The Keys or The Islands ???

[Hopedale Hustler]

I'm planning a trip for sometime between Nov and Feb...just me and the ole lady. I'm popping the question.

I'm torn between where to go though. What's yalls opinion Florida keys or The Caribbean?

What island in the keys? And what island in the Caribbean is best?

I'm looking for something All inclusive (resort) and trying to keep it under $4,000 with airfare.

I looked into Hamada and got a good price at sandals, but I have heard its nasty. Always wanted to go though.


Gimmie some opinions.

[Hopedale Hustler]

I meant Jamaica not Hamada

[H20fowlkiller]

I have a friend who just booked a trip to beleize cost is 1000 per for the flight, and 200 a day for a 2br 2 ba condo, just wanted to throw that out. As far as which of the two I would choose, depends on your age and activities you want to do, I have heard the keys are for much of an older crowd alot of barsto hop around and little shops, not really the beach type area you would think.

[Sea-Trac Offshore]

Not sure where to go but congrats are in order.

[Hopedale Hustler]

H2O that sounds like a hell of a deal, and i want the beach and diving....ima try to spearfish wherever we go...

[Hopedale Hustler]

Thanks southshore

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by H20fowlkiller

I have a friend who just booked a trip to beleize cost is 1000 per for the flight, and 200 a day for a 2br 2 ba condo, just wanted to throw that out. As far as which of the two I would choose, depends on your age and activities you want to do, I have heard the keys are for much of an older crowd alot of barsto hop around and little shops, not really the beach type area you would think.

If you get a chance ask him were at and what condo.

[huntin fool]

Keys aren't your beach place... Looked into going to Hawk's Cay, etc.. The whole rocks on the beach threw me away.. I want to see women in bikinis, not sit and pick rocks out my heels

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by huntin fool

Keys aren't your beach place... Looked into going to Hawk's Cay, etc.. The whole rocks on the beach threw me away.. I want to see women in bikinis, not sit and pick rocks out my heels

Lol ya buddy goin pop the question but she won't know what's goin on under the Costas lol JJ....but ya we both love the beach and diving and spearfishing

[Big Flounder]

I just went to sandals in Jamaica and I can tell you that who ever told you that is full of bull! They treat you like kings and queens when you are there and they have the most beautiful resort I have ever stayed in. There is 3 sandals there but we visited all of them and they were all nice. We are going back in September.

[simplepeddler]

The Caribbean hands down.
We have been blessed to be on several Islands.
For the budget you are looking for.....all inclusive is the way to go.
I suggest you take a ride to a book store and pick up a "Caribbean" magazine and they will many to choose from.

Don't shy away from places like Dominican republic or the Tortolas
We don't do the beach as more because we are a little longer in the tooth, but we really enjoy the snorkeling around St. John's.
We stay at Gallos Point and cook our on meals, kinda like a condo at Orange Beach or something. Saves us a ton of money.

Congrats man!! and Good luck

[southern151]

Stay away from St. Croix! Thug infested, run down pile of trash! St. Thomas and St. John aren't bad and they have some great reefs, natural and artificial! Beware though, there are clothing optional beaches on both and ya really can't tell where one starts and the other stops! Just don't want ya to get a black eye from yo woman! Lol

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by simplepeddler

The Caribbean hands down.
We have been blessed to be on several Islands.
For the budget you are looking for.....all inclusive is the way to go.
I suggest you take a ride to a book store and pick up a "Caribbean" magazine and they will many to choose from.

Don't shy away from places like Dominican republic or the Tortolas
We don't do the beach as more because we are a little
longer in the tooth, but we really enjoy the snorkeling
around St. John's.

We stay at Gallos Point and cook our on meals, kinda like a condo at Orange Beach or something. Saves us a ton of money.

Congrats man!! and Good luck

Thanks man...I was just hoping my price range was doable. I love st. Johns looks amazing

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by Big Flounder

I just went to sandals in Jamaica and I can tell you that who ever told you that is full of bull! They treat you like kings and queens when you are there and they have the most beautiful resort I have ever stayed in. There is 3 sandals there but we visited all of them and they were all nice. We are going back in September.

Which one of the towns is the best...I've been looking at sandals and couples retreat in both negril and ochos rios..?

[speck-chaser]

If you want the ultimate private "secluded" getaway in Jamaica,try www.bluefieldsvillas.com You will spend a lil more than 4gs,but its like something the stars would stay in.

[jlincecum]

Originally Posted by Hopedale Hustler

Which one of the towns is the best...I've been looking at sandals and couples retreat in both negril and ochos rios..?

my wife and I stayed at couples in negril. very nice and would go back in a heart beat. been a few years and dont really remember the exact cost but should be easily done under your budget. I highly recommend night snorkeling, but wouldnt recommend tryin to do it with a lot of alcohol in your system.

