My husband and I are getting away for 5 days in March from the kids first time in 6 years!! We've never been to caribbean...he's been to jamaica but hated it! been to hawaii...he's not a huge beach person or watersports...here's the kind of trip we need-

great beaches
awesome food
fun nightlife- but safe
fun shopping and daytrips to do- yet not so touristy
some nice snorkeling
relaxation!
we've looked at Curacao- looks interesting- the Avila hotel? Marriot?
others have suggested St. Marten...
please any help is greatly appreciated..
thanks,
lisa
also, what about mosquitos???

I have heard the Marriott on Curacao is the nicest. We stayed at the Marriott on Aruba and loved it. I would highly recommend Aruba to you. It has great beaches, fun nightlife, great food and we had a great time. Aruba also has a very nice Hyatt and Radisson there. There was no trouble with mosquitos here because there was a constant trade wind blowing. I brought Off but never used it. St. John is an island known for great beaches and snorkeling and is a short ferry ride to St. Thomas for shopping. Have fun picking.

Hi,
I agree! In fact, just last night I recommended Aruba to one of my best friends, as she has never been to the Caribbean either. No mosquitos in Aruba each time we were there, very windy though. Curacao is a great little colorful island also, but then again, I've never traveled to a place I haven't enjoyed. I have not been to St. Marten yet, but I do know people who go every year and love it! Have a great time planning and deciding.
Jayne

Can't go wrong with the Marriott Curacao.

Is there an all-inclusive in Aruba? We were leaning towards Jamaica until I read this post, as we have never been to the Caribbean islands. Why is Jamaica a poor choice?

Deblynn,
There are tons of all inclusive in Aruba, however neither Aruba or Jamaica I can recommmend....both are poor choices, however that is MY opinion, others will differ. Jamaica is loaded with crime and Aruba is so Americanized its terrible and the wind is awful. I've been throughout most of the Caribbean and a good bit of the world and may be able recommend a better place for you. Let me know just what exactly you are looking for in a destination, and others will help as well. Suggest you start a new thread.

Just type Jamaica into the search box , and read away ! That will take awhile . Jamaica seems to inspire lots of passion , and definitely two separate camps . Those who hate it , and those who love it . Jamaica itself is a passionate place . I am in the love it camp . You need to decide for yourself , but make sure when you read the posts of naysayers , that they have actually BEEN there . Jamaica is one of those places whose best friends , cousins , mother went there and did not like it !!! Faith

I have been to both Aruba and Jamaica more than once!

I know You have , and we can agree to disagree politely ! we must have been replying at the same time , I am just slower !! lol Faith

LOL Faith,
I'd rather not disagree on Aruba and Jamaica, enough said. How about the positives of Costa Rica and Tobago? Much better convo! Happy travels!

Your husband will find that Curacao is not as tropical as Jamaica, but he sounds like he may not care. We think Curacao is an oasis in the Caribbean. The Marriott is less intimate than the Avila. The Mariott is on the beach. It's an elegant property. The rooms are nice and clean with terraces or balconies. The pool area is very nice and there is a separate kids pool. Lots of chaise lounges. There are three restaurants. Two of them are very good. There are also very good restaurants around the island. Lots of nightlife as well and we felt extremely safe always. Walk across the bridge for some good shopping downtown and do rent a car for at least a day. Go to Curacao and you will have a retreat that is reminiscent of your dream vacation.

Deblynn: I can't comment on Jamaica except to say that I would not go there because of all of the negative and scary stories of people going there. On a better note, we enjoyed Aruba and yes there are all inclusives there. Although, I would not recommend it because Aruba has great dining all at fairly reasonable price. We had a great trip and took the whole family. The best places to stay are the Hyatt, Radisson and Marriott. We stayed at the Marriott, but I saw the Hyatt and I thought it looked nicer. The Marriott was great too and I would not hesitate to go back! It is windy, but when we were there it was never that windy. It felt like a nice breeze. I also believe it is where you stay on the island that makes a difference. Staying at the Marriott, it is at the end of the chain of hotels, it was not as windy. The Wyndam gets a bad rap for that. My parents stayed at the Wyndam and my mom hates Aruba because she felt it was very windy. All in all, we would return. We had a great vacation with sunshine, good food, nice accomodations, great watersports, etc..

Oh and there was no harrassment on the beaches in Aruba.

I have travelled the Caribbean and, while Jamaica is one of my personal favorite destinations, I can understand why some are not comfortable there.

I do not care for Aruba. It is not a pretty island and when I am in the islands, the flowers and trees are a large part of my enjoyment. Also, I am not a fan of large resort hotels and Aruba has a lot of these. The food was expensive and mediocre and the wind annoying.

Perhaps you would consider Antigua. It is lovely, the beaches are beautiful and there is little poverty so hence it is quite safe and very appealing. The nightlife is good, but not on a part with San Juan for instance, where night life is a big part of the flavor there.

I also love St. Lucia, but not for its beaches.

Curacao is charming but I really love the beach and I did not spend time there on the beach so do not know what it has to offer.

St. Maarten is very pretty and is a another good spot for a few days IMO.

I do not care for a "sanitized" island experience (Bermuda comes to mind) and Cayman is like that IME but it also fits the bill for a pretty island with lots of options.

I'll still choose Jamaica over all of them.

I've been to several Caribbean islands and Jamaica is the only one that has merited a return visit and I'm sitting here researching airfare now. I want to go "off the beaten track" there next. I can't describe why I like Jamaica so much but it just has a feeling that I have not found in Cayman, Anguilla, St. Martin, Barbados or St. John or in Mexico. I like the food, the lushness, and the people. I have never felt unsafe nor have I ever spoken to anyone who has and I know people who have spent weeks at a time there going everywhere - except Kingston.