Les

I'm planning my first Caribean trip (from Australia) and have only a few very thin brochures to rely on. I'm looking for a romantic get together for me and my partner who lives in London. <BR>A lot of the accomodation appears to be expensive (especially in the poor old Aussie dollar) and I was advised to consider Isla Mujeres. Is it a worthwhile destination? Any recommendations on where I should stay? <BR>

Mellissa

Les, <BR> <BR> Are you refering to the Ilsa Mujeres just off the coast of Cancun? <BR> Please let me know. I have been there before and it is not somwhere you would want to stay at for more than one or two days. If you are comming all the way from Australia, you'll want to get your moneys worth. Have you looked into some of the all inclusive resorts in Cancun? You can get a great deal during the off seaon which is July and August. It is hot and muggy but it is still paradise. Look into the Crown Paradise Club. I am a Travel Agent and last year I was looking at the property on the reservation system and found the Crown Paradise for $100.00 a night in Agust all- inclusive for two adults and one child. Ask a travel agent in you area to look it up to see if they can find you any deals. Also the resorts in the Domincan Republic are often a really good deal for all-inclusives. If you have any other questions feel free to drop me an e-mail. Good luck.

Cheri

Hi Les - We went to Isla Mujeres on a day trip from Cancun and want to go back sometime. It is very beautiful and charming, but a very tiny island. It depends on what you have in mind to do on your trip. If what you're looking for is just relaxation, I think it would be great and I think there are some pretty nice, very small hotels which are fairly cheaply priced. There are also some small Myan ruins on the island, if you're interested in that. There are ferries over to Cancun which take about 45 min. each way from what I can remember, and there is every touristy thing imaginable to do there. I'm sure there are websites to look up more info on if you're so inclined. Hope this helps.

Cheri

Les - When I posted my previous message I couldn't remember the website address I had visited. It is very informative with a message board where you can inquire to others who have visited. It is: <BR> <BR>http://www.isla-mujeres.net <BR> <BR>To get the message board, type in the above plus /wwwboard.index.html <BR>

d motl

Can't go wrong with IM. We spend one month a year on the island and keep up a home grown brochure which we will gladly e-mail you if you request. dan and ginny

Susan

We spent an afternoon there as a side trip during our stay in Cancun - we hated it!! It was filthy, stunk, the hotels weren't as nice as in Cancun, etc. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for! There's not much to do on the island but shop. Cancun has all the nightlife.

Anon

<BR>I personally could care less about the kind of nightlife in Cancun, & don't find it at ALL romantic. All that drunken craziness & dancing isn't for me. I like to remember my name in the morning, LOL! Cancun is indeed very clean but so commercial. My idea of good nightlife is sitting somewhere nursing a rum punch & listening to steel pans, open air on the beach. If that's not available, I'd rather listen to the waves & watch the moon. That's romantic to me. <BR> <BR>No offense to those who love Cancun & Isla Mujeres et al, but it's disappointing to me to hear mariachis & disco rather than steel pans & reggae. The water is beautiful & the temp is tropical in Mexico, but I don't think of the "flavor" as Caribbean. Just my 2 cents, & something that Les might want to consider. (Might be exactly what he's looking for.) For me, going to Isla would be better than not going at all, but it wouldn't be my first choice. <BR> <BR>Les, what do you consider romantic? Are you looking for seclusion? Lush scenery? What month are you planning to go? What kind of accomodation are you willing to settle for? What amentities can you do without? If you can give a $ figure (US) it will help. <BR>I'm not a camper, but you might consider the eco tents on St. John. The Turtle Nest Inn on Grand Cayman is very romantic but their prices have risen terribly this year & their cancellation policy looks pretty tough now. <BR> <BR>On Barbados, you can do Sunswept on the west coast, Time Out at the Gap or the Cracabank on the south coast, or the Crane has a few rooms available at around 125 if you can go that high. Now THAT'S truly a romantic setting. If you don't mind accomodations being a little downtrodden, the Inn on the Beach is a good value & in a great location. It's not bright & clean like Time Out at the Gap, but the setting is gorgeous.

Cheri

Anon - Have you ever been to Isla Majueres? No, it doesn't compare to St. John, Grand Cayman (I've been to both) or Barbados. But it's nothing like Cancun either.

Anon

<BR>Cheri, yes I've been to Isla Mujeres. Found it charming & quaint, the water is lovely. I prefer a different atmosphere, that's all. I've been to Mexico a lot over the years & just don't find the Mexican atmosphere as appealing. <BR> <BR>Sadly Cayman has become too Americanized. But we enjoyed the Turtle Nest & I included it because it was romantic.

Cheri

Anon, Cancun is not my favorite spot either because it is a very BIG resort area and way too Americanized. Also, I don't like being hassled by the Mexicans (when shopping, choosing restaurants, etc). I did find Isla Mujeres to be quite a bit different than Cancun, but it was five years ago that we were there. Maybe it's changed.