Mom and daughters - Caribbean Help?
 

I have always gotten valuable info here at Fodor's, but this is my first search for a Caribbean Island.

I am not particularly a big fan of lying on the beach all day with nothing to do, but the girls like it. Actually for the past few years my husband and I have enjoyed very active trips to Costa Rica. However for this trip, I am planning a trip for myself (Mom) and 2 daughters and it seems we are leaning to an island type retreat. We are considering late May and June for probably a week. My daughters will be 17 & 18 at the time of this trip. One will be getting ready to enter college and the other her last year of high school. As you may already realize, I have begun to agonize over losing my daughters to the world.

The girls are mostly interested in beach and pool, we all love the water and spend a large amount of time on and in the water, so snorkeling certainly. I am thinking a bit of girl type pampering, spa treatments maybe. I also want them to experience local culture. Plus I love lush tropical vegetation, rainforest type. We all love good food and they both are always interested in trying something new.

I think St Lucia would fit the bill, but I know there are so many hidden treasures out there. I am not interested in Jamaica, Bahamas, Dominican Republic or Cancun. Any suggestions appreciated, just don't know where to focus my research.

As for lodging. I prefer small hotels. No big high rise resort chains please. Prefer easy beach access. Actually with 3 of us bungalow or suites would probably be best.

Safety of course is an issue.

We travel out of Memphis, which means we have to go somewhere else to get anywhere, so probably Atlanta, Houston or Charlotte.

Not certain of a budget yet, but I don't want to mortgage the house or use the college fund, so can I just say a moderate price range lodging? Can I find something nice in the $150 - $200 price range?

I am certain I am missing something, but this request is already long. Hopefuly I have conveyed the general idea of what we are looking for.

Thanks

Unless you have frequent flyer miles you'll be using, you'll also want to keep airfare prices in mind when choosing your destination. Many of the lushest islands with the best mountain scenery and local culture, such as Grenada or Nevis, will cost you a lot to fly to, in both money and time.

You may wish to consider Rincon in Puerto Rico. Rincon is about an hour's drive from San Juan but it's a million miles away in atmosphere. Rincon has numerous wonderful beaches ranging from calm and beautiful to some of the best surfing this side of California. And a very friendly, laid back atmosphere.

If you fly to San Juan, you'll save money and time, as compared to most other Caribbean destinations. Of course, you would need to rent a car to get to Rincon but that shouldn't break your budget and it will give you the ability to get out and explore Rincon, all of its great beaches, and the beautiful surrounding area.

If you're interested in Rincon, I'd recommend you consider staying at the Rincon of the Seas Hotel (http://www.rinconoftheseas.com/), a very nice beachfront resort, or the Bon-Accord Inn (http://www.bonaccordinn.com/rincon.html), a somewhat less expensive but gorgeous (and new) inn about a block away from the beach. Both hotels have excellent restaurants, especially Bon Accord's, but you would certainly want to explore the splendid cuisine of Rincon and not just stay at your hotel.

My daughter and I went to Turks & Caicos last year an had a great time.
Weather wasn't wonderful but we found a small hotel that was in front of the best snorkling on the island. I'de stay away from the all-inclusives--too many little kids running around with braids!

Lots of good beaches/restaurants/shopping.

Enjoy!

I would definitely consider Grenada, and that time of year is low season so Or St. Lucia you might be able to get a good price. I have been to both LeSource and LeSport on those islands and really enjoyed and it might be good for you and your daughters as all the activities are included, including some spa treatments. They have lots of activities too, both at the resort and around the islands (biking, hiking, etc). The negative is that you eat all your meals there. I'm not an all-inclusive fan generally but I really enjoyed both those trips. Based on what you said, I don't know if Rincon is what you are looking for. I think you will get nicer beaches elsewhere and more Caribbean feel on another island in addition to better food options.

