Where to go...

down south

Hi Ronnie;

Now that the Dominican Republic has put itself out of interest (malaria and gastro-intestinal flu), the best quality/price ratio would still be Cuba.

I admit it's not the best for very high quality cuisine but most big resorts are pretty good. A bit better around Varadero because there so many hotel and close to Havana, but it depends on what kind of "action" your looking for.

As far as quiet and sunshine...go for Key Largo....(some clubs on Cayo Coco aren't bad either)

Now if you have more $$$ to spend I'm sure some of the member here will have plenty of good suggestions

Some suggestions:

1. Hedonism II in Jamaica. My best vacation ever. I went to the nude beach and saw this young guy from New York who was having one of the female hotel staff (an attractive young Cuban girl) paint the head of an Inca God on his erect cock. I will never in all my life forget this priceless moment. The beach is not the greatest, but the drinks (which are all included) are. Had numerous drinks I never heard of before. Great place to go for the money if you are a lush.

2. Club Med in Turks & Caicos. Great beach. Not much on the island, though, if you are into sightseeing. Weather is great. In 2 long vacations there, only rained one day. Very dry climate and superb beach. Lots of activities and water sports but beware they have a serious shark problem which no travel agent will tell you about. The government dumps trash in a remote area of the Island to attract the sharks away from the tourist areas. There have been fatal shark attacks in recent years, and the natives admitted to me when I pressed them that there is a problem.

3. St. Martin, French side of Island. Best food in the Caribbean, and best nude beach (Orient Beach). Mountainous island, great restaurants, Dutch and French cultures on the 2 different sides of the island. Casinos and gambling but no nudity on the Dutch side; great restuarants and nude beaches on the French side. Beach is okay, somewhat rocky. Climate windy and unpredictable with the trade winds blowing in at all times.

4. South Beach, Miami. Was here recently. Superb beach. Expensive as all hell but fun place to go if you are in the 25-40 age bracket and looking for fun. Check out Mangos, the best bar on the strip on Ocean Ave. This is the place where the waitresses dress in bikinis and dance on the bar.

5. Cancun. Not the greatest beaches and the food can be scary for the bowels, but lots of great places to go like the ruins at Tulum and Chichen Itza, and Isla de Mujeres (Island of the Women). If you are a single woman you should not travel alone in Mexico as there have been numerous problems with kidnappings and shakedowns. If you go to any of the tourist sites go with a group on a bus.

Being American I cannot easily travel to Cuba, so no report on that Island at this time.

Santa Lucia

During the holidays I went to Santa Lucia, Cuba. It is small, it is quiet and close to Cuban life. I was told it was not the usual cuban resort restricted to tourists.

Excusions includes snorkeling over the second longest coral reef, scuba diving with bull sharks, visiting Camaguey and other various aquatic activities.

For the nightlife, there are two LOCAL clubs close to the resorts.

Aruba

Always out of the hurricane zone. It is practically sunny 99.999% of the time (mainly because it is mostly desert).
The Hyatt and Marriott are the 2 nicest hotels there.

They also take American money freely. You do not have to get Arubian Florins.

You will not need a rental car, although it is nice to rent one for at least a day to explore the island. You can take taxis practically everywhere since the island is so small.

CK