Caribbean Island for Hawaii lover?
Nov 1, 2011, 6:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Caribbean Island for Hawaii lover?
My family has been going to Hawaii every Feb for the last four years. We love the combination of friendly people, incredible views everywhere, fantastic snorkeling right from the beach, hikes to waterfalls, etc. We were especially impressed with Kauia. This year we don't have as much time so we're hoping to go somewhere closer. Are there any islands/areas in the Caribbean that come close to a Hawaiian vacation? Ideally I'd like to hear from people who can compare because they've spent time in both Hawaii and the Caribbean. Thanks!
Nov 1, 2011, 7:02 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2011
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I haven't been to the Caribbean, but I had a nice conversation with a couple on a plane once who had spent a lot of time in both places. I asked them which Caribbean island was most like Hawaii.
They said St. Martin. Their reason? Most Caribbean islands have a visible poverty class that can make one feel kind of guilty for having so much fun in so much luxury. St. Martin, they said, doesn't really have that.
They said St. Martin. Their reason? Most Caribbean islands have a visible poverty class that can make one feel kind of guilty for having so much fun in so much luxury. St. Martin, they said, doesn't really have that.
Nov 1, 2011, 7:13 pm
#3
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For an all around nice experience that includes nice people, good dining, good water sports, I really enjoyed Barbados.
For beautiful sights, St. Lucia is very nice with the Pitons, and has hiking, etc. to go for. Certainly you will run into some poverty there if you get off the resorts.
Martinique is like a little piece of France plopped in the middle of the Caribbean, and is really beautiful with friendly locals. St. Barts is another really beautiful, friendly, and comfortable place, an easy ferry ride from St. Maarten.
For a great little place that is friendly, beautiful, has superb beaches, my favorite is a little island called Bequia a short ferry ride from St. Vincent. It is really small, though, so factor that in to your consideration.
For beautiful sights, St. Lucia is very nice with the Pitons, and has hiking, etc. to go for. Certainly you will run into some poverty there if you get off the resorts.
Martinique is like a little piece of France plopped in the middle of the Caribbean, and is really beautiful with friendly locals. St. Barts is another really beautiful, friendly, and comfortable place, an easy ferry ride from St. Maarten.
For a great little place that is friendly, beautiful, has superb beaches, my favorite is a little island called Bequia a short ferry ride from St. Vincent. It is really small, though, so factor that in to your consideration.
Nov 2, 2011, 7:20 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 308
I haven't been to the Caribbean, but I had a nice conversation with a couple on a plane once who had spent a lot of time in both places. I asked them which Caribbean island was most like Hawaii.
They said St. Martin. Their reason? Most Caribbean islands have a visible poverty class that can make one feel kind of guilty for having so much fun in so much luxury. St. Martin, they said, doesn't really have that.
They said St. Martin. Their reason? Most Caribbean islands have a visible poverty class that can make one feel kind of guilty for having so much fun in so much luxury. St. Martin, they said, doesn't really have that.
Nov 2, 2011, 7:21 am
#5
Original Poster
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Posts: 308
For an all around nice experience that includes nice people, good dining, good water sports, I really enjoyed Barbados.
For beautiful sights, St. Lucia is very nice with the Pitons, and has hiking, etc. to go for. Certainly you will run into some poverty there if you get off the resorts.
Martinique is like a little piece of France plopped in the middle of the Caribbean, and is really beautiful with friendly locals. St. Barts is another really beautiful, friendly, and comfortable place, an easy ferry ride from St. Maarten.
For a great little place that is friendly, beautiful, has superb beaches, my favorite is a little island called Bequia a short ferry ride from St. Vincent. It is really small, though, so factor that in to your consideration.
For beautiful sights, St. Lucia is very nice with the Pitons, and has hiking, etc. to go for. Certainly you will run into some poverty there if you get off the resorts.
Martinique is like a little piece of France plopped in the middle of the Caribbean, and is really beautiful with friendly locals. St. Barts is another really beautiful, friendly, and comfortable place, an easy ferry ride from St. Maarten.
