Thanks again, PSU. Your analysis is very helpful.

I think we will definitely go to one -- or both -- of these cayes. And for us -- a family of 5 -- it sounds like the boat is an economic no-brainer (and my wife will feel safer going that way, too).

We often stay in "fancy" resorts, but we don't need fancy resorts. For instance, we had a grand time on Vieques island (off Puerto Rico), which is a place I imagine has some similarities to these cayes.

I have heard that there aren't many beaches on the cayes and that it's useful to stay at a hotel that has a pier so that you can swim from there. With kids, that seems potentially useful. Also, I think I heard that there is more beach on Ambergris than Caulker. That might influence my decision. I've also heard that it's pretty each to get from one to another, so maybe we can do both.

As far as dining goes, we'd love to get simple seafood. If you've ever been to Barbados, where you eat the Friday night outdoor fish fry on the south shore, that's kind of what I'd have in mind. I suspect either island could accomodate this, and the costs would be comparable.

Having recently been to Costa Rica, my hunch is that I could miss the rainforest on this trip and be happy staying exclusively on the cayes. That said, I wouldn't mind a night at a rainforest lodge, but it sounds like it might not be worth the trouble or expense in arranging it.