With more than 30 major islands to choose from the lush wilderness of Dominica to the desert like terrain of Curacao-the Caribbean can be almost all things to all people. Want a back-to-nature hiking experience? You got it. Want to be pampered in a five-star resort where the staff-to-guest ratio runs at two to one and the toughest decision you will make each day is whether to have a hot stone or an ayurvedic massage? No problem. Or do you just want to chill at a place where there’s no TV, no cell phone service and where dinner is no more elaborate than the catch of the day? Consider it done. But choosing the right Caribbean vacation is not as simple as blocking out the dates and going online to find the best airfares — for the infinite possibilities of the Caribbean can cut both ways. You can end up with the trip of a lifetime or a vacation from hell. Just ask a newly married couple who have planned a romantic getaway only to find themselves sharing the pool with dozens of screaming children, or the adventure-seeking windsurfer who has ended up on the windless side of the island, or the party animals who didn’t realize that the hot spot they had heard so much about is already so last year.
That’s where this guide comes in a 10-point primer on some of the best island getaways, geared to the kind of vacation you might want to take this winter, whether it’s a week filled with nonstop golf or an escape to a remote island that feels all your own. Just one thing: Don’t forget your passport. Americans are now required to carry one for air travel within the Western Hemisphere including the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean (except for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). You don’t want your trip to end even before it starts.
Posted by Anita Chen
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