Help! Need *New* Caribbean Vacation Destination

St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic tho.


--
Rita Daggett

The other thing I got from our cruise to St. Lucia is that I don't
ever want to fly in there. The runways are SHORT and you have to
basically get to the edge of the runway and drop straight down to miss
something (IIRC). The thing that stuck in my mind was more the takeoffs.
The airport had a little ski jump at the end of the runway, sorta like
the British Aircraft carriers..
If you docked at Castries, you saw the 'small' airport; there is a much
bigger one with long runways down in the south where the big aircraft go.
Its then a longish bumpy ride to most of the hotels which are in the north
(unless you go to Anse Chastenet, Jalousie or one or two of the others which
also have the advantage of being near The Pitons) but you get to see some of
the island that way! There is also the option of helicopter transfer from
Hewonawarra (or some such name of airport in south) to the one near
Castries.
Have you considered Grenada? That did suffer badly from hurricane damage in
2005 but is probably mostly repaired now. We stayed at the all-incl La
Source (which is just about to re-open I think) which again had really good
wines and generally good food too (as well as included spa treatments and
other activities) but you might prefer something closer to the capital.

--
Rita Daggett

In article , Rita Daggett
writes



St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic tho.


Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

But I _do_ agree with Rita and others on St. Lucia. I have visited on
several occasions and never seen/experienced any crime problem and the
scenery in the Southern half of the island - again especially the
south-west - is absolutely spectacular. I recently had the opportunity
to visit the new Jade Mountain part of Anse Chastanet. Absolutely
amazing ..... if this sounds like a commercial I apologise but take a
look at the website to get an impression -
http://www.jademountainstlucia.com.

TomW.
--
Tom Withycombe
Dorset/UK

Tom Withycombe wrote:
In article , Rita Daggett
writes

St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic tho.

Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

But I _do_ agree with Rita and others on St. Lucia. I have visited on
several occasions and never seen/experienced any crime problem and the
scenery in the Southern half of the island - again especially the
south-west - is absolutely spectacular. I recently had the opportunity
to visit the new Jade Mountain part of Anse Chastanet. Absolutely
amazing ..... if this sounds like a commercial I apologise but take a
look at the website to get an impression -
http://www.jademountainstlucia.com.

I feel the same way (about crime) in the USVI. I've never had a
problem there in all my visits, nor felt unsafe. OTOH, I have been
to Spain and members of my party have had things stolen from them
while walking in the street. The perception of safety and the actual
hazard from crime often are at odds with each other. For instance, I
have no problem visiting Aruba. A similar problem to Aruba (a woman
visitor being murdered) happened in the BVI some years ago, and yet
the BVI doesn't have a bad reputation for crime.

I've talked to cruise ship visitors to Cozumel who were warned not to
get off of the main streets because it was unsafe. They said they'd
seen a TV program about crime in Mexico City and so they were sure
that what the cruise ship people said were true. But that is kind of
like my mom writing to me in Monterey California that a sailor's wife
had been raped in San Diego, and that I should keep my doors locked.

Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

Yes, I suppose so, but I was (mentally) comparing them with St
Lucia/Dominica type of scenery.
(Half Moon Bay is also a wonderful beach, which used to have a really good
hotel!)


--
Rita Daggett

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 13:18:31 GMT, Rosalie B.
wrote:

Tom Withycombe wrote:
In article , Rita Daggett
writes

St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic tho.

Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

But I _do_ agree with Rita and others on St. Lucia. I have visited on
several occasions and never seen/experienced any crime problem and the
scenery in the Southern half of the island - again especially the
south-west - is absolutely spectacular. I recently had the opportunity
to visit the new Jade Mountain part of Anse Chastanet. Absolutely
amazing ..... if this sounds like a commercial I apologise but take a
look at the website to get an impression -
http://www.jademountainstlucia.com.

