Which port for a land based vacation?

[kujobie]

I'm a port guy. Always disappointed at the short time in ports. As such, I am thinking about doing a flight/land based vacation in the caribbean where I could spend 5-7 days in one spot and really see everything. I'm leaning towards east carib like St. Thomas/St. John or St. Maarten, but not sure. We are into active outdoor pursuits like snorkelling and hiking, history/sightseeing, and natural beauty like mountains/waterfalls/rainforrests etc. considering everything, especially $$, where's the best place to go?

[tispwisp]

St. Lucia gets my vote!! It's my favorite island in the Caribbean!

[Chudley]

Westin resort on St John! We love it there and are going back in '05!!! Make sure you go check out Jost Von Dyke to see Foxy's and the Soggy Dollar Bar!

[staylor]

I would pick Cozumel. You can go to Cancun and Isla Mujeres for day trips. There is a place..a snorkelers paradise called Xel-Ha that had SO many fish and cenotes to explore and challenges like cliff jumping to do. There are ruins to explore....Air to Cancun is reasonable, so I assume it would be to Cozumel, as well. Here is the link to Xel-Ha.

http://www.xel-ha.com.mx/

Also see www.xcaret.com

 

We went to St. Thomas for a week once and got bored mid week. We are not big drinkers so there was nothing to do after 5pm for us. Nightclubs aren't really our thing. In Cancun/Cozumel there is lots shopping and dinner cruises. Picture Vegas with a beautiful beach (Cancun).

[sportsterjohn]

Cozumel would be a great place for a land based vacation. I however am seriously considering spending a week in Costa Rica instead of taking a cruise this spring. Costa rica has good diving on the pacific side, the rain forest, white water rafting, the volcano / hotsprings as well as good beaches.

[bonniemari]

We love the Bahamas. We go every year and alternate-1 year we go to Nassau and the next year we go to Freeport.

 

Although the shopping is not as good as St Thomas or Mexico, the people in the Bahamas are great. It is nice to be able to walk around town even after dark and not have to worry about getting mugged or hassled.

 

When we were there in May we got to talking to a waiter about crime in the Bahamas. He said the Bahamian people realize that tourism is their biggest industry and punishment for crimes against tourist is tougher than crime against a native so therefore crimes against tourist is rare. I was watching a newscast and commented to my husband how weird it was not to have any murders, robberies, etc mentioned like the newscast here in USA.

 

The beaches are nice and clean. I've had some of the best food I've ever had in the Bahamas. The italian restaurant at the Westin Hotel is some of the best I've ever had and I grew up with and Italian family.

 

Have to agree with staylor. Xelha is a great place.

[msredbird51]

My friend and I spent a week in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic this summer. It was awesome! We stayed all-inclusive at the Sun Village Beach Resort. The resort was absolutely beautiful, clean and so much fun. (It is built into the side of a mountain so there are stairs so if you decide to go beware of that.)

 

Although it is a poor country, it is so pretty and there is a reason why it is called the friendliest island in the Caribbean. Everyone we met was like a long lost family member. We went shopping, laid on the beach, played in the wonderful pools, met the locals, rode ATVs through all the villages, deep sea fished (but got really sick, lol) and went snorkeling at the most beautiful reef I've ever seen.

 

We loved the Dominican Republic and would go back in a heart beat.

[TNtraveler]

Playa del Carmen (or one of its neighboring villages -- Puerto Aventuras, Akumal, et al) is centrally located to Cozumel (ferry), Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza and/or Cancun, yet out-of-the-way enough to get away from the madding crowds.

[robbyxoxo]

i noticed that $$ was a factor in your choosing....that would be a strike against st johns and st thomas for sure....st johns especially is kinda steep on the hotel rates.....im guessing in Belize or costa rica you'd find great prices on hotels........I did some searching around recently for monthly rentals in the caribbean area....we ended up booking at a resort on the beach in Cancun....we landed an entire month for less than $900.....yes its an older resort, but they have nice pools and on some of the nicest beach area in Cancun....most places you'd pay $900 just for a week......so bargains CAN be found with a lil digging:).......if you're not afraid to rough it some, you can find some neat lil places to hang out at in the caribbean....right off the coast of Belize you can go to Caye Caulker and find rooms for as cheap as $15 a night:)......many of the tourists you see there are europeans who are backpacking their way around.....5 star hotels are sweet, but some of us just love roughin it old school:)......good luck in your search!

[MinniIndi]

i noticed that $$ was a factor in your choosing....that would be a strike against st johns and st thomas for sure....st johns especially is kinda steep on the hotel rates.....im guessing in Belize or costa rica you'd find great prices on hotels........I did some searching around recently for monthly rentals in the caribbean area....we ended up booking at a resort on the beach in Cancun....we landed an entire month for less than $900.....yes its an older resort, but they have nice pools and on some of the nicest beach area in Cancun....most places you'd pay $900 just for a week......so bargains CAN be found with a lil digging:).......if you're not afraid to rough it some, you can find some neat lil places to hang out at in the caribbean....right off the coast of Belize you can go to Caye Caulker and find rooms for as cheap as $15 a night:)......many of the tourists you see there are europeans who are backpacking their way around.....5 star hotels are sweet, but some of us just love roughin it old school:)......good luck in your search!

 

 

 

Wow, you're booking for one month, I'm so jealous. Hope I win the lottery tonight. Hey, it's X-mas eve, had to give it a shot.

I lived in South America for a year. Becomes a local and you'll find some of the best food, friends, and drink around. Hit the local hole in the wall type places for some of the best food ever imagined.

Anyway, have fun.

We're digging out of 2 feet of snow right now but sail in 23 days. Only thing keeping me sane.

