Favorite places in the Central America or the Caribbean?

[mommyoffive]

Where are your favorite places in the Caribbean or Central America? 

What are you favorite things to do? 

What places are safe? 

[PeterPan]

Are you going to go there directly or take a cruise? What do you want to *do* there?

We went on our first caribbean cruise this winter, and some of those places are pretty rough. We had a good time, but it was nice to get back to the ship and move on. 

We did amazing snorkeling. If your family members are old enough to learn to scuba, that can open up a LOT. I've got friends (mother/daughter) who are learning to scuba together. My asthma isn't up to that, sigh, so snorkeling for me. But there are places that are nice, like Cozumel, where really unless you're some kind of strong swimmer it would be easier to be able to scuba. The water is deep. There's a shallow part, but even what they call shallow can be 20' deep.

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Are you going to go there directly or take a cruise? What do you want to *do* there?

We went on our first caribbean cruise this winter, and some of those places are pretty rough. We had a good time, but it was nice to get back to the ship and move on. 

We did amazing snorkeling. If your family members are old enough to learn to scuba, that can open up a LOT. I've got friends (mother/daughter) who are learning to scuba together. My asthma isn't up to that, sigh, so snorkeling for me. But there are places that are nice, like Cozumel, where really unless you're some kind of strong swimmer it would be easier to be able to scuba. The water is deep. There's a shallow part, but even what they call shallow can be 20' deep.

 

We wouldn't cruise.  I can't talk dh into that.  I am really motion sensitive, so I would probably not do well. 

What places were rough? 

None of us have snorkeled or scuba.  Maybe 2 of my kids would do that.  I have no interest in that at all.  Dh and I haven't ever been to either Caribbean or central america and are just looking for a possible family vacation area. 

[Amira]

We loved seeing pyramids all over the Yucatán peninsula.  We flew into Villahermosa and rented a car, then dropped it off in Cancun.  Mexico is easy to travel in and the food is wonderful, especially in the Yucatán.  It was a great family vacation.

[G5052]

We're fans of the Abacos in the Bahamas. They are called the "family islands."

Very expensive, but many great memories.

[Storygirl]

Look at Antigua, Guatemala. Very beautiful architechture, cobblestone streets, etc. You can take Spanish immersion classes, if that would interest you; tour coffee plantations; see volcanoes and lakes; shop for handiworks in the local markets; and tour Mayan ruins, if you are willing to go on longer day trips.

Whether you would consider it safe enough for your family is something you would need to research. I have not been there for 14 years.

My sister and her husband like to go to the islands of St. John and St. Croix. They enjoy snorkeling and hiking and relaxing on the beautiful beaches. But they don't have children with them when they travel, so I don't know how child friendly the areas there are.

[vonfirmath]

14 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

We wouldn't cruise.  I can't talk dh into that.  I am really motion sensitive, so I would probably not do well. 

What places were rough? 

None of us have snorkeled or scuba.  Maybe 2 of my kids would do that.  I have no interest in that at all.  Dh and I haven't ever been to either Caribbean or central america and are just looking for a possible family vacation area. 

 

Do you sponsor any children? Maybe use your vacation to go visit them. That's why I'm heading to Guatemala.

[SeaConquest]

I love the Cayman Islands, St. Barts, the BVI, and the Dutch ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) -- all are safe and beautiful, and most are great for diving. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by SeaConquest

[Katy]

I haven't been to enough places to have favorites.  But next I want to go to the US Virgin Islands and the Exumas in the Bahamas.  Mostly because DH & I have been discussing retiring to one of those places vs Florida.

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

I haven't been to enough places to have favorites.  But next I want to go to the US Virgin Islands and the Exumas in the Bahamas.  Mostly because DH & I have been discussing retiring to one of those places vs Florida.

 

Is it hard to get to the Exumas?   Are they expensive? 

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, SeaConquest said:

I love the Cayman Islands, St. Barts, the BVI, and the Dutch ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) -- all are safe and beautiful, and most are great for diving. 

 

I have heard Curacao is really affordable compared to every other place. 

[SeaConquest]

10 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

I have heard Curacao is really affordable compared to every other place. 

