YOUR favorite island, place to stay
 

If you could return to any island you have been to and stay anywhere you wanted, where would you return to and why?

Hands down - Anguilla! Went there for the first time last year and went for a 2nd time earlier this month. Reasons: #1 - the beaches are amazing -- the best I've ever seen; 33 of them and most are deserted; #2 - the people -- the islanders are just about the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful people I've met anywhere in my travels; and #3 -- the food!!!! Over 80 restaurants and one is just better than another from the roadside bbq to the high end gourmet restaurants.

We loved Frangipani Beach Club and will be staying there again next year. If $$$ was no object tho, we'd try the Temenos Villas. They look amazing, but at $25,000/week they better be!! :)

I would not hesitate to return to either of the following 3 islands. Tortola (BVIs..gorgeous safe place with many other islands on the horizon), Provo (TCIs for the turquoise water and white sand beaches, safe island with some wonderful restaurants) or Grenada (most wonderful people, marvelous vistas, white sand beaches, rain forest). I would never go back to St. Martin (just too touristy, found waiters on French side rude, surly, not as pretty as other islands) nor New Providence (Nassau, again too touristy, too crowded). St. Kitts was fine (Brimstone Hill is a must see) and Aruba quite interesting for the changes in topography from one end to the other.

It's been quite a few years since we've been there, but Anguilla was amazing.

Curacao and the Marriott. We loved the fact that the chairs were not all lined up where you were sitting on top of each other and there was no crowding. Restaurants had wonderful food all over the island and nicely set tables with beautiful dishes. Hotel was extremely clean with nice floors and good taste in decor. Weather was beautiful and being an ABC island, we never worried about rain.

Anguilla for its beaches, locals and restaurants; Cat Island in the Bahamas for its privacy; Anegada for its solitude.

Bequia - still relatively unspoilt, NO resorts or casinos or golf courses, most businesses owned by local residents (no chains, no internationals), jetskis are banned, decent snorkelling, access to superb sailing and to eco-adventures in near-by St. Vincent, good beaches, good hiking, great people who respect themselves and their culture. Small hotels, guest houses or rental villas provide more than adequate accommodation in all price ranges.

Brandessa,

I'd be packed and standing in line at security for the next flight out to Jamaica as fast as I could. And when I got off the plane in Montego Bay I'd either turn right and go to Hill Top villa at Tryall, or turn left and take the exciting ride to Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios.
Once there, at either place, I would immediately feel the care and pressures of the outside world just slip away as I stood waist-deep in the warm water just off the beach, with a Planter's Punch in my hand, sunglasses covering my eyes, and thinking about a couple of grilled lobsters and a chilled Sancerre for dinner.
If I found myself at Tryall, I would be happy because there is no vacation (in my opinion) as enjoyable and relaxing as having my own house, pool, golf course (well, I would share with others) and staff of cook, maid, laundress, and gardener to pamper me, care for me, and focus on nothing more than making my vacation one of blissful indulgence.
If I found myself at Jamaica Inn, I would be overjoyed to be back in the arms of the Morrow brothers and their wonderful long time staff, also dedicated to insuring that my time at the Inn was one of comfort, discretion, attention to detail, and also, blissful indulgence.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

islandbeachangel

What type of room did you have at Frangipani, and did you stay in the same type accomodation the second time around?

There are only 8 rooms at Frangipani -- some of the suites can be 1,2 or 3 bedrooms & they rent the "spare" bedrooms as deluxe rooms. You can get a one bedroom suite (separate bedroom, full kitchen, 2 baths, washer/dryer) on the packages for just over $1500/wk. Meads Bay is at your feet -- it's a wonderful place to stay (we go there every year) & the web site does do it justice (www.frangipani.ai).

Well, as a Canadian who is has the freedom to travel anywhere, my destination would have to be Havana Cuba. In fact, my last 6 Caribbean trips have been there. If I had my choice of hotels then without doubt it would have to be the 5-Star Hotel Santa Isabel on Plaza de Armas, in the colonial section of Old Havana. The former 19th Century palace has a stately old-world colonial charm and is very intimate with only 27 suites. As a matter of fact, I'll be back again the week of December 19th this year for the Havana International Jazz Festival. Can't wait.
Steve

Took a cruise this past year and fell in love w/ Jamaica. I hated to leave and wished that I had more time to explore the island. If I could, I would go back to Ocho Rios in a heartbeat.

