My wife and I are looking to book a trip to the Caribbean this summer. We don't care about super luxury, all kinds of activities, and want to avoid drunk and screaming kids. Just peaceful and relaxing.

Any recommendations?

Keith took his father to a hotel called the Copper and Lumber Store in Antigua, just across English Harbour from the small pier where the "white pants" interview took place; it is also the same pier Simon LeBon falls off of in the Rio video (it was Antigua, not Rio). That said, a place just as lovely as the Copper and Lumber Store but at a fraction of the cost, is practically next door, called the Admiral's Inn, also right on English Harbour. Both these places are on the same road as the Pizzas in Paradise that Keith mentions in his book Life, although it is now a restaurant called Le Cap Horn.

[admiralsantigua.com]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-05-03 17:53 by Carnaby.

Sandals Negril Jamaica may fill the bill. Been there several times. Could be considered too luxurious for your tastes though. Maybe someone else has stayed elsewhere in Negril that they'd recomment (I've only stayed at the place I mentioned). But that city is super layed back.

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Koen
My wife and I are looking to book a trip to the Caribbean this summer.
Any recommendations?

take me and leave the wife at home....

Yeah, Negril was one that we already found, although a different resort. Thanks for the inpput.

Highly recomend Couples Resort in Ocho Rios Jamaica. I think it may be called Couples San Suchi now that they've done the remodel. Couples only, no kids, all inclusive (talk to the groundskeeping staff if you need anything "else") and although the booze is free, we really didn't have any problems with drunks. Great, laid back resort. Many of our friends recomended it to us and my wife's mom & dad have been there twice since we turned them on to it. We'll be back just as soon as our finances permit it.

Peace,
Mr DJA

I have a secret I am not sure I would tell you about, but since you ask so nicely... I was on a conference in Miami, and had 4 days off where I wanted some rest. It was hard to get to Cuba (where I have been 3 times) from Miami, and I wanted some plain rest and a nice beach, so I flew to Nassau in the Bahamas. I stayed at Atlantis - see atlantis.com. It is the most Disneyland sort of mega resort you can get to, with something like 3,500 beds/rooms, but still it was ok for a few days and some great drinks - Kalik and Bahama Mama. But that was my first trip...

I have been back to the Bahamas, some more times, because it's a great place, and because I found some great hideaway places, where you have 3 miles of pink sand beach on your own. I never stay more than 1-3 nights in Nassau but I fly on to one of the other 800 islands of the Bahamas. One of my favorites are Eleuthera. It is 100 miles long and with 8,000 people. Only 1-4 miles wide. You get a nice little "resort" with two, four or eight rooms or cottages, you are on the water level, and everything is fine. But you need to go there in the off-hurricane season which means December to late May. From June til late November you have rain.

I will not tell you about my real favorite places but try a daytrip to Harbour Island, it is pure paradise with the 3 mile pink sand beach, try the Blue Bar for lunch, you get daaytrips there from Nassau, and you might get there by boat from Eleuthera in 10 minutes of course.

Guess why the Bahamas beaches does not show up in top 10 beaches in the world? Because nobody want to talk about them. Like three I could mention: Cape Santa Maria on Lond Island Bahamas, Caribean beach actually on the top 10 list, white sandy beach but too remote for me, then half a dozen of the Eleuthera beaches, and try out Chat'n'Chill Exumas. Well, I want to go back but I have work to do...

Have a safe trip, but don't go to Nassau for more than a day, or to any other cruise ship city, they dump thousands of tourists who dine on the ship and drink daytime, those cities are closed at 5pm.

Bjornulf

If you are looking for cheap, there is usually space in a quiet backwater called Guantanamo Bay. But I heard the food is lousy and there is a strict dress code!

Hope this isn't deemed political...whereever you go, I'm jealous and I hope you have a ball

Thanks for all the input - looks like mr_dja suggestion is the one we'll pick. At first I thought it was rather expensive, but it's all included, airfare, food, drinks, room, activities, etc. Can't wait!

Koen,

I can only hope that you have as good a time as my wife, family, friends & I have all had. I too, thought, "it's how expensive?" when I first saw the price then realized what "all-inclusive" meant. When the week was done, both my wife & I agreed that it was worth every penny and that we would do everything in our power to get back there. Peaceful & Relaxing were exactly what we were looking for and exactly what we got.

I'm gonna have to go to the website just to look around a bit. To say I'm jealous of you & your wife would be an understatement. I'll be looking forward to hearing how your trip went!

Peace,
Mr DJA

[www.vrbo.com]

Jamaica, Queens, NY

anyone else getting confused between low key carib and low carb threads today?

You can book a sailboat with a captain and cook for a week or 2. If it's a 54 or 60 footer that would usually take about 6 people (so you, your wife, and 4 friends - split the costs) it's not cheap but if you shop around it's not that expensive. If you want to do it really cheap than Turkey (in Europe) is the place to go. I used to go to the Caribbean all the time until I noticed it was just FLOODING with East Coast/Mid-West/USA - Southern American tourists. Meet some nice Americans but that wasn't one of my goals. If this sailing idea interests you google it and shot for a 54 or 60 something foot JEANNEAU (French made). Beautiful Sailboat !!! Check out their website, good luck - SAIL ON SAILOR...

