[sunshine_please]

I'm planning a vacation for me and my husband for next spring. We want to go to the Caribbean, but not sure about which island to visit.

I have been to Belize and Yucatan Mexico, but would like a new destination.

Can anyone make recommendations for a great first-time vacation? Moderately priced please (so no St. Barts for us!) We love beautiful beaches and want to relax, snorkel, maybe fish...nothing too adventurous or out of the ordinary.

Many thanks for your help!

[RoamsAround]

The task of choosing an island sometimes seems daunting, especially for those who are not familar with the Caribbean.

Since most islands have beautiful beaches (that defination means different things to different people), access to fishing and are relaxing definition you have literally hundreds of posibilities. Most islands also offer accomodations in a wide range of prices (without knowing what "moderately priced" means to you makes it difficult to give you any specifics) so you should probably have no dofficulty finding something in your price range on almost any island, if you keep your sights set in a reasonable manner

Start by doing a little bit of reading. Click on the Islands link at the top of this page then go to the Caribbean section. There you'll find brief summaries of each island. After reading the descriptions on what each island has to offer you'll be able to narrow your choice to 2 or 3 islands that most appeal to you. From there you can begin researching resorts and hotels. Pretty soon you will have a "short list" of places that interest you. Once you have those, use the search feature on this forum to bring up recent posts about that island and/or resort and you'll find answers to most of your questions. You can then post your own question for more specific answers.

There are big islands and small islands, there are flat islands, hilly islands and mountainous islands. There are islands that have active night life and tons of shopping and islands that are laid back and quiet. There are islands with white sand beaches (usually the flat ones), golden sand beaches 9usually the hilly ones) and darker sand beaches (usually the mountainous ones). There are arid islands (usually the flat ones) and lush islands (usually the mountainous one) and inbetween islands (usually the hilly ones).

There are cosmopolitian islands, Americanized, European style and old world Caribbean islands. There are islands that are easy to get to and othjers that are far off the beaten path. The point is no two islands are alike and no one island "has it all".

Do some basic research and your choices will become much clearer.

[AdventurousMel]

Hey, I strongly suggest heading to Punta Cana Dominican Republic, its so beautiful down there. The people there are friendly and there are so many things to do .. And if you and your husband decide to go out to dance , they have some clubs that are cool, but there is also a new night club opening called Webster Hall Punta cana. I don't know if you've heard of the one in NYC, but its a mind blowing place to visit. The resorts are good and not expensive . I strongly suggest looking at Punta Cana as your next vaca...
Yours truly
MEl

[limazulu]

Hi,

Have you considered Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands or Turks and Caicos?

Also, you mentioned Belize, so what about Honduras or Costa Rica?

Best Regards,
Julia

[cayman_juice]

Are you looking for romance? Lush Caribbean country side? Low touristy factor? Safety, comfort, beautiful beaches? Touring of the island if you choose to? How about just beauty made by nature, interspersed with modern villa, condo, and guesthouse amenities?

TOBAGO is the answer. Fly into Trinidad, then take an express plane for $80 and a 1/2hr ride to the most romantic, lush, and exclusive island in the Caribbean.

[human01]

which are the best places to visit in the carribean?

[MargyZ]

Sunshine - right now, I think the best value for the money is St. Croix. We "discovered" it in '07 as an alternative to St. John and loved it - so much so that we returned in '08 and are planning two trips for '09. The villa values there right now are great - you can still get a beachfront villa with water access without selling the family heirlooms - lol, the beaches are beautiful, snorkeling is great, there are eco-tours, we have met very friendly people and we think that the food is the best in the USVI.
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- Margy