Curacao or ???

Hi folks --

I've got a free ticket, and need to decide which Caribbean island to visit
this winter. I'm learning toward Curacao, based on some web research,
because I'm interested in history and cultural diversity. The Dominican
Republic seems good as well - I'm thinking Sousa? I'm getting a little
overwhelmed by the research and could use some experienced guidance!

My interests: I'm not interested in casinos, most water sports, etc., or
fancy resorts with included meals. Lodging under $100 for a single. I do
want a pool. I like to try different restaurants and look at "quaint" shops,
rent a bicycle, walk around. I had two knee replacements this year, so I'm
not up for any hiking (sigh...), but I do want some intellectual
stimulation.

I'd appreciate any suggestions--islands you think might fit the bill, and
any particular small hotel/guesthouse (with pool!) you may know.

Thanks for any help,

Sarah

>
> What airline is the ticket on? Knowing this will give us an idea of which
> islands are an option for you. Only if AA are almost all islands open to
> you.
>

Any major airline -- it's a credit card affinity program.

Sarah

In article <wsgtb.150514$mZ5.1026098@attbi_s54>, "RR"
<superwindyworld@> wrote:
>And how do the numbers in population compare oh Mr. Expert..
>
Ahh. Per capita makes this irrelevant. Per capital by definition breaks
things down into smaller parts. Thus, the per capita crime rates measure crime
per some number people (say assaults for every 100,000 people). Unless they
count things different in Curacoa or elsewhere, then 100,000 people is pretty
much always 100,000 people.


--
The French word hétérogénéité is laden with five accent marks
(one over each "e"), illustrating why English is the language
of international commerce.

> >> On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 14:31:05 GMT, MW <wickedwindloverm> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Curacao is very large. I find the prices comparable to other islands
but
> >> >must say, for a single woman, I would NOT go there alone. The crime
rate is
> >> >said to be higher per capita than NY.

Perhaps not a threat to visitors, but I saw a quote from a judge on Curacao
that one in every six residents of Curacao were involved in the drug trade
to some extent.

[Quoted by St Maarten Daily Herald. The Daily Herald seldom has anything
good to say about Curacao.]

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:36:27 +0200, Ken Tough <ken@objectech.co.uk> wrote:

>Don Wiss wrote:
>
>>It is hard to find much for history in the Caribbean. All will have small
>>museums, but they will only fill a couple hours of your time. Bermuda,
>>though not Caribbean, does have enough to full up several days. Antigua
>>does have a little more than most. And others will have some forts.
>
>Yes, the history thing is a bit tricky. I can't think of a lot
>where you can spend your time all on museums etc, though many do
>have a number of interesting places if you search. Antigua, for
>example, has some nice museums and historical sites like the
>harbour. Even Statia has places where you can spend pleasant
>time poking around, though there the most interesting historical
>sites are perhaps underwater.

Statia does have a small museum. A couple hours at the most. Then all the
other historical sites in town can be walked to in another couple hours.
The island is bicycleable, though in 24 hours you can bike every road on
the island. The main on-land activity is hiking, which the OP isn't able to
do much of. Being small one is going to run out of on-land activities after
a few days.

>I'm thinking Cuba, though perhaps that's off limits to the OP.
>Cuba is -heavy- on history, architecture, museums and culture.
>You can cycle as well, and perhaps stay part of the time in
>a place with a pool, but concentrate on staying in small towns
>near beaches etc.

I had not been thinking of Cuba. I agree that this would meet her
requirements more than the other islands. Being an American the OP would
have to sign up for an educational tour. But then her free flight wouldn't
be useable.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

> I'm thinking Cuba, though perhaps that's off limits to the OP.
> Cuba is -heavy- on history, architecture, museums and culture.
> You can cycle as well, and perhaps stay part of the time in
> a place with a pool, but concentrate on staying in small towns
> near beaches etc.
>
>
Already done Cuba -- and would love to do it again, but I'm a little more
wary of my government than I used to be ;-)

Sarah

If you decide on Sosua consider Casa Marina Beach club, we were there a
month ago and loved it..going back again in 2 weeks,.spent most nights
in town in the bars.
As to History, didnt see much there. Curaco seems better for culture and
history Dom Rep is a fun place.