Carribean

Hi sorry to post this question in this forum...but you are the only people I trust when it comes to travel/vacation.

If you%26#39;re going to go to the carribean, which country would be best to go to: Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, others? Please consider safety, cleanliness, quality of beaches, hospitality, prices, drinking water.

For those who think I should not have posted this here, my sincerest apologies.

For those who take time to give their thoughts, thank you very much.

Carribean

';Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, others? Please consider safety, cleanliness, quality of beaches, hospitality, prices, drinking water.';

Drinking water first...my rule of thumb (and I have never been sick when traveling) do not drink the water anywhere outside of the USA or Canada. Be extremely careful eating fresh fruits or veggies and what you eat in general.

Now destination specific - I have been to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica. All of them have issues with safety IMHO however if you just stay within the resort or their sponsored tours you will typically be OK. Wandering around on your own can be unsafe unless it is in an area where mainly tourists are found (read port cities mainly where cruise ships dock). The beaches generally are ok, again IN the resorts. Cleanliness can vary widely and price is not going to determine it. Best bet on that is read the specific reviews on TA for any property you are considering. Hospitality is like anything else, you treat them nice they treat you nice for the most part.

I guess if I was Canadian I would at least consider Cuba since you are allowed to travel there and we are not legally. I did visit Gitmo when I was in the service and it was nice but I have no idea what the rest of the country offers.

Carribean

I hit submit to fast...I would seriously consider Puerto Rico and in fact have been many times. It is probably the most Hawaiian like of all the places you mentioned and is part of the USA.

We have been to Grenada, St. Kitts %26amp; Nevis, Aruba and Mexico.

I loved all of them, for different things.

We loved Aruba for friendly, safe beach lounging. (I know there has been one really publiciaed crime there, but really, only one)

We loved Grenada for the beautiful town, history, people and Grand Anse beach.

I would probably pass on St. Kitts %26amp; Nevis. It was lovely, but I didn%26#39;t love the beaches as much as the others.

I loved Baja Mexico for the wild life and for the views of desert mountains plunging into the water. That said we went to the tiny town of Loreto, off the beaten path. I recommend it highly, but can%26#39;t compare it to Cabo, which bored me.

I would say the Virgin Islands would fit all what you want.

We have been to St. Thomas, St. John, the Bahamas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic.

The British Virgin Islands are beautiful but are like a third world country. Driving can be hazzardous since the drive on the opposite side of the road and have lots of turnabouts.

Fish -- have you considered a cruise? Snack your way around the Carribean?

I thought about a cruise but I%26#39;ve heard enough bad things that I%26#39;d rather not risk it.

How about the bahamas; is it as beautiful as shown in the movie ';into the blue';?

Fish -- I would encourage you to give cruising a try. Depending on your itinerary, you can see SO much. Not all cruiselines are alike. Not all cater to the same crowd, not all are super mega ships. You have many choices. Feel free to PM me for more information.

I also want to chime in about cruising, I have heard alot of ';bad things'; about many places, don%26#39;t listen to everything you read. A cruise is a great way to get a taste of at least 3 different places, then you can consider where you would like to spend more time on another visit.

As noted , all cruiselines are NOT alike. If you choose a good match you will likely enjoy the trip. It does take some research , and I find many people are a tad lazy and tend to waltz into travel agencies and let a stranger suggest a cruise line for them.. which can be a mistake.

Now, back on topic.

Cuba is a great option for us Canadians, my inlaws have been , as have my hubbys siter and her family , which included small children. They felt very safe there.

Jamaica would be my absolute last choice. I did not like it, the island is beautiful,, but it is not a ';safe'; island in my opinion, unless you stay in your resort complex, which is just not fun for 7 days, ';yeah its safe as long as you don%26#39;t go anywhere'; yuck. There are huge drug issues there, I was constantly offered drugs, and the vendors in touristy markets were aggressive. One really and truly got the feeling the people did not like you but only saw you as $$ signs. We have a Jamaican friend who lives here now, even she said it was in fact how many Jamaicans viewed tourists, as dumb cash cows. They are not very good at hiding it either. I guess in most touristy destinations with alot of poverty you can encounter this, but Jamaica seemed the worse.

The US and British Virgin islands, well, I have only been there on cruise stops, but they seemed very clean, and relatively safe, but of course there is a certian amount of poverty , so there are a few areas that I would imagine one would not want to wander around in so much. I would definately return to St Martin, or St Thomas, and I have not been, but I have heard lots of good about Tortola.

Mexico is nice, we liked Playa del Carmen, and relatives have stayed in similar area and been very happy with there choice. I have never been to Cancun so can%26#39;t comment.

Grand Cayman seemed very clean and very safe, but , unless one is really into scuba diving, or really just wanted to lie on beach all day( and the beaches are incredible there),, there is little to do there. It is not a cheap choice for Caribbean though.

If I was you I would start spending time on the Caribbean forums , here on TA and on cruise forums( they have good port of call forums), the more you read the clearer it may become for you. Try crusecritics.com or cruisemates.com

Good luck, and keep researching, Calgary is a great jumping off point for many flights to Caribbean

If I were you...and could afford it..I would head to Paradise Island, Bahamas. The most beautiful beach anywhere. The Atlantis Resort has so many activities..you would never be bored. From the casino, shopping, sailing, fishing...or just lounging around the numerous pools. Oh, don%26#39;t forget the ';Dig';, the largest marine/aquarium attraction I%26#39;ve ever visited.

I can only dream of returning :-)

We%26#39;ve been to Jamaica twice and loved it there. Yes, you have to be cautious, but the same can be said for pretty much any place. We never felt in danger. The people selling drugs weren%26#39;t pushy, and with a no thanks they left you alone. The water is safe to drink. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The beaches are beautiful, especially in Negril.

Been to Cuba and loved that too. The beaches are gorgeous in many areas. Yes, there is a lot of poverty, but the people were great. Worst thing about Cuba is food. If you choose Cuba, don%26#39;t go to a low end 3 or 3.5 star. Upgrade to 4 or 5 stars for place with better food.

Mexico hasn%26#39;t been my personal favourite. My friend got sick on one trip, as lots of people do. The water is very unsafe, so anything washed in it is a risk. The Pacific side is cheaper but the water isn%26#39;t clear and turquoise, and the beaches are brown and blah (IMO). The Mayan would be a better choice, but be prepared for crowds of people and HUGE resorts.

The Dominican doesn%26#39;t interest me in the least. As for safety, score it a zero. Don%26#39;t go off your resort without a tour.

Other than those locations, be prepared to pay a helluva lot more, mainly because the other islands have few or no all-inclusives, and are typically not packaged up from Canada.

We were in Grand Cayman for awhile. It%26#39;s comparitively safe, and 7 mile beach is beautiful, but it%26#39;s packed with cruise people, is very expensive, and lacks any cultural experience or much to do.

We%26#39;re going to Turks %26amp; Caicos in 1 month today (yippee :) It is also an expensive location, but we found a deal. As divers it will be awesome, and the beaches are second to none. (know people who have gone)

These are of course just MY opinion. It%26#39;s hard to get it all for a decent price, so I would prioritize what%26#39;s most important to you and narrow it down from there.