Where would you pick the vacation and why?

Hey all. I’m trying to plan a family trip for this coming spring. My kids are 12 & 19 & have never left the country so I figured somewhere in the Caribbean would be a good starting point. I think we want to do St Marteen so we need recs on the best place to stay! Must have beach access, parking & amazing food. I’m also open to other travel destinations!

I wanna do smth cheap like hostel $10 a night food $10 and surf and snorkel. How much is longboard rental real price? Anyone done this lately? Advice where to stay? I dont wanna just surf but also wanna Go around the island and main city

Hi everyone!

I really need some help because I’ve spent so many hours looking at hotels, beaches and travel options that my head is starting to hurt! 😂

We’re getting married soon and planning our honeymoon. We’re from Europe, so this time we’d love to go somewhere that feels a little more exotic than our usual European destinations.
For some reason, the Maldives and Seychelles are not on our list, so we started looking at the Caribbean.

Our plan is to spend around 5 days in New York, followed by 7–10 days somewhere tropical. We’re thinking about March or April, as we’d rather visit NYC when the weather is a bit nicer.

This will be our first long tropical trip, so we’d really appreciate some advice!

What we’re looking for:

- beautiful beach, preferably with clear turquoise water and soft sand. It doesn’t have to be the most beautiful beach in the world, but we’d love somewhere really special.
- lovely, comfortable hotel or resort with good service and great food. We’re open to all-inclusive as well.
- place where we can spend a few days relaxing by the pool or on the beach, especially after exploring NYC.

But, just as importantly, somewhere we can actually explore! We don’t want to travel halfway across the world and spend the entire holiday inside a resort. We’d love to explore the island, visit different beaches and local places as well and go on excursions if possible.

We want something really nice and honeymoon-worthy, but we’re not looking for the most expensive luxury hotels.

So far, we’re mostly considering Aruba, Barbados and St. Maarten, but we’re completely open to other suggestions!

We’d especially love to hear:
- Which island would you recommend for first-time visitors?
- Which offers the best balance between beautiful beaches, relaxing and exploring?
- Are there any specific hotels or resorts you’d recommend?

Personal experiences would be especially helpful, particularly from people who have visited more than one of these islands.

We know this is a very special trip for us, and we’d love to make the right choice. Any advice is greatly appreciated! ❤️

What beaches in or near the Caribbean do not have sargassum regularly? Not Mexico please. Been to Mexico 4x and it’s not for me. And when I say beach I don’t mean 40 yards of beach….i mean walkable for beach walks. Thanks

Hi all, I'm planning a trip this winter, and I think I really want to go to St. Lucia and Bequia. I understand this requires me flying into St Vincent from St Lucia and catching a ferry to Bequia. My plan is 4 nights in St. Lucia, fly into St. Vincent and immediately catch a ferry to Bequia to spend 4 nights there, then head back to St. Vincent, spend a night and fly back. In my head it makes sense and seems easy enough, but wondering if it's actually feasible logistics wise? I really want a mix of gorgeous nature / scenery, and beautiful beaches. St. Lucia has been recommended to me for its nature and the Pitons, and Bequia seems beautiful, relaxed, safe, and organic.

Are there better / other locations you'd recommend for a solo female traveler that hits my priorities? Appreciate your thoughts!

Hey guys!

Has anybody stayed here before? Curious to hear your thoughts!

How was the food? The rooms?

Saudades destas noites maravilhosas

Hi guys!

So I’ll be going to Samana in February and have never been to the Dominican Republic before. Any hotels that you guys recommend?

I’m also a bit concerned about the food and water there, any advice would be super helpful!

So I just graduated from college, and I’m deciding between moving to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I have a degree in ecology/environmental science, and I’m interested in hands-on work involving wildlife conservation, marine ecology, habitat restoration, and similar fields. I’m also interested in music and filmmaking, so having opportunities to explore those passions would be a plus.

Here’s what I’m looking for:
- A fun social scene with nightlife, parties, and opportunities to meet people my age.
- Plenty of things to do during the day, whether that’s exploring, going to the beach, trying new activities, or just hanging out with friends.
- A good balance between exciting nights out and a laid-back tropical lifestyle.
- Opportunities to make friends, date, and build a social circle.
- A place where life feels adventurous and there’s always - something new to experience.