[ShadMan]

Jamaica sucks. I will never give another penny of my money to the welfare/thief types that live there. Their mindset is white people = money...that's all you are to them. Anywhere armed guards have to walk with you a block to the store is not where I need to be. Been all over Jamaica on two different trips (Negril, Montego, Ocho Rios, etc), and it was that way everywhere I went. I'm a pretty big dude, but I had knives pulled on me two times and cocaine (probably fake) shoved into my pocket on the street multiple times. If the rasta guys force drugs into your pocket and then try to extort money out of you, you can normally get rid of them bn\y pulling the drugs out of your pocket, holding it over your head, and yelling "No, I don't want your drugs!" The cops typically run to you quickly and haul away the nappy headed douches. Don't ever let your guard down anywhere in Jamaica, unless you are at one of the all-inclusive resorts on the beach that have armed guards posted around the premises. These resorts keep most of the bums from bothering you on the beach, and they require that an armed guard walks with you if you go off-premises to the store, etc.

Just got back from a trip to the Keys a couple weeks ago. I spent 4 nights in Key Largo/Islamorada and 2 nights in Key West. First, there are no all-inclusive type places there, and there aren't many traditional beaches. There is a pretty nice beach at Bahia Hondo between Islamorada and Key West, but most any beach you find at a hotel south of Islamorada is man-made and small. Islamorada is a great place for fishing...lots of guides and good catches. At Robbies in Islamorada you can feed tarpon at dockside while waiting for your breakfast, and it's a ton of fun. They'll take the fish out of your hand, and I had one take in my entire arm almost to my elbow. If you like to snorkel/dive, Pennekamp park in Key Largo is one of the best in North America. Key West is the party place. Bars, restaurants, and shops everywhere. We had fun at Captain Tony's and ate very well while we were there. I wasn't overly impressed with the Keys until we got south of Key Largo, and it all changed. You don't start humming Buffett songs until you hit Bahia Hondo on the way down to Key West. I would definitely go back to Key West and Islamorada.

I've been to about 1/3 of the islands in the Caribbean, and there are some awesome places to visit. My personal favorite was Antigua. The people there are extremely friendly and appreciative of your travel dollars. There is a very good reason Clapton makes Antigua home. Others I've been to and would go back again are St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Martin/Maarten.

I spent a couple weeks in Belize, and loved it. Great diving if that's your thing, plenty of bars/restaurants, good beaches, jungle/ruins tours, etc. We stayed at the far south end of Ambergris Caye, in the very last place available to tourists before it turns completely residential. We rode a bike everywhere and drank a ton of Belikin beer.

Mexico has some pretty nice places also. I've been to Cancun/Playa del Carmen a dozen times, as recently as two years ago, and always enjoyed it. Crime in Mexico has gotten really out of hand in the last few years, but is typically not rampant in the resort towns. I'm on the fence now whether I would go back, mainly because I don't want to give my travel dollars to a country that refuses to control its emigration, crime, and corruption problems.

There are lots of great places to go in the Caribbean, and you'll likely enjoy the Keys also. The only places I would highly recommend avoiding are Jamaica, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. Just way too much crime on those islands to ever let down your guard enough to have a good time unless you stay completely within the confines of the hotel, which isn't a vacation to me. I like seeing the sights, learning about the island, the people, and their food, etc., not just laying on the beach 24/7 and eating in hotel restaurants.

[spotchasin]

I went to Sandals Montego Bay for my honeymoon two years ago. It was wonderful. Everything you need is on the resort with all your food and drinks included in the price. We left the resort for two excursions and neither time did we feel uncomfortable at any time on the excursions. If you like lounging on the beach with a drink in hand I would def. recomend sandals.

[speck-chaser]

well, shadman, sounds like you had some bad expieriences in Jamaica. Yes,most of the islands out there depend on the white man for money,cuz the majority of their income comes from tourism,but to say all of Jamiaca is like that,is like saying that all of America is like Liberal California or Detroit. Heck,there are places here in New Iberia,that even armed guards dont go into at night.lol We loved the people that took care of us at out villas,and met quite a few locals on the beach and in town,and all of them were very nice.

[Big Flounder]

Not sure what Jamaica Shad went to but we hired a driver for the whole time we were there and our first day we got him to drop us off at the Jimmy buffet bar and walked up and down the streets shoping. The next few days we got him to bring us all over the island from north to south and east to west. He stayed with us the whole time and maybe 2 or 3 times we had someone ask us for money and he told them to leave us alone and that was the end of that. Never seen an armed guard the whole time I was there. Guess they were off. I worked in st. croix for 3 months and would never recommend that place to any one. But I did visit st. Thomas and st. John. They are safe and beautiful. I think any island you go on Americans = $. we stayed in montigo bay but every sandals resort has a shuttle that will bring you to all the other sandals resorts for free. There is different activities at each one everyday. One even has a nude beach.