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Consider a Caribbean Island Vacation - Escape to the Caribbean and Experience the Islands

By: mmarsden Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The beauty and serenity of the Caribbean islands lures vacationers back to its shores year after year. For many vacationers, the Caribbean is synonymous with comfort, elegance, and relaxation as they picture themselves lying on the sand, tropical drink in hand, warm breezes blowing in from the ocean. It's a dream vacation for many.

The islands being close in proximity to the US, the tons of travel packages always available including the many cruise packages, and the wide variety of activities available make the Caribbean islands one of the best travel bargains in today's struggling economy.

Whether you are looking to laze the days away on the beach or you are going for activities and adventure, there is something for everyone. However, keep in mind that in their understandable eagerness to escape to this tropical nirvana, many travelers just simply assume that all is going to be exactly the way they imagined it.

For example, they have fantasies of beaches where palm trees abound and calm, serene seas with ocean breezes wafting over them. Know that this is the norm, but it is not everywhere. For example, islands such as Saba, Curacao, Montserrat, Dominica, and even Santo Domingo actually do not have miles and miles of good beaches. So do your research before you travel so that your dream vacation lives up to its expectations.

Because there are more than 7000 islands, it can be difficult to make a decision on exactly which island to visit on your Caribbean family getaway. Aruba is a very popular island for all types of travelers no matter what they enjoy, but since it is so popular it is also very crowded. Some travelers may enjoy the fewer crowds of some of the less-populated and lesser well known islands.

Budget tip - While all of the islands do have a variety of inexpensive (cheap) hotels, some islands are inexpensive overall. There are numerous reasons for this including such things as they are not as well known, or perhaps they have a low wage scale, or even that they are faced with political or other such problems.

One of my favorite money-saving ideas is island hopping. You can save a lot of money with island-hopping passes if you plan to visit more than one island. Some airlines such as Air Jamaica offer island hopping and it is actually quite popular. Keep in mind also there are tons of online groups where you can get the latest information and network with others on the best and cheapest techniques. Of note - remember to travel light though as the regional inter-island airplanes are small with limited baggage space. Pay attention to the limits to avoid getting hit with outrageously high surcharges.

Visit the Caribbean islands in the off season to save up to 50% at resorts. The off season in the Caribbean is considered to be April 15th through December 15th, and if you book your trip during this time you can save quite a lot. Generally, there are a lot of storms and of course the hurricane season during this time so keep it in mind (and bring a weather radio), but if saving money is your goal you can really cut your vacation bill by traveling during these times.

Do your research so that you know which side of the island you want when it comes to the activities you have planned, i.e. do you want calm waters for snorkeling and swimming or do you prefer waves for surfing? Consider bypassing an ocean view room for a cheaper price unless that is very important to you.

If you are interested in a cruise, bargain cruises to the Caribbean are fairly easy to find. Even though many cruise lines are adding other destinations to their standard 7-day cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, these cruises are still quite common and relatively cheap when you add in the "all-inclusive" factor of a cruise.

With a little bit of extra research before your trip and some careful planning, it is very possible to take an island vacation that won't leave you in the poorhouse or trying to pay off your credit cards long after your sun tan