Help !

[nhcpl57]

Hi, we are a 50 y/o couple, We will be docking o Cayman in Feb off of Crown Princess. We luv Beaches and explorig the islands. Not much into adventure tours or drinking, more into seeing native life and eating in a nice safe native cafe or dinner. NEVER been to Grand Caymen. Should we hire a taxi for the day? maybe rent a car? Ideas Please......

[Grits53]

As for "native life", Grand Cayman is quite different from the other islands. It is a much more upscale island with lots of expensive condos and resorts. You can take a tour bus from the area where your tender boat will dock.

We were in our early 50's for our first visit to the island, and we absolutely loved the stingrays at "Stingray City". These stringrays are not in any type of captivity but hang out at a particular sand bar quite a way out in the ocean. You can only reach the area by boat, but once there, the water is shallow enough to stand easily. This is not a park, just a spot in the open ocean. The stingrays come to the people when they see a boat come up, because they have been fed there for years. This is, to us, a "must do" activity while in Grand Cayman! You might want to consider it as a way to spend part of your day there.

[bookbabe]

more into seeing native life and eating in a nice safe native cafe or dinner.

 

:D I'll second the PP about the fact that Cayman is a much different island than many of the other stops on a typical cruise. You're more likely to find fine dining, nice beach bars and restaurants catering to the tourist trade...or you can go with the always "safe" Subway, Domino's, Burger King or Wendy's.

 

Or, check out http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/index.asp for restaurant listings, including menus and maps. Choose "local caribbean" as food type and either "George Town" or "Seven Mile Beach" if you want to narrow down the search a bit...that'll eliminate a lot of the chains and give you as close as they've got to a "nice safe native cafe." (And you might not want to describe it that way when you arrive...asking for "someplace local and not so tourist-y" might get you better results.)

 

There are lots of tourist attractions available, or you can hire a taxi at the pier to take you on an island tour and show you the sites (which will include gorgeous mansions as well as more traditional Cayman cottages).

 

Cayman's a relatively upscale port, especially in the tourist areas. It's safe to wander around on your own, you can drink the tap water, you won't get pestered by drug dealers or annoying vendors, etc. It's just not that kind of island...

[TurtleTagger]

Since you like exploring, if up for it, I would suggest renting a car (drive on the left in the Territory) and heading out towards the "Eastern Districts" to experience Cayman more like it was before it "grew" up. The island is very safe overall and especially out in the districts. It can be traversed in as little of 2.5-3 hours or longer depending on your pace.

 

Plenty of cultural and natural sights to see along the way Like Pedro St. James Mansion, The Pedro Cliffs, Bodden Town Mission House, The Blow Holes, Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park and Blue Iguana sanctuary, many other 5-10 minute stops and nice National Trust managed sites. You can follow the Heritage Trail as well.

 

Stop along the way and take in the scenery. Find a tiny deserted beach to call your own for a few hours; Hidden gems like Barefoot Beach or quite spots like East End Public Beach.

 

You will pass many local cuisine options in Bodden Town and out on the East End as well. Stop at one that strikes your fancy. You will find not all of Grand Cayman is a banker's dream of paradise. ;)

 

Another option is to take a tour. I have seen this outfit mentioned, but have no personal experience with them other than thinking it sounded interesting:

Joe Tourist Tours and here is a mention on this site about a cave tour they do:

[ODECCIT]

Hi, we are a 50 y/o couple, We will be docking o Cayman in Feb off of Crown Princess. We luv Beaches and explorig the islands. Not much into adventure tours or drinking, more into seeing native life and eating in a nice safe native cafe or dinner. NEVER been to Grand Caymen. Should we hire a taxi for the day? maybe rent a car? Ideas Please......

 

Please remember that they drive on the other side of the road and can be a challenge if you rent a car.

[TurtleTagger]

Please remember that they drive on the other side of the road and can be a challenge if you rent a car.

 

In all honesty, the hardest thing is not accidentally using the windshield wipers as the turn signal. Backing up is also a challenge since you need to look over "the other shoulder". If you come from a rural area you may also have a harder time adjusting to the driving style, just as if you went to the nearest "big city" back home. :)