sept vaca, suggestions please - st. barts, nevis or st. john, or other
 

traveling 2nd week in sept. want a beautiful place (naturally beautiful island) with things to do (not just lay on a beach, although some of that would be good), be able to explore and eat out.

st. barts seems like it fits the bill, but the top resorts are very pricey (was thinking of filao or serena, but alas both are closed in sept).

nevis seems less developed, but have read nice things. not sure where to stay there.

st. john seems naturally beautiful, and there seem to be things to do, however, i'm not sure how it stacks up against the others overall.

don't want too developed, but want to have things to do. enjoy exploring and experiencing some of the local atmosphere.

looking to spend about $3k for a week.

or any other suggestions? sept might be a bit risky at these islands.

sorry if this request is a bit vague, but just not very clear on where to go. thanks a bunch.

A bit risky is putting it mildly as you are smack dab in the middle of hurricane season. That is why some of the resorts you mentioned are closed, as are many others - including restaurants. I personally would not travel that time of year to the caribean as you may not get a hurricane, but it is the rainy season. You may have days of rain, clouds or a tropical storm. It is just so not worth it. Many locals take this time to close their resorts/restaurants and give their employees a vacation and spruce up the resort for the new season. Many places re-open either mid October or November 1. So even if you do travel to one of these islands, you will be missing out on a lot!

I would look into Barbados or Bonaire as these islands are far south out of the "hurricane belt". Aruba is also out of harms way but you stated you wanted a beautiful place, and not too developed. Aruba is dry, windy and very developed - high rise hotels along the beach, casinos and fast food, not what you had in mind!

Go to www.travelhop.com and "visit" Barbados. Most every hotel is listed, with links and rates and this site also gives you all kinds of information - month by month happenings, reataurants, etc. it may be helpful to you and will give you a place to start.

Sorry I did not want to be negative about the weather, but since you did ask, I would have to tell you the truth. You may get people that say they went to blah blah blah island during that time and had perfect weather and it was great. Then again if you look at some of these posts, you will read many travellers fretting over the weather ie: incoming storm, rain, wind...it's just not worth it! Travel further south and have a worry free vacation:)

thanks for the advice.

how would you say barbados stacks up against the other islands? where would you recommend staying?

again, we do like exploring and experiencing some of the local culture. are there places to walk around in barbados?

thanks again.

St. Barts. yes some of the resorts close Sept 1 to Oct 15, but lots of things are open. There has not been a hurricane since '99, and that one came in November. A nice private villa can be had for about $2000 a week or less.
Still gorgeous beaches and ambiance then. Travel insurance is about $150.
There is NOT a rainy season then. Nevis has a fair ammount of poverty, SB has none, and way better dining. Both of the resorts you mention are not closed becasue of hurricane season but for major construction projects...

visit www.stormcarib.com, you will find all your weather related answers there. click on antugua for an up to date weather forcast of what is going on in the caribbean today.

You may not get a hurricane during hurricane season, but you just might encounter rain, wind and maybe a TS - you just never know as there is nothing more upredictable than the weather. That is why the rates are much lower during this time, due to the weather.

Hi Travlin-
I have traveled to the Caribbean in September a few times, never had a problem. Some rain but not all day everyday...Each island you've chosen are beautiful. St. Barts will have a LOT more goin' on than St.John or Nevis. Not too much to do on Nevis...but relax and enjoy the beauty. St. John is good because you can always take the short ferry ride over to St.Thomas for action, etc. I love them all it would be a choice based on how much you want to do. Nevis being the most quiet to St. Barts having it all. Don't let Hurricane Season stop you, and the deals are great in September.