Just looking for suggestions for my first trip to the carribean. I'm planning a trip in early November with girlfriend and need some advice. Bermuda is out because the weather is not warm enough and I've read bits n pieces about other islands but still not sure. We don't wanna live off the land but we don't want a tourism factory either. Anybody have a suggestion?

What kinds of things would you like to see and do while you are there?

Are you big beach people or do you want lots of nightlife or shopping or dining options?

If you give us an idea of what you would like to experience on vacation, we can better help you.

For some great suggestions, you may want to list specific things that are most important to you in a vacation such as beach, restaurants, site-seeing, etc. You question is very general, and more information will be needed to folks here to give you advice on what might work for you. The more specific you are, the easier it is for us to find a good match for you.

ooops, sorry Diana, I guess you type faster than I do!!

Sorry, but without more information about what you and your friend would like from a vacation there's no good way to answer your question. Every island is different and has it's own appeal. Are you seeking a destination with an active night life? Do you want access to shopping? Do you want casinos? Are you seeking a place where you can hike through rain forests or visit waterfalls? Do you want an island with small intimate beaches and lots of natural lush vegetation or would you prefer a flatter arid island with only scrubby vegetation and miles of white sand beaches? Do you crave the conforts of high rise hotels and fast food restaurants or are you interested in smaller plantation style inns and local restaurants? Do you prefer an Americanized island, one with a European flare or are you seeking Old world Caribbean charm? Are you looking for budget accomodations or 5-star luxury or something in between? By the way try to be specific here saying you want something "nice but reasonable" doesn't help as those two terms mean different things to everybody and please don't tell us you want 5-star accomodations at 3-star prices - that simply doesn't exist. Are you willing to take 2 or 3 connecting flights and/or ferries to get to your destination or do you only want to go non-stop (either way it would help if you could let us know where you are departing from)? Are you content to lay on the beach all day or do you want lots of sightseeing activities? Do you want to island hop or are you content to stay on one island? Are watersports, especially diving or snorkeling, important to you? Do you seek the company of people your own age (if so tell how old you are)? Do you have a particular budget in mind? The more information you can give us the more helpful we can be. Keep in mind that every island is different and no one islad has it all?