I loathe most all-inclusive places, as after a while the the mediocre food quality hits you.

Loads of low-key places in the carib. My favorites are in the Virgin Islands (hold off on the snarky comments!)....US and British parts or both filled with natural beauty, and lots of empty spaces. The only parts I would avoid are St Croix and Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas (which is very commercial, full of tourists and people off cruise ships). St John is perfect. If you are into hiking there are great trails. Even better snorkeling. On the cheap, the US gov't runs a part there where you can camp on a hillside overlooking the ocean for a lot less than a hotel...

Kick back, have a Carib or Red Stripe and forget that stress even exists....

Hit Tobago and Trinidad. BEAUTIFUL! Also Granada is stunning, very low key, and great food and beaches.

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whitem8
Hit Tobago and Trinidad. BEAUTIFUL! Also Granada is stunning, very low key, and great food and beaches.

Yes, Tobago. Another off the beaten path gem is Bequia just below Mustique.

I would recommend St. John's in the US Virgin Islands. It's a beautiful island with great beaches, excellent diving and snorkeling, nice trails for hiking and biking...and no big mega-resorts, high-rise condos or large hotels. You could rent a house fairly cheaply from a site such as VacationRentals.com or VRBO.com, or stay in a budget eco-resort such as Maho Bay or Cinnamon Bay. Another great island I love is Dominica. It's very laid back and realtively inexpensive. It doesn't have many nice beaches but it's beautifully green and lush with rugged mountains and the largest rainforest in the Caribbean. Another option of course is to do a cruise and see several islands in one trip. They are a real bargain.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-05-05 19:08 by TornAndFried.

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mr_dja
I can only hope that you have as good a time as my wife, family, friends & I have all had. I too, thought, "it's how expensive?" when I first saw the price then realized what "all-inclusive" meant. When the week was done, both my wife & I agreed that it was worth every penny and that we would do everything in our power to get back there. Peaceful & Relaxing were exactly what we were looking for and exactly what we got.

Thanks. We decided to look for something else, I was looking at their website again last night and realized that with all that luxury etc, I would not really feel at ease on such a poor island. Of course this will be the case on many Caribbean islands, but with this resort it was over the top in our opinion.

So we're still looking Anyone been to Guadeloupe?

You're not going to find many "adult only" that aren't all-inclusive I think.

Now, you could just take your chances that there aren't many kids around and go to places like this: [www.rockhousehotel.com]

You would be helping the local economy.

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Koen
So we're still looking Anyone been to Guadeloupe?

I went there from Martinique.
I remember officers at Guadeloupe immigration were generous.

Anyway, I recommend Sandy Lane at St. James, Barbados if you want hide away and white sands.

I hope you'll have good weather during your trip.

You could try an incredible place in south Jamaica called Treasure Beach. My wife and I had the good fortune to stay there 6 years ago and had the time of our lives in an absolutely beautiful little fishing village. There's a hotel there called Jake's which is run by the widow and sons of filmmaker Perry Henzell, who made The Harder They Come.

Absolutely turquoise waters, great food - we had lobster every day until we got sick of it, even lobster pizza! -

Here's a pic of a cool restaurant nearby - in the sea - called the Pelican Bar.



Here's a link to Jakes Hotel.

[jakeshotel.com]

Good call - all-inclusive places don't benefit local economies. Guadeloupe is pretty nice, but also pretty developed compared to elsewhere (it is part of France, after all) and it doesn't have those white beaches. Ditto Martinique. Antigua has many beautiful beaches (you'd need a car to get around), but some parts have been over-developed. My info's a bit out of date (though soon due to be updated!), but of the 15 or so islands I've visited I'd most recommend Anguilla or Grenada (and avoid St, Maarten, Barbados, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic). The ones I'd like to visit are Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the Grenadines. bv's right about Eleuthera and Harbour Island - and also about avoiding it in hurricane season. My enjoyment of it was rudely interrupted by Hurricane Andrew, which wreaked total havoc.

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Beast
Good call - all-inclusive places don't benefit local economies.

Why not? You don't think they employ more locals than non all-inclusives?

True...the people staying there may not wonder off the resort as often.

In mid-June my wife and I are going to Negril, Jamaica for a few days and staying at The Cliffs.

[www.citronellajamaica.com]

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skipstone
In mid-June my wife and I are going to Negril, Jamaica for a few days and staying at The Cliffs.

[www.citronellajamaica.com]

skipstoneyea'.. ya' Could do with a good holiday..

Ah ha ha ha ha ha.

Good one.

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skipstone
In mid-June my wife and I are going to Negril, Jamaica for a few days and staying at The Cliffs.

[www.citronellajamaica.com]

Lucky you. Been to Negril before?

No. I've been to other places in the Bahamas and the Caribbean before though.

It would be nothing worse than going on holiday and finding Bin Laden's body washed up on a beach somewhere..it would be enough to put a downer on any holiday..yea'..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-05-05 16:07 by colonial.