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Belieze STJohn
Belieze STJohn
Hi ,saw the posting about destinations other than St John. We tried Elbow cay in the Bahamas this June and really had a great time. Was it our St John ? No. Was I sorry we went nope. We had a great time riding around in our golf cart exploring the island. The beaches were nice and the water was clear but no snorkeling to speak of. The town was wonderful and the food was great,but I already have St John Virgin Gorda combo in my mind for a future trip . Belieze is however still on my short list. Someone mentioned Turtle Inn, has anyone been there. I wonder how clear the water is and how is the snorkeling. I think I shall always measure an island by snorkeilig and water clarity. For us who can only afford one vacation a year a great deal of thought goes into the decision. Believe me I feel very luck to have gotten to St John 3 times and plan on many more trips if i do not get too old too fast !!!
Nancy
Nancy
-
cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
I'm the gal who mentioned Turtle Inn because I met a family at Caneel who loved it. But they did say the water is not as nice (sea weed...major yuck for me) but they loved the property and the island. But they did say that the water is not as good as STJ on the best day.
My only other comment is that one of the best things I love about the USVI and the BVI is the views of other islands. You have none of that in Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, Cozmul, Caymens (from what I remember). I just can't recommend Jamaica.
Bermuda is absolutly lovely and not cheap. But you might find a great deal. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast years ago that was wonderful. There is no poverty on that island. So clean and pretty. Kind of cold in the winter. I'd make sure to go in the summer.
I am also waiting to hear from all of you for the best quick, thrifty, deal.
My only other comment is that one of the best things I love about the USVI and the BVI is the views of other islands. You have none of that in Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, Cozmul, Caymens (from what I remember). I just can't recommend Jamaica.
Bermuda is absolutly lovely and not cheap. But you might find a great deal. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast years ago that was wonderful. There is no poverty on that island. So clean and pretty. Kind of cold in the winter. I'd make sure to go in the summer.
I am also waiting to hear from all of you for the best quick, thrifty, deal.
We did Turtle Inn 3 years ago and it was the best vacation of our life. To compare it to St John is almost impossible. They are totally differant except the are both in the Gulf of Mexico.
Turtle Inn is located in Belize, and 95% of the Beliziens are very poor. This in itsself makes the two locations different.
Another big difference is the beaches. Hardly anywhere in Belize will you find good swimming or snorkling at a mainland beach. The sea grass grows quite well near the shore and its shallow for several hundred feet out from shore. To snorkle you need to hire a boat and go out to the reef or an island. Once you are out from shore near the reef or at an island I personally feel that the snorkling is much better than St John. More fish, more color, and generally just clearer water. You will see everything you see in St John except turtles. You will can see lots of stingrays and swim with nurse sharks at Sting Ray Alley.
Turtle Inn also offers another resort in the mountains which was also wonderful. We split our last trip between Turtle Inn and Blancaneaux. We also took a full day guided tour of Caracol, a Myan ruin. We were the only people on the tour and the only people at the ruins. It was a great day.
Check out our photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/dscallah
We love St John and the wonderful beaches but Belize is still our favorite.
Turtle Inn is located in Belize, and 95% of the Beliziens are very poor. This in itsself makes the two locations different.
Another big difference is the beaches. Hardly anywhere in Belize will you find good swimming or snorkling at a mainland beach. The sea grass grows quite well near the shore and its shallow for several hundred feet out from shore. To snorkle you need to hire a boat and go out to the reef or an island. Once you are out from shore near the reef or at an island I personally feel that the snorkling is much better than St John. More fish, more color, and generally just clearer water. You will see everything you see in St John except turtles. You will can see lots of stingrays and swim with nurse sharks at Sting Ray Alley.
Turtle Inn also offers another resort in the mountains which was also wonderful. We split our last trip between Turtle Inn and Blancaneaux. We also took a full day guided tour of Caracol, a Myan ruin. We were the only people on the tour and the only people at the ruins. It was a great day.
Check out our photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/dscallah
We love St John and the wonderful beaches but Belize is still our favorite.
As I mentioned in the other thread (but didn't really emphasize I guess), it really depends on what you are looking for.
There are a lot of options to choose from - cheap, easy to get to, laid back, historical, good snorkeling, clean water, english speaking, rustic, luxurious, views of other islands, lush scenery, and the list goes on and on.
I live in Florida, so a drive to the Keys is cheap and quick, and depending on whether I'm looking to primarily snorkel, dive, fish, or drink, there are a number of options available.
Nassau and Freeport are also just a quick jump away as well, but if I'm going to the Bahamas I'd prefer to take the little extra trouble to go to the out islands. My wife could stay in Atlantis year round, playing blackjack in the casino and watching the huge manta in the aquarium - I'd go nuts hanging around that place for much more than a day...
A lot of people are put off by Jamaica, but I love Negril. You can stay in an AI there and be very safe, but there are also a lot of little places with more local flavor and some great deals can be had, both with airfare and lodging.
Another place that has the reputation of being very expensive (and it can be), but if you look you can find some good bargains, is Barbados.
And one of my all time favorite islands is Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic). It has mountains, rain forests, rivers, waterfalls, pristine diving and snorkeling, good kayaking and mountain biking - it's just out of the way. There are not tons of beaches, but they do have some. The thing that makes it the most like STJ to me is that it is so undeveloped.
And I've only scratched the surface - there have been a number of places mentioned that I've only had a teaser taste of, such as Belize and Honduras, and places that I've always wanted to go to but haven't yet, such as Costa Rica and Portugal.
Too many destinations, not enough time/money!
There are a lot of options to choose from - cheap, easy to get to, laid back, historical, good snorkeling, clean water, english speaking, rustic, luxurious, views of other islands, lush scenery, and the list goes on and on.
I live in Florida, so a drive to the Keys is cheap and quick, and depending on whether I'm looking to primarily snorkel, dive, fish, or drink, there are a number of options available.
Nassau and Freeport are also just a quick jump away as well, but if I'm going to the Bahamas I'd prefer to take the little extra trouble to go to the out islands. My wife could stay in Atlantis year round, playing blackjack in the casino and watching the huge manta in the aquarium - I'd go nuts hanging around that place for much more than a day...
A lot of people are put off by Jamaica, but I love Negril. You can stay in an AI there and be very safe, but there are also a lot of little places with more local flavor and some great deals can be had, both with airfare and lodging.
Another place that has the reputation of being very expensive (and it can be), but if you look you can find some good bargains, is Barbados.
And one of my all time favorite islands is Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic). It has mountains, rain forests, rivers, waterfalls, pristine diving and snorkeling, good kayaking and mountain biking - it's just out of the way. There are not tons of beaches, but they do have some. The thing that makes it the most like STJ to me is that it is so undeveloped.
And I've only scratched the surface - there have been a number of places mentioned that I've only had a teaser taste of, such as Belize and Honduras, and places that I've always wanted to go to but haven't yet, such as Costa Rica and Portugal.
Too many destinations, not enough time/money!
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