Make the right choice......And find your "Paradise"
 

I've been reading & posting on this site for several years now, and have learned so much. My wife & I have been visiting the islands since 1990. We have enjoyed each and every trip, of course some more than others.

The long thread about St Lucia was very interesting. So many different views & opinions. We visited St Lucia about 7-8 years ago. We both liked it, but it wasn't our "Paradise".

Finding that perfect island takes research, and lots of it. Of course there is a margin of trial & error here, but you get the point. Now when we are planning a vacation, I read as much info as I can find. I actually find researching different islands & resorts very relaxing. So many diffrent options, prices, cultures. And just when you think you found something you might like, you read someone else's view that hated it.

It can be overwhelming, but at the same time fascinating. With so many different opinions, how does one make an educated choice?

Well, first off, you really need to be able to read inbetween the lines. One needs to know what they are looking for, and also what things may turn them off. Like so many of posters have said in other threads, what I may find as "Paradise", someone else may think of as pure hell. Thank God we all have different tastes, otherwise it would be a very boring world!

Make a list. This list should contain what is most important to you. For example: Long white beaches, luxury accomodations, great restaurants, watersports, shopping, etc. Staying true to your top 3 requirements should narrow the choices down quickly. Add in a few more, and you'll have your list down to a couple of choices. Always keep in mind that there's always next year for the places that didn't make it this year.

Once you have come down to a couple choices, you can then zero in on specifics. That's what Fodors is great for. Of course there are many other travel sites that can help. Again, opinions will certainly vary, but you should be able to draw a conclusion if you ask enough questions.

Vacations are too expensive these days to end up in a place you simply can't stand. With the wonderful world wide web, you have everything you need at your finger tips. Make the effort, and do the research. Not only will you learn something new, you will have a much better chance of finding your "Paradise".

Nice post, Scott. Well said.

Scott, I agree completely.

With close to 30 Caribbean trips under my belt since 1989, my friends often ask me where they should go. I've actually worked up a questionnaire which addresses not only the preferences you mention, but other matters like comfort with foreign languages and currency, tolerance for a multi-legged trip, etc. It really does narrow things down quickly!

However, while I have seen fit to return to the Caribbean year after year (and am fortunate enough to be able to afford it), most people I give advice to are making a once-in-a-lifetime trip, making it that much more important that they are pointed in the right direction. They won't have the luxury of trying again if the first trip doesn't quite suit.

On a somewhat related tangent, I've noticed that the big all-inclusive resorts (Sandals) and the mass-market cruise lines maintain gigantic billboards in working class areas in my region. I guess the hope is that the less savvy travelers (i.e. those who don't appreciate the great variety of options out there, and who may not hit the internet to do research) will choose one of those travel providers for their once-in-a-lifetime journey (e.g. honeymoon). While those travelers will probably have a fine time, they have no idea how great it can be with a destination that truly suits.

All of that said, I have found several versions of my "paradise" and I know there are others out there!

Great thread.

Amen Callaloo!!

It's very easy to fall victim to the enhanced photos by the bigger companies. It took us a couple of trips to all-inclusives before we found out how much better we liked being on our own.

On our very first caribbean vacation, we didn't get too far from the resort. A couple different beaches, and one trip to town, but that was about it. Now we are always exploring, and loving it.

You live & learn......

ScottB: I completely agree with you. Research, research, research and knowing what you like and don't like are key.
An article "Ultimate Islands" in the latest edition of Caribbean Travel & Life tackles the topic "The most common question we hear is: What's the best island? Of course, there's no single answer, because the fantasy-fulfilling island for someone who wants a sun-and-sand getaway full of outdoor adventures is different from the best island for someone seeking world-class culinary experiences, melt-the-credit-cards shopping sprees, party-till-dawn potential or a total Robinson Crusoe escape".
So the question should really be "what's the best island for me? I like this and that...".
Personally, I've enjoyed every island I've gone to, some more than others due to personal preferences. I just love seeing/learning how different the people and each island are.
Happy travels.

ScottB,

In planning our first trip to the Caribbean, I did exactly as you suggested. I started about 2 years ago and just started reading everything. We had our priorities. The short list had 3 or four desitnations on it and we whittled it down from there. We settled in St.John for this June, but in the process I learned a whole lot about many other places that will probably make it to the top of the list some day. Thanks for the great topic.