 

I'm from Southern California, so my definition of affordable is pretty skewed. I seldom get sticker shock anywhere. I would say that both Bonaire and Curacao are about the same. I prefer Aruba because it is more lux, and that is my style. My husband prefers Bonaire because the diving there is incredible, and half the island is a marine park. I'm more of a lounge in a cabana with a drink in my hand while the kids frolick nearby kinda gal. ETA: Plus, I really love the Dutch, and the ABCs are Dutch islands.

Edited July 2, 2019 by SeaConquest

[Lanny]

OP I reacted to the mention of Central America in the thread title. We live in Colombia, which is in South America. My wife and I believe that area, in general terms, is more dangerous than where we live.  There is crime, wherever one might go, so it is extremely important that you understand that and not let your guard down. 

Puerto Rico is another place you might enjoy and it is easy to get to and has beautiful beaches. IMO in a Latin American country the people are more apt to be "child friendly" which is important to you.

As mentioned upthread, there are a lot of things to see and do on the Yucatan Peninsula and it is very easy to get to/from Cancun. I did Snorkel at the State Park near the city of Cozumel (is that also the name of the city where the Cruise ships go in?) and we had a great time there that day. 

Depending on the ages of your DC, about 3 hours West of Cancun is Chichen Itza which has some truly incredibly Mayan Ruins.

Isla Mujeres is a short boat ride from just North of Cancun.

To show you the distances involved, we are in S.W. Colombia, close to the international border with Ecuador.  The flight time from Cali into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale is approximately 3 hours 15 minutes (wheels up to wheels down).  Anywhere North of here, the flight time would be shorter.

Do a lot of reading about different places you might go to for your vacation and enjoy!

 

[G5052]

18 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Is it hard to get to the Exumas?   Are they expensive? 

 

All of the Bahamas is expensive. It's just how it is.

We flew to Florida and then took Silver Airways. They go to a variety of islands in the Bahamas, and then you can take a boat or ferry further if need be.

[mommyoffive]

7 minutes ago, Lanny said:

OP I reacted to the mention of Central America in the thread title. We live in Colombia, which is in South America. My wife and I believe that area, in general terms, is more dangerous than where we live.  There is crime, wherever one might go, so it is extremely important that you understand that and not let your guard down. 

Puerto Rico is another place you might enjoy and it is easy to get to and has beautiful beaches. IMO in a Latin American country the people are more apt to be "child friendly" which is important to you.

As mentioned upthread, there are a lot of things to see and do on the Yucatan Peninsula and it is very easy to get to/from Cancun. I did Snorkel at the State Park near the city of Cozumel (is that also the name of the city where the Cruise ships go in?) and we had a great time there that day. 

Depending on the ages of your DC, about 3 hours West of Cancun is Chichen Itza which has some truly incredibly Mayan Ruins.

Isla Mujeres is a short boat ride from just North of Cancun.

To show you the distances involved, we are in S.W. Colombia, close to the international border with Ecuador.  The flight time from Cali into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale is approximately 3 hours 15 minutes (wheels up to wheels down).  Anywhere North of here, the flight time would be shorter.

Do a lot of reading about different places you might go to for your vacation and enjoy!

 

 

You think Central America is more dangerous than South America? 

[PeterPan]

If you're thinking you'd rent a car, check the laws so you're prepared for what can happen if you have an accident, etc. 

[Lanny]

59 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

You think Central America is more dangerous than South America? 

 

That would be a huge generality. There are places in Colombia where we don't go. There are places here where we can go, without any issues. I would prefer that my DD connect in El Dorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia and not in an airport in Florida. I know El Dorado Airport is a safe place for her to connect and she knows the terminal building there.   South America is a huge place. Venezuela, our neighbor to the Northeast is a Communist nation and I certainly consider it much more dangerous than Colombia.  Brazil has places that are very dangerous. Any country including the USA has places one should not go and one should be aware of those places. 

But, yes, at this time, we consider, in general terms, Central America to be "hotter" than it is here in Cali, Colombia and I am speaking with regard to violent criminal activity and not to the weather.

