At which Caribbean destination am I LEAST likely to get sick, bitten, ripped off, robbed, harassed... (Okay, so maybe I AM a bit paranoid, but can you help?)

Emma, go to Jack Tar Village in St. Kitts. You will
not be bitten, robbed, ripped off nor anything else
bad. I have been to this resort three times and
plan to return in a few months. I have been to
many islands in the south and St. Kitts is my
all-time favourite. Enjoy!

The Caribbean is not paradise I should know because I lived in the Virgin Islands. What you are expecting is not a guarnatee even in the U.S. Mexico is wonderful, especially in the Cancun area. A rule of thumb is don't eat or drink from street vendors. I take alot of medication and drank the water in the hotel and at all of the restaurants without any problem. St. Kitts is beautiful and the people friendly. Be sure to take a trip to the fortress Brimstone Hill. Parts of the fort have been restored and are now a museum. From the gun placements you can see five islands. In the area are the islands of Nevis, and St. Maartin and St Barths. I believe that there is ferry service between the islands. All three have something different to offer. To avoid being bitten take some bug repellent. Buying anything there will cost you at least double. Take as much with you as you can. As far as vendors just be firm in saying no and keep walking. Being ripped off happens everywhere. Just be aware if you are paying a bill,remember how much you gave the server and how much change you expect. You are in my opinion setting yourself up to have a bad time. Things are very different in this part of the world. Things move at a much slower pace and what is important to us sometimes is unimportant to them. Go with an open mind and enjoy a much simpler way of life.

It's not officially Caribbean, but consider Bermuda.
Not inexpensive, but no beggars or other harassers. It's the best of the Caribbean without the crime (except maybe from other tourists who might rip off your rented motorbike--visitors cannot rent cars there, but they're not needed, anyway). Pleasant, friendly people who go out of their way for the tourists. Water is safe to drink, public transportation is excellent, frequent, and covers the entire island ($21/3-day or $34/7-day pass includes both busses and ferries). English is spoken, and they accept US currency as readily as their own.

I suggest Aruba for feeling/being safe. As far as getting sick. Try taking a yogurt tablet (health food store) daily for two weeks before you go and every day you are away. My husband tends to get sick where ver we travel - even USA - but he did this before our trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and felt great!

ARUBA! ARUBA! ARUBA! I can relate to what you are wanting to avoid. This is why we love Aruba so much.

Anguilla is a wonderful spot, if you like beaches, snorkelling, good food, relaxing etc. One of our most favourite places!

Barbados is the place to satisfy all your needs. I've been many times, the food is great, the people are lovely, the beaches and seas are safe, especially on the West coast. I walked out at night by myself and was perfectly safe. Enjoy yourself wherever you go!

Aruba...beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets, and the people are VERY warm and friendly. Definitely an island paradise. My agency has some great Aruba land and package deals. If I can be of any assistance to you, please feel free to email me with the dates and type of accommodations.

Myrna
[email protected]

My advice is pick an all-inclusive resort anywhere in the Caribbean. I agree that Aruba is wonderful but it is quite a bit more expensive than Jamaica or Cancun. Look at any one of the SuperClubs-they are reasonably priced and safe and everything is included (no tipping necessary). Buy a tour package like Apple Vacations or Funjet and your airfare, transportation to and from the resort are included as well as your meals, drinks, activities, watersports, etc. Once you are in the all-inclusive resort, you need almost no money. I travel alone all the time and find that these all-inclusive resorts take all the worry out of vacationing. You never need a cab, you don't need to carry money (it's already paid for), and you can always find friendly folks to eat meals with. My favorite is Hedonism II in Negril, altho I have done Breezes in Montego Bay as well as well as several others not in the SuperClubs family in Cancun and St Lucia. Feel free to email me if you want more specific info.

I talked my husband out of a honeymoon in Jamaica (for the exact things that you are concerned about) and we went to the Cayman Islands instead. Never regretted it for a moment. While it is starting to turn into a paved "paradise", Grand Cayman still has a lot of charm and beauty, loads of watersports (even the snorkeling is out of this world) and is arguably THE safest place in the Caribbean. Highly recommended.

Cuba has very little violence and it it probably the absolutely safest place to travel in the Carrebean. But theft is not uncommon. The health service in Cuba is excellent - and free!