I would return to Anguilla and stay at Cap Juluca (out of my price range, I'm afraid). We will take our third trip to Anguilla next June and will stay in a moderately priced villa. But if I had the money, it would be Cap Juluca, in one of the villas with the private plunge pools. It just looks so beautiful.

I've only been to two - Tortola and St. Croix - each one has it's own merits. I would say Tortola has the most awesome views from high on its hills and lots of beautiful beaches. Neither island is overrun with tourists - a definite plus for us!

Three of the most amazing places on earth are:
1. Spice Island Inn in Grenada. Get a private pool suite. You might have your own private lime tree-great for cocktails. Grand Anse beach is beautiful & the restaurant makes use of all the wonderful fruits & spices grown there. Rent a car & drive into the rain forest to experience a 20 degree drop in temperature, then return to the beach down below for some sun. Afternoon tea is at 4, naturally. Very quiet, beautiful & romantic. Glorious sunsets!
2. Galley Bay in Antigua
Stay in an executive beachfront suite. You step out of your room right onto the white sand. Enjoy the hammocks scattered about. Body surf if the weather is right. It's all-inclusive & top shelf at the same time! Rent a car & ask the locals how to get to Darkwood beach or Henry beach. If you're game, take a 10 minute flight to Barbuda if you'd like a 20 mile, completely deserted, pink sand beach. Or just hang out by your own suite in your hammock or lounge chair enjoying top notch food & spirits. Also great sunsets!
3. Grand Case Beach Club in St. Martin
Get a beachfront suite on the 2nd or 3rd floor. You look out on a narrow,
long arc of beach. You walk its length in the early morning to pick up fresh french bread & pastry from town, then lounge, float or snorkle on it later. There is a wider beach on the other side. Rent a kayak. Have a drink or meal at the beachside restaurant. Dine at one of the many wonderful french restaurants right in town. This is a uniquely beautiful place. Also sunsets to die for!
Good luck! Thanks for the opportunity to relive these!

Aruba and Hawaii are our favorite islands but we both also loved Tortola in the BVI. Cane Garden Bay was a gorgeous beach. The views were breathtaking as we drove around the mountaineous roads and the island was quiet and not overrun by tourists. The Sugar Mill was a wonderful quiet place to stay with great cuisine and fantastic views of other islands. It was an easy sail and ferry away from other islands like Jost Van Dyke where we found pure white sand and the feel of an almost deserted island. Liked stopping at Foxy's at JVD to have a nice cold beer!

In the Carib. it has to be Aruba but overall it is Fiji.

I agree with the vote for Grenada. Wonderful island and people. It is the Caribbean as it was 20 years ago - no mass tourism, no casinos, modest amount of hotels, good eating and a great place to explore. It is not for everyone, which is a good thing. If you want to sit on the beach all day with a rum punch almost any island would do, except Dominica and Saba (both beautiful but no beaches to speak of). Having said that, I do think beaches are often overrated.There is so much more to the Caribbean that "the beach". Take the time to explore and get to know the people and the country it will captivate you.

We loved everything about this special place. It just depends on what you are looking for.

There's not a single island or hotel/resort that I wouldn't return to, actually. I've only been traveling to the Caribbean for the last five years but I have fallen in love with the region. My favorite old standby is the Long Bay Hotel on Antigua, which is not posh in any way, but feels as comfortable as my old well-worn pair of Birkenstocks. I would also love to return to Guana Island in the BVI, which is where I honeymooned last year. I have so many wonderful memories surrounding that place that I'd like to revisit it to see if the place is truly as fabulous as I remember it, or if I was caught in a blissful daze and would have loved ANY place as much as I loved Guana. Probably a combination of both.

Bonaire. The water is beautiful, the snorkeling is wonderful all over the island right from the beach. Friendly people, friendly donkeys :), beautiful scenery. Stayed in a small little place called Happy Holiday Homes that was wonderful, with such frriendly & helpful owners.