For a great little place that is friendly, beautiful, has superb beaches, my favorite is a little island called Bequia a short ferry ride from St. Vincent. It is really small, though, so factor that in to your consideration.
Nov 2, 2011, 7:24 am
#6
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It's visible, but not as bad as, nor as extreme as the other parts of the Caribbean. I found it to be more visible on the Dutch Side than on the French.
Last edited by mkt; Nov 2, 2011 at 10:43 am
Nov 2, 2011, 2:50 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: New York USA
Posts: 2,933
I've been to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and The Big Island, as well as the Bahamas, Bermuda, Aruba, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, St Thomas, St Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis so hopefully I can help.
The problem in recommending a Caribbean island that mimics Hawaii is that each Hawaiian island is so different from the other Hawaiian islands
If you are looking for a Caribbean island similar to Kauai, perhaps St. Kitts might fit your bill. It's not built up or touristy, has some beautiful views, good local flavor. The people could NOT be friendlier. The only 'name' hotel on the island is the Marriott. You can do a little snorkeling right off the Marriott beach. I didn't snorkel elsewhere on the island but St. Kitts is where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean so I am sure you could find other favorable snorkeling spots somewhere.
I've been to St. Maarten but that was only a day trip as a cruise ship passenger and, while the island was very pretty, I don't have enough knowledge of the entire island to compare it to Hawaii.
Grand Cayman was beautiful and has tons of great snorkeling, is not as commercial as the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, and has a small island feel. I would describe Grand Cayman as perhaps more commercial that Kauai but less commercial than Maui.
Jamaica has waterfalls and areas of the island are very pretty but the local feel may NOT be what you are looking for in a vacation and would not remind you of what you've probably experienced in Hawaii.
Bermuda, while not technically in the Caribbean, is very pretty and has a small island feel; beautiful beaches as well....and may be closer for you in terms of travel.
Hope that helps a bit
The problem in recommending a Caribbean island that mimics Hawaii is that each Hawaiian island is so different from the other Hawaiian islands
If you are looking for a Caribbean island similar to Kauai, perhaps St. Kitts might fit your bill. It's not built up or touristy, has some beautiful views, good local flavor. The people could NOT be friendlier. The only 'name' hotel on the island is the Marriott. You can do a little snorkeling right off the Marriott beach. I didn't snorkel elsewhere on the island but St. Kitts is where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean so I am sure you could find other favorable snorkeling spots somewhere.
I've been to St. Maarten but that was only a day trip as a cruise ship passenger and, while the island was very pretty, I don't have enough knowledge of the entire island to compare it to Hawaii.
Grand Cayman was beautiful and has tons of great snorkeling, is not as commercial as the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, and has a small island feel. I would describe Grand Cayman as perhaps more commercial that Kauai but less commercial than Maui.
Jamaica has waterfalls and areas of the island are very pretty but the local feel may NOT be what you are looking for in a vacation and would not remind you of what you've probably experienced in Hawaii.
Bermuda, while not technically in the Caribbean, is very pretty and has a small island feel; beautiful beaches as well....and may be closer for you in terms of travel.
Hope that helps a bit
Nov 2, 2011, 3:00 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 308
I've been to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and The Big Island, as well as the Bahamas, Bermuda, Aruba, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, St Thomas, St Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis so hopefully I can help.
The problem in recommending a Caribbean island that mimics Hawaii is that each Hawaiian island is so different from the other Hawaiian islands
If you are looking for a Caribbean island similar to Kauai, perhaps St. Kitts might fit your bill. It's not built up or touristy, has some beautiful views, good local flavor. The people could NOT be friendlier. The only 'name' hotel on the island is the Marriott. You can do a little snorkeling right off the Marriott beach. I didn't snorkel elsewhere on the island but St. Kitts is where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean so I am sure you could find other favorable snorkeling spots somewhere.
I've been to St. Maarten but that was only a day trip as a cruise ship passenger and, while the island was very pretty, I don't have enough knowledge of the entire island to compare it to Hawaii.
Grand Cayman was beautiful and has tons of great snorkeling, is not as commercial as the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, and has a small island feel. I would describe Grand Cayman as perhaps more commercial that Kauai but less commercial than Maui.