If you look at the countries the migrants are fleeing from, because of poverty, crime, etc., those are probably places you should avoid.    Places where the gangs (MS-13, etc.) are rampant should be avoided.  Now, you could probably go to the airport in San Salvador, El Salvador and be perfectly safe, but I wouldn't want to go into the city there. There are more than 1 million  Venezuelan immigrants here in Colombia and we will probably have 2 million by the end of 2019.  Venezuela should not be considered, for  *many* reasons.

So, could you go to somewhere here  in Colombia or Peru or some other country and be perfectly safe? I can't guarantee that anymore than you can guarantee me that I would be perfectly safe in the city where you live.  One must always try to stay away from bad areas.

The Dominican Republic has gotten a lot of horrible publicity recently, because of a number of  deaths of U.S. tourists.  I suspect that some of them would have died if they were at home. But, there also seem to be some strange things like possibly Liquor in the Mini Bar was adulterated.  They are investigating that, with the help of the F.B.I.   Considering that 2 or 3 million Americans travel to the Dominican Republic each year, the number who've died in any given year is less than one dozen.  That might possibly be a another destination for you to consider.

It really depends upon what you and your family want to do on your vacation. Your time, and your money are limited.  If all you want to do is be at a beach, there are lots of places. If you also want to have something incredible to see, there are places like Chichen Itza in Mexico (near Cancun), or Old San Juan in San Juan and the Rain Forest in Puerto Rico and other things. It depends upon what your family would enjoy doing.

I would avoid Cuba (I think U.S. Citizens are in general not allowed to go there) and Nicagarua and Venezuela and Bolivia. Those are countries that are very hostile to the USA.

The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaco) are very close to the mainland of Venezuela and I believe one or more of those islands has seen an influx of people escaping from Venezuela and you would need to check into current conditions there.

Many people in the USA/Canada/Europe think the beaches here in Colombia are great. God knows what they are reading. The people here don't think that.  So, our #1 tourist destination, Cartagena, is historic and there are many neat things to see there, but the beaches are not like those on our tiny Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia.  Many other places mentioned upthread have beaches that are much nicer than here in Colombia. 

I would start with, assuming beaches are a priority, because of the low costs and proximity, looking at Cancun and Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.  I suspect you would get some extra low prices in the Dominican Republic at this time, because of the recent adverse publicity they have received. The airlines going to the Dominican Republic would probably offer you low airfares to get there and back, also.

A lot of islands in the Caribbean are super expensive.

Don't pay a lot of attention to someone who went to a country 10 or 15 years ago and tells you how safe it is.  Costa Rica is an example of a country that many people think is "safe", but you can probably look on the web site of the U.S. Embassy in San Jose , C.R. and read about some people whose vacations did not end well.  Costa Rica is not the only example of that. It is one example.  There are plenty of drugs there and where there are drugs, there are drug dealers and very violent people. 

Also, be aware this is Hurricane season (?) and buy Travel Insurance, wherever you end up going.

Make a list of the things your family would enjoy doing together and that will help you narrow down the possibilities.  Enjoy your trip!

 

 

 

[Katy]

4 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Is it hard to get to the Exumas?   Are they expensive? 

 

The beachfront properties are much cheaper than Florida, the property taxes are lower, and the water is clearer.  IDK how hard it is to get there, that depends on which island you're going to.  It is generally much more expensive to fly there than it is to the US Virgin Islands, which have a nonstop American Airlines flight from Miami.  It's much closer though, so if you're boating it could be cheaper.  I remember watching some episode of Bahamas Life (or whatever the property hunting one is on HGTV) where a couple from North Carolina said it took them half a day by boat to get there.

[Katy]

In the past 6 months we've had friends go to both Jamaica and Puerto Rico.  They were warned crime is up.  In Jamaica the couple was told it's safe enough on this resort with armed guards, but DO NOT walk across the road to the other area of the resort without taking OUR car (with armed guards) or you will be robbed or worse.

I don't think the couple who went to Puerto Rico heard anything that scary, but they did hear that ever since that last huge hurricane police from there are moving to Florida from there in droves because many of them weren't being paid.  Crime is way up and as of when they went, there were still some areas without electricity restored.  IDK if that is still true but I'd google the news there if you're considering it.