taurus252

Ok everyone I had thought I had my mind set on T&C but the more and more I hear about hurricane season the more Im thinking about staying away.I am trying toplan a trip somewhere beautiful, not very busy, not too commercial something similiar to what we experienced at StJohn. Money is an issue, but so far there are good deals tomost places.Me and my GF love to relax on the beach and mybe one day take a lil excursion, but this has been a rough year so we need to chillll. I hope I can get some feedback on the best places that fit our criteria during these months. thanks .

TedTurner

So you've ruled out the T&C's because of hurricane season, and want to go somewhere else in the Caribbean with lower risks during the peak of hurricane season?
Is that correct?

Here's a map that shows the likelihood of hurricanes and big storms for all areas of the Caribbean:
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/G12.html
The T&C's sit in the 42-48% risk area.
That is, those islands will be hit by a hurricane or major storm almost once every other year. The highest risk period is late August to late September.
The islands with the lowest risk are Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao.
They are in the 12-18% area.
Unfortunately Aruba is very commercialized. You might want to look into Curacao or Bonaire.

Diana

Tobago is also an option. Pretty far south and very laid back and non-commercial.
The further south you get, the less likely the chance of having problems with hurricane season that time of year.
The strike zone tends to go north the further along in the season you get.
Check the info on the link Ted provided - that will help you decide.

diann

You might look at Barabados as well. They were last hit with a hurricane in 1955. Try discount-vacations.com. They previoulsy had some decent specials.

gplimpton

Barbados hurricane info:
Brushed or hit by hurricane or large tropical storm every 3.07 years.
43 such storms hurricanes in the last 132 years.

Major hurricanes:
1955 sept 22nd hurricane janet hits with 120mph winds killing 35 people & damaging 1800 homes,20,000 homeless..
1963 sept 24th hurricane edith just north with 95mph winds
1979 hurricane david passes to the north with 140mph winds.Area had gusts to 75mph
1980 aug 4th hurricane Allen hit as a cat 3 with 125mph winds, causing heavy damage
1995 hurricane marilyn to north with 75mph winds minor damage .

Info copied from hurricanecity.com

KeyGal

Check out Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba. Does not have a commercial feel & sounds like it will match what you're searching for. We stayed there last year Labor Day week. It's reasonably priced and a perfect place to chill out. I think their website is bucuti.com.

Carola22

Agree with recommendation of Bucuti - we stayed there last February and it was perfect. Beautiful beach, very relaxed and quiet. And the climate in Aruba is wonderful!

diann

Well I certainly stand corrected.(gplimpton) I did read it on some toourism site that it was 1955. Of course there is room for debate over a 'brush" and an actual hurricane but a brush with one while on vacation would not be fun. They are predicting a major one in the year 2006 typical of the one in 1955. Better stick with Aruba a safer destination this time of year.

Morgan

Another vote for the Bucuti in Aruba!

Ted

I went to the map and it shows the Turks to be in the 10% range. I'm not sure the individual providing the link knows where T&C is? East of the southeast tip of Cuba

TedTurner

Sorry, Ted, you're wrong.
Look at the map again.
The way they drew up this map the land masses are hard to pick out among the color zones.
But the T/C's are directly north of the Dominican and northeast of the eastern tip of Cuba.
You'll notice that this is in the 36-40% range for the southernmost T/C's, and the northern isles are likely in the 42% area (can't tell exactly).
But these islands are well away from the 10% bars.
Look at it again.

jkurtiak

Ok Science Guys I am going to get back to the real question here.

While everyone is focusing on Hurricanes, even a tropical storm can ruin your trip. You dont need to be evacuated to have your trip be rained out.
I have never been to Aruba, but if weather is a huge concern and you are not a gambling man then I would looking into the ABC islands.
I was in Grand Cayman in Late Aug. and didnt have a problem, The weather was perfect. Its really a hit or miss thing and percentages dont mean anything if a storm comes your way. I would love to rent a condo on the Beach in Cayman and just relax and enjoy!
good luck in your travels

Becca

My husband and I love St. John, too. Having had to leave St. John due to a threat of Hurricane Debbie during our honeymoon, hurricanes are always an issue for us as well. I noticed that several people have recommended Aruba to you since it is out of the hurricane belt. My husband and I just returned from Aruba. We wanted a change of pace from St. John, and Aruba was definitely different. Aruba is extremely commercialized, which we knew at the outset. The restaurants are fabulous, and the people are great, but Aruba just doesn't hold the same charm for us as St. John. In addition, Aruba is very arid, and we don't find it as beautiful as St. John. Judging by your post, I'm afraid you might feel the same way about Aruba if you visited there. How about Grenada? My husband and I are looking into going there next year. The pictures and everything I read about Grenada reminds me of St. John. I have read that while Grenada is technically inside the hurricane belt, it has a much lower risk of hurricanes than St. John. Grenada is very far south in the Caribbean - close to Aruba. Check out www.grenadaexplorer.com. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.