after doing a little research i think i have it narrowed down. if i'm looking for true caribbean flavor (nice people, good snorkling, local food, not too touristy) which should i pick? st. kitts sounds nice, nevis might be a little too relaxed. tortolla might be too big but then the bvi sound less developed. hum. a lttle help?

I just got back from St. John and can tell you that it is just gorgeous. It has all of the "true caribbean flavor" you mentioned. I'm not sure what you mean by "too relaxed" but it is definitely the least developed place we've been. If you are looking for natural beauty and excellent restaurants, it is hard to beat. Feel free to email me with specific questions.

sounds like you really liked it. natural beauty and good food - whats not to love? where did you stay? did you get to look at any of the hotels? i'm kind of a bed-and-breakfast-mingle-with-the-natives type but my husband is the umbrella-drink-in-the-pool type. and did you snorkle? and where if you did? ok, i'll leave you alone now. thanks for your comments.

St. Kitts was wonderful. We stayed at the Golden Lemon and the food is incredibly good. It's not a hectic island but we took a catamaran for the day to Nevis then stayed in our villa w/a splash pool at the GL. Or, you can stay in the main house. I would go back. And, the rum drinks are great at the GL. Ottley's food was not as good as GL's and way overpriced.

Hi, Nicky & I are off to Grenada soon & have visited a fair few islands in the Carribean. The only place we have been to twice is the B.V.I - Tortolla is not big & certainly is not over developed. <BR>If also gives you the oportunity to visit even quiter Islands like Virgen Gorda, Josh Van Dyke & Peter Island - all accessible by a fairly short boat ride. The beaches in the B.V.I are certainly some of the best we have been to & if you go in summer will share them with very few people - in fact one afternoon we had Smuglars Cove in Tortola all to ourselves (honesty Bar on beach for those cold red stripes - just leave the money in the coconut when you take the beer as there is no staff). If I have can find the time I will post a full report on how to do the B.V.I on a budget having spent a fortune the first time - It is the most expensive islands we have visited. The snorkeling is excellent particularly in Virgin Gorda but good snorkeling can be found just up from Cane Garden Bay & Smuglers Cove. We did our P.A.D.I there last September with Blue Water Divers in Nanny Quay & they were excellent. 9 dives + P.A.D.I for $400. The best thing was going out on the boat around all the islands so you get the best of both worlds. I have not been to St Johns but I have heard you get sone big Cruise ships docking there, where as Tortola only the small ships can dock. <BR> <BR>If you do decide to go, book your flights to Antigua and go Liat to Tortolla. Then cruise the net for some good choice of self catering accom - look to stay around Cane Garden Bay (beautiful beach, local food from beach bars inexpensive and good and plenty of informal reggae nights) - If money no option then stay at Long Bay Beach Resort (Tortolla) or Little Dix Bay (Virgin Gorda) I can recommend both. <BR>The local people are very friendly & it is still probably the most safety islands in the carribean. We even hitched rides the second time as we were always picking up people hitching the first time around. If you want any specific info email me & i will try & help.

message above incorrect -- I don't believe any cruise ships dock at St. John. Most are at St. Thomas, very close to St. J. St. J is 2/3 national park, very unspoiled from what I hear. unfortuately, our plans to spend a day there on a recent trip were changed due to weather... ah well. next time. <BR>