Enjoy your vacation.

And Happy New Year!!!

[cpayne]

We spent 10 days in St Thomas/St John in Nov. We are not one for land vacations because we get bored easily, but loved it! We chose this destination because you could easily get to several other islands within a short time frame including:

 

St John

St Croix

Tortola

Virgin Gorda

 

If you travel off season the costs are much lower. We rented a privately owned 2b/2b condo directly on the beach for $150/night! Sleeps 6 people and if you are trying to save $$ you have full kitchen facilities and can eat in.

 

An earlier post stated there was nothing to do after 5 pm. We did not find that to be the case. The condo we stayed at was adjacent to the Bolongo Bay Resort and you had full privileges. The resort had entertainment most nights. Wed night you can ride the tram for free to Paradise Point and they had free live entertainment there as well.

 

I believe outdoor activities are what you are interested in? The snorkeling and diving was incredible. St John has unbelievable hiking. After this many cruises I'm somewhat shopped out, but if you enjoy this I think St Thomas has some of the nicest shopping of any island.

 

Go and enjoy!

[kujobie]

Good info. Thanks everyone.

[staylor]

cpayne- Maybe it depends on what time of year you go. We stayed at Bolongo Bay and there was no nightly entertainment. We were there in the month of July. We went to bed at 7:30 on most nights. Yawn!

[SailingDoug]

Coumzell is a place to explore

[PrincessTraci]

I would recommend Grand Cayman. All these locations mentioned so far are beautiful. The BIG differnce with Grand Cayman is that you are free to explore anywhere day or night. Almost no crime at all. Some of the other ports mentioned I barely feel safe during the day, much less at night.

 

And if you're forced to stay in the resort when the sun goes down, what's the point?

[joannetk]

Can anyone recommend a good all inclusive resort that is great for kids? We have a 10 year old. Thank you.

[tispwisp]

Joanne - any of the Beaches resorts are great for families. Beaches is the family version of Sandals. Just had some clients come back from Beaches in the Turks & Caicos and loved it! They have an 8 year old and he had a blast as well. Great kid programs!

[staylor]

I was going to say Beaches, too. But be prepared, they are pricey! My friend priced one, she has 2 kids, I think it was the one in St. Lucia and it was $5000 for 1 week with air.

[halos]

In my opinion an island is an island.

I'd think there would be so much more to see and do and experience in Costa Rica or even Cozumel...skip St. Maarten...not much to do there. St. Thomas is beautiful, but like St. Maarten, it's an island. You could enjoy a relaxing day in either place, very true, but other places would have more to offer.

[Hflors]

If I were going on a land vacation to an island these are where I would go.

IF I was on a limited income I would go to Grand Cayman. Wonderful beaches and great atmosphere. Also realitively safe. IF you can afford it stay at Rum Point. It's on the same bay as Stringray city. And you will love watching the tour boats come to Stringray city from the cruise ships. Most of the island is very tourist friendly and just a great way to spend a vacation.

 

If you can afford to spend a little more I recomend an island in the Abaco's which is part of the Bahamas. It's very secluded and a bit hard to get to, but it's so worth it. Fly into Marsh Harbor and take a ferry to ELbow Cay. Make sure you have reservations before you leave. There are a variety of places to stay. The island is about two miles long and quite peaceful. There is a town, Hope town cars and golf carts are allowed to a certain point, and after that all traffic is on foot. Vacationers are allowed to only drive golf carts. The place is beautiful. The snorkeling is unbelieveable and so are the people. Lastly no matter where on the island you stay go to the south end of the island and spend one of your days at Tahaiti beach. It is the most wonderful place you will ever visit. And if you are in to star gazing drive up to the high point near the Abaco INN and stand looking out over the ocean. It is the most spectatular view. I never believed the astromoners' estimate of 400 hundred million stars until I saw that view. Anyway those are my two picks. Sorry they weren't on your poll. What ever you decide to do have a great vacation.

[kujobie]

I saw a show about The Abaco's on the Travel Channel. That looks very cool. Another port I didn't include was Aruba. Everyone I've talked to who's been there says it was the coolest place they've ever been. It's not on a lot of cruise itineraries cuz it's so far south. I've been to Cozumel, The Caymans, Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The best beach was Orient Beach in St. Maarten. The best scenery/natural beauty/views was St. Thomas. The best overall (food, shopping, activities) was Cozumel. That's where we would probably end up going, or Cancun and do a day trip to Coz, or vice versa, mostly becuase that would probably be the cheapest. I've heard Belize and Costa Rica are cool, too.

[Steamboatin]

Any European Port and its surrounding areas would make for a nice vacation.

[mom2girls]

I spent 10 days in Curacao. It was absolutely beautiful! (This was over 10 years ago though!) There was plenty to do, and the best part is that it's not in the hurricane belt!

[MichelleP]

In my opinion, Costa Rica is the place to go. It has everything you are looking for and more. I spent two months there in college and loved it. It is really THE place to go if you want to see rain forests. We saw monkeys, sloths, all kinds of birds, snakes, etc. Plus there are active volcanoes... I will never forget seeing Arenal spew lava at night. There are hot springs (one right under Arenal Volcano) and absolutely beautiful beaches. You can go to the east coast for a tropical, Caribbean feel... there are even black sand beaches. The west coast is the Pacific and feels more like California or Hawaii. You can snorkel, swim, scuba, surf, fish, hike, whatever you like.

 

There's really something for everyone there - I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

My only caution is that you might want to learn a little Spanish before you go.

[alaskamt]

I had some friends who stayed here for 2 weeks and after a port day there last spring I saw why. And it is very reasonable. Take bug spray for the sand fleas, otherwise it was paradise.....