sfk_traveler

My husband and I are planning a 7-day trip to the Caribbean this December. We have been reading this board for the past week or so, and are quite overwhelmed by the many wonderful destinations to pick from. Here are our "specs" - we hope that some of you Caribbean experts can help us narrow down our island/hotel choices:

1. I will be five months pregnant in December - so although my husband are very active travelers, we would like a destination which has a combo of active and relaxing pursuits.

2. Beautiful scenery + nice beaches. We went to Langkawi, Malaysia last year and feel in love with the lush scenery and our beautiful resort with a private beach. This is what we are looking for - but just a little closer to home.

3. Some historical/cultural/natural attractions which we could plan day trips to a few of the days. Examples: glass bottom boat trips to view sea-life, historic plantation tours, trips to local towns to explore local culture, etc.

4. Nice beachfront resort with daily price in the $300 price range.

5. Not too "remote"/secluded of an island - would like to be near a hospital/good doctors, just in case.

I know these are a lot of specs - but we truly, truly appreciate your help!

xkenx

See www.barbados.org Barbados is a wonderfully varied island with a wide range of hotels, beaches, sightseeing, restaurants, nitelife, a vibrant culture, lovely people.

doug_stallings

Yes, I'd second that option. But if you don't schedule your trip for the first half of December, you'll be approaching the holiday period, which is super-expensive in Barbados.

sfk_traveler

Thank you for the replies. We are actually planning our trip during the first half of December to avoid the exorbitant prices in the latter half.

Also, per my initial specs - would you have any good resort recommendations in Barbados? We would like something around 300USD a night. Preferably a luxury/nice beachfront resort with a decent amount of things to do on the days we don't go on day trips.

One last thing - would you say that Barbados is a better "first time" Caribbean destination than say Puerto Rico or St. Lucia given what we want to do during our trip? (see original entry).

Thanks so much!

doug_stallings

The beaches are nicer in Barbados than in either Puerto Rico or St. Lucia. I love both those islands, but Barbados is so nice, safe, and ordered, that I think it makes a good introduction to the Caribbean.

Regrettably, your budget isn't even remotely realistic if you want a true "luxury" resort. $300 simply doesn't buy that in Barbados, even in the off-season. You can stay at a really nice small resort like the Sandpiper for $400 per night (breakfast included). You could stay at Mango Bay for about the same price, but that's an all-inclusive resort, and it's been recently renovated.

There are many mid-range options that might be closer to your price range, but don't underestimate the cost of food in Barbados if you have to eat in restaurants. That can easily add $100+ per person per day to your vacation costs.

I'd suggest you look into air/hotel packages, which will maximize your savings. There are some good deals right now for early December travel. Both AA Vacations and Air Jamaica vacations have pretty extensive offerings for Barbados.

virginia

barbados would be a great choice considering your list.
there is a very nice beachfront resort: http://www.bougainvillearesort.com/
according to the site 1br deluxe suite for $249.
a friend of mine has stayed and liked it very much.

greenie

The Boug is not luxury by any means. It's a nice beachfront resort...clean, well-run, good food, but not luxury (or what I would consider luxury).

Peace, Greenie

virginia

greenie is right. nice not luxury. but it is in your price range on this island.