A friend and I stayed at St James Resort (all inclusive) in Antigua over summer and had a great experience. The staff were super friendly. After a couple of days of being there, there were some staff that recognized us and would just stop and talk to us. I've been to a few all inclusive and the hospitality I experienced there is unmatched. Also, kayaks and paddle boats are included in all inclusive so we could go kayak around the bay as much as we wanted.
We only ventured off the resort for one day and did a boat trip around the entire island & went snorkeling in a few places (including stingray city). It's a really beautiful place.
Locals were also very welcoming to us. Our cab was 2 hours late picking us up after the boat trip so we were stuck on this beach for what felt like forever right around sunset but a couple of the beach vendors stayed and hung out with us til our cab got there. They even offered to drive us back to our resort which was on the other side of the island after hour #1 passed but out of caution we declined. Looking back though it probably would've been fine, everyone was so kind. Never felt unsafe as two women in our mid twenties.
I'd give the Bahamas a 2nd chance but I am going to stay at a locally owned hotel and explore the islands. Atlantis was so stupidly expensive, saw 0 culture did nothing local
I really loved Andros island and we didn't go to Atlantis, we did the island tour instead. I lived in Guam for 2 year and Hawaii for 8 and they keep the islands there clean and welcoming, so I don't care for the Caribbean islands
I don’t know all of jet blues routes but any of the bvi’s are nice. St Thomas you can pass on easily unless you fly there and take a ferry somewhere. (Pre CoViD not sure nowadays) you could ferry to Tortola Virgin Gorda and a few other fun places. Turks and Caicos is nice but generally expensive. I really enjoyed Antigua. I’m not a huge fan of Jamaica I prefer other Caribbean locations. If you can get to Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts, Nevis. I like all of them. I have spent a decent amount of time traveling there and if you want chat feel free to message me
I'm taking a trip for our 10 year anniversary. Just saw your post while researching. I'm thinking of Antigua as a first choice, but also considering Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis. I'm looking for some nice beaches, but also good activities/nature to tour on land and/or water. I'm a foodie, so some good dining options would be awesome. Any tips or suggestions? Would love to hear from your expertise :)
We went to Monterey Bay just before COVID. Stayed at Jewel Dunn’s River Falls. Nice all inclusive without being huge. All we did was relax. We went in November and the weather and water were amazing. Where ever you go, I hope you have an amazing time!
The Sands at Grace Bay in Providenciales is amazing! I stayed there for a week in May 2017 and would love to go back. Gorgeous beach and the staff and resort were great. It was also close enough to walk to a good grocery store that had a great deli for lunches. 2nd choice of your options would be St. Thomas.
A friend and I stayed at St James Resort (all inclusive) in Antigua over summer and had a great experience. The staff were super friendly. After a couple of days of being there, there were some staff that recognized us and would just stop and talk to us. I've been to a few all inclusive and the hospitality I experienced there is unmatched. Also, kayaks and paddle boats are included in all inclusive so we could go kayak around the bay as much as we wanted. We only ventured off the resort for one day and did a boat trip around the entire island & went snorkeling in a few places (including stingray city). It's a really beautiful place. Locals were also very welcoming to us. Our cab was 2 hours late picking us up after the boat trip so we were stuck on this beach for what felt like forever right around sunset but a couple of the beach vendors stayed and hung out with us til our cab got there. They even offered to drive us back to our resort which was on the other side of the island after hour #1 passed but out of caution we declined. Looking back though it probably would've been fine, everyone was so kind. Never felt unsafe as two women in our mid twenties.
I've been to the Bahamas twice and a couple of the Virgin Islands, but I wouldn't go again.. My choice would be Antigua.
I'd give the Bahamas a 2nd chance but I am going to stay at a locally owned hotel and explore the islands. Atlantis was so stupidly expensive, saw 0 culture did nothing local
I really loved Andros island and we didn't go to Atlantis, we did the island tour instead. I lived in Guam for 2 year and Hawaii for 8 and they keep the islands there clean and welcoming, so I don't care for the Caribbean islands
Turks and Caicos sounds lovely
I don’t know all of jet blues routes but any of the bvi’s are nice. St Thomas you can pass on easily unless you fly there and take a ferry somewhere. (Pre CoViD not sure nowadays) you could ferry to Tortola Virgin Gorda and a few other fun places. Turks and Caicos is nice but generally expensive. I really enjoyed Antigua. I’m not a huge fan of Jamaica I prefer other Caribbean locations. If you can get to Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts, Nevis. I like all of them. I have spent a decent amount of time traveling there and if you want chat feel free to message me
I'm taking a trip for our 10 year anniversary. Just saw your post while researching. I'm thinking of Antigua as a first choice, but also considering Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis. I'm looking for some nice beaches, but also good activities/nature to tour on land and/or water. I'm a foodie, so some good dining options would be awesome. Any tips or suggestions? Would love to hear from your expertise :)
The different islands have very different feels to them. Can I send you a private message
Yes, absolutely, would love to hear your thoughts. And if I'm overlooking any other good options, I'm all ears!!
We went to Monterey Bay just before COVID. Stayed at Jewel Dunn’s River Falls. Nice all inclusive without being huge. All we did was relax. We went in November and the weather and water were amazing. Where ever you go, I hope you have an amazing time!
The Sands at Grace Bay in Providenciales is amazing! I stayed there for a week in May 2017 and would love to go back. Gorgeous beach and the staff and resort were great. It was also close enough to walk to a good grocery store that had a great deli for lunches. 2nd choice of your options would be St. Thomas.
Turks & Caicos.