Where should I take the family for christmas this year? Any recommendations on the island to go to? We're looking at the us virgin island or jamaica. Anyone have any good adivise?
travel advise, caribbean
- Thread starter Bulldogs1974
- Start date
Are you looking for all inclusive? Virgin Islands do not have good all inclusive options. Generally speaking of the islands you will find the best value with the Dominican Republic and then Jamaica. Punta Cana will have more family options. The best option will depend on your family specifically and your budget.
I should qualify that. The Beaches properties are very good but $$$$$. I wouldn’t be surprised if availability is already limited for Christmas. Assuming you aren’t looking to drop Beaches money you may find better value in Punta Cana
From my experience being their pre kids, it’s about the same as Mexico. You can go into the cities and haggle for stupid crap you don’t need, but I wouldn’t wander off too far into the jungle alone.
It’s safe to do touristy things. Excursions, shopping, that sort of thing. It’s not a place you’d rent a car and explore on your own.
He's right.
Aruba is great and small enough to explore the whole island.
I have been to the Dominican 4x and never had a bad time. I can't recommend any kid friendly resorts since I have only done adults only, but the value is extreme there.
I'd also recommend looking into Jamaica if the budget is a bit bigger, specifically Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall.
If you’re smart these things are overblown. The resorts overhype the danger so 1) you stay onsite; and 2) lots of their guests are idiots and if they get into trouble it’ll hurt their business.
The DR is safer than Jamaica. I rented a car in Jamaica and drove my wife, a 4yo, and my 60yo mother around 80% of the island and stayed in Airbnb’s. We had zero issues. Other than parts of Kingston, the worst places are just outside the resorts because the criminal element prey on dumb Americans.
We went outside our resort resort in DR to take a guided dune buggy tour. Only needed to be 16 to drive your own. Whole family had a blast. Most of them were very old air-cooled VW Beetles converted to dune buggies that they kept running somehow. Dusty, fast driving along old dirt roads, ended up at a lunch stop somewhere by the ocean. Came back and stopped at some cool sight seeing waterfall area. Got covered in dust/dirt. Had to wear a helmet, googles and bandana to cover nose/mouth. I think it was one of the best off resort day trips we’ve taken in the Caribbean.
If you’re smart you’re going to be safe most places. But if you don’t know the places to avoid and don’t speak the language you may be better served to leave it to a local to help you out. Regardless, it doesn’t sound like OP is necessarily looking to be that adventurous
fwiw I would be most worried about food safety on the resort
Should Covid rear its ugly head again, USVI may be the better choice for getting home.
If you want that, I would recommend renting a house in Eleuthera.
I know some who say this but we must have missed something because it was just ok to us. Beach was really nice, but the restaurants weren't anything great and there's not much to see/do beyond the beach. And, the beach gets ruined almost daily when cruise ships dump thousands of people off who crowd your peaceful beach from like 9am-3pm. No thanks.
Paging @Jimmy McGiII for his upbeat family vacation advice.
I have a similar recommendation for Jamaica. While we stayed in the Negril area, we did a bused day trip to Good Hope Plantation, which as the name suggests, is a former plantation. They have tours where you drive ATVs or Gators if you are with a kid. It was pretty awesome.
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I just assumed Bulldogs1974 was a brit.I would advise you to ask for advice!
I live and work in Santiago in the Dominican Republic for about half the year and this is good advice. If you want to get off the resorts and venture out, it's definitely a challenge if you don't speak the language. I don't venture out alone at night unless I'm taking a taxi or an uber. I hate driving at night too. Lighting is terrible, roads other than the main highways are not great, signage is terrible, speed bumps you can't see and a lot of Dominicans drive with their brights on. Lots of traffic in the cities as well. But, overall I feel as safe here as I would any larger city in the US.
Unless you are really exploring the island, I wouldn't rent a car. Just get taxis locally. Gas station bathrooms are really hit and miss. There is definitely a lot of beauty to see from the beaches, mountains, rivers and waterfalls all over the island but getting to them on your own is challenging. The resorts offer day trips anyway so take advantage of them.
My trips here are all sort of "off the beaten path". I've actually never been to Punta Cana but many trips to Samana peninsula, Jarabacoa, Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata/Sosua, and the areas surrounding Santiago.
Ritz st thomas or st john. Gallows point villas in st john are great.
