Where is good to holiday in the Caribbean?

[purpleplume]

We like nice beaches, lots of history, friendly people, and no to big hotels.

We prefer smaller places off the beaten track/package holiday brigade.

Havana
Architecture, History

Tobago
away from the cruise port

Buen Viaje!

When?

FYI don't go to Cuba if you plan to go to USA on an ESTA.
You'll have to get full US visa if you enter Cuba and won't be able to get an ESTA

Grenada - relatively few tourists, very safe, history and outdoorsy stuff, beaches, rainforest, easy to drive on the left. Only a few hotels on the island or rent a villa.

One of the Out Islands in the Bahamas, like Exuma, Cat Island etc (via Nassau) - incredible beaches, very quiet, friendly locals. Again, hire a car and a villa.

Tulum in Mexico (ok, not quite Carib but near enough) - beaches, turtles, historical ruins, jungle stuff, lots to do. More tourists but also plenty small boutique style hotels.Probably wouldn’t recommend car hire here but taxis cheap and plentiful or get a guide.

And ditto the comment above, when are you looking to go?

Sounds like Montserrat or Statia might be right up your street, but if you're looking for something with a bit more tourist infrastructure in place then St Kitts & Nevis could be a good option.

Jamaica - Negril - Rockhouse, Charela Inn, Skylark, Port Antonio - Gee Jam, Treasure Beach - Jakes, Kingston and Blue Mountains Strawberry Hill, Oracabessa Golden Eye :)

This is an awful thing to say but I think the Caribbean is an awful place. Grim. Rough. Massive disparity between locals and tourists making it very uncomfortable

Have you thought about doing a Caribbean cruise - a two week fly cruise usually stops at around 8 or so islands so you'll get the benefit of trying lots of different places instead of being restricted to one island

I loved Dominican Republic. Honestly I thought it was paradise and the people were so amazing I met loads of Candanians super friendly people. However u was very aware that poverty is extreme you are in a 3rd world country. That never put me off I travelled alone with just me and DC who was 4 at the time.

There's poverty in England all over.

I know the Caribbean quite well - I’d echo Grenada as a fab island - beautiful and very safe and still with non-tourist industries and history. Anguilla is harder to get to but absolutely gorgeous - and it’s great to cycle around. I wouldn’t advise a cruise - the islands are much nicer when the cruise ships have sailed away, unfortunately.

This is a fact of life about almost every tourist destination.

Living in the Caribbean for over a decade now, the disparity between locals and tourists is not for the whole local community, but I think that in UK and Europe poverty is more hidden as people live more indoors. Due to the heat we live more outside all year round, so poverty is easier seen. Also as most goods need to be imported, it is more expensive living here. As the Caribbean are so close to Latin America, it often has more that vibe/elements of those cultures than European cultures, despite being overseas territories of European countries for so long. That makes the Caribbean unique. each island has their own character, f.e. St.Kitts and Bonaire are quite, less tourists. aruba is focused on American tourists, Curaçao is larger, more European tourists, Cayman, Bahamas etc more popular with tourists from the UK, and cater more to that

You see I disagree - I think poverty is easier to disguise when there's sun and hibiscus plants.

Well, I have shared my experience living here and appreciate that I am going to areas that most tourists will never venture to, so will not see the subject poverty, next to the poverty I saw during volunteering. I would like to understand why you think that sun and hibiscus would disguise poverty better .

@Filamumof9 it's my experience of having lived in the Caribbean for 15 years.

Then we have different experiences, both having lived over a decade in the Caribbean, or perhaps it is die to different islands in the Caribbean.

When you are seeing a woman and her children living on a cold hard pavement in Lima outside a well known steak restaurant it is more " obvious" than the poverty of sun and hibiscus. When those families troop out to Church on a Sunday and to school in their sparkling uniforms it is somewhat hidden. That's my experience.

And that is Ok. I have lived in islands that were " British" as opposed to some of the others. I won't name names but there is one country in particular which has tended to leave a more damaged trail behind it.

Cuba generally stamps your tourist card - not your passport - so that you don't have to worry about ESTA.

Persoannly, whilst Havanna is the "go-to" place, I much prefer Santiago de Cuba. But Cuba isn't very big - you can easily go everywhere with a modicum of planning. She says, going every year to do another bit!

Loved Jamaica

Isn't it the truth about everywhere?

True, compared to some Caribbean islands, the island were I live is pretty okay for its living standards in general. But here the houses etc can really show poverty (think of houses covered with tarp to get sun and rain out of the house etc) and you can see it well in certain areas. here it is not getting everybody spic and span to the church so perhaps that explains it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

My experience is sailing around various islands, and therefore not in a resort. I believe many of the beach resorts are good, but if you are outside the resorts, it’s over priced food and drinks, and not that many decent restaurants 🤷‍♀️

And if you are just going to stay in a resort you may as well save your money and stay in Europe?

Dominica. Not to be confused with Dom Rep. Both nice but DA is fab.

That's not my experience at all. In fact the opposite. You pay a fortune at Nelson's Dockyard but not at the Roti Hut in St John's 😂