Where to go (carribean) in Nov?
 

Does anyone have suggestions/advice on if there are any "good" places to go during the first week of Nov.? We just inherited a timeshare and the only week we can go is during this time...and although I know its usually "rainy season" - we thought there might be some hope for some place in the Caribbean during this time.

We have heard the Antilles area is decent during this time of year. We are mainly interested into hiking and other nature activities.

Thanks for any suggestions...

Since it is a timeshare, are you limited to certain islands or hotel brands like Marriott?

The Antilles area is entire Caribbean. You have the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles and that's about it. I think November is a great time to travel to the Caribbean. There's always the chance of being caught out by a tropical depression (it's happened to me once in my 8 or so years of travel), but the lower prices and fewer crowds always make it up to me.

Depends on what kind of time share you have to use. St. Kitts, Nevis, St. John, and Grenada all have good hiking and "other nature activities." Giving us a little more to go on will be helpful in giving you more advice. What is the nature of your timeshare? How long do you want to be away? WHere are you traveling from? How much are you willing to spend on airfare and other activities? How long are you willing to travel to get to your destination? Do you need shopping? Nightlife? Historical sites? Snorkeling? Other water sports? Fine dining? Casual dining? Are you comfortable going someplace where English isn't the first language?

Ok well - it is a Marriot Timeshare - 1 week. There are options from Hawaii to Mexico to the Carribean to S. America.

We are traveling from Los Angeles - and we don't mind a long travel time. Shopping and nightlife aren't a big deal to us - we live in LA and get enough of that here. A relaxed bar that can make a good cocktail and pour a cold one is good enough for me. This goes for dining too...we'd be up for a really good meal once or twice, but we plan on cooking for ourselves.

Since we're traveling in Nov, we're looking to get tickets for under $500 a piece.

Historical sites would be great - but not totally necessary.

What we are truly looking for are white sands, clear/blue waters, places to hike & really enjoy nature (like I mentioned above - since we live in LA we want to feel out of the city), and preferably not a developing country. We don't mind if it isn't English speaking. Snorkeling & other water sports are great, but if they're pricey, we probably won't do it.

Its good to hear encouragements about traveling in Nov - we were beginning to think it just wasn't a good time to go to these places.

November is one of the best times to travel in the Caribbean. You can go anywhere and be almost certain you will have good weather. I don't know if time share applies-but I suggest Anguilla-if not try St. Martin and take a day trip or two to Anguilla. As usual, I"m a huge fan of my Anguilla!

Anguilla looks stinking beautiful - but I've heard there is little to no hiking there since its relatively flat? Does anyone have an opinion on this?

I don't think there are any marriotts on Anguilla. I am thinking your trip is limited to Marriotts with timeshares. The only ones I know of are Aruba and St.Thomas. Aruba would be like a desert with nice hotels, good food at a reasonable price, windy, nightlife available, not very quiet, lots of watersports. We liked it because it had a lot for our family to do. The one on StThomas is new I believe. St.Thomas is a short boat ride to St.John which has beautiful beaches and is mostly a state park so you can enjoy many outdoor activities. I would look into St.Thomas as an option. I have not been there, but have heard so much about St. John and its beautiful beaches.
If you know what islands are an option, post them and people can report what their experiences are with those in particular. I will say if you have not been to Hawaii, there are many Marriott options there with the timeshare and I would look into those as well.

All the Marriott info is at home, so I'll post about that later tonight. Looking at their website, it seems like there is one called the "Marriot's Frenchman Cove" (https://timeshares.marriott-vacation.../overview.html). I will definitely look into St. Thomas - thanks for the suggestion! That sounds great - especially with St. John nearby.

We are definitely considering Hawaii, but because we know that food/drink on Hawaii (along with activities) are more costly, we are saving that in the event that we don't find anything else. And truly, we would rather hit up the Caribbean.

So - now, does anyone have anything to say about the hiking/nature of St. Thomas and St. John? Any experience with November weather on those islands?

With Marriott as your timeshare, I think your best option in the Caribbean is going to be St. Kitts. The Marriott there is just a few years old and thus still in really nice shape. It's huge enough that you shouldn't have trouble getting the timeshare when you want it.