-Bill

I also agree with all of you. This is a very informative thread.
When we were picking a caribbean island a couple of years ago, we went through all of the most important vacation needs for our family. I have enjoyed all of the islands we have been to. (Not nearly as many as Callahoo, but a few!)
I love the picking and the planning almost as much as the vacation itself!

Callaloo, I'd actually be very interested in your questionnaire- I'm sure it would help many of us "first timers" narrow down our choices. Would you mind posting the questions sometime? Thank you!

To each his/her own. We had visited many places around the globe, and in the warmer regions, Bermuda, Bahamas, and finally the Virgin Islands. The pirate life in St. John suits us best and we bought a little place there but development is never far behind. It too is getting built up. So, I guess it's like life... there are periods where things just seem blissful, and then you grow up.

Callallo's travel advice comes with no guarantees -- you get what you pay for (i.e., it's free!). That said, I use the following questionnaire to help friends choose island trips. I have guided them to honeymoons on Providenciales and crewed yachts in the BVI. Haven't had any complaints yet.

So, without further ado, here's the questionnaire:

Timing:

What month do you want to go?
How long will you be staying?

Transportation:

Do you require a non-stop flight to your destination?
Can you handle more than two flights? Or a couple of flights and a ferry ride?
Are you averse to traveling in a small propellor plane?
Do you have frequent flier miles or a particular airline which you prefer?
Do you plan to rent a car? Or do you plan to either stay put or rely on taxis/public transport/walking?
Are you comfortable handling boats?

Cost Considerations:

Do you have a tight budget for this trip?
Is it very important to you to know in advance how much you will be spending for food and incidentals?

Culture:

Do you prefer an English-speaking destination?
If English-speaking is not a concern, are you interested in Spanish/Latin, French, or Dutch culture/language?
Are you comfortable handling foreign currency?
Are you interested in a destination where topless/nudity is permitted? If not interested, do you object to people around you engaging in such behavior?
Is it important to be able to explore ruins or archaeological sites?

Accomodations:

Do you want to be right on the beach, or in the mountains, or in a town?
Would like prefer: (a) a large resort; (b) a mid-sized resort (20-100 rooms); (c) an intimate inn; (d) a condo-style accomodation with resort amenities; (e) a private villa; (f) a liveaboard boat?
Do you require air conditioning? Or will a ceiling fan and a breeze suffice?
Do you require a pool on premises (even if the property is on the beach)?
Would you like your own private pool, spa or plunge pool?
Are you averse to rooms which are open on one or more sides to the outdoors?
Would you have a problem with a property which doesn't have any room keys?
Do you require such amenities are phones in rooms? Television?
Do you want luxury (marble clad baths, jacuzzi tubs)?
Do you want a standardized, familiar type of accomodation?
Are you interested in 4-poster beds, mosquito netting, wood or tile floors?
Do you like rustic settings?
Would you like a thatched roof?

Food:

Any major food allergies? Especially to fish or shellfish?
Any major food dislikes, especially fish or shellfish?
Do you like to have your meals in one place, or would you like to travel around and explore?
Is coffee in the morning essential?
Would you like to be able to make your own meals from time to time?
Do you like buffets?
Do you like to eat familiar foods, or do you like to explore new cuisines? Or a combination?
Do you have an aversion to spicy foods?
Is "fine dining" a priority? If so, would one or two "fine" meals suffice, or do you want more than that?

Activities:

Is being on the beach a high priority?
Are you interested in significant laying-on-the-beach time, or do you plan to be on the go?
Do you plan to scuba dive (or learn to)?
Do you plan to snorkel?
Rank these in terms of appeal in terms of "nightlife"? (a) A cozy, quite evening reading a book before bedtime; (b) A romantic stroll on a deserted beach. (c) Hanging out in a bar with new friends. (d) Listening to live music by local bands. (e) Dancing the night away in a disco. (f) Gambling.
Are you interested in tennis? horseback riding? spa treatments?
Is duty free shopping important to you?
Are you interested in motorized watersports, such as jet-skiing, parasailing?
Are you more interested in having lots of people around? Almost no people around? Enough people around so that you can meet new people and socialize if you choose?
Do you care whether most visitors are American, European or Latin?

