For honeymoon- love upscale elegance of St. Barths (haven't been there but have heard lots), but we're concerned that it will get too $$ with meals. Considering St. Lucia but are worried about being bored, not having lots of restaurants to choose from, lack of elegant atmosphere, lots of kids and families etc. (will stay at Jalousie and/or Ladera if we go there) <BR>Can anyone give feed back on this?? <BR>thanks!

If you stay at any top hotel in St. Barts and eat there or any other top hotel or restaurant, you can run up huge dining bills - $50 breakfasts, $75 lunches and over$100 for dinners. But there are ways around that. If you don't mind some casual dining, you can get plenty of reasonably priced meals. Better yet, if you get a place that includes a kitchenette, you can save a bundle by preparing some of your own. <BR>It's an expensive island, but most people who've been there, including me, will tell you it's worth every penny!

Just booked a villa in St. Barths for an April '01 honeymoon. Had orginally booked a hotel (francois plantation), but found some good "last minute" deals on some great villas. We'll have a private pool, hot tub, great views, etc. The cost of the villa was comperable to francois plantation, and we figure to save $$$ by eating some meals at the villa (minly breakfast and lunch). Booked it through Wimco (www.wimco.com.

I just came back from the Grand Caymanian Resort (5 star) in Grand Cayman and loved it! If you are considering the Caribbean for Travel, this is the place to stay! Some amenities are Kitchen, Washer/Dryer, Pool, Beach, Dock, Dive Shop, Restaurant, Free Shuttle, plus more… I actually am willing to talk to you regarding this resort and can offer availability at a discounted rate ($800-$2000/week). To see more info on this resort visit: http://www.anetdiscount.com/cayman, Please call Jeff (570) 374-3482

We did not see any kids at all at Ladera, and very few at Jalousie Hilton (although JH does have a kids' program, it seemed more popular with honeymooners and couples -- we only saw a few children). Ladera discourages kids due to the open-air nature of the rooms on a hill with a big dropoff, because it's not really safe for little ones. It's a very adult atmosphere and really lovely. We thought the restaurants were great and did not get bored at all. I don't know how many restaurants you need or how long you're going for, but we went to 5 different restaurants while we were there and liked them all (Dasheene, JH, Anse Chastanet, Hummingbird, Bang), and didn't even get to all the ones we would have liked to try (Camillas, Captain Hook, & others we heard were good). Meals on St. Lucia were not inexpensive however.

St Barths is worth every penny. You can't compare Cayman to ST Barths. Cayman is flat everthing beautiful is underwater. St Barths is very hilly with over 20 beaches and exquisite dining for excellent quality and presentation you pay comparable to any major city. Cayman is expensive for fast food and outrageous for upscale dinning.

Beside, Jeff should not be advertising his Cayman hotel on every post to this forum. This is not for advertisement, it's for travelers advice. Amanda - try St. Barth's. It is wonderful in every way!

You can't compare St. Barths with St. Lucia. That is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo. St. Barth is worth every penny, dollar. St. Barth is very upscale and St. Lucia is just another Caribbean island. There is NO comparison.

Steve-LOL -Are they still making hugos. Amanda, I would go with St. Barths, as it is lovely, excellent restaurants and a safe tranquil island.You will not be bored on this special island. St. Lucia is very lush and the Jalousie Hilton is very nice, but it is very very hard to get around this island in comparison to St. Barths. We were very bored, and felt very confined. We missed the many restaurants of St. Barths and other islands we enjoy(Anguilla,Barbados and St.John) There is extreme poverty around Soufere, and that is upseting. Go with St. Barths, you will not go wrong. Do St. Lucia at another time, I would visit the other islands I mentioned before making St. Lucia a priority. We went in l995, when hurricane Luis gave us little options. I am glad we went, but would not go again.

To Ed - We absolutely love St. Barth's and we're taking our fifth trip there in April (can't wait!!). We've decided to precede the trip with a couple of days in Anguilla because we've heard alot of good things about it and wanted to try something alittle different this time. You say you've been to Anguilla. How would you compare the two islands? I understand Anguilla is more laid back. Just looking for feedback so any info you'd like to share would be much appreciate!

Amanda- I was/am in your exact situation. Last year, I was researching where to go for our honeymoon, and I looked at both St. Lucia, St. Barts and Anguilla. (I really was set on Cap Juluca in Anguilla but they were closed due to hurricaine Lenny.) But anyway- we went to St. Barts in May 2000 for our honeymoon, and it was fabulous! I've only been to St. Thomas, Grand Cayman, and Costa Rica, and this far surpassed any of those. It is upscale and exclusive and the best of the Caribbean with fine, French cuisine, great shopping, and beaches. I loved driving there on the narrow, winding, hilly roads! You must get a jeep. We stayed at St. Barths Isle de France which was wonderful. It's on Flamands Beach and tucked away with gorgeous grounds and first class service. It's not cheap- we got a "package" 7 nts. with jeep rental and breakfast for $3500. We ended up spending around $3k for food and shopping. $100 dinners are the norm which includes a bottle of wine. Cokes were $4 at our hotel, and a club sandwich $18. You can get around this though if you don't need to go to all of the hot spots. <BR> <BR>We're now planning a trip to St. Lucia for July at Jalousie Hilton! So, of course, I recommend to do what I did: St. Barts first for honeymoon, followed by St. Lucia next year!