Jamaica is mostly a shithole.
Several years ago, another couple invited us to go with them and take a city bus in Nassau. I was originally a little bit weary about it but it was the best part of the trip(cruise). That is, if you don't mind seeing a little bit of squalor, although way less than I had feared.
The Dominican Republic is safe. Check out the north coast. Sosua and Las Terrenas are sweet. You can find feet in the sand all-inclusives for $50/day/person. Renting a vehicle and driving is not an issue. Why go international if you don't want the experience of culture/cuisine? St Lucia is also an option. As is St Vincent and the Grenadines.
I have been in a lot of places abroad that some would consider dangerous, but they really aren’t if you take the right precautions. First off you will need to walk with you arms flexed and out from your body to look bigger. If you don’t need to turn to get through doors you aren’t flexing enough. You are going to want to wear expensive jewelry and have you cash in a transparent necklace wallet type device. If the locals see this they will know you are brave and that you don’t fear them. Also while in other countries you will want to partake in public urination. People of other nations will see this as a sign of strength and treat you as an alpha. Any taxi you get into slide behind the drivers seat and tell them to not turn around and just drive. This will confuse any corrupt taxi drivers and turn them into regular taxi drivers.
Safe travels.
Safe travels.
I'm preferring the us virgin islands but my wife wants all inclusive (considering mexico now). I don't know that I care about the daily price to eat, so i'm not sure if all-inclusive is the way to go. How do you know if all inclusive is the way to go, i've never been to one.
Ruff speling nite..
Ruff speling nite..
Wife and I love all-inclusives. We’ve done Paradisis Punta Cana, DR and Playa Del Carmen, Mx. Both great. We’ve also gone to Sandals Ocho Rios and Sandals Grande in St Lucia.
Ranked
St Lucia (by a mile, but also the most pricey, also worth it)
Playa
Punta Cana
Jamaica
St Lucia Grande was pretty good and might have been best AI we have done, but non-AI is such a far better experience. You can get better food and drinks and experience a variety of local places vs eating mass prepared food all the time. That said, if in good spot and gonna eat and drink a lot AI is a good way to go. We’ve just had far more enjoyable experience at non-AI.
Best place I've been. You can safely move about the island.
We went for the first time last year, and we’re going again next month. Bonus last year was that it was dirt cheap because of COVID. Now we’re paying post-COVID prices, and we are holding our breath about how crowded it might be.
We stayed in the “low rise” section (Eagle Beach) and really preferred it to the high rise section north of there. Walked everywhere we wanted to go. I went one week either barefoot or flip flops; never had to put on a pair of shoes. That is a vacation!
Yeah i stayed low rise twice and high rise once. I agree the low rise is preferred. We took the buses back and forth to downtown and high rise for dinner/activities, and the low rise beach was great.
Mexico will give you the best value and has the biggest variety of all inclusive if that is what you decide. All inclusive resorts are the bulk of my business because that is what many people want. The biggest reason is because it's easy. Easy to budget, everything is on resort so you don't have to leave to find food and drinks, kids clubs are generally very good so it is easy to get adult time, if you want excursions they will generally pick you up and drop you off so there is not a lot of effort put into it. Some people love to be busy and on the go their entire vacation. Others think that sounds awful. Neither is wrong, but they might be wrong for you or your family.
We’ve stayed at the high rise area 3 times. Once by ourselves, once with extended family and once with a group of friends. Enjoyed different things each time. Love it there, planning another trip there.
In Aruba as I type this. The beach is beautiful as is the water. Well groomed and the sand is great! Lots of people, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it makes the people watching fun and interesting. Food has been ok. Pretty much the same as every Caribbean Island we've been to. We rented a Jeep and will be doing some exploring tomorrow. Anxious to check out the rest of the Island. St John's is my favorite. Great beaches, snorkeling, and awesome views. Can't wait to get back there. Turks and Cacaos is up there too. Good luck!!
If you want to tell people you went someplace “exotic” but don’t actually want to do anything exotic or experience other countries/culture/food/people/etc... go to an all-inclusive.
Haters will hate, but I loved the all inclusive resorts in Mexico, Jamaica, etc. when combined with side trips to Tulum, dolphin swim, etc. i also loved renting a house in Eleuthera and having an “authentic” experience. You can’t really go wrong.
Turks has some great rentals and the people are great. Be prepared - island is small.
