Looking for Vacation Info

[Fr8Dog]

I am looking for some good vacation spots to go to in the Caribbean in say February. I get my week of vacation anytime after November, and since I live in Wisconsin my girlfriend and I are planning on going somewhere warm after the first of the year. I am looking for some spots you guys would recommend in the Caribbean since that is where she really wants to go and I don't care as long as it is warm. The one thing she wants to do is go swimming with the dolphins so that is kind of a requirement. We are going to be taking the airlines, but we wouldn't mind jumping on a Caravan, Islander, 402, ect to get to somewhere else that is a little nicer. If anyone has any recommendations they would greatly be appreciated.

 

[Icarus]

We went to St. Lucia in April of last year (great wx!) and rented a villa overlooking the Caribbean Sea and Rodney Bay. Look up caribbean villas-St Lucia, etc. Good wx, nice people and lots to do.

 

[501261]

They're all nice, all it takes is $$$, unless you're flying the boss down there. If your going to be paying for it yourself it really depends on what you want to do and where you can get the best deal. The biggest problem you will have is that from Christmas to May 1 it is High season down there. You will end up spending some dough. Here's a list of where I've been and some observations.

Grand Caymen: nice, pricey
Caymen Brac: real nice, real pricey
Aruba: I lost a few $$ at the casinos
Bonaire: Scuba diver's paradise
St. Thomas: lots of tourists
St. John: nice- only way to get there is by boat from St. Thomas
St. Martin- French
Bahamas- Freeport and Nassua very easy to get in and out- just 60 miles off FLL
Bermuda- British
Key West- beautiful drive from Miami
Cancun- great party, comparitivly cheap
Belize- British, very civilized for a "down south" county

I've never swam with dolphins so I can't help you there, but I think you can do that in Cancun.

Something else you might consider (if you got the $$$) is renting a yacht. They're all over down there, try www.yacht-connections.com. I've never done it, but it sure looks like a cool idea.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[rumpletumbler]

Treasure Cay was awesome 20 years ago when I went. If it hasn't grown that is a great spot. Then you couldn't ride the dolphins though unless you could catch one.

RT

 

[sdpilot]

Although I can't recommend any vacation spots, when you decide where you want to go, try prices at www.perx.com. They work with airline employees and the prices can be good. I use them when I go to Mexico and they usually are the cheapest.

Also, check with Costco if you are a member, sometimes they have "killer" deals on selected destinations...

Good luck, have fun, you have more than likely earned it......

 

[ahaly]

I took my family to St Maarten a few weeks ago. It was very nice and beautiful. I'd recommend St Maarten to anyone...Then again, all those islands there are beautiful.

 

[Dignan]

I don't know all the islands down there real well, but I can vouch for Vieques and Culebra. They're 2 islands just off of Eastern Puerto Rico, about a 20-min Islander ride from SJU. Both are quiet and friendly and not overly touristy (no cruise ships, no big casinos or hotels). Granted, there's not a lot to do on each one besides explore the beaches (Bio bay on Vieques is a must, though), they're very affordable. Get a guest house room and a Suzuki Samuri for the week and you're set. I know some people would rather hang at the Hard Rock cafe and party with tourons, but if you just want to relax for cheap, try these. PM me if you want more info.
As for the dolphins, I know there are a couple places for that up in the Bahamas, but I think its a little harder to find and kinda spendy. Good luck.

D

 

[surfnole]

Isn't Vieques the Navy Bombing Range?

 

[Dignan]

That explains why I had the beach all to myself and guys kept shooting at me...

Yeah, it is. Basically the island is @ 18 miles long, and kinda divided into thirds from E to W. The western third is where they store a lot of the munitions, but not much else goes on. All the locals live in the middle third, and the Eastern third is where they do bombing and maneuvers (Camp Garcia). I left in 99, shortly before the accident that caused all the protests in the news. Back then there weren't many big practice maneuvers (maybe one every two months), and you could go to all the beaches on the E & W bases with no problem. The beaches were awesome and you maybe had to share them with 5-10 other people and that was it. There are some good beaches in the non-military zone (Sun Bay, Navio), but I was partial to the Camp Garcia ones. I'm not sure what it's like now or if they're even doing bombing again (haven't heard about it in the news lately), but it was nice then. I sure don't want to open up the political can of worms @ the bombing, but one upside to the military presence is that Vieques hasn't turned into a St. Thomas-esque tourist trap.
Culebra doesn't have any military on it, and is worth it for the approach alone. Take it easy.

D

 

[aero99]

Feburary is high season, so expect to pay the high rates for everything.

I personally like the BVI (Bristish Virgin Islands). Easy to get to and easy to Island hop to see different spots. The Baths are a very popular spot for romantics. Bitter End Yacht Club is a great place to stay. Marina Cay (pussers rum drink is the best- don't remember what it is called) is great for a lunch if you can jump on a boat. You will fly into PR and take an Eagle flight to Beef Island to go through customs. From there you can take a ferry to most of the spots in BVI. The US Virgin Island are fairly close too.

Don't know about the swimming with dolphins down there. You can do a day cruise and you will probably see tons of them in the wild.

Offshore Fishing will be excellent in Feb. If you havn't ever done it, you owe it to yourself to try and catch (and release) a Marlin or a Sailfish.

Sailing is one of the most popular recreational activities in the BVI. It is considered the Sailing Capital of the World and when you are there, you will understand why.

Stay in a main stream resort. Don't try something small and quant as the crime can be quite high in some areas.

For about the same price of a week in a hotel(s) you can also charter a captained sailboat. A medium sized monohull (40-45ft) with a cook and crew can run for about 4000.00-6000.00 a week. This is THE BEST way to see the Islands and fill a week up with activities, but it isn't for every one.

Hope this helped some...you will have a blast.