Geography:

Is there any island you DON'T want to visit? If so, which ones.
Is there any island which particularly intrigues you? If so, which one(s).
Is the beach the most important thing, or do you want more?
Must the island be lush, hilly and green? (Fair warning: typically, the better the beaches, the less green the island).
Is it important that there be a town nearby?
Is it important to be have geological features (volcanoes, sulphur springs, crater lakes) to explore?
Would you like to be able to island-hop?

Anything else you want/need?

Callaloo,

Now that's what I call a comprehensive list!!

That's exactly what my original post meant, but you have done it with much greater detail.

Thank you.

Thank you so much! What a great resource. Now, who will interpret our answers? :)

Ah, the art is in the interpretation of the answers. Obviously, some of the answers rule out particular destinations right away -- e.g., if you want to speak only English, skip Guadeloupe and Martinique. Beyond that, all the fun is in exploring the alternatives and possibilities!

Excellent list. Usually the amount of money available to spend on the vacation pretty much pre-determines where many are able to go. Out of the way and little known destinations tend to be a bit more expensive even though the island itself may have reasonable accomodations. St.Vincent and the Grenadines is a prime example. There are many nice priced accommodations on the island itself as well as Bequia the problem is the cost of airfare and flight connections from the US. Still considering all that SVG is still "my Paradise" once a yr.

Well said, vinceygirl. That is exactly the problem we're finding right now. Because my husband is a teacher, we are restricted to set vacation times.

Our next trip is in February, and while I think we might really love Anguilla or Turks & Caicos, for example, flights are just a bit too high.

We'll watch for sales, but in the meantime, I'm trying to find our "paradise" located somewhere perhaps in Puerto Rico where the flights from NYC are much more affordable :)

Just a thought. Would you and hubby be interested in a cruise, not a mega liner but sailing ship? I take Windjammer cruises and I believe the Legacy has some trips a bit closer to the US. Airfare to St. Maarten isn't to bad right now or at least not a few days ago. The Polynesia sails from there and it is an awesome trip. Airfare is separate from the cruise itself. I usually book my own airfare thru either the airline directly, USAirways is running some specials right now, or thru Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and cheapcaribbean.com
If you know where to look and have a good idea of which islands you're interested in the posters on this board may be able to help with your search. If a WJ piques your interest I'd be glad to answer any questions for you. The islands visited on there itineraries are all lesser known destinations. That's how I discovered St. Vincent and the Grenadines. When I first started sailing I visited St.Maarten, St.Kitts, Saba, St.Barts, Nevis and Statia. I think I recently saw a price for airfare to SXM for $368 US.
So good luck in your search.
Sandy

Sandy, thank you for your suggestions. We had looked into cruises a bit, but mostly out of NYC (and none of the itineraries were that appealing). Our main problem is that we're travelling during President's week in February, so flights to departure points like Florida are pretty expensive.

But, I haven't given up yet :) We're very interested in Saba, so I will keep flights to SXM on my radar screen. Right now from NYC they're holding steady at about $650 the week we need to leave.

We'd ideally like to find flights to wherever for under $500 each. Our whole budget is about $1800-2000 for two for 5 days (obviously, not luxury accomodations), though I think we could stretch that to a week in PR. We're also keeping an eye on SkyAuction, so we'll see what we come up with! :)

Tarheels, if a flight to Puerto Rico fits your budget, why not go there? It's a great destination with endless variety. Or head to Vieques and Culebra -- I haven't been there yet, but it's on my short list of potential "paradises." I was looking into staying at Hix Island House, which I recall being relatively affordable yet quite unique.

I've also found FF flights to SJU to be relatively readily available from my home airports in the Balt/Wash metro area, especially if you are not traveling on a Saturday. We had an easy time getting FF tickets to Puerto Rico for a long weekend this coming February. Also, when planning a trip to Grenada for this coming April, we found the $800+ airfare to be daunting, so instead I got another set of FF tickets to SJU and then paid cash for the SJU-GND leg (at about $300/person).

I am, admittedly, a miles 'ho' -- mostly to facilitate my love of island travel. I'm not a road warrior, but I do take a dozen or more round trip flights a year, which helps the mileage totals; I pursue every mileage bonus offered by AA (including making donations to the Red Cross for Katrina relief); but the big mileage comes from charging EVERYTHING on my Citibank AAdvantage Mastercard (just think how many miles you can get just from filling your gas tank!).

With AA, I figure that if I can get to Puerto Rico, I can get anywhere in the Caribbean.

That list by Calalloo is great !

Any chance it can be made a "sticky" FAQ for this forum ??