We are looking for an island that is not too big,with lots of charm, hills and green vegitation. It has to have great beaches and some type of market/shopping area(not like St Thomas-too big)Great little restaurants are important. St John has been our favorite but would like to try someplace new. Thanks!

Personally I am a big fan of Puerto Rico. They have a rain forest, a nice but not too large shopping area which also has lots of restaurants--Old San Juan, as well as lots of history. I also like Aruba. It has what you want except for hills and greenery- it is rather arid. However it is beautiful in its own right. Cheers, Larry

St. Lucia has all of those things....heavy on the hills and green...

We would also like to try someplace new. Looking for an island like St John, but can I add casinos and golf?

Any suggestions?

Have a look at Antigua. It's one of our favourites! It has great beaches, (Darkwood Beach is clear water, powder white sand and very tranquil). There's a new Casino right across the street from Jolly Beach Resort (we stayed here and loved it!!) and Jolly Harbour has a Golf course (can't comment on it as we didn't check it out but try looking it up on the net). Everything your looking for is within minutes and to go shopping just hop in a rented car and enjoy the stores in the touristy area of St.John's (the capital city). We felt very safe here. The only thing is I don't think this is a very hilly Island from my recollection. We were all inclusive so we didn't check out the dining off site but there were some restaurants mentioned that were reputed to be excellent. One of them was next door to Jolly at a resort called Cocos. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Just went to the official website for Anitgua to confirm some of my details and found a guide for dining. Jolly Harbour has a good variety of restauants. Check out: http://www.interknowledge.com/antigua-barbuda/ for more info.

Thank you!!!

Your Welcome. If you have any specific questions about the resort we stayed in or the Island itself feel free to ask. I can also provide you with many links that I checked out before making a decision to go there last winter.

Good Luck!

Try St Barth's. No golf, no casino, but great beaches and St Jeans and Gustavia for shopping. The island is very french and this is evident in the cuisine. This island is much cleaner than St Johns. If you go be sure to rent a car for the entire stay.

Sounds like St. Barts might be perfect. LOTS of charm (more European than Caribbean) intimate, pristine beaches, fine French cusine, hills with beautiful vegitation --NO high rises, casino, or tacky all inclusives, either. Never crowded since you can't land a jet at the tiny picture postcard airport.

How about Grenada. St. Lucia is very lush and green but lacks great beaches. The 2 do not go hand and hand. Grenada is a great place, interesting, and sounds like an Island you should look into.

I second the Grenada suggestion! Grenada is not too commericalized, not overrun with cruise ships or tourists, but still has shopping, a market and plenty of vegetation. The beaches are beautiful, the people fantastic and there are many tasty restaurants.

Purplegoose, Any 5 stars or fine dining? How about snorkeling and where would you stay with 2 children under 10?
Thx.

I too would recommend Grenada. You can get really could input at grenadaexplorer.com. As far as dining is concerned there are many restuarant options. We thoroughly enjoyed Brown Sugar and the Beach House even though they were a little expensive. Would not hesitate to return to Grenada.

I would tell you to visit Margarita in Venezuela. Nice beaches and the whole island is completely tax free. There you can find from luxurious hotels to modest and charming cheap posadas. Maybe traveling to Caracas is not safe but since Margarita is a tourist destination the security is better there, but I'm sorry to say Margarita is not a small Island in fact Porlamar is a Whole city with many restaurants discos, hotels and an intensive sexual night life, and there are about 50 little and beautiful villages on the island. Since the Venezuelan currency is devaluated you can buy lots of excellent things with few money. I recommend you to visit Sambil mall.

Croix - I don't know if there is any 5-star dining per say, however there were some restaurants we enjoyed very much - all different. In terms of Caribbean dining I would rate Grenada a close second to our experience on Grand Case in St Martin. In terms of price, we found the restaurants to be on par, if not cheaper, than a dinner at home (we live in the suburbs of NYC) around $100 for two if I recall correctly.

Specifically, we enjoyed Coconut's, Brown Sugar and the Beach House.

We don't have kids, but if you choose a resort with a pool and near the beach, I think they would enjoy it. Grenada doesn't have all the activities and flash of some of the more developed resorts, so if your kids require non-stop activities or action it might not be the best.

Enjoy