reflex

Hello,

Wanting to go with my family December 17-25. Yes, late planning. My family will include my old parents who will veg out at beach and pool and my 6 year old son and me an my sister and her husband who do want to go out at night. Flying from Atlanta. Ideal: gorgeous beach, good snorkel and maybe diving, strong nightlife and local culture, all inclusive or hotel with breakfast included and can walk into town. We have already been to DR, PR, Mayan Riviera.

I have been reading up a ton on the islands and my question here is about the islands.

-Aruba looks good except I have read its not great for snorkeling and not clear how pretty the beaches are. But looks like it has a strong culture and nightlife

-Bahamas.....? Would love to know Pros and Cons

-St Martin? Would love to know Pros and Cons

Most of the southern caribbean too expensive at this point. (Barbados, Martinique etc)

suze

The thing about the Bahamas is because it is further north (not actually the Caribbean Sea) its weather will be cooler than the other islands further south.

genio67

Aruba is not a place I would suggest if culture is high on your list but it does have beautiful beaches. The Tam/Divi resort is an AI resort popular with families on a nice stretch of beach and has small(ish) pools but you can't really walk into town. It's not like a big AI in DR though. It's rather small and low key. There is the Alhambra Mall which you can walk to and there are some stores and restaurants there...and Juan Valdez cafe which has good coffee which was important for me because the coffee at the resort was not so good. The main town of Oranjestad is about a 10 minute ride away but I personally have been disappointed every time I have visited the place. It's nothing like Old San Juan for example, which is filled with charm, history and ambiance. Oranjestad is basically some attractive buildings with a lot of stores for cruise ship visitors.

Aruba has a lot of restaurants so many people would never do AI there. You can look into hotels in Palm Beach which has many restaurants in walking distance to the hotels. Also look into places on Eagle Beach as well which has smaller hotels than Palm Beach.

Forget AI in St. Martin, especially on the French side. The restaurants are wonderful. Grand Case Beach Club in St. Martin might work for you as there is a nice beach and pool and it's in walking distance to the village of Grand Case. You could also look into Orient Beach. What kind of culture are you seeking? If it's a local vibe then I think you are more likely to experience that in St. Martin which has a French Caribbean flavor. The Dutch side of St. Maarten is more American and has more shopping, casinos and nightlife but I guess there are more hotel options there.

genio67

I should also add that since I don't know what your budget is but you mentioned Barbados is too expensive, the restaurants in Grand Case are generally not cheap. There are a few exceptions but there is probably a wider price range on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, however, I think the French side is more appealing.

reflex

Thank you!

I think St Martin/een is out bc lack of AI's.

Basically its down to Nassau or Mexico which we have been to a million times.

But Nassau in mid December Im reading could be chilly....?

schmerl

Here is a clip of the average temps in Nassau......
"The month of December is characterized by gradually falling daily high temperatures, with daily highs around 79°F throughout the month, exceeding 84°F or dropping below 73°F only one day in ten."

There are so many more AI options in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico than there are in Nassau.
And yes, it would help to have your budget.

jacketwatch

We were in Nassau one yr. inFeb. and it was a bit cool, not for walking around but the water was a bit chilly.

What about another part of Mexico like say Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos or say Iztapa?

Bassguy66

I was in Nassau a few years back in mid December and it was in the 60s. Hardly beach weather.

RoamsAround

I agree with other, if you want "swimming weather in late December avoid the Bahamas. Best to go to islands from Puerto Rico and south.

Have you thought about Antigua? There are several AI's on that island that might fit your budget (whatever that may be). It's is smack dab in the center of the Caribbean so no problem with cooler temps in December.

But let me ask you this. Are you dead set on going to an AI? Doing so is going to limit your options, especially if you don't want to go back to the DR and Mayan Riviera which are considered the AI "capitals" of the Caribbean.

You can find some very nice mid-price non-AI resorts throughout the Caribbean and dine out for some or all of your meals at much the same cost of an AI. Also, if you'd consider staying at a "condo resort" you can have all the comforts of home since you'll be staying in a unit that ha separate bedrooms and big living areas as well as fully equipped kitchens so you can save money by preparing your own breakfasts and lunches thereby having even more cash available for very nice dinners at local restaurants.

If you want good snorkeling & diving and a decent nightlife consider Tortola in the BVI's but you'll have to give up on the AI's.

WoinParis

I am a fan of St Martin and share Genio description of the Island. I however disagree that restaurants are not offering a wide range of prices. You can find in Grand case a lot of small restaurants (we would say gargottes in French, but they have another name for it) where you eat very cheap. and some where you eat very expensive.

But indeed, St Martin French side is not about all inclusive. I didn't like dutch side, but that is normal, since I'm Belgian.