Jump to content

Best Caribbean Island

citylaw1

By citylaw1
in The Lounge

This topic is 4160 days old and is no longer open for new replies.  Replies are automatically disabled after two years of inactivity.  Please create a new topic instead of posting here.  

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 35
  • Created
  • Last Reply
citylaw1 Enthusiast

citylaw1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
If you like to scuba, then Turks and Caicos are wonderful. Grand Cayman and Little Cayman are very nice but very hostile to gays, at least gays in groups like the cruise ships.

 

I have stayed away from the Caribbean mainly because of the anti-gay attitude. I also turned down 2 fully paid business reward trips to Jamaica in the past, since I wouldn't spend $1 to help that awful island. Frankly, the close proximity to NYC, versus Maui (my favorite), is why I'm considering the Caribbean. I wouldn't consider taking along a companion, in that it may be uncomfortable. This probably wouldn't hold as true in St. Barths, but I could fly private to Maui for about the same cost as a week there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jimboivyo Enthusiast

jimboivyo

Posted
Posted
I've stayed away from the Caribbean since I visited Aruba in 1991. I'm thinking of going alone for 5 nights soon. Any recommendations on islands, etc.? Turks and Caicos seems to be in the lead.

 

everything in this world isn't going to be gay friendly, so it's just something you have to deal with and adjust to. The Caribbean has never been pro-glbt, likely won't be for a long time

 

T&Cs are fine, but getting overrun. Grace Bay beach ain't what it used to be

 

if you really want a get away, look into the small island resorts like Palm Island (grenadines) or Raffles on Canouan. also had some good times on Guana Island (bvi)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tommygunzz Collaborator

Tommygunzz

Posted
Posted

We tried Margarita Island a few years ago and loved it. It's part of Venezuela, and we flew there from Caracas. We stayed in a condo off the beach and took taxis. Everything was inexpensive, bordering on cheap. For instance, RT in a taxi to the beach was about $20. The taxi took us there in the morning, and picked us up at a pre-arranged time at the end of the day. He didn't even ask to get paid until he returned us home, and he was never late. Different taxis every day, so it wasn't like we found the one good guy, right?

 

At the beach, we had beers for 50-cents and rum/cokes for a dollar, and that included beach chairs and service. there were lots of beach bars to eat local fish---everything very reasonable.

 

We moved from the condo when our time was up, to an all inclusive club with several pools (one was Olympic sized monster for swimming laps), and a pretty good beach. There was also a casino and we hit a run at blackjack and paid for the whole trip.

 

Downsides: We had to go through, and stay a night in Caracas. Scary, even though we stayed at one of the nicest hotels in town, we were advised to not go out after dark. The airport in Caracas was a full-one military zone, and took a full 3 hours to get checked in and through all the security checkpoints. Also, we normally would rent a car, but even on Margarita Island, we didn't think we'd be that comfortable to do that.

 

Overall: We thought it was a great value, and we'd definitely go back again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

There is no "best" Caribbean island, because they are all very different from each other and will appeal to different people, depending on why they're going. I will agree with some others, however, that Jamaica is probably the "worst" in terms of being the most homophobic. Saba, for instance, is very gay-friendly (the director of tourism is gay), and very friendly in general. It's also extremely safe (people leave their doors unlocked at night), and has great scuba diving. Yet it has no beaches, which really limits its general appeal. I will also agree with some others that Guadeloupe is a good "general" choice, in that it has many advantages which would appeal to a large swath of tourists. Like the Big Island of Hawaii, the island has places which stay quite dry, such as around Gosier and Sainte Anne, but many parts which get lots of rainfall. So you can stay in a dry place, and visit lush areas if you want to hike to waterfalls and rain forests. Being French, it has much better cuisine and roads than most other Caribbean islands. It also doesn't have St. Bart's high prices. But it does help a lot if you speak French.

It is certainly not the case that all of the Caribbean islands suffer from homophobia. The beauty of the Caribbean is the surprising variety of cultures in such a relatively small area. It is true that most English-speaking islands have homophobia to varying degrees (Jamaica being the worst, of course). I've visited dozens of Caribbean islands (not Jamaica), so people often ask me for their advice on which island. I respond that I need to know what their goals and budget are: what they want to do, what things bother them, and so on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bootdad Apprentice