I feel the same way (about crime) in the USVI. I've never had a
problem there in all my visits, nor felt unsafe. OTOH, I have been
to Spain and members of my party have had things stolen from them
while walking in the street. The perception of safety and the actual
hazard from crime often are at odds with each other. For instance, I
have no problem visiting Aruba. A similar problem to Aruba (a woman
visitor being murdered) happened in the BVI some years ago, and yet
the BVI doesn't have a bad reputation for crime.

I've talked to cruise ship visitors to Cozumel who were warned not to
get off of the main streets because it was unsafe. They said they'd
seen a TV program about crime in Mexico City and so they were sure
that what the cruise ship people said were true. But that is kind of
like my mom writing to me in Monterey California that a sailor's wife
had been raped in San Diego, and that I should keep my doors locked.

It is indeed a case of warnings and perceptions becoming our
reality... no matter how unfair or even inaccurate. I have no doubt
that we could survive a trip to St Lucia and probably enjoy every
minute of it given the right resort... but why would we choose the one
island from our cruise itinerary where the cruise folks warned us
(rather explicitly and vividly) about the high crime rate specifically
targeting cruise ship & vacation visitors. With so many other good
options, why choose one with any reported elevated crime risk at all?

We cannot know everything about every place. To some extent, we must
rely on what we read and hear... even if that means sometimes missing
out on some fine properties that would have served us well. We are
older now and possibly more attractive personal crime targets than we
used to be... when younger and poorer but far more physically fit! I
don't think it's unreasonable for us to seek out an island or location
with a low-crime reputation.

Chuck

On Tue, 6 Mar 2007 10:04:11 -0000, "Rita Daggett"
wrote:
Have you considered Grenada? That did suffer badly from hurricane damage in
2005 but is probably mostly repaired now. We stayed at the all-incl La
Source (which is just about to re-open I think) which again had really good
wines and generally good food too (as well as included spa treatments and
other activities) but you might prefer something closer to the capital.
--
Rita Daggett

Grenada is another one of those locations that's on our interest list
but not for this particular vacation. There's little time left and we
see no charter vacation offerings at all out of Boston. To do this
location at this time "a la carte" would be well outside our maximum
vacation budget.

Chuck

Grenada is another one of those locations that's on our interest list
but not for this particular vacation. There's little time left and we
see no charter vacation offerings at all out of Boston. To do this
location at this time "a la carte" would be well outside our maximum
vacation budget.

Chuck
One of the differences in experience/perception (or whatever the right word
is) - the islands that are well-served by flights/packages from the UK are
not necessarily the same ones which are well-served from the States.
Certainly when I'm looking for a short hol in the Caribbean I want an island
with a direct flight from UK!

--
Rita Daggett

"Tom Withycombe" wrote in message
...
In article , Rita Daggett
writes



St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I
dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic
tho.


Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

But I _do_ agree with Rita and others on St. Lucia. I have visited on
several occasions and never seen/experienced any crime problem and the
scenery in the Southern half of the island - again especially the
south-west - is absolutely spectacular. I recently had the opportunity to
visit the new Jade Mountain part of Anse Chastanet. Absolutely amazing
..... if this sounds like a commercial I apologise but take a look at the
website to get an impression - http://www.jademountainstlucia.com.

TomW.
--
Tom Withycombe
Dorset/UK

Tom is right. There is no more crime per se in the Caribbean than in NYC or
San Francisco, the two most popular tourism destinations in America.

I wrote a magazine article on crime while traveling, and it applies to the
Caribbean as well. It isn't that there are more criminals there; it's that
there are more crimes of opportunity.

We see those palm tree-lined, white sand beaches, get drunk on tropical air
as well as rum punch, and the calypso music is seductive. Plus we're far
away from home in a land that resembles the paradise of our dreams. So we
let our defenses down. Thieves see this and operate accordingly.

