Safe & Fun
 

My wife and I are thinking of a trip to the Caribbean with 3 other couples. Which islands will be the safest if we want to get away from a resort? Also, easy air connections would be a plus because we only have about 4-5 days.
Thanks

I can't think of any islands that aren't safe (maybe Haiti right now), but there are many islands that have parts of cities/towns that are not safe - e.g. Kingston on Jamaica, certain parts of Castries on St Lucia, larger towns in Haiti, etc.

Generally, some people on this board seem to recommend Aruba, Caymans, Bermuda, St Barts for a more (what I would call) 'sanitized' experience if visible poverty is an issue.

OH! Forgot to mention, St John in the US Virgin Islands would most likely be a good fit for what you are looking for.

Provo's Grace Bay in the Turks & caicos is considered a very "safe" destination (although tecnically in the Atlantic not the Caribbean) and you may be able to get a direct flight there (if not you can certainly make an easy connection in Miami). Barbados is another safe destination and because it is a "Gateway" to the southern Caribbean you should be able to get an easy air connection. Antigua doesn't get much mention on this board but it too is a relatively safe island and fairly easy to reach.

Hi - I would strongly suggest Anguilla. Not only does it have 33 of the most beautiful beaches, but the islanders are the most friendly of any island I've been to. Try either Frangipani Beach Club or Cuisinart. Get a rental car and explore. Plus there are dozens of restaurants that rival any in New York, San Fran, & Europe.

Easy to get to also -- fly into St. Martin and ferry over. You won't be disappointed.

Anguilla may be my favorite island overall, partly because of the restaurants, but let's be careful with the hyperbole for those who haven't been there. It doesn't have 'dozens' of restaurants that will rival 'any in NYC, SF, Europe'. For an island its size it certainly has more good restaurants than any island in the Caribbean.

As for the original question, Bermuda is probably the safest tourist island I've ever been to (except maybe Kauai and Lanai). Aruba, St. Barth's, Provo and the Caymans are right behind. I'll list St. John a notch below due to some bad experiences there.