taurus252

I want to thank everyone who helped me narrow my search, I originally wanted to travel to TC but since I may be traveling during hurricane season I opted to not press my luck. BTW when does hurricane season end? I am thinking about traveling sometime in mid sept. I am looking for pure relaxation, something romantic and very beautiful, calm waters and lovely beaches. A place with great food and great people, sorta a St John type place. Me and my gf will be traveling, we are not big on going clubbing when we travel, so a nice relaxing place is more important. We are on sorta a budget so if you can keep that in mind that is appreciated. So which of the ABCs give us what were looking for? Also, is bermuda considered a B island? Ive heard very little of Bonaire and Curaco, can someone share there experiences there as well?

Knowing

Have you done a search through Fodor's yet? I personally think you can relax on almost any island, but admit Curacao is our favorite. St. John is way different than the ABC islands, not better or worse, just a different escape. Bermuda is not one of the ABC's. The food in the ABC's will be much more gourmet than in the USVI. What are you looking to spend as a daily rate?

Gekko

ARUBA -- Pure tourist economy. Big resorts, great dining & nightlife

BONAIRE -- Primarily for scuba divers. Very quiet & isolated

CURACAO -- The most industrial of the three (varied economy - less dependent on tourism). Has the most character

Statia

To answer your question on hurricane season, it runs from June 1 - November 30, with September usually being the worst for the Caribbean Hurrican Belt.

However, the ABC's are rarely affected. So, enjoy your trip!

shelby9201

I have been traveling to the ABC's for about 10 years now. Heres my $.02... they are out of the hurricane belt and in over 15 trips there, I have never encoutered bad weather. Aruba is by far the most commercial of the three. It's not a lush and "pretty" island, but it has tons of charm! I prefer to stay away from the hi-rise hotels and Palm Beach and stay by the low-rise hotels near Eagle beach. There is a great nightlife on the island and so many fabulous restaurants and shops. It gets a bit crowded when the cruise ships are in port, but there's lots to do to keep you busy. I've snorkeled many times with the Mi Dushi crew and it's always a great time. My husband and I spent the first week of our honeymoon on Aruba in Sept 2001. We have traveled quite a bit in the Caribbean and Aruba remains one of our favorites places. We spent the second week of our honeymoon on Bonaire. Bonaire is soooo mellow and is primarily for scuba folks and nature lovers. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the extremely laid back vibe. The island is built up enough to include all your needs - major grocery store, internet cafe, really excellent restaurants, but still has a very underdeveloped (in a good way) feel. There are almost no chain operations there. KFC is the only one I recall. Washington Slaagbai (sp?) park is breathtaking. We had birds, donkeys, goats and iguanas eating right from our hands. Everyone we met was incredibly friendly and safety was never an issue. Curacao has a much more European feel to it. We only stayed for a few days but we did have a good time. The shopping was very good as I recall. If you have any specific questions about Aruba or Bonaire, I'd be very happy to help.

LovesFood

and here is my $.02:

I agree with Gekko in all in aspects of Aruba and Curacao (never been to Bonaire). Both me and my boyfriend we are also not big on going clubbing and love to just relax and lay out on the beach. Food is also very important.

Aruba: It was okay. The only one thing I liked about it is that it has beautiful waters. Very commercialized.

Curacao: People will chop my head off but here it goes. The island is beautiful. It has lots of character and very colorful. Fantastic seafood! However, the people were not friendly at all! From the resort, to downtown Wilmstead, to the restaurants and to the casinos. Very European/Spanish oriented. I felt like an alien there and never ever felt so unwelcomed. Very bad experience.

However, our favorits are: Cayman Islands, very relaxing, beautiful island and beautiful people and very romantic; and Puerto Rico -- more upbeat and bz, however if you stay at the El Conquistador, that's romantic -- take a ferry to Palimino Island every day. Very well worth it.

CF

I have to disagree with posters that say Bonaire is primarily for scuba divers. We don't scuba, but are serious snorkelers and we absolutely loved Bonaire. There was quite a bit to see on the island as well. I'm glad I didn't listen to the folks that said if we didn't scuba we'd hate it.

kristifi

I just want to put in my two cents. I am deciding which island to go to also. Check flights first. I live in New England and some islands are pretty tough to get to, the schedules are bad (get up at 3 AM on my departure day?), or it takes twenty hours when it could take seven or the price is outrageous (2,000.00).

Kristen

I've only been to Aruba...but loved it. Great beaches, beautiful turquoise water (okay snorkeling), great restaurants and perfect weather!

I will definitely be returning...

CF

kristifi,getting up at 3 AM to go to the airport and catch a flight to the islands is norm for us.

I would like an "easy" trip but if I stayed away from every island that took a few planes to get to, we would have never gone anywhere. It just doesn't seem like "you can get there from here".

Carola22

Agree with LovesFood: the people in Curacao are NOT friendly! Also, we did not feel all that safe there (though nothing ever happened). For that reason, and also because the beaches are much nicer, we prefer Aruba. Sure it's commercialized and touristy, but as shelby said, it has so much charm, and the hotels and beaches in the 'lowrise part' are wonderful. And as said, it's so safe and the people are very friendly.

npwoodtx

I was in Bonaire in December of '01, and based upon your description of wanting lovely beaches, I would say that Bonaire is out of the running. Don't get me wrong, I think this is the most gorgeous island I have ever seen, but I am an avid diver who spent most of the time under water. Bonaire's beaches are mostly rocky with only a very few spots that even have what I would call sand (still really grainy). Having been to St. Johns a long time ago and still destinctly remembering how wonderful those beaches are, I would definitely limit your decision to Aruba and Curacao.

Jed

I agree with npwoodtx - Bonaire is for snorkling and scuba.

CF

...but Bonaire has SO much to see as well.

croix

Hi CF. Is B a good island for taking children 7 and 9 in terms of snorkeling---i.e. are there calm snorkel spots or are they windy or deep for very experienced swimmers?

Also, which is the most plush hotel?
I heard the food was not too good?

denette

Am considering Bonaire for 50th birthday celebration/vacation and will be taking my two sons, 8 and 15, and need the same questions that "croix" asked, answered?? Please advise on particular beaches that have calm current and ones that are to be more cautious with. I have read that one side of island is better for wind surfing so that tells me it is a little rougher there?/ All advise is greatly appreciated.

CF

The water in Bonaire is very calm. You just walk in and snorkel right there. We stayed at the Plaza and liked it. When we were there the food bordered on sucking,(I've heard it has improved) but there were many other places to eat. Especially Richards, which was just down the road about 1/4 mile.

There are some cool things to see there too. Lots of parrots, lizards, flamingos, wild burros...