Mori

My boyfriend & I will be visiting in Apr/May 2005 for 2 weeks (perhaps longer.) We are trying to narrow down our choices. Right now we are leaning toward the Cayman Islands for 1 week and another area/island for the second week. He doesn't want to go to Jamaica. We have lots of questions...

For diving... which is better, Grand Cayman or Cayman Brac? I will be getting certifide either before we go or during our vacation. Primarily I'm concerned with safety for my first diving experiences. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I'm also interested in some time just lounging on a beach (need some pure relaxation time.)

Shopping? Best island for shopping either in the Caymans or elsewhere. We are still deciding where we will go for the second week.

Fun things to do out of the water... after spending a week diving & snorkling, where to go for land based fun? We enjoy hiking, site seeing, lounging on a beach, and great food. We are not into partying or nightlife.

For the second week, I've looked at St. Croix, St. Martin, and the Bahamas. Any thoughts?

What's the best way to travel between islands?

Sunnyboy

You may find travelling between most of the islands you mentioned a liitle difficult. New travellers to the Caribbean often have the misconception that the islands are close together and are linked by a vast system of ferries and local airlines. This is not entirely true. You can travel easily between Grand Caymen, Little Caymen and Camen Brac but you won't be able to get to St. Croix, St. Martin or any of the Bahamas without going through Miami or San Juan and you'll spend at least a full day going from airport to airport. Really it's not worth the hassel. You'd be better off spending your two weeks in the Caymens (especially if you plan on doing a lot of diving) and visiting the other islands you mentioned another time. On the other hand, you can easily "island hop" through the USVI or the BVI's or through the Grenadines and people do that all the time. Another suggestion would be to spend one week on St. Martin and your second weekend on the neighboring islands of Anguilla or St. Barts. You should look carefully at a map to get a good idea of the distances involved and see which island groups are in close proximity to one another.

townclose

My fiance says Grand Cayman has the best diving/snorkeling in the Caribbean. If you're thinking Grand Cayman and you want pure relaxation, fun and privacy, try www.maidenplum.com. It's cheaper than a hotel - it's a house on a private beach - amazing snorkeling just behind the house!, it has every possible amenity, fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, games, satellite TV, DVD player, radio (approx 175-250/nt depending on the time of year) and it's just down the road from a couple of bars and also one minute away from Rum Point, where you can find EXCELLENT snorkeling, water sports, like jetskiiing, etc or just lounge in a hammock there. You can also go to Stingray City from there. For diving, check out www.oceanfrontiers.com They are great, and they go to the less traveled spots so you have a better chance of seeing something extraordinary. For non-water related stuff you could go shopping in Georgetown, (we got my engagement ring there - duty free!) or walk thru the Queen Elizabeth botanical garden, and see wild orchids or blue iguanas. Or, you can stop at the Blow Holes, (a place where waves come whooshing up thru some holes in the rock along shore) to take some photos and drink a chilled coconut from the nearby vendor. Every nite at 6:30, stop by the Breakers, just down the road from the Lighthouse restaurant, and watch them feed the sharks just off shore. Go to Hell, a place north of Seven Mile Beach, where the rock formations are black and resemble flames. On the way back, check out the turtle farm. You can buy a turtle and set it free.

Just some of the fun things to do on land - never mind all the incredible crystal blue water and snorkeling from every accessible beach!

I agree with the previous post. Take your time and go to the Caymans for 2 weeks, unless you're prepared to spend a full day traveling in between. there are really no island ferries in that area.

Mori

Thank you so much! We went out to dinner and decided to stay for 2 weeks. Week one on Grand Cayman, haven't decided if week two will be on Little Cayman or Brac. We are going to try to get a one bedroom apt at the Turtle Nest Inn. After reading rave reviews, is there really anywhere else we would want to stay? Still looking at accommodations on the other islands.

We bought a guide book and have done a little reading. It mentions poisonous trees? What's up with that?!? It also mentions horseback riding, that's on our list of things to do on dry land.

Again, thanks for responding... keep the great info & advice coming!

Sunnyboy

The poisonous trees that you've read about are probably the Manchineel (sp?) trees which grows along the beaches of some tropical islands. It has a fruit that looks like small green apples. The sap from the leaves causes a burning red rash when it comes in contact with the skin. It's especially dangerous if you are under the tree while it's raining as the dripping water washes more of the sap from the leaves. It's best to avoid sitting or standing under them. Ask one of the locals to point them out to you.

ScottB

Mori,

You may want to do a lot more digging when it comes to the Turtle Nest Inn. The owner is known for posting false reports all over the web. The beach there is sub-par at best, and you aren't really near anything.

On Grand Cayman, you need to make a choice of what type of setting you prefer. The east end is known as the quiet end of the island. A lot of people love this about the east end, but keep in mind the beach isn't as nice as Seven Mile Beach. Now 7MB is by far the nicest beach on the island, but it is also known for being much more conjested, as this is where the majority of the resorts & hotels are. You can however find condos on the northern end of 7MB that are out of the conjestion, and sit on more remote stretches of beach.

Personally I prefer the 7MB area due to having a much wider variety of restaurants to choose from. We also think the snorkeling from shore is much better on the 7MB area south. A poster above mentioned Rum Point as great snorkeling, and I strongly disagree, as it's average at best.

Hope this helps a bit, and remember, (buyer beware) of Turtle Nest Inn. Sorry, can't much help you with the smaller islands, as we haven't been to them yet.

gatorlover

Just got back from Grand Cayman and I would agree with ScottB that 7 Mile Beach is the place to stay. We stayed at Plantana (condo) and loved it. It was on the best part of the beach but the beach itself was never crowded. The island is small enough that you can drive around it and get a feel for all the other areas, but it was always nice to return to our "home" at Plantana. Have a great trip!

Mori

Thanks for the responses...

I'm waffling on TNI. We're not exactly sure when we will be able to go. Boyfriend gets deployed to the Gulf for 6 to 9 months, or more in Sep or Oct. We'll be going when he gets back. I'm hoping we'll be able to go Apr/May/ or June before schools get out in the US, hoping to avoid crowds.

We're planning a largely diving vacation and will be certifide before going. I'm looking into dive packages with the hotel included... seems to be a bit less expensive. Class of hotel isn't really an issue, as long as the room is clean and comfortable, we'll both be happy. I can live without luxury, I can't live in a dirty room.

My highest priority in booking the trip is avoiding crowds and then price. As far as the diving, I'm a brand new diver and will feel much more comfortable with a great, professional dive master who knows the water and can help us choose locations for beginning dives. Any more advice?

anonxx

Sounds like you should check out Ocean Frontiers for diving and The Reef Resort on the east end. Both awesome and match your criteria.

Traveler863

I'd recommend Aruba and Bonaire for your 2 week trip. Bonaire has superior diving like Cayman but is more laid back, fewer tourists and less expensive. For the shopping, nightlife, lounging on the beach and restaurants Aruba has it all. It is easy and inexpensive to fly between the two islands.

Mori

Thank you all! Keep the info coming. This is a great message board and you are all so knowledgable and helpful.

Ok, putting Aruba & Bonaire on the list of possibilites.