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Tropical Vacation Ideas? — Brooklynian

Tropical Vacation Ideas?

tyroneshoelaces
tyroneshoelaces
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I have to preface this post by admitting I'm from California and have always had the luxury of being able to dream of Pacific Ocean jungle vacations.

Now that I'm living in NYC, I have no idea where to go for a little foliage, an exotic drink or seven and maybe a beach to tie them both together.

Having finally sold the family car I actually have some dough earmarked for this.

I'm trying to avoid anything too third-world. I know this might flare your nostrils a smidgen, and believe me I'll make sure I'm extra diligent while sorting my recyclables to make up for the bad karma.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Tyrone.
«1

Comments

  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    Are you into an active, sporting sort of tropical vacation (scuba/snorkling, fishing, hiking, biking etc.)?

    Or more of an easygoing, lounge-around-in-the-sun-with-umbrella-drinks kind of vacation?

    Also:

    Resort vacation (hotel with a beach, not necessarily near any town or cultural attractions)?

    Or hotel (or even apartment) vacation closer to all those things?
  • pastoralia
    pastoralia
    Saint Maarten...you get the Dutch on one side and the French on the other side.
  • tyroneshoelaces
    tyroneshoelaces
    Excellent questions!

    Resort and lounge. Plus pool.
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    You can get pool and lounge+cocktails pretty close to the airport on Saint Maarten. Just do some reading since one of the beaches there is in the flight path of planes--the landing planes are so close that it looks like they might land on the beach. The French side has great food (Grand Case village).
  • whatchuwant
    whatchuwant
    Puerto Rico's not too far (or 3rd world) and has beautiful beaches. And El Yunque!
  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    OpossumQueen wrote: You can get pool and lounge+cocktails pretty close to the airport on Saint Maarten. Just do some reading since one of the beaches there is in the flight path of planes--the landing planes are so close that it looks like they might land on the beach. The French side has great food (Grand Case village).
    Whee!



    And people in Park Slope complain. Sheesh. :wink:
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    Haha....Jeffrey's image is no exaggeration. The runway is just beyond the frame of the picture, with a little fence and maybe a small road separating it from the beach. Sometimes a hotel deal is a deal for a reason!
  • popstar0
    popstar0
    caneel bay in st john, us virgin islands. a bit pricey tho. hawksnest is the best of the 7 beaches to stay on. room 118. wow. check it out
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    Here's a list and there is something at almost every price point depending on what you want

    1) US Virgin Islands (St Thomas & St John's)
    2) Bahamas (an island for every person and interest)
    3) PR
    3) Dominican Republic
    4) Bermuda (perhaps you'll run into Bloomberg)
    5) Jamaica

    All of the above are less than 3 hours direct and there are plenty of resorts and palm trees.
  • tyroneshoelaces
    tyroneshoelaces
    thank you everyone! I'm Googling(tm) away!
  • jamzer
    jamzer
    If you are seriously thinking about Saint Martin, go all in and take the water taxi (about an 45 minute ride if memory serves) and go to Anguilla.

    Heaven on earth my friend.
  • vidro3
    vidro3
    Hawaii
  • testiculon
    testiculon
    Nothing beats St. John in the Caribbean if you don't care about night life. It's spectacular (but pricey as popstar says).
  • veets
    veets
    Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen (Mexico.. Yucatan Peninsula)
  • eggcream
    eggcream
    jeffrey wrote: [quote=OpossumQueen]You can get pool and lounge+cocktails pretty close to the airport on Saint Maarten. Just do some reading since one of the beaches there is in the flight path of planes--the landing planes are so close that it looks like they might land on the beach. The French side has great food (Grand Case village).
    Whee!



    And people in Park Slope complain. Sheesh. :wink:

    jesus, they can just drop you right on the beach.
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    Jamzer wrote: If you are seriously thinking about Saint Martin, go all in and take the water taxi (about an 45 minute ride if memory serves) and go to Anguilla.

    Heaven on earth my friend.
    This. Anguilla is my favorite place on earth. Turks and Caicos is amazing as well.
  • bookistan
    bookistan
    Playa del Carmen, less than an hour south of Cancun has really fun beaches and plenty of good places to eat/drink. Very easy to get to and a nice assortment of funky but comfortable places to stay.

    The island of Grenada has some of the best food in the Caribbean and some gorgeous beaches.

    San Juan or other places in Puerto Rico. If you'd like to check out the nightlife scene and historic sites of a Caribbean island, then San Juan would be perfect. There are hotels both right in town and in the beaches heading towards the airport; super quick to get to on Jet Blue. San Juan itself has a charming historic area and some cool places to hang out. You can go further afield on the island for a more nature-oriented vacation.

