I would love some advice in planning my own 60th birthday celebration. Kinda sad, huh that I have to plan it myself. But, the good news is my husband will pay for it. The problem is I don't know where??
It is in mid September and this is what I'd like:
small luxury accommodations - but not fancy
the sky is not the limit but could handle $300 a night
somewhat remote so not on hotel row
not inclusive - love to have a locals bar to visit (no matter if it's raunchy)
hiking or kayaking is a must - No golf course or tennis courts
15 years ago we went to Nevis and are looking for something very similar.
I have no idea where to start - what island and what hotel? Any suggestions would be great!

I thought I should redefine LUXURY NOT NOT FANCY...

Nice bedding, pretty bathroom,candles, fluffy robes, etc. but not stuffy....I think you know what I mean.

Thanks!

I guess I should think this through before I keep hitting the submit button. We went to Negril a few years ago,so that's out....
my final over and out

Hi

If you liked Nevis you could try its sister island St Kitts, where you'll be able to hike the volcano with a local guide, kayak, zip line and lots more...and visit Nevis for the day if you wanted to go back

Why not rent a luxury villa, and enjoy the space as privacy? We stayed in a beautiful place on Turtle Beach, and rather than self catering all the time we had the housekeeper bring in some lovely Caribbean dishes for us, and she kept the house clean and tidy while were there, so no house work!

See here for more info on St Kitts
http://www.stkittstourism.kn/

Here for info on hikes
http://www.gregsafaris.com/

and this is the villa we rented,
http://turtlebeachhousestkitts.shutterfly.com/

Have fun!

I think Grenada is much more laid back than St. Kitts, which has kind of a mass-market tourism thing going on these days. There are some secluded places in Antigua that may remind you of Nevis (but with much better beaches), but the island is geared to mass-market tourism ordinarily. Since you're traveling in September during the most likely time for a hurricane, it might be worth taking a look further south, perhaps to Curacao, which has a few nice but not flashy hotels. Or throw caution to the wind and go to Tobago. There are some nice hotels there on beaches that are very much like those on Nevis.

You may wish to consider the Grenadines because they are fairly remote, small, and located in beautifully pristine waters. Although I haven't been, the Bequia Beach Hotel is close to your price range. My wife and I have visted Petit St Vincent and Palm Island and greatly enjoyed them, especially PSV, although they are more expensive than your stated budget. However, both are AI (well, at PSV, everything except alcoholic beverages) and, I feel, represent good value for the experience they provide.

While PSV and Palm Island are fairly good value for a luxury private island resort, they are nowhere near $300 per night. Not even close.

cariblover10, thanks but I failed to mention we did stay on St. Kitts as well and wanted somethng different this time.

What we loved th most was hiking in the "rain forest"

Thanks for your imput Doug, you think Sept. would be a good time for Tobago and we could find what we want there? Also, do you think we need to readjust our budget?

Fatboy, I'll take a look at Bequia Beach Hote. Thanks, for your suggestions but really do not want large or AL.

I think $300/night for "luxury" or even "luxury not fancy" is a bit on the low side for the Caribbean even in September.

I think you misunderstood Fatboy, Bequia Beach Hotel is not AI. Their rates include breakfast but not lunch or dinner and not drinks. It certainly isn't a large hotel either.

If you want "hiking in rainforests" consider Dominica. There are lots of small hotels on that island but they may not meet your definition of "luxury" (sorry I'm still not clear what you really want in that regard). In my experience "luxury" comes with a price tag and at $300/night I'm not sure your budget will buy you very much "luxury" - you can get "nice" yes, but "luxury" not so much!

Another island, not previously mentioned in earlier responses, that has rainforests is St. Lucia. The island has lots of hotels/resorts in your price range.

I think RoamsAround has a point. In the Caribbean, $300 gets you "good" not "luxury." But if you went to a place like Bequia or St. Vincent, you'd certainly get a unique experience at a favorable price. But even in St. Vincent, which tends to be quite cheap, the only "luxury" option is Young Island Resort, and it's $448 in the off-season. Now that price does include half-board, but it's still a lot more than the $300 you want to budget. Plus, you're going to spend at least $600 to $700 to get to a place like Bequia or even Dominica for that matter. Bequia is quite a bit cheaper and simpler ... and really love (perhaps it's more like a miniature Nevis).

The problem with Dominica is that it doesn't have nice beaches at all ... not nearly as good as Nevis.

Yes, I think you could probably make it in Tobago. The island's best upscale hotel is the Blue Haven, and it's right in your price range. And it has a really great old-fashioned feel. Airfare won't be cheap, though. You have to go via Trinidad and should expect to pay no less than $600.

If you want to do something a bit more adventurous, you could look at Montserrat. It's cheap there except for food, and you get there via Antigua. Plus it's got the active volcano, though only one good beach to speak of (reached only via kayak, I believe).

But it's not out of the hurricane zone at all, where Tobago is far enough south that hurricanes are rarely a problem. Tobago is also a good place if you want to do bird-watching, hiking, or diving/snorkeling.

Nevis is probably my second love, second to Grenada. Grenada certainly fits what you are looking for. Look into the Calabash Hotel, which is located on a beach in the Lance Aux Epines area, a residential neighborhood. Close enough to restaurants yet far enough to feel like you are not in the main tourist zone. Other possibilities in the LAE area are Twelve Degrees North, and a rental villa like Turtleback Pavillion if you are open to a villa rental.

You might also consider Maca Bana Villas which are individual villas/cottages set on a hill overlooking a beautiful, quiet beach.

September is very low season, so you can probably find a deal. Don't go by the rates listed on their website... email or call them and see what they can offer you.

There is lots to do on the island besides laying on the beach. You can also take a daytrip to the Grenadines which I highly recommend.

Ooh, pick Grenada! It's much larger than Nevis, an island I also love, but it still has that wonderful West Indian vibe, a more varied topography, a few more activities, and some amazing beaches.

If you're comfortable with auctions, LaLuna has been offering quite a few packages at www.skyauction.com. It's a romantic, boutique resort with a rustic luxury vibe going on. We added three nights there at the end of a weeklong villa vacation and really enjoyed it.

For $300/night, you can get a very nice villa on Grenada. I know you mentioned a hotel, but there are some amazing villas in that price range with gorgeous views. Take a look at www.spiceislevillas.com for a good starting point--it's run by a man named Nick Hughes who lives in Grenada and knows personally all of the properties he represents. I've stayed in two of them: Tradewinds and Turtleback. Another thing I like about villas is the luxury of space that they afford you, plus we like the full kitchen. We make breakfast at "home" and eat it out by the pool, then get a morning swim in before heading to the beach.

Perhaps you would enjoy the lush tropical vegetation of St Lucia. A beautiful island to hike, swim in waterfalls, view a volcano, snorkel, bird watching and many other activities. A small, family hotel in the Soufriere region called La Haute Plantation might be just what you need. the views are spectacular, the rates are within your budget, it includes breakfast but not the other meals. www.lahaute.com $175 a night for a small cottage.

Wow, Thanks for all your great response. I've set aside most of today just for research. Thank you for some direction.