St. Kitts is still a developing country, as is much of the Caribbean. But there is good hiking (the dorman volcano Mt. Liamuiga), nice historical sites (plantation inns and the gorgeous Ft. Brimstone), good dining. There are lots of very pleasant beach bars. The main drawback from your criteria, though, is that most of the beaches don't have white sand and that blinding turquoise water. Most of them are beige sand with darker water, as is typical of most islands with volcanic origins. It's lush and mountainous and with good roads, which makes it much easier to rent a car and get out on your own. You can also make easy daytrips to the sister island of Nevis by ferry.

If the white sand/blue water is a necessity, though, you should look at Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman, and (I think) St. Maarten, which all have Marriotts.

ejcrowe, he did mention cooking in most nights for dinner so that would have to be a Marriott with timeshare units. The only timeshares I know of in the caribben are st. thomas and aruba. I didn't think the st.kitts had timeshares? I know the Grand cayman marriott did not. It was a hotel only. (GC has wonderful beaches by the way, but not anything in the line of hiking).

I agree with ejcrowe, St. Kitts meets all of your criteria except for the white sand. That said, the beaches are still very nice and the water warm. The locals are great, too. Just keep your toes in the sand and the rum punches flowing and relax.

Sorry about the long flight. We fly from SFO...ugh.

girlonthego, you're right. I was just listing Marriotts and not necessarily knowing which ones had self catering units. Sorry about that.

So I'm looking at our accommodation options - and based on what you all have said, here are the hotel locations available:

Marriot's St. Kitts Beach Club (Frigate Bay, St. Kitts)
St. Christopher Club (Firgate Bay, St. Kitts)
Westin St. John Resort & Villas (St. John)
Marriot's Frenchman's Cove (St. Thomas)
Flagship Club at Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina (St.Thomas)
Bluebeard's Beach Club & Villas (St. Thomas)

....there is also:
Long Bay Beach Resort & Villas (West End, Tortola, BVI)
...and several places on St. Martaan.

So - back to our wants for great tropical beaches and hiking (and the other things listed in previous posts) - do you think St. Martaan or Tortola would be good options? What about the others on St. Thomas, John and Kitts?

St.John would fit your style of travel the best. The Westin is a very nice resort. It has free ferry service (I think) back and forth to St.Thomas. St.Thomas is a lot more commercial and has shopping,etc..., but St.John is mostly national park land, has beautiful beaches and would be relaxing. I would recommend renting a jeep to get around while there. That would be my number one pick for you.
Number 2 would be the Long Bay resort on Tortola only because it is quiet and has the same hiking and nice beaches.
(St. John is known for having fabulous beaches and I still think you would be happiest there!)
Good luck in your choosing!

Your timeshare is probably part of RCI or II, correct? As someone who is part of II and has had difficulty getting the Caribbean, let me give you a few tips, since you seem to be new to it. Since it is so late (its best to put your request in 9 - 12 months prior to travel) don't get hung up on one particular resort. Select 4 to 6 that you would be happy with, especially if you are locked into a particular week. Otherwise you run the risk of not getting anything at all. Put your requests in ASAP. We've never been able to get Westin St. John or any of the St. Thomas locations (we're Hyatt vacation owners and supposedly get priority over others in the II system). If you are actually members of Marriott Vacation Club (i.e. your home timeshare is a Marriott) you will have better luck getting Marriotts than others trying to exchange because you get priority. You didn't mention Aruba, but it is one of the easiest islands to get because there are so many timeshares there. Marriott St. Kitts is one of the best timeshares in the Caribbean, in my opinion. And we love St. Kitts and Nevis, which makes a great day trip (only a 45 minute ferry ride). We have also been to Aruba Marriott Ocean Club which is nice but much more crowded as that resort is three Marriott highrises on one strip of beach. If you have the chance to get Westin St. John, grab it as it's probably the most difficult timeshare to get in the Caribbean.

I joined this forum because I felt compelled to comment on the Westin St. John. . . on an island of beautiful beaches, the Westin has one of the least desirable ones. My husband and I were surprised when we saw it, because guidebooks always rave about it, but it just doesn't measure up to some of the other beaches. Of course, you'll be able to experience the other fabulous beaches (Gibney is one, Honeymoon--I think that's the name, part of Caneel Bay--is another) when you're exploring the island, if indeed you go to St. John!