bootdad

Posted
Posted

I must confess I am quite surprised no one has mentioned Saint Martin (Saint Martin - an island in the northeast Caribbean where most would land in order to get to St. Barts or Anguilla. Unless you have the luxury of your own boat / plane. The island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Netherlands; however, the Dutch side has the larger population and a stronger American influence. I always stay on the French side. Terrific food / wine - much less expensive than the sister islands SB and A mentioned above. I have been to about a dozen different locations in the Caribbean (including Havana) over the past 25 years and have only ever returned to St. Martin. Have actually rented several private homes (again on the French side) and stayed as long as 3 weeks at a time. There are literally hundreds of homes / condos available for short term rental - again depends on the type of vacation you are looking for - I value privacy and seclusion so I find the island perfect ... well worth considering - also a fantastic luxury hotel worth staying at on the French side called La Samana - I cannot overemphasize what a pleasant safe and wonderful place this island is !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
citylaw1 Enthusiast

citylaw1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I must confess I am quite surprised no one has mentioned Saint Martin (Saint Martin - an island in the northeast Caribbean where most would land in order to get to St. Barts or Anguilla. Unless you have the luxury of your own boat / plane. The island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Netherlands; however, the Dutch side has the larger population and a stronger American influence. I always stay on the French side. Terrific food / wine - much less expensive than the sister islands SB and A mentioned above. I have been to about a dozen different locations in the Caribbean (including Havana) over the past 25 years and have only ever returned to St. Martin. Have actually rented several private homes (again on the French side) and stayed as long as 3 weeks at a time. There are literally hundreds of homes / condos available for short term rental - again depends on the type of vacation you are looking for - I value privacy and seclusion so I find the island perfect ... well worth considering - also a fantastic luxury hotel worth staying at on the French side called La Samana - I cannot overemphasize what a pleasant safe and wonderful place this island is !!!

 

This sounds appealing to me. Thanks for the input. I've been considering this island for awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bigvalboy Grand Master

bigvalboy

Posted
Posted
I must confess I am quite surprised no one has mentioned Saint Martin (Saint Martin - an island in the northeast Caribbean where most would land in order to get to St. Barts or Anguilla. Unless you have the luxury of your own boat / plane.

 

Thanks for the reminder bootdad. I did Saint Martin once by charter yacht, but unfortunately we did not do much exploring on the island. We went ashore only once for dinner. The wind was up and we were uncomfortable with the anchorage. But the Caribbean as a whole can be quite peaceful and serene. I have encountered a little homophobic push back, but I find it all just a little amusing. I am gifted at times with the ability to give as much attitude as I am given, and walk away with my head held high.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
citylaw1 Enthusiast

citylaw1

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I must confess I am quite surprised no one has mentioned Saint Martin (Saint Martin - an island in the northeast Caribbean where most would land in order to get to St. Barts or Anguilla. Unless you have the luxury of your own boat / plane. The island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Netherlands; however, the Dutch side has the larger population and a stronger American influence. I always stay on the French side. Terrific food / wine - much less expensive than the sister islands SB and A mentioned above. I have been to about a dozen different locations in the Caribbean (including Havana) over the past 25 years and have only ever returned to St. Martin. Have actually rented several private homes (again on the French side) and stayed as long as 3 weeks at a time. There are literally hundreds of homes / condos available for short term rental - again depends on the type of vacation you are looking for - I value privacy and seclusion so I find the island perfect ... well worth considering - also a fantastic luxury hotel worth staying at on the French side called La Samana - I cannot overemphasize what a pleasant safe and wonderful place this island is !!!

 

Just checked the Samana for 5 nights in January with airfare. $8200 .. yikes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted
I must confess I am quite surprised no one has mentioned Saint Martin (Saint Martin - an island in the northeast Caribbean where most would land in order to get to St. Barts or Anguilla.

 

If gay-friendly is one of the primary criteria, then St. Martin is a good choice. I remember a couple of gay bars in Marigot on the French side, and a gay beach on the Dutch side. There are also some nude beaches. The beaches are pretty good, albeit not as good as those of nearby Anguilla (which you can easily do as a day-trip from Marigot). The scuba certainly is not among the better in the Caribbean, however. Also, not much hiking, and I don't think there is any spectacular landscape (waterfalls, etc.). Shopping is pretty good, and there are casinos if you're into that. The Dutch and French islands definitely have less issues with gays than the former (and current) British islands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doe Be Doe Grand Master

Doe Be Doe

Posted
Posted

Flew into St Martin / Marteen and then by boat to Anguilla. Several nights at Cap Juluca. Pure heaven. Would return in a moment - if money were no object! Also spent several nights at Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda. Also very nice. Would like to try Negril, which I hear is fun even if it is anti-gay Jamaica. Would like to see the Bahamas just because I never have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Contact Info:

The Company of Men
5834 C. North Kings Hwy #4343
Alexandria, VA 22303

Email: moderators@companyofmen.org

Help Support Our Site

Our site operates with the support of our members. Make a one-time donation using the buttons below.

$10 $25 $50 $100 $200

Make a recurring donation

Additional Resources

×
×
  • Create New...