Unfortunately a trip to Europe was postponed – hopefully to be rescheduled in the fall. So mom and I are planning a quick jaunt to a lovely island for a few days. We are flying from BWI and hope to spend 4-5 days at the end of May/early June. We enjoy beautiful beaches, seeing and enjoying the local culture, shopping (straw market or local shops vs malls) and relaxing; so we are looking for a fun safe place with these features. We are thinking about Aruba, Bermuda or Anguilla. What would you recommend? Since this is quick getaway we would like it to be reasonably priced. On that note...do we go with an all-inclusive or not? And any hotel recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Of the 3 places you mentioned Anguilla probably has the best beaches but there is very little shopping (a few t-shirt and trinket shops) and it is a little difficult so given the fact that you are only planning a 4/5 day trip you might end up spending to much time traveling. Other than that it's a great desitnation and will fill your needs perfectly.

Aruba, on the other hand, is very Americanized with lots of large hotels and the crowds that go with them. I'd give it a pass.

It's been a very long time since I've been to Bermuda but there have been many recent posts describing the island and it features. It too would be an excellent place for you to visit as it is safe, has a lot of local culture, good shopping and it is a relatively short flight from BWI so it is a perfect destination for a short trip and in May the weather should be perfect.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, this was a great help!

eve7, check out Harbour Island in the Bahamas. It would be a quick flight through Ft Lauderdale (preferable)or Miami, you'd be there by noon, then a quick water taxi over to HI. The entire island is only a couple square miles, very fun and friendly locals, a little shopping, some nice dining, golf cart or bikes are the order of the day. I think it'd be perfect for 4-5 days. Do a search here and you'll find lots of recs for nice places to stay. Wherever you go, try not to do all inclusive, because you will be exposed to much more local culture/experiences if you go outside your resort.

Bermuda would be quick to get to. The local culture is very inviting. It's not a cheap destination, but it would be my choice.

I do not care for Aruba or Bermuda. But if your idea of perfection includes a more "sanitized" island experience either would work for you.

I have not found either place to have a very distinct personality or culture. They are quite Americanized.

I wouls suggest St. Maarten as it has everything you are looking for and a nice dose of culture as well.

We're going to Anguilla in June, having last been there 17 years ago. We're flying out of BWI as well.

Anguilla has wonderful beaches (rent a car and visit several), friendly residents, a great selection of restaurants (from cheap and simple barbequed ribs/chicken/fish places to gourmet-chic), and beach-front hotels in a variety of price ranges.

American Airlines flies from BWI in the morning, changing in San Juan to American Eagle, and arrival in Anguilla in the early afternoon (around 2:00 as I recall).

We're staying on Shoal Bay East (as we did 17 years ago), which is included on just about everybody's "best beaches in the world" lists.

Here are some good sites for info:
http://www.anguillaguide.com
http://hotels.ai/

Two factors favor a trip to Bermuda. As Sunnyboy pointed out, it’s a relatively short flight from BWI and you’re only going for 4-5 days. It definitely has decent beaches, is safe, and certainly has shopping. The public transportation on Bermuda probably exceeds that of any island and the ferries are an excellent way to get to Hamilton if you’re not staying there. Bermuda has a number of off the beaten path beaches that relatively few visitors go to. Walk the old railway trail for something different.

For places to stay, search posts on Fodors.com or do a Goggle search to see what fits into your budget. We prefer self catered facilities and stayed at the Whale Bay Inn on two trips. I don’t believe Whale Bay Inn is operating at this time. Bermuda, while having a reputation for being expensive, has a large number of average priced places to stay.

kfusto,
I don't think you can even compare Aruba and Bermuda or speak it in the same breath. Aruba is very Americanized, Bermuda is very British...outside of the english speaking commonality, they are night and day. Aruba is very family oriented, much activity, water sports, all the glitz, the "Disneyland" of the Caribbean. Bermuda is subdued, generally just couples, pristine, upscale, quiet. As far as sanitized I don't think Bermuda fits in that category, certainly well sanitized in the sense there's no slums or anything seedy about it, however that was not done recently for tourism to attract visitors its always been that way and remains an upper crust destination. Aruba on the other hand is a different story, sanitized is a good description.

Eve7,
From BWI, Bermuda is a great 4-5 jaunt the flight is just 1.5 hours nonstop.

Re Bermuda, I have been there twice and have no desire to visit again.

I agree that Aruba is definitely more Americanzied and I do not care for that island at all.

Bermuda, to me, is very pretty and also a bit stuffy, due to the British influence. I prefer islands that have a more exotic flair.

I agree that is has always been upper crust - actually it has been at least 15 years since my last visit - and I imagine that the ambiance has not changed in that time. It did not appeal to me, albeit for different reasons than Aruba.

My parents went to Bermuda and loved it.Out of your choices Anguilla or Bermuda would be my choice.
I went to Aruba last April and I doubt that I would go back anytime soon.The water was not good for snorkeling,the people were very friendly and restaurants were good.We got suggestions from locals.But for nature and scenery, I think that there are much better choices out there.
Check out the USVIs also.

I also say Bermuda. Sure, it is British, but it has a special Bermudian charm to it. The very upscale resorts are more for the 'sophisticated', but you will enjoy the friendly Bermudian charm everywhere you go. Bermuda is a very pretty island, flowers everywhere and pastel coloured houses, pink sand and sparkling water in different shades of blue. You just won't get that in Aruba or Anguilla. To keep costs down, I would stay at The Rosedon - it is in Hamilton so you can be within walking distance to numerous restaurants (in all price ranges) and steps away from the bus station and ferry. One of our favourite things to do in Bermuda is taking the ferry all over the island - it is an inexpensive way to get around. Rosedon also offers a free shuttle over to Elbow Beach (10 minutes away). This beach is one of the best on the island (huge plus with Bermuda - doesn't matter which beach you go to, you will never have anybody trying to sell you stuff). There are small fridges in the room, so you can stock up on snacks to keep costs down. A market is not far away. I went to Bermuda 15 years ago for my honeymoon and always can't wait to get back.