Caribbean vs. Hawaii?

"HerHusband" <unknown@unknown.com> wrote in message
news:Xns965951C752744herhusband@216.196.97.136...
> My wife and I took our first trip to Hawaii (Kauai and the Big Island)
> back
> in 2000. We're considering another vacation trip, but don't know whether
> to
> go back to Hawaii again, or check out the Caribbean area (Belize and Costa
> Rica included).
>
> We don't speak any language other than english, so that's a partial
> concern, as is the necessity of getting passports and whatnot.
>
> We prefer to stay in secluded private rentals, and generally travel to see
> the natural scenery. We have no interest in resorts, tours, or other
> "canned" vacation spots. And while it's interesting to see other cultures,
> that's not our main reason for traveling.
>
> We'd like to find a place where we can enjoy nature, hang out on a warm
> secluded beach, maybe do some hiking, see some waterfalls, see a variety
> of
> wild animals, etc. Seclusion and privacy are important, but at the same
> time it's nice to be able to be able to go out for dinner, or at least
> have
> a decent grocery store where we can buy food for our own meals.
>
> We have obviously not done a lot of traveling, so Hawaii is kind of the
> image of our ideal getaway. Still, I'd like to hear from others how the
> Caribbean/Belize/Costa Rica compares with Hawaii. Should we try something
> new, or stick with what we know?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Anthony

Hi Anthony,

Finally, a traveler who knows how to ask for input! Usually it's just
"What's the best island?"

Enough ranting :) Take a look at Tobago, Nevis, Curacao, and Dominica. On
the mainland try Honduras and Guatemala.

"Rosalie B." <gmbeasley@> wrote in message
news:tndk81hqaejood15q8h4rbeei9ugbmcpv0@...

> If you don't want to have to get a passport, you are just about
> limited to the CONUS or Hawaii.
> If a passport isn't a deal breaker, I'd suggest that St. John in the
> USVI would be about the perfect place - wonderful hiking as most of it
> is a national park.

> You may not actually have to have a passport as it is a US possession,
> but I'd get one before the end of 2005 anyway - even now it is
> difficult to get back into the US without one.

As of now, the airlines won't transport you to any island in the Caribbean
without a passport. This includes USVI and Puerto Rico--they're designated
"International Destinations". Go figure.

"Skip Elliott Bowman" <skipster@teleport.com> wrote:

>"Rosalie B." <gmbeasley@> wrote in message
>news:tndk81hqaejood15q8h4rbeei9ugbmcpv0@.. .
>
>> If you don't want to have to get a passport, you are just about
>> limited to the CONUS or Hawaii.
>> If a passport isn't a deal breaker, I'd suggest that St. John in the
>> USVI would be about the perfect place - wonderful hiking as most of it
>> is a national park.
>
>> You may not actually have to have a passport as it is a US possession,
>> but I'd get one before the end of 2005 anyway - even now it is
>> difficult to get back into the US without one.
>
>As of now, the airlines won't transport you to any island in the Caribbean
>without a passport. This includes USVI and Puerto Rico--they're designated
>"International Destinations". Go figure.
>
That's because you can't get back into the US without a passport
because you can easily get to the USVI or Puerto Rico from other
countries by boat. That's been the case for a long time, although
they used to accept a birth certificate and photo ID. We had
passports and it made it much easier.


grandma Rosalie

>Avoid Costa Rica's east coast.

Avoid the Caribbean side?

Go to Pacific side instead?

