Caribbean - Confused pls help !

[britty 1]

I am going on vacation in October with my husband and as it is my turn to pick the destination, I have opted for the Caribbean as I have never been there. So, trawling the net and using various websites including Trip Advisor, I narrow the choice down to Aruba, Curacao and Jamaica. Then my husband asks if we can get a direct flight to any of the islands and I find one to San Juan in Puerto Rico, until a friend tells me that he really hated Puerto Rico and wouldnt go back. A colleague said they thought Aruba was boring and the layover for the Aruba flight is pretty long. At this stage however, I just want to book something !!! Any suggestions for four or five star resorts or hotels somewhere in the Caribbean would be great. I would love the opportunity to swim with dolphins, do some sightseeing, shopping and enjoy a white sand beach, with a bit of nightlife in the evening. Does anyone have anything to recommend? Thanks !

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I have heard good things about Riu in Aruba.

And the only place in the Caribbean I've been is Grand Bahama Island. It was nice.

Although in the Bahamas they insisted they weren't part of the Caribbean.

[Jenn! 918]

I've never been, but I've heard really good things about St. Martin.

[HAL 9000 96]

I am going on vacation in October with my husband and as it is my turn to pick the destination, I have opted for the Caribbean as I have never been there. So, trawling the net and using various websites including Trip Advisor, I narrow the choice down to Aruba, Curacao and Jamaica. Then my husband asks if we can get a direct flight to any of the islands and I find one to San Juan in Puerto Rico, until a friend tells me that he really hated Puerto Rico and wouldnt go back. A colleague said they thought Aruba was boring and the layover for the Aruba flight is pretty long. At this stage however, I just want to book something !!! Any suggestions for four or five star resorts or hotels somewhere in the Caribbean would be great. I would love the opportunity to swim with dolphins, do some sightseeing, shopping and enjoy a white sand beach, with a bit of nightlife in the evening. Does anyone have anything to recommend? Thanks !

Hated Puerto Rico?

I think this friend probably saw the wrong things. Everyone I know of that visits the island falls in love with nearly everything about it- as long as you stay out of the ubiquitous tourist trap Condado area of San Juan (might as well go to South Beach or Miami for that).

[msu17 0]

My husband and I went to Jamaica for our honeymoon. We went to Couples Swept away and loved it. Very nice all inclusive. They have 3 other resorts in addition to that one. We'd def. recommend this company. Only good if you want a relaxing vacation, not so much on the culture thing.

Edited July 1, 2008 by msu17

[Amby 490]

Martinique

[Marlita 1]

HELLO?!!! Jamaica all the way!! The funnest island in the Carribbean! Its just got a nice vibe and its the people that make it so wonderful. I've been to other islands and they look the same geographically, but Jamaica just has this spirit and vibe that pounds the island. You will NEVER find another place that people love so much! A place that visitors adamantly love and wish they lived there. There's LOTS of huge hotels or smaller quaint ones.

Ask away if you are really looking into Jamaica.

[MrsCat 6]

thumbs up for Jamaica!

[Aubrey 10]

I've done much of the Caribbean. I wouldn't go back to Jamaica (though I'm told the resorts are nice, everywhere else is flooded with people harassing you for money). I also wouldn't go back to Nassau (in the Bahamas, ofc). Same problem - people chasing you, trying to sell stuff you're not sure they even own, etc. Too hard to enjoy the beauty and quiet or shopping... or much of anything.

I would recommend, however:

- Grand Cayman

- any of the Virgin Islands (my favorite was St. John) -- there's so much more of the natural beauty left on these islands and still good touristy stuff without the crowds or beggars

And I guess if you like the party scene, Cancun or Cozumel are a cheap way to go. They're really touristy but can be fun if you don't need the quiet or authentic feel.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

A lot of ppl's favorite is St. John's.

[britty 1]

thanks for all the repsonses. I will be looking again at Jamaica and will also look at the virgin islands as they seem very popular. Hopefully I will have something booked by the end of the week !

[*JG* 2]

I am going on vacation in October with my husband and as it is my turn to pick the destination, I have opted for the Caribbean as I have never been there. So, trawling the net and using various websites including Trip Advisor, I narrow the choice down to Aruba, Curacao and Jamaica. Then my husband asks if we can get a direct flight to any of the islands and I find one to San Juan in Puerto Rico, until a friend tells me that he really hated Puerto Rico and wouldnt go back. A colleague said they thought Aruba was boring and the layover for the Aruba flight is pretty long. At this stage however, I just want to book something !!! Any suggestions for four or five star resorts or hotels somewhere in the Caribbean would be great. I would love the opportunity to swim with dolphins, do some sightseeing, shopping and enjoy a white sand beach, with a bit of nightlife in the evening. Does anyone have anything to recommend? Thanks !

Ocho Rios, Jamaica has the dolphin experience.....we did that 4 years ago at a MUCH cheaper rate then we could've done in Orlando-it's how we ended up going to Jamaica. It was awesome. Ochi also has everything else you described.

I've been to Jamaica over 20 times. I love the island.

[HAL 9000 96]

To be honest I am happy ANYWHERE in the Caribbean.

Maybe that's why this time tomorrow I'll be in Cartagena, Colombia (pronounced like Michael Douglas in Romancing the Stone) having fried Red Snapper, fried plantains, and coconut rice...

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Tell me all about Cartagena when you get back - I've had my eye on a trip there for some time

[LaGreenEyes 0]

St Croix is absolutely wonderful, we went there 2 years ago and stayed in a hotel that was actually little cottages and they were SO nice! Its easy to get around and Christeansted has cool little bars that are nice hangouts.

Puerto Rico is really nice, too, although you probably won't find a Dolphin Experience there. There are some very nice beaches if you get out of the San Juan Metro area and the local beach food is to die for!

Cayman is good, there isn't a dolphin experience but there is Stingray City where you can swim with gentle stingrays and there's also a Turtle Farm, that's also really cool. No lack of 5 star resorts, either.

Punta Cana Dominican Republic has some of the most beautiful beaches that I have ever seen and there are LOTS of really nice resorts. Most of the "nightlife" is in the resorts area though. You can take a day trip out to Samana island and I believe there is dolphin interaction there.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico although it's not an island, is really nice and there are dolphin experiences at Xel-Ha and Xcaret parks that are not too far away. The all inclusives are nice and the downtown Playa del Carmen fishing village still has its old world Mexican charm. The beaches are white and calm, because Cozumel blocks the strong waves for the most part.

It's been years since I've been to Aruba but the beaches are great and there are some nice hotels. The downtown is pretty lively at night too. I took my sister for her college graduation and we had a blast! The hotel we stayed at was really nice, it was 4-5 star all the way.

I've traveled a LOT in the caribbean so I can give lots of suggestions besides what I've written here if you want to PM me.