Caribbean/Florida coast family holidays

[joanneg36]

Please give me any and all tips on the above.

Next year, we need to go on our big holiday in April rather than the summer and because of a recent promotion, can afford to spend more than we usually would.

I'd ideally like 10 days somewhere in the Caribbean or on Florida coast. Open-minded about self catering or hotel, but if the latter, there has to be a two-bedroom option. Kids are 10 and 5.

Please pass on any good experiences. Happy for suggestions of other locations too but they need to be a. safe, b. guaranteed warm (i.e. 24 degrees plus) and c. no more than about 9 hours on a plane.

Thank you very much in advance!

You could drive down the Florida keys. Stop off at whichever islands you fancy. Spend longer in key west. Could start or end with some time in Miami too

Antigua. I’m biased because I love it!
All inclusive personally so you don’t have to consider continual purchases or wondering what to cook etc in the heat. The Verandah has 2 bed villas and an extra sofa bed in the lounge. Weather good all year round & an 8 hour flight.

We went to Barbados and St. Lucia in the Easter holidays. In both cases we had high 20/low 30s, def hot enough to have a proper beach holiday.

There was the odd heavy rain shower on 2 days or so for one hour.

Barbados was for us the island we could do more on our own, hired a car, went outside the resort. St Lucia was more a destination for organised trips. But it was nature wise more beautiful with a rainforest and volcano while Barbados is clearly a farmed country with lots of sugar fields.

I would go back to both in a heartbeat. In Barboados you could go away with B&B or half board, lots of eating opportunies while on St. Lucia is it a very much AI resort island. Saying that I would always go for AI in Barbados purely for convenience.

looking at hotels, St. Lucia (maybe because it is a more AI resort area) has larger hotels, the ones in Barbados are smaller and more expensive. We went to Sugar Bay in Barbados and St. James Morgan Bay in St. Lucia.

Friends go to Antigua for years now, most times to the Verandah and only talk good about it.

We’ve rented a house in Naples before.....and had a great time. Lots of stuff to do nearby and lovely beaches 😊.

We flew to Miami and drove from there.

We went to Clearwater area on gulf coast. Stayed on Sand Key which was really lovely. Gorgeous beaches and other lovely islands to visit, Honeymoon Island, Alcaidessa - it was fab.

Interesting to hear about Barbados from PP as thinking of that one for next year that might end up back in Florida though. Would love to visit the keys