Help need dive destination in Caribean...

[badassbill]

Hi all...I'm getting married in March and am in need of some help in finding a destination for my honeymoon (in May). I won't bore you with the reasons, but here is the criteria:
1. We have been to the Bahamas and Cayman, can't go there again.
2. It must be in the Caribean
3. Would like to have decent shopping. I know this is a bizarre request, but she (and me a little) like to shop if it rains, etc.
4. Looking for the best diving we can get. Nice island, food, etc.

I am running into a dead end in places that would have both good diving (walls, etc) and a little shopping for her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My initial thoughts are Aruba or St.Lucia...but niether of them seem to be big shopping. HELP!

Bill

 

[Natasha]

I like the shopping in St. Lucia and the diving.

St. Thomas has TONS of shopping. The diving is OK too.

Have you also considered a cruise?

 

[badassbill]

Yes...we had thought of a cruise but would rather spend our time diving than boating. Thanks for the suggestions!

Anyone else have an opinion?

 

[tvictory]

Curacao has good diving and Willemstad is an interesting town with topside activities and shopping.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Okay its not considered the "Caribbean" (although it borders on the Caribbean Sea) but I would say Cozumel is the place to go. Great diving and decent shopping.

 

[qglad]

Can't go back to the Bahamas and Caymans? Tell the truth your on the run from the law arn't you...

 

[caymaniac]

Hi all...I'm getting married in March and am in need of some help in finding a destination for my honeymoon (in May). I won't bore you with the reasons, but here is the criteria:
1. We have been to the Bahamas and Cayman, can't go there again.
2. It must be in the Caribean
3. Would like to have decent shopping. I know this is a bizarre request, but she (and me a little) like to shop if it rains, etc.
4. Looking for the best diving we can get. Nice island, food, etc.

I am running into a dead end in places that would have both good diving (walls, etc) and a little shopping for her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My initial thoughts are Aruba or St.Lucia...but niether of them seem to be big shopping. HELP!

Bill

I would say: !. St. Thomas
2. Aruba
3. Coz.
4. Curacao
5. St. Lucia
6. St. Maarten - dive Saba
7. Bonaire
8. Nassau
The only place on the list I haven't been is St. Maarten, but I'll be there the first week in April. It's gettin kinda thin with shopping at some of those places but if you want to stay in the Carribean then that's what you'll get.

Congats, good luck, :dazzler1:
Caymaniac

 

[pigletfish]

Of the places I've been, I would say Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, St. Thomas/St. John, or Curacao. Happy planning!

 

[wjbrandt]

Come on down to St Thomas. I live and work here. Great shopping and diving. Check our web site. sawyerdive.vi
Hope to see you in May Wayne

 

[Kleppta]

I was in St Lucia last December. We stayed at the Sandals Grande and I dove with the dive shop there (its included in the price).

I have dove with other Sandals resorts as well. And from my experiance their pretty good. Esp if you travel off season which I would believe May is. At that time the resorts are only at like 40 or 50% capacity and the dive guys only have 4 or 5 people out. I think when I was there out of 4 dive days we only had one group bigger then 10.

I will say though St Lucia is a great island. I have been to a few places in the Carribean and St Lucia is beatiful.

The diving was very good. Not alot of walls but nice healthy reefs, with beatifull color and tons of life. Small stuff mostly but lots of it.

My Brother just got back from Aruba and while he is not a diver he said the snokleing was the best he had ever seen. And otherwise he loved his trip.

I don't know about the shopping in either of these places.

Why don't you take her on a shopping trip before or after Stateside. I mean really....in my opinion with the exception of the UVI and maybe some of the BVI the shopping is not the major attraction of the caribean. And even in these places unless you are buying a big ticket item like a high end watch or jewlery, its just trinkets for cheap.

I've never dove in St Kitts but I was there as part of a cruise and really liked it. Very clean nice people. Would like to go back for a real trip there. But very expensive from what I remember.


Kleppta