If we use the same level of security on vacation as we do at home, there
should be no problem:

* Leave no valuables in sight even in a locked car

* Leave expensive, flashy jewelry at home

* Keep cash/credit cards/passport locked up in your room safe or in the
hotel safe--take only what you need that day

* Don't get drunk/stoned in unfamiliar areas around strangers

* Don't accept drinks from strangers

* Have the concierge or restaurant hostess call a cab for you

That sort of thing. Make security second nature the same as at home and
you'll have no more problem on vacation than at home.

In article nk.net,
Skip Elliott Bowman writes
"Tom Withycombe" wrote in message
...
In article , Rita Daggett
writes



St. Lucia was not one of our favorite stops. It was in the midst of a
serious crime wave at the time... or so they told us... and we were
warned to be extremely careful. In view of that, it's probably not our
best choice even if the resort itself is quite fine.

Chuck

Been to St Lucia three times now and would not hesitate to go back - I
dont
think the 'crime' is any worse than anywhere else - just be careful!
Antigua is supposed to have some of the best beaches but cant make a
recommendation re a hotel. Other than the beaches, its not very scenic
tho.


Sorry .... have to disagree a bit on ANU. The south western quarter of
Antigua is very beautiful indeed. English Harbour, Freemans Bay, Shirley
Heights etc. are extremely attractive both scenically and historically.

But I _do_ agree with Rita and others on St. Lucia. I have visited on
several occasions and never seen/experienced any crime problem and the
scenery in the Southern half of the island - again especially the
south-west - is absolutely spectacular. I recently had the opportunity to
visit the new Jade Mountain part of Anse Chastanet. Absolutely amazing
..... if this sounds like a commercial I apologise but take a look at the
website to get an impression - http://www.jademountainstlucia.com.

TomW.
--
Tom Withycombe
Dorset/UK

Tom is right. There is no more crime per se in the Caribbean than in NYC or
San Francisco, the two most popular tourism destinations in America.

I wrote a magazine article on crime while traveling, and it applies to the
Caribbean as well. It isn't that there are more criminals there; it's that
there are more crimes of opportunity.

We see those palm tree-lined, white sand beaches, get drunk on tropical air
as well as rum punch, and the calypso music is seductive. Plus we're far
away from home in a land that resembles the paradise of our dreams. So we
let our defenses down. Thieves see this and operate accordingly.

If we use the same level of security on vacation as we do at home, there
should be no problem:

* Leave no valuables in sight even in a locked car

* Leave expensive, flashy jewelry at home

* Keep cash/credit cards/passport locked up in your room safe or in the
hotel safe--take only what you need that day

* Don't get drunk/stoned in unfamiliar areas around strangers

* Don't accept drinks from strangers

* Have the concierge or restaurant hostess call a cab for you

That sort of thing. Make security second nature the same as at home and
you'll have no more problem on vacation than at home.


It's sad that we have to be so security conscious.... we _should_ be
able to say "Thanks" and accept a drink from a stranger ( as a Scot that
appeals to me!) - but common sense and a bit of intelligence should take
care of all but the most unfortunate of situations. I have had the
pleasure of visiting the Caribbean as well as the US on many occasions.
I know it's no true comparison for all the obvious reasons but I can
honestly say that I have never, ever had the slightest problem in any
part of the Caribbean other than having a jack lifted from the back of
an open mini-moke on Bonaire (my fault and the rental company didn't
care or charge me).

OTOH I definitely _have_ had problems in Boston, Chicago (twice - and
it's still my favourite US city), NYC, at DFW and in Arizona. I don't
recommend my friends not to go to the US on vacation. I think it's a
great place to visit. I tell them to visit and enjoy that beautiful
country. But I also recommend that they to keep their eyes open and "use
the head". Skip has clearly laid out some sensible "rules" above.
Unfortunately they apply to an increasing number of countries these
days.

But don't be paranoid .... travel, be sensible and enjoy the experiences
which await you.

Tom W.
--
Tom Withycombe
Dorset/UK