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I have never, ever been to the Caribbean. However, I am now being seduced by the suggestion of a Caribbean vacation in January. My travels in Mexico, Asia and Europe just have not prepared me for this and I have absolutely no idea of where to go. I doubt if I will return so this brief visit will most likely be my first and last. Sooooo .... looking for sun, good beaches, not into nightlife, not into "grand" hotels, perhaps something like Kona Village on the Big Island of Hawaii? Walks along the beach, snokling, a fairly good choice for restaurants but food not a top priority. Not horribly expensive, not youth oriented. Is such a site to be found?

There are literally scores of islands and hundreds of resorts/hotels that meet your very general criteria. All but a very few islands have "sun and good beaches and the majority will have plenty of restaurants. Also most islands have accomodations in all different price ranges so you should be able to find something that meets your budget (whatever "not horribly expensive" may mean to you) on most any island.

May I suggest you do some basic research about the different islands in the Caribbean and what makes them different so you can choose which ones appeal to you. Once you select "YOUR" island finding a resort you like will be fairly easy. Start by going to the "Destinations" link at the top left of this page, click through to the Caribbean and there you'll find fairly brief but comprehensive decriptions of all the major islands and what each has to offer. Read the material carefully and pretty soon you'll be able to discover the differences among the islands. You should then select one of the islands that most appeals to YOU. Once you pick the island, you can reasearch the various hotel/resort options available.

Once you pick the island and narrow your accomodation choices to 2 or 3 places you can use the Search feature on this forum to find out what experiences others may have had or you can post a new question seeking more specific information.

If you scroll down through recent threads you'll find the topics that get the most replies are those in which the poster gives the most information about their desires. Try making a list of the 10 or 15 "points" that best describe what you expect from a Caribbean vacation. That will help us steer you in the right direction. Again, be specific, especially about budgets (terms like "affordable", "not too expensive" are meaningless without a point of reference. Tell us where you are travelling from, how long you are willing to travel.

Keep in mind also that all islands are different and no one island "has it all" so be prepared to make some concessions. Finally, for most people there's no "one perfect island" so don't fall into the "grass is greener on the other island" syndrome. Pick an island, make your visit - if you are like many people you'll be hooked and have to visit as many islands as you can.

Good advice from RA and I'll add that January is peak season so expect prices to reflect this.

Depending on where you're traveling from you might prefer to start narrowing your island choice by how easy it is to get there.
Some islands are notoriously difficult to get to, not only might you not have a direct flight from your home airport but your trip might entail 2 stops or more and include 'puddle jumpers'. While this doesn't deter die hard Caribbean lovers it can be off putting to first timers.

hi maile, i took a look at kona village - it's beautiful. for something similiar i think you should look at caneel bay on st. john, usvi: http://www.caneelbay.com/
or either of the other 2 rosewood resorts - little dix bay on virgin gorda, bvi or jumby bay on antigua. virgin gorda is the most quiet of these 3 islands and would have fewest dining options. st. john would offer the best snorkeling.

re island picking - best snorkeling is on arid islands like grand cayman or provo in turks & caicos. provo has some gorgeous resorts like grace bay club or tiny turks & caicos club. or just off provo is meridan club on pine cay. private island though so no rest. options.

Once you've found your destination, check Trip Advisor for hotels. Fodors and Trip Advisor - two things I can't live without ;)

I think the Grand Cayman suits most of your needs except low price.
It has great snorkeling, good dining, low key nightlife, has condo and hotel options, is a very friendly place with lots of watersports. Great beaches.

Hmmm...maybe Kura Hulanda on Curacao, or something on St. John? Like a pp said, there are endless choices.

Less expensive Caribbean and January will be tough to match. Aruba has nice beaches, very good restaurants and good weather. I searched and found one hotel, the Aruban resort and Casino on eagle beach for $1695.00 for the 1st week of Jan. I don't know what your budget is but for the area and time of yr. you want this price isn't bad. Good luck. :-) Larry