How do I choose which Caribbean island to visit? There are so many to choose from.?

Answer 1

That's a hard question to answer. I'm from Barbados so I tend to think everyone should visit there but a better answer is to have you figure out what you want.

Think about:

How much do you want to spend? Airline costs, accommodation and general spending vary by location. Countries closer to the US and countries that are hubs for airlines tend to be a bit cheaper to get to. Some of the Lesser Antilles are accessible only via hubs (e.g. Barbados, St. Lucia)

Do you want to participate in activities outside of the hotel or are you okay with an all-inclusive type of experience? Some locations may not have all-inclusive facilities.

What kinds of activities do you like? The smaller islands tend to have quick and easy access to a variety of activities while larger countries provide more "unspoilt" territory, if you're interested in hiking/exploring but sometimes different activities can be widely separated. All have rich history and culture, and a variety of water and other sports and activities.

Do you want to visit a festival? This choice can affect the cost and date of travel but most Caribbean islands have music and cultural festivals.

Do you plan to spend days baking at the beach and what kind of experience do you want? There are white/ pink/ black sand beaches in different locations. Also, there aren't nude beaches in every island, e.g. Barbados doesn't have nude beaches, so you have to know what you plan to be up to. Some places have public beaches everywhere (e.g. Barbados); for some you may want to stick to the hotel you're staying at.

What is your nationality? You may find it easier/more difficult to visit a particular country based on your nationality. Requirements change from country to country and you may have to get a visa if you want to visit.

Would you prefer a cruise? Actually, for someone who can't make up their mind, this is a good choice because it lets you "sample" a bit of several islands and maybe make a choce for a future trip. You should definitely consider it.

So if you can figure out some of the things you want out of your vacation, do one of two things
1) if you want a cruise, do a search on the various cruises you can choose from. I've found Travelocity to be a good place to do searching, even if you don't buy from the site.
2) if you want to visit one place on this trip, visit the Caribbean Tourism Organization website for links to information for many islands (see link in source list). Browsing on the websites should give you an idea of where you might like to go, and then you can start looking at airline tickets, accommodations and activities.

As a last resort, if you feel this is way too much for you to handle, see if you can find a good travel agent and tell them the answers to the questions. That way, they can make suggestions on locations they think you'll enjoy.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

First decide what type of accomodations you want to have, and make sure the place you intend to stay meets those accomodations. Secondly, depending on the time of year you go (now is hurricane season), check to see whether or not the island has an adequate response program. History of disasters striking can in no way predict what might happen when you go, but if they have dealt with a problem in the past, it could be reassuring that you will be well taken care of.
Third, if you plan on doing some exploring outside of the resort, check into places that cater to travellers. Until last year, with the missing student, Aruba, was one of the safest and most beautiful places to visit. I believe that was a very unfortunate incident, and when compared with othere areas in the Caribbean, Aruba should still be considered an excellent and safe place to visit.

Answer 3

After visiting 15 places in the Caribbean, I would suggest Palm Beach in Aruba. Here's why: Aruba is generally out of the hurricane path. There are no guarantees, but the ABC islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire avoid almost all hurricanes. It's quiet and relaxing. You don't have an overwhelming number of tourists or too much commercialization. The hotels are great and the beaches are beautiful. I should point out that Aruba is an arid island -- not lush and beautiful like Jamaica -- but we go there for other reasons. Palm Beach is a strip of hotels and nice restaurants all packed together. You can walk to any of them. I don't know your standards for dining, but I saw plenty of upscale restaurants. You will tend to find all-inclusives at places that aren't good for walking around, like Jamaica and Dominican Republic. Places like Aruba don't have as many all-inclusives because people feel free to go off property. That said, you can buy an all-inclusive package from a hotel, but we found that they are much more expensive to buy than just running up a tab and buying your drinks, meals and activities on your own. We also brought some of our own non-perishable food to keep expenses down, especially for breakfast, lunch and snacks. And you can take a bus to a nearby grocery store. Yes, you can keep it around $4,000 especially if you handle food the way we did. But you should start researching well in advance, track prices and make your commitment when the right deal comes along. By the way, Aruba has the highest rate of return visits of any place in the Caribbean. That should tell you something.

Answer 4

It depends on what you want to do. Are you interested in exploring the history of an island? Maybe you just want to relax at the spa or soak up rays on some secluded beach? Looking for hot nightlife? Each island is different.

I live on St. Thomas so of course I'm going to plug the US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas is the more cosmopolitan of the US Virgin Islands. Come here if you're looking to take in a lot of attractions like the Paradise Point Skyride or Coral World Marine Park. As a bonus you can take a short ferry ride to St. John and check out the National Park there. There's even a ferry you can take here to get to the British Virgin Islands (bring your passport). Now if you're looking for rest, relaxation, and lots of great scenery check out St. Croix. Not much nightlife there (that's St. Thomas' cup of tea) but the island is rich in historical sites, a tropical rain forest, and is home to the Cruzan Rum distillery. There's also a casino on St. Croix as St. Croix is the only island in the USVI that allows casino gambling. Guess what though: you can take a ferry or a seaplane to St. Croix as well. I think the USVI is a great total package vacation. You should definitely look into it.

Answer 5

My personal favorite is Dominica. It's an island rain forest. The last time we were there, it was very beautiful, unspoiled, and not so tourist oriented. It's a beautiful place with very nice people. Also, Jamaica has beautiful beaches, with the exception of Shaw Beach. It's very rocky. You must climb the falls at Dunn's River.

Answer 6

What are your expectations?
What is your budget?
When do you plan to go?

Start there-
Dominican Republic - cheap, unspoiled, but not a lot of nite life

Jamaica - Mid range on price, nitelife, beautiful, endless activities

that's just 2 but you are sure to find one that suites your needs

Answer 7

The Dominican Republic is so beautiful and not as expensive as the other carribean islands

Answer 8

My personal favorite is St. Martin

Answer 9

i hear Aruba is nice.....especially if you're an over privileged, just
out of high-school, rich parents, pampered, everyone will just love me cause i'm american, wanna get drunk and party person

Answer 10

I'm very particular on my traveling I don't like wasting money but traveling is one of my top priorities. Some of my favorites that I'm dying to go to/have been are:

Aruba
St lucia
Jamaica
Cayman Islands
Puerto Rico

Some I don't care for at all:
Bermuda
Bahamas
Dominican Republic