but you can hedge your bets in two ways: take out travel insurance for hurricanes and choose an island where there have been fewer to hit. This generally means Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad, Tobago, and to a lesser extent, Barbados. Some folks also like to include St. Vincent and Grenada on the less-likely-to-be-hit list.

If you tell us what you're looking for in an island vacation we'll be better able to advise you on other options. I've traveled to the Caribbean twice in August and have happened to be lucky with weather--it's a bit of a crap shoot, you see. As long as I have travel insurance, where I choose to go has less of an impact than whether or not my room will have AC during that time of year.

JenniferW

I have been to the carribean several times in August and did not have a problem. Maybe it was just luck...the hurricanes that have hit seemed to have been in September.

mp413

ejcrowe, I am the same person who posted the message about Saba! Thanks for all of your help. I checked out the Jake's resort website, and it looks absolutely perfect. I am looking to see if I can find any deals on the web. So far I found one on Expedia for $1000 for one week, including airfare (although apparently it's a 2-hour drive to Jake's from Montego Bay). This may amaze you but: what is travel insurance for?

ejcrowe

Well now, if Jake's were less than a 2 hour drive from Montego Bay, it would be in a touristy area, wouldn't it?

Folks buy travel insurance for a variety of reasons. One good reason is that certain policies allow you to cancel your trip at any time for any reason--great if you've already made a downpayment of 3 nights' stay at your chosen hotel. Most hotels and resorts require some sort of deposit like that and also have strict cancellation policies. You can also get special travel insurance for hurricane weather that will enable you to cancel your planned trip. I've bought travel insurance in the past, but I'm still not in the habit of getting it every time I take a vacation. As I've never had to use it (thankfully!), i'm not sure what the exact details are for getting reimbursed. I can tell you that some (maybe most?) insurance policies are between 1-3% of the cost of the trip. Check with your travel agent or AAA.

If you're still looking for something with a lesser chance of hurricane that is also less touristy, try looking at Bonaire, Tobago, or the east coast of Barbados. Aruba is definitely NOT what you're looking for, nor is Trinidad.