Hi Ed, ... From Harbour Island, you can ferry over to the 110 mile long island of Eleuthera in just 10 minutes on a water taxi. A rental car is a must to explore the many caves and beaches on both the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. For accommodations in Eleuthera, Cartwright's Cottages in Tarpum Bay offers fully furnished cottages fully equipped with kitchen a/c t.v and very close to local food markets as well. Sights to see, Lighthouse Beach in Bannermantown, Glass Window Bridge near Gregory Town, Ocean Hole in Rock Sound Preachers Cave in N. Eleuthera the the Island School in Cape Eleuthera and the once famous Cotton Bay Cub are a few major attractions to explore. Email me if you need any additonal info. You will have a great time here.

Hi Ed - I may be wrong but I don't think you can take a ferry from Anguilla to St. Thomas. If you can, it would be an awfully long trip. I know that you can take a ferry to St. Martin, and possibly St. Barths, from Anguilla though. We are headed to Anguilla and then St. Barth's next week. We have never been to Anguilla but this will be our fifth trip to St. Barths and I can't say enough good things about it. I would definitely recommend it over St. Thomas (I've been there and it doesn't compare to some of the other islands). From what I hear Anguilla is another great island, that's why we decided to try it. Good luck!

I think Ed meant to put "Anguilla to St. Martin." No can do a ferry between St. Thomas and Anguilla. But ferry between St.Thomas and St. John (and a trial run of a ferry between St.Thomas and St. Croix for the month of April). Also easy access by public ferry to the BVI from the USVI. You can ferry between St. Barth's and St. Martin (to connect to Saba) from Anguilla.

As far as "high end" on St. Thomas as Karen W mentioned, well, the Ritz has a new resort on Jamaica as well, so what does THAT tell you?!? N O T H I N G ! <BR><BR>As for Anguilla -- yes, it is a quiet island, but it also is flat, scruffy looking, dry and UGLY, depsite the "world-class" resorts on the island! If you're looking for natural beauty this is NOT the place either!!

I may be too late-- but I think you got off track... St. Barts is the best!

I did hear about St. Barts but heard something about people being "high filuten" over there (as opposed to Anguilla which is also an expensive island but people are friendly and that "attitude" is less prevalent). I know this is generalizing but does anyone have comments to support/counter this?

<BR>re: the comment about GC being just a bunch of condos. That's the best thing about GC, IMHO. I'll take SMB with miles of condos (& restaurants, etc in between) over Cancun or Aruba with their miles of HIGH RISES & mega resorts. <BR> <BR>Most of the condos on GC are very upscale, nicely furnished, beachfront & come with daily maid service. Many are fabulously landscaped. And with a kitchen you can save a ton on at least one meal a day plus keep snacks & drinks. I hate to go in search of 3 meals a day. Eating out 3x a day will make me sick, sick, sick & my husband fat, fat, fat. <BR> <BR>No, I don't own a unit or a timeshare. But if I did, GC would be the place. <BR> <BR>About it being crowded --- guess that just depends on when you go to any island. The biggest problem on GC is the traffic & the cruise ship people. We've learned to avoid peak traffic times & stay out of the harbor area when the cruisers are swarming. <BR> <BR>Since you've zeroed in on Anguilla & St. John, Anguilla may be scrubby but I think it's a superior island as far as cuisine, friendliness, water & beach. Yes, it's scrubby but the wind blows the mosquitoes & bugs away so that's a fair trade. <BR> <BR>St. John is great though, better snorkeling for sure.

St John is really so wonderful -- the Westin resort is nice & has taxi service <BR>outside your door at all times. The island is beautiful, not commercial although the roads are a bit hilly & windy - but normally people drive slowly anyway. Check out stjohnusvi.com for a lot of helpful info, including ferry schedules. There are also a number of trips to BVI and other islands. St Thomas is too touristy as far as I was concerned. In SJ there are no panhandlers and the taxi drivers just want to give you a ride and really are not aggressive. The beaches are clear, blue & secluded and the locals are all very friendly - mostly I found they were those who vacationed there & never wanted to leave! We will be regulars to return here!!

Ed, Don't mean to confuse you more... We were in St. Barts for our honeymoon in May 2000. We didn't find it stuffy or pretentious at all. The natives were very friendly and helpful. You would probably want to avoid staying at LeToiny, however, which seemed a bit too hoity-toity. Check out Hotel Isle de France on wheretostay.com. We stayed there, and it was amazing. Right on the beach. Food is incredible all over the island. Beautiful beaches, great shopping.

Hi Ed: <BR> <BR>It seems like you need some background on the atmosphere on each island to find out what is right for you. From there, you can choose a resort that has the amenities you need. <BR> <BR>You might want to read a book called "Rum and Reggae" that discusses each in detail. Here is the link to Amazon: <BR> <BR>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...858631-0238414 <BR> <BR>Also, consider your travel time to each island and check the flight times. This rules out a lot of places for us because we are not willing to spend 12 or more hours getting somewhere. <BR> <BR>--Lara <BR>

First of all. Do not listen to anything that Tim has to say. His opinion means nothing! He has not clue. I lived in St Thomas and worked at the Wyndham. Took the ferry at night all the time to St John. There are no pand-handlers and there is no reason to get worked up about crime, etc. Just use your common sense. But please have enough sense to not listen to Tim. He has given his opinion one too many times. Good bye Tim!

Lisa -- DROP DEAD!! My opinion is FAR more valid than yours anytime!! And you will find that MOST people agree with me about St. Thomas!!!

Ed-- That Rum&Reggae book can be found at www.rumreggae.com. You can read portions of it on the site. <BR> <BR>I think you had things sorted out well in your original post. Go with Anguilla or St. Barts-- St. Thomas, Aruba, Grand Cayman- are all just average and for the common tourist, in my opinion. (I've been to St. Thomas and G. Cayman; and a friend honeymooned on Aruba and wasn't overly thrilled.)

Thank you all for your very informative thoughts & opinions. It's going to be Anguilla with St. John slated as the next trip! Anguilla may not have a lot of lush scenic beauty. But from what I hear, if you just want to relax, enjoy very good food, not worry about crime & panhandlers and want to be able to drive around the island on good roads, this is THE place to be. Yeah, it may be somewhat expensive, but for my first Carribbean island, I want not to be disappointed. I can always go to St. Martin if I'm bored out of my mind. Looking forward to it soon! Thanks again for all your help. Feel free to post other thoughts here to help others who are seeking that "perfect" island. <BR> <BR>Ed

Ed, hope you'll post a trip report upon your return -- good or bad!

Hopefully, you haven't left yet...To help with you vacation: You need to get on Island Time and learn to relax. <BR> <BR>There are pluses and minuses to every place you go. Depending on who you are, there is a paradise for you. You sound very particular, you may not find what you're looking for in the Caribbean! <BR> <BR>Have you considered Polynesia? Seychelles? Smaller Hawaiian Islands?Something a bit more removed from the hordes of people crowding Jamaican beaches? Maybe an area that's a bit younger in colonized history? Because that's the only way you will probably get a untouched, good roads, inexpensive treatment you are looking for. <BR> <BR>The standard of living in the Caribbean is not nearly what it should be. There are increasing amounts of poverty. Very few people go beyond the resort barriers. But that's just part of any country. There's the good, and there's the bad. <BR> <BR>But all of it is beautiful! Where ever you go Ed, Come to not expect anything...and you'll be pleasantly suprised.