Jamaica has waterfalls and areas of the island are very pretty but the local feel may NOT be what you are looking for in a vacation and would not remind you of what you've probably experienced in Hawaii.
Bermuda, while not technically in the Caribbean, is very pretty and has a small island feel; beautiful beaches as well....and may be closer for you in terms of travel.
Hope that helps a bit
The problem in recommending a Caribbean island that mimics Hawaii is that each Hawaiian island is so different from the other Hawaiian islands
If you are looking for a Caribbean island similar to Kauai, perhaps St. Kitts might fit your bill. It's not built up or touristy, has some beautiful views, good local flavor. The people could NOT be friendlier. The only 'name' hotel on the island is the Marriott. You can do a little snorkeling right off the Marriott beach. I didn't snorkel elsewhere on the island but St. Kitts is where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic Ocean so I am sure you could find other favorable snorkeling spots somewhere.
I've been to St. Maarten but that was only a day trip as a cruise ship passenger and, while the island was very pretty, I don't have enough knowledge of the entire island to compare it to Hawaii.
Grand Cayman was beautiful and has tons of great snorkeling, is not as commercial as the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, and has a small island feel. I would describe Grand Cayman as perhaps more commercial that Kauai but less commercial than Maui.
Jamaica has waterfalls and areas of the island are very pretty but the local feel may NOT be what you are looking for in a vacation and would not remind you of what you've probably experienced in Hawaii.
Bermuda, while not technically in the Caribbean, is very pretty and has a small island feel; beautiful beaches as well....and may be closer for you in terms of travel.
Hope that helps a bit
Nov 3, 2011, 7:04 am
#10
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one big difference. the carrib is hot. hotter than the sw coast of maui. diving and snorkel is much better in C. eating much better in H. H is urban, wall to wall hotel. C does not have many hotels. C has great isolated places(e.g.peter island) , beach resorts and beach rentals.. H has very few. C has a lot of really crummy and ugly places. H has very few. people do not rent cars in C ...and drive to local costco .
Nov 3, 2011, 7:44 am
#11
Join Date: May 2005
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one big difference. the carrib is hot. hotter than the sw coast of maui. diving and snorkel is much better in C. eating much better in H. H is urban, wall to wall hotel. C does not have many hotels. C has great isolated places(e.g.peter island) , beach resorts and beach rentals.. H has very few. C has a lot of really crummy and ugly places. H has very few. people do not rent cars in C ...and drive to local costco .
Nov 3, 2011, 11:03 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2011
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Been to Hawaii 19 times, to the Caribbean over 200 times.
That said, Puerto Rico is out. While the Dorado Beach area is quite similar to Hawaii, until the old Hyatt Dorado Beach there is turned into a new Ritz Carlton Reserve in two years, no decent place to stay.
Surely Grenada, St. Vincent, and Tobago are the most incredibly lush islands of all, with Jamaica a close 2nd to any of the three. However realize unike Hawaii you will find poverty on any of them so be prepared for that.
Truly the most spectacular resort in my judgement in the Caribbean is the Canouan Resort, (formerly Raffles) on Canouan Island which is part of the Grenadine Islands. As close to Paradise as anywhere on earth. Ask Bill Gates, his yacht anchors off there regularly.
Worldspan
That said, Puerto Rico is out. While the Dorado Beach area is quite similar to Hawaii, until the old Hyatt Dorado Beach there is turned into a new Ritz Carlton Reserve in two years, no decent place to stay.
Surely Grenada, St. Vincent, and Tobago are the most incredibly lush islands of all, with Jamaica a close 2nd to any of the three. However realize unike Hawaii you will find poverty on any of them so be prepared for that.
Truly the most spectacular resort in my judgement in the Caribbean is the Canouan Resort, (formerly Raffles) on Canouan Island which is part of the Grenadine Islands. As close to Paradise as anywhere on earth. Ask Bill Gates, his yacht anchors off there regularly.
Worldspan
Nov 3, 2011, 12:09 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2005
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