Angi

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are making our first trip to the Caribbean during the first week of December. Each time I read the posts, I change my mind on the best place for us! Please help me decide!!

We normally go camping/hiking/birding for our vacations but this time we want more relaxation and pampering - but we are not the super luxurious/ super high end type of couple. Here is what we are looking for:

Great weather in early December.

Beautiful, lush island with natural habitats or wildlife preserves (for seeing birds, mostly).

Beautiful beaches and great swimming with snorkeling options.

Yummy, fresh, food and a charming/nice hotel on a decent sized beach. We can afford around $150 per night at the most. We want to feel papered but not formal. I might even get a massage.

Not too touristy, enough local flair so we feel like we have left the US - does not have to be secluded or solitary but not the ?Times Square? of the Carribean. 

Local attractions, restaurants, activities not too far away from hotel. Don?t want to spend a lot of time in the car.

Some places that seemed appealing per some of the posts: Anguilla? Virgin Gorda? St. Lucia??

Is the Caribbean right for us?? Specific recommendation about where to go and stay would be very much appreciated. Thanks a million. Angi & Philip

p.s. should we get a travel agent to get the best deals or package deals? if so, any recommendations?

katethetraveler

Have you looked into going to St. John in the US Virgin Islands? It is 2/3 national park and is absolutely gorgeous. (However, I am not familiar with their bird population.) Fortunately it is not a cruise ship stop, so it is very laid back and uncrowded. It has a nice variety of shops and restaurants, very nice beaches and snorkeling(trunk bay), and the national park.It is a very safe island. I believe there is quite a range of accomodations ranging from some interesting eco-resorts in the park to your high end chain resorts.(hopefully you can get a decent rate in december) There are a full range of typical island activities here or you can travel by ferry,i believe, to some neighboring islands including the british virgins. I cannot convey how truly stunning this island is. We try to travel to different islands every year (this winter, st. kitts), but if I had to choose an island for a repeat visit, this would definitely be at the top of my list--truly spectacular. I believe you need to fly into st. thomas and take the ferry over to St. john (we arrived by sailboat). You should be able to arrange your flight and hotel easily enough with the help of a fodor's guide book and the internet (i have found tripadvisor dot com helpful in makeing hotel selections). Good luck with your travel plans--if you choose st.john, you won't regret it.
Cheers

mnag

Anguilla is probably not what you are looking for since it cannot be described as lush. The interior of the island is arid/dry/scrubby. The beaches however are Awesome. You may want to look into Virgin Gorda or St John. However I'm not sure what hotels would fit in your budget. You may want to also consider the bahama out islands. The hotels are more reasonably priced. However they are very basic. You will not feel pampered and the water temp may be on the cooler side.

Hermien

Let me add one more option to your many choices. I prefer the north coast of the Dominican Republic, you have beatiful beaches, ecotourism, and it's inexpensive. Las Terrenas has all the things you are looking for, I have gone many times and love it. Try samana.net for more info and for hotels i prefer Playa Colibri, but there are many options (see tripadvisor.com under Las Terrenas). There are some cheap flights from NY and other cities to POP, where you will have to take a taxi, or you can fly to Santo Domingo. It is a bit far from the major airports, but that makes it so beautiful. Now all you have to to is decide.... good luck and have a great trip, you will like the Caribbean I am sure.

Maggy

As I was reading your email and the type of place you would like to visit, St. John is what 1st came to mind. It's funny that your first respondent (katethetraveller) mentioned St. John as well. St. John is small, charming, no high rises, lots of park areas. I suggest staying in Gallows Point because it's within walking distance to Cruz Bay so you can enjoy the local feel and walk to restaurants, bars, etc. This property is above your budget, though, so it might not work for you.

We stayed across the street in Lavender Hill and liked it very much but it's has more of a 'condo' feel to it. Keep in mind that because so much of the island is a natural preserve, you won't find too many properties that are directly on the gorgeous beaches. We rented a jeep and would drive to different beaches every day. Also, it's fun to rent a dingy and paddle to different beaches as well. It can be expensive but deals are always available.

Another less expensive recommendation would be Playa del Carmen in Mexico. It's on the Carribean side of Mexico and you can get some great little hotels directly on the beach. There is a cute little town in Playa and great hotels include Mosquito Blue (not on beach but only 1 block away, and Las Palapas (directly on beach). The area just outside of Playa has been overdeveloped with All-inclusives but close to the town you can still find these smaller family owned hotels. Check it out.

rburgess

The island you are describing is definitely St. John. I've been there twice and can't wait to return. I've been to several Caribbean Islands and St. John is by far the best!

Traveler863

Check out Tobago, much Carib charm...you'll definitely feel like you left the US and inexpensive. Sorry St. John people, St. John isn't leaving the US...although it may not seem like being in the US, its a mental thing!

ejcrowe

St. John is definitely a good match for the OP's requisites, with the two very important exceptions of budget and location. Unless she does priceline for the Westin or wants to do one of tent-cottages like Maho, there are no places on the beach for under $150/nt.

On Virgin Gorda, Guavaberry Spring may have something close to your price range, which would put you in a villa. Nail Bay and Leverick Bay on VG have hotel rooms in this price range, I believe, with the better snorkeling and beach being at Nail Bay. There's a restaurant on site at Nail Bay, but nothing else within walking distance, I believe. Leverick Bay doesn't have much of a beach, but it's water sports central for the island and you can catch the North Sound ferry to Bitter End and Biras Creek for dining, I believe.

In a couple of years, La Sagesse on Grenada will be perfect for you, but sadly they're recovering from hurricane damage and it will be some time before things are back to normal there.

Possibly the Siboney Beach Club on Antigua would fit the bill. It's on a lovely and busy stretch of beach with various restaurants and beach bars within walking distance, and its own restaurant, the Coconut Grove, is quite good. The island is more lush on the west coast and there are a few hiking trails, eco-tours by kayak, and historical sites you could visit. The hotel could most likely arrange for a masseuse to come to you. A full or half day catamaran cruise can take you to various places to snorkel, and Great Bird Island has some birdwatching opportunities.

Good luck finding the place that's perfect for you, and have fun once you get there!

tivertonhouse

Since bird watching is high on your list, recommend 3 nights in the Blue Mts at Faraway (www.farawayjamaica.com)
followed by 6 at Mar Blue.Verandah (www.jamaicaescapes.com) on the Coast with boat tours of Black River/The Great Morass and land tours of Marshall Pen and the Cockpit country with Ann Sutton, wife of the late Robert Sutton, the noted island bird photographer/expert.

mnag

Just wanted to add that you may want to look into Sandcastle on Jost Van Dyke (BVI). Its on Beautiful White Bay. Awesome white sand beach with calm clear water.