CARIBBEAN

Antigua & Barbuda

Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao

I spent 4 days in Curacao this spring, and while the architecture is very pretty, the island is poorer than I had anticipated (much more so than Aruba). It's definitely a place to kick back with a good book, and get some sun, but not much else. Be prepared for the never-ending wind which belies the extremely strong sun, and the tops-optional private beaches. Also, the island has a great public transit system-they use small minivans as buses, and once you get the hang of flagging them down they are super cheap and convenient. We never waited more than 10 minutes for one to show up, and you can get almost anywhere on the island for US$1
Cindy Wilson (June 98)

Bonaire:The diving is great, the weather was great (May '97). Food is expensive, as I recall lunch will cost you $20 each, dinner $35. Inexpensive vegetables and fruit can be purchased from the tiny market near the town pier (Kralendijk,) - brought over by boat by SAs from Venezuela. Groceries from supermarket are expensive. Cheapest way to eat is to catch/cook your own fish. We stayed at Buddy Dive Resort, rooms are efficiencies w/kitchenettes and include a rental car (truck) for beach diving ($700/wk dbl). Bonaire is a true desert island, very arid and covered with cactus, over run with burros and goats. Goat stew is a staple of the local cuisine.
Lester LaForce (June1998)

Definately go to Bonaire. Its an excellent dive destination. I usually stay at the Sand Dollar, which is a condo development with a good dive shop. The night diving: right off the dock there is outrageous-multiple tarpon!! Beach diving is nice all around the island, but I sort of like Slagbaai in the Park (a must- the snorkeling at playa Funchi is neat!) and the Southern sights past the airport(like Pink Beach). I never thought the wreck dive was worth it. I think Bonaire is not a really budget destination, but you can save money by eating in and buying beer and stuff for drinking rather than going to bars, etc. The happy hour at the Sand Dollar is also good. The Mona Lisa was the prime restaurant last time I was there. A vehicle is a must.
Dan (June 1998)

Here are some reasons to go to Aruba or Bonaire: 1) The weather is dry and sunny. Neither island receives much rain so you have a much better chance of being able to enjoy the outdoors than other places in the Caribbean; 2) The ABC islands are outside the hurricane belt. (They both mention that fact in all their tourist brochures.); 3) Facilities for visitors are well-developed; 4) If you like diving or snorkeling, both islands are great places to do it.
Jeff Van Fleet (August1998)

Bermuda

I lived in Dominica for three months and loved itI f you are adventurous and not real high maintenance, there is tons to do. Sea Kayaking: You can rent a kayak for US$10-15 an hour I think at a nice shop in Soufriere and paddle around in the Carribean. If it's not too windy you can even stop your boat in a spot called Champagne, and get into the water with your snorkeling gear and see coral and bubbles coming out of the sea floor (from thermal energy). You can't kayak on the Atlantic side because it is too rough, but the Carribean is great for it.

We found the Dominicans, despite their poverty, to be extremely friendly and helpful. Brits who haven't been any further than Western Europe before may find the Dominican Republic a bit primitive for their tastes. I imagine the reps take a lot of flack from tourists who were expecting something completely different (a Caribbean Costa Del Sol?)

I lived in P-au-P for four months - Backpacking is not the recommended way to go. Tenting not popular and you could very well get robbed. Best bet is to travel from town to town and stay in the hotels/rooming houses. If you are looking for a first place to start, I would recommend taking a tap-tap from the airport to Petionville and getting a room at the Hotel Kinam. Taxi will cost $US15 but tap-tap (half-ton truck with benches in the back-you can't miss them) about $2,00. Negotiate the price before you get in the car. Hotel is about $50.00 U.S. (might be cheaper) but a hang-out for ex-pats who can likely take you to see whatever you want to see. The ex-pat community is definitely the way to get to see the island.

Grenada

Puerto Rico

Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten/St Martin, St Bart's

St Vincent & the Grenadines

Trinidad & Tobago

Crime in Tobago seems to be quite an issue. We spoke to 4 other sets of tourists in our 6 days there; 3 out of the 4 had experienced robberies at first hand. One was a bag stolen from Buccooo beach, the second was a theft at knifepoint in Scarborough at night and the third was from bags ina car. In this latter case ti seems young men are working the road just north of Scarborough. they leap out so the car is forced to stop, hitch a ride and in the case we heard of managed to steal ú30 from zipped up luggage even thoughthe car had 3 occupants. We don't think the police realise the extent of the crime because only one out of 3 of these groups bothered to tell the police. We had made friends with a policeman in Trinidad before going to Tobago and he assured us there was very little crime!

St. John: For places to stay near the beach, you might try Cinnamon Bay campgrounds or Maho Bay (http://www.maho.org/). Cinnamon is my favorite beach, but all the north shore beaches are nice. You really can't go wrong except that Trunk Bay is pretty touristy and can get fairly crowded. As for things to see, I highly recommend the park service hike down the Reef Bay trail. A park ranger leads you down the trail and tells you about the island's history and environment. You bring a sack lunch and eat at the petroglyphs, then take a boat back to Cruz Bay. It's a great way to learn about the island and see something besides the beaches and shops. Call the park service ahead of time to make reservations though. As a rule, most of the park service programs are worth checking out. As for restaurants, on the slightly expensive side try the Fish Trap or Paradiso in Cruz Bay or Shipwreck Landing in Coral Bay. On the cheaper side, try any of the delis in Cruz Bay or Skinny Legs in Coral Bay.
Matt (May 98)

Having been to both the BVI & the US Virgins, I highly recommendthe little island of Jost Van Dyke. There is a man by the name of Ivan Chinnery who runs an incredible, low key, but a bit primitive, campground/restaurant/bar in White Bay. The two weeks I spent there were amazing! Ivan is friendly beyond belief and will go way out of his way to help you (even picking you up in St. Thomas with his boat). All of the yachters who stopped for the day after touring much of the Carribbean said White Bay was one of the most beautiful beaches they found. If you happen to be a Buffet fan (i'm not), Foxy's Bar, immortalized in his songs, is there and a happening place. If interested, drop a line; Ivan Chinnery, White Bay, Jost van Dyke, BVI
"juniper" (July 1998)