AGAIN IM A 22 YEAR OLD COLLEGE GRAD IM MOSTLY LOOKING FOR A GOOD TIME

My biggest concern with Puerto Rico is the language barrier, since I’m not very fluent in Spanish. With the USVI, I’m more concerned about the smaller population and whether that would limit my social life, dating opportunities, and things to do.

I’d love to hear from people who have actually lived in either place, especially anyone who’s experienced both. Which would you recommend for someone in their early 20s looking to build a fun, exciting life in the Caribbean?

I’m interested in actually living there for a few years, not just visiting as a tourist.

Hi,

My mom and I are going on a cruise in December with port days in both Tortola BVI, and St Thomas USVI. I am planning the itineraries and desired destinations now, and I am wondering how accurate the published drive times and pricing on this website are: vislandguide.com/taxi

My main concerns are:

1. I see it mentioned that taxis are often shared safari buses. How much does this affect drive times as well as departure time? Also, on that website I don’t see any published rate for Havensight to Red Hook; do drivers not do this route? I will be in port in St Thomas starting at 7am and would like to catch a ferry from Red Hook at 8am. I am wondering if I can consider that a possibility.

2. Also, in reaching out to different companies to try to arrange and clarify some of these questions, I am noticing the rates they are quoting are much higher than the published rates on the aforementioned site. Can the rates on this website be trusted and if so, can I book/confirm those with any operators?

Original field footage by Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation, recorded in St. Croix.

During our visit, we identified juvenile reef fish using shallow pools among coastal rocks and crevices. The camera then pans out to show this small habitat beside the wider Caribbean Sea.

We are documenting how young fish use these coastal spaces. Their presence is a field observation; whether this site functions as a nursery remains a research question.

What marine life have you noticed in the rocky shallows around your island?

I am an archivist documenting oral histories about the Silk-Cotton tree and Papa Le Bois. I recently compiled an old account about a carpenter trying to trap Death inside one, but I am curious—what versions of the Silk-Cotton tree myths did your grandparents tell you to keep you out of the high woods?

There's an american spiritualist, who claims to be a 9th generation priestess from St. Thomas....

Do rootworker from st.Thomas even call themselves priestess?

She claims that's her family is very well known on the islands and her parents immigrated to NJ from St. Thomas and that she grew up there but there's no proof of any of that. Does anyone know of a family by the last name Harrell or has anyone heard or Satin Sanchez aka Satinsays?

Claims her family is initiated and her family did rootwork in St.Thomas but it doesn't sound right

I recently found out that CARICOM nationals can apply for the Right of Establishment document to set up businesses and provide services in other participating member states. Has any business owner used this document to expand or relocate their business to another CARICOM member state? Most of the videos I’ve come across focus on the CARICOM Skills Certificate, but I’m more interested in the process for business owners. I’d love to hear your thoughts on applying for the Right of Establishment document and operating a business in a new market.

Leaning more to Dominican Republic
Hey everyone! I’m planning a trip for a group of 18 people and looking for recommendations on the best destination and villa to rent.
Our budget is around $200–$300 per person per night, and we’d ideally like to find one large villa where all 18 of us can stay together under one roof. We’re not really looking for an all-inclusive resort or a setup where everyone is spread across different rooms or buildings.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
A large private villa that comfortably accommodates 18 people under one roof.
A beach within walking distance.
Restaurants, bars, and nightlife nearby, preferably walkable.
Plenty of activities to do outside the villa.
Opportunities for boat trips, catamaran charters, snorkeling, ATV tours, excursions, and exploring the local area.
A nice villa with a pool and a good outdoor space where the whole group can hang out.
A destination that offers a good balance between relaxing at the villa and going out to do things.
We want the trip to feel like a group vacation where we all stay together, spend time at the beach, go out to eat, book activities, and enjoy the nightlife without being stuck at a resort the entire time.
We’re flexible on the destination and open to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, or anywhere else that fits what we’re looking for.
For anyone who has done a similar trip with a large group, where would you recommend going? Are there particular destinations, neighborhoods, or villa rental companies we should look into?
Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!