Turks, Martinique, BVI, etc. - HELP
 

We need help! We are two couples, one with children 5 and 8. We want to book a vacation in July at a nice resort with GREAT beaches and a strong (supervised) childrens' activities program. We are trying to address our varying interests and needs. Two of us like casinos/gambling; another two like exploring quiet rural Caribbean villages by car. All of us dislike high-rises. <BR> <BR>We're trying to choose an Island we've NOT been to before, which rules out Aruba, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Bonaire and Puerto Rico. We were considering Antigua but opted out, based in part on the information in this Forum. <BR> <BR>Does anyone have any thoughts on Martinique, BVI (Virgin Gorda and Tortola) and Turks/Caicos? (On the latter, one of our number is a scuba freak, but the guidebooks make it seem like there's not much ELSE to do there ... is that so? Any other suggestions (for other Islands)? <BR> <BR>Thanks so much, everyone.

Re: Martinique- <BR> <BR>There is one great beach, Grand Saline, at the southern part of the island, but there are no resorts connected to this. There are other good beaches, at Trois Islets area. I don't know about child care. <BR> <BR>Casinos are poor to awful. <BR> <BR>Driving through small towns and villages is very good. The people are nice and helpful, although you must be able to understand French reasonably. It is a big island, with good roads which are poorly marked. It takes three hours to go from the top to the bottom. We felt quite safe all over. <BR> <BR>We stayed at Bakoua Hotel, which was four stories. It was more like a motel. But the beach was good there.

Dave -- thanks so much for the thoughtful information about Martinique. It'll help us decide! Jan

I can only advise about Martinique (or Guadeloupe), since I have not been to the other places you mention. The south offers the best beaches and the island is a safe one. You won't find many high-rise buildings, but the tourism industry is not as developed as it can be on other islands. A basic knowledge of French will be the major issue. <BR>

Have you checked into Beaches (Sandals resort) in the Turks & Caicos. Their resorts are wonderful and Beaches has a very strong children's program.

I think I responded to a previous question of yours. Yes, Beaches has an excellent childrens program. Yes, there isn't much else to do on Provo. There is some gambling at Club Med(I think it is Club Med) which is a short cab ride.