In article <Xns965951C752744herhusband@216.196.97.136>,
unknown@unknown.com says...
> My wife and I took our first trip to Hawaii (Kauai and the Big Island) back
> in 2000. We're considering another vacation trip, but don't know whether to
> go back to Hawaii again, or check out the Caribbean area (Belize and Costa
> Rica included).
>
> We don't speak any language other than english, so that's a partial
> concern, as is the necessity of getting passports and whatnot.
>
> We prefer to stay in secluded private rentals, and generally travel to see
> the natural scenery. We have no interest in resorts, tours, or other
> "canned" vacation spots. And while it's interesting to see other cultures,
> that's not our main reason for traveling.
>
> We'd like to find a place where we can enjoy nature, hang out on a warm
> secluded beach, maybe do some hiking, see some waterfalls, see a variety of
> wild animals, etc. Seclusion and privacy are important, but at the same
> time it's nice to be able to be able to go out for dinner, or at least have
> a decent grocery store where we can buy food for our own meals.
>
> We have obviously not done a lot of traveling, so Hawaii is kind of the
> image of our ideal getaway. Still, I'd like to hear from others how the
> Caribbean/Belize/Costa Rica compares with Hawaii. Should we try something
> new, or stick with what we know?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Anthony
>
Research Anguilla, so laid back..

Beach Comber <BeachNews@worldbeachlist.com> wrote:

>Unfortunately, I can't speak to the meals in the Caribbean too much.
>All I had were beach restaurants where I stayed on St. Martin, so it
>was easier (and cheaper) to pick up some food to fix in the room. In
>Hawaii, you have more restaurants but they often tend to be the same as
>you would find anywhere in the US.

Wow, bad luck. St.Martin (french) is excellent for food, and has
a lot of atmosphere in its beach restaurants. In general the
caribbean has good but unusual food, so if you like experimenting
and trying new things, you'll do well. If you go for the old
staples you eat at home, they'll generally be much worse. So
eat curried goat, salt fish and ackee, chicken with rice & peas,
roti, patties, breadfruit, and all the fruits you never even see
in newfangled supermarkets, like mansipoor, and what they call
'local drink' like fresh ginger beer, sorrel, and more. Then
of course there's grilled fresh fish with a bit of lime, and..

hmmm.. getting hungry!

In other words, take a chance.. generally the best places to eat
are the ones which look most unsavoury; big hotels have the most
unpleasant food and stuff which is likely to sit in a buffet
breeding bacteria all day in the heat. Find a nice comfortable
place on the beach and go for it.

--
Ken Tough

"G&G" <G&G@> wrote in message
news:87idnUjDvrbI9hffRVn-1g@...
> Oh, hated Belize. Dirty. Been to dozens of islands in the Caribbean.
Most
> are the same oh! same oh!

Did you get out of Belize City?

> "HerHusband" <unknown@unknown.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns965951C752744herhusband@216.196.97.136...
> > My wife and I took our first trip to Hawaii (Kauai and the Big Island)
> > back
> > in 2000. We're considering another vacation trip, but don't know whether
> > to
> > go back to Hawaii again, or check out the Caribbean area (Belize and
Costa
> > Rica included).
> >
> > We don't speak any language other than english, so that's a partial
> > concern, as is the necessity of getting passports and whatnot.
> >
> > We prefer to stay in secluded private rentals, and generally travel to
see
> > the natural scenery. We have no interest in resorts, tours, or other
> > "canned" vacation spots. And while it's interesting to see other
cultures,
> > that's not our main reason for traveling.
> >
> > We'd like to find a place where we can enjoy nature, hang out on a warm
> > secluded beach, maybe do some hiking, see some waterfalls, see a variety
> > of
> > wild animals, etc. Seclusion and privacy are important, but at the same
> > time it's nice to be able to be able to go out for dinner, or at least
> > have
> > a decent grocery store where we can buy food for our own meals.
> >
> > We have obviously not done a lot of traveling, so Hawaii is kind of the
> > image of our ideal getaway. Still, I'd like to hear from others how the
> > Caribbean/Belize/Costa Rica compares with Hawaii. Should we try
something
> > new, or stick with what we know?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Anthony
>
>

>>Dominica - .... is known as
>>the "Garden Island". .... There are some really fine
>>beaches.
>
>Really? Here are a few of the beaches:

So one should NOT go to dominica if wanting good
beaches?