    I hear Vieques - a small island right off the main island of Puerto Rico - attracts a lot of intellectual and academic New Yorkers but I've never been.
  • willregistersoon
    willregistersoon
    Check out Aruba. We went last August. Amazing place - and safe. You can walk outside your hotel to many many restaurants, bars, and walk all over without feeling unsafe at all. You can also rent a car and drive around the island. Beaches and water are unreal. We stayed at the Radisson. Highly recommended.
  • stacey
    stacey
    I have to agree with Puerto Rico. I also love Key West, Florida (great night life) and Foley Beach, South Carolina (laid back beach and surfing, 20 minutes from Charleston)
  • gogmajog
    gogmajog
    Been to many of these places - Playa del Carmen, Aruba, PR (ages ago), US Virgin Islands (St. Croix and some time on St. Thomas), British VI (Tortola several times, and trips to Virgin Gorda and some other islands nearby), Bermuda, Grand Cayman, and a few other places.

    Really depends on what you are looking for. Beaches in US + British VIs are gorgeous (as are beaches in Aruba). From Playa del Carmen, I'd go a little further south to Tulum for some more seclusion (plus you can see the ruins). I didn't love St. Croix - it's a bit seedy in many parts (although the far end of the island where the casino is is lovely). Bermuda is nice and civilized (read: a little "proper"), but when the cruise ships come into Hamilton it is a zoo.
  • arlette
    arlette
    If you have never been , you must go to Barbados island in the sun. Simply beautiful. They have some of the best beaches. Jet blue just had a phenomenal air fare unheard of in all my travels there. It was $99 each way and I could cry cause I am having surgery so I can't go then But I will make the family reunion in July. Every year , especially in September and October then in spring they have the best of barbados deals that include airfare, hotel and breakfast and sometimes lunch for $399 per person for 2 weeks.
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    Better yet - go to New Orleans. No resort, no beach, but you won't care. And with all the crap going on down there, they could really use your $$$. I ♥ New Orleans.
  • veets
    veets
    I love the idea of a vacation in New Orleans!
    Playa Del Carmen was a quaint fishing village when I visited 20 years ago but it is now more built up and infused with European capital. You could stay a month and never eat in a "Mexican" restaurant (though the cuisine of the Yucan is amazing). 20 years ago there was no AC and two telephones. Talking land lines... cell phones were a fantasy. If you want an amazing place to stay.. The Blue Parrot.. owned by Germans and just a sweet spot on this earth that is right on the beach.

    It is a great jumping off point to visit the ruins of Coba and Tulum and as you drift down the coast there are other resort areas that are less built up, more basic and amazing.
  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    This just in...

    Wyndham Vacation Rentals $199 per week
    (Various locations, travel in May or June)

    Wyndham resorts and Last Minute Vacations are having a promotion where you can get a whole week at one of their resorts for $199 per week. The $199 rate will show up when you select the date on the resort page. Also, these are timeshare properties, so most of them will be 1 or 2 bedroom suites.

    Book by Friday, May 21 2010 at 4pm CDT
    http://www.wyndham-vacations.com/last-minute-vacations.html

    Okay folks, have at 'em...
  • bkgirl
    bkgirl
    lakehuntingtonsummercommunity.com
  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    bkgirl wrote: lakehuntingtonsummercommunity.com
    I know you've been bestowed the noble task of representing your upstate NY bungalow colony and all, but in what way is that a "Tropical Vacation Idea," lol.

    :wink:
  • bkgirl
    bkgirl
    it's the closest i'm gonna get!!
  • 8thandprez
    8thandprez
    Not a big fan of PR itself (like a run-down version of suburban Miami), but Vieques, off the main island, is amazing! Easily THE most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean - no lie - and theyre all in a National Wildlife Refuge, so no development on them either. THe island has a brand-new W hotel for you luxury fix. Totally quiet and calm little place... love it! AND it's the US, so no passport required!

    PM me and I can send you some photos from our trip last year.
  • jeffrey
    jeffrey
    8thandPrez wrote: Not a big fan of PR itself (like a run-down version of suburban Miami)
    Not if you're at any of the following...

    El Conquistador
    http://www.elconresort.com/

    Wyndham Rio Mar
    http://www.wyndhamriomar.com

    Palmas del Mar
    http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1547

    Granted, they are no

    -- http://www.leguanahani.com/html/us/guana_us.html
    or
    -- http://www.fourseasons.com/nevis/
    or
    -- http://www.capjuluca.com
    or
    -- http://www.caneelbay.com

    (^ those are among the most insanely, very best anywhere)

    But the Puerto Rico ones above are pretty awesome, and in Puerto Rico (duh :lol: ).

    Vieques is definitely on my list, based on what I've heard. I flew over it (and Culebra) recently and it looked amazing.
  • tyroneshoelaces
    tyroneshoelaces
    Hi Everyone. Thanks for all the suggestions. So many choices!

    The answer is.....

    http://www.cambridgebeaches.com/

    Again, thanks.
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