I am trying to decide on an island for next February vacation. Have done lots of research, but my head is spinning, so I'm looking for suggestions.<BR><BR>What's important: nice beaches, good food. A little night life would be nice, but not too crazy. Also very important, we don't want an island that's "americanized" -- we're looking for an island with true Caribbean flavor.<BR><BR>Suggestions?

St. John - great beaches, restaurants and unique atmosphere. (Caneel Bay)<BR>Anguilla - top notch boutique hotels (Cap Juluca, Frangipani), beautiful beaches but not as much nightlife.<BR>Virgin Gorda - quaint and great beaches (Little Dix Bay or Biras Creek)<BR>I also dislike the "Americanized" islands and have found these islands to be my favorites.

Tobago..read the posts under Trinidad and Tobago.

Go to Atlantis in the Bahamas.<BR>It will fulfill all your needs.<BR>It is the world's best tourist destination hands down.<BR>

Perry.........You've got to be kidding!!

Perry must obviously have interests in Atlantis. The total opposite of what D is looking for.

It is just Perry's opinion, so give her a break.

Susan, I'll repeat myself just once. Perry must obviously have interests in Atlantis. The total opposite of what D is looking for. Also, how many female Perrys do you know of?<BR>

I understand what you're asking but I'm not so sure that it's possible to get a true Caribbean experience anywhere that involves a resort, or hotel with a beach -- it will always have a good measure of tourist attached to it. The hotel and nightlife will all be geared towards tourists. If you really are looking for the true experience, why not go to downtown St. John's in Antigua at about 9 pm and hang with the locals? Otherwise, avoid anything called Sandals or Breezes, Atlantis or Club Med and go small and isolated on one of the less-traveled islands and you should find what you're looking for.<BR><BR>

I agree with "a." Most touristy places in the Caribbean are geared toward American tourists. The "true" Caribbean experience is with the locals in local places.<BR><BR>

Try one of the small, locally owned and operated inns in Negril, Jamaica. Post this request on the message board at negril.com, http://theone.negril.com/cgi-bin/config.pl, for suggestions.<BR>

I'll go you one further for the "true Caribbean" experience.<BR>The first time we went to Nevis, we stayed at Four Seasons. Very nice, great service, plush and pampering. We found Sunshine's (local beach bar/restaurant next to FS) and ate lunch there every day. We got home and felt we missed out on a lot.<BR>Eight months ago, we went back to Nevis. We stayed in a villa in a local neighborhood, shopped in the grocery stores, hung out in the local bars, got invited to parties and cookouts, and ran the wheels off our rental car. We made many friends and had the vacation of our lives. <BR>No matter how luxe a resort is, it does not compare for a truer picture of island life and culture with staying in a villa and spending time getting to know people other than your waiter in a restaurant at the resort. (Not that that isn't great too.)<BR>It has given us a whole new dimension to our vacations.<BR>Not to say that it would work for everyone, but we loved it!

Good for you, Nancy! Yes, I agree that some people PREFER the touristy places for a reason (and there is nothing wrong with that), but if it IS a true Caribbean experience that you are looking for, do it with the locals (like Nancy did). Great post.<BR>

D,<BR><BR>Smaller is almost always better. Villa rentals are a great idea. But you can never tell what will happen at a small resort. Don't know if either of the following could happen today, but a while ago my wife and I stayed at Antigua's Galley Bay when Edie Holbert still ran it. There were only 12 of us there. Food was outstanding, beach was magnificent. Entertainment during the beginning of the week was some tapes on a tape player while the 12 of us (6 couples who had never met before) sat around over drinks and talked about islands we had been to and places we had stayed, restaurants where we had eaten. The big excitement came on Wednesday when Erroll put up the dart board. The competitions were heated. Best thing was the beer was cold.<BR>We did go into St. John and drink rum, listen to music and hang with the locals just like 'a' suggests, and (s)he is absolutely correct. You'll have so much fun and meet wonderful people and have a (positive) travel experience you'll never forget.<BR>It was one of the best vacations. <BR>Until 3 years later when we stayed at Rawlin's Plantation on St. Kitt's. That was when Philip and Francis Walwyn still owned it. We were the only people there. We ate with the Walwyns, drove their car to Basseterre and Brimstone Hill, went for drinks with them to The Golden Lemon, and sat with them on their veranda after dinner looking out over fields of sugar cane at Statia in the distance (Hey, Statia, this is the trip I told you about), drinking brandy with classical music and opera cranked up on the stereo, talking and laughing and growing close to two wonderful people.<BR>That was the best vacation ever.<BR>In both cases, we did research and knew where we wanted to go, but could never have imagined how it would actually turn out.

Nice story, Jam-Man.

Perry, are you crazy? Suggesting Paradise Island at bahamas. The most expensive hotel resort and most ridiculous vacation ive had. Food was awful. People there were rude. And most of all youre stuck at a huge resort.