Check out Long Bay hotel on Tortolla. Lush hilly island with nice view. Winding roads (so if you want to rent a car and drive around but are worried about hair pin turns, etc this may not be the island for you). Pretty nice beaches and some good restaurants. Also the hotel is reasonably priced. Marriott on Curacao may fit your criteria also. Lots of culture, decent beaches and nice restaurants (not a lush island). Turks has great beaches and restaurants but a dry/scrubby island and not much cultural activities.

I'm not sure what druckerm means by saying that you don't get a Caribbean feel in Rincon. This is simply not the case. If you go to Rincon, you will be in the very heart of non-urban Puerto Rico, meeting and mingling with the people of the town. It would be hard to find a resort town where you will be more in the middle of the local culture. And it's a very safe town so you won't be worrying about crime or getting harrassed.

As far as restaurants are concerned, I would place Bon Accord's restaurant and the truly gourmet restaurant of the Horned Dorset Primavera Resort up with the best you'll find anywhere in the Caribbean.

Dfarmer, I know you said you were looking for Caribbean, but you might give Puerto Vallarta a thought. It is an old Mexican city with mountains, jungles and the beach. Don't know what airfare is like from Memphis, but you can rent a 2 bedroom condo with daily maid service right on the beach for about $1000/week. We have stayed at Vista del Sol, which is right next to Rio Cuale. The condos there face the Bay of Banderas from the front and the mountains from the wraparound balcony. The girls can go to the private rooftop pool or beach and you can walk into town and shop for jewelry, ceramics, art, clothes, etc. You can take day trips to the jungle or on the Bay, you can be as active as you like. We found our condo on vrbo.com. Just a thought.

Grand Cayman has to be the safest island down there. We had a truly wonderful time there. It is a bit pricey, but it doesn't have to be. It is not too jungly, but we went right after the hurricane, so it is probably greener now.

Thank you all for some starting points.

I am certain I will have lots of questions, and obviously have lots of reading.

If I were going alone with my teen daughters, I would probably want the safest area which I feel is the cayman islands. We rent a house on the north side yearly and I always feel safe. Also, not the caribbean, but I would also suggest Maui ( My mother and I went there when I was a hs senior and I always have fond memories of that trip)

I think your trip sounds wonderful!! My mother took me to Puerto Rico when I was 19. That was over 20 years ago now. I still remember laughing and having the best time. We still giggle about our escapades!!
I have two daughters close in age and hopefully I will be able to take them to a fun trip-"just the girls"!

hello dfarmer,

I wondered if you have heard of Isla de Margarita in Venezuela ? It's a real beautiful island with lots of nite life for your daughter's ages and for you to enjoy with them. We also have Isla de Coche that you could take a day trip to get there by boat and rent 4 wheelers and tour the whole island or also go Scuba diving in Los Roques with PADI certified divers for fun. Lots of shopping and Margarita Island is a free port so you don't pay taxes on anything you buy here.

Its sounds like allot of fun, I have two daughters but they are still young but I would like to do something like what you have planned one day myself with my little girls!

best wishes
marsha

Hi Donna , Just read your message on my other post !! St.Lucia was the first place that came to mind . Perhaps a place like Anse Chastenet . Also consider Tortola . Grenada would fit as well . And also certain areas of Barbados . ( another cool area near PV in Mexico is Sayulita ) I think you would love Tobago and also Dominica , but perhaps not the right choice with the girls .

Lots of great ideas. I am highlighting and searching, and pouring through my guidebook. There are just so many wonderful possiblities!

Faithie, thanks for checking in over here for me, watching for the rest of your report!

Laby,
I guess everyone has their own version of Caribbean feel and perhaps I didn't see the best parts of Rincon. Also, I live in San Juan so maybe my impression is different b/c I consider the whole island, not just the one area, which I was taking into consideration based on the mother's comments that she just doesn't like to sit on the beach.
Surely didn't mean to offend anyone by saying that, I was just giving my opinion.

druckerm, believe me no offense was taken. Your opinion about Rincon and Puerto Rico is probably a better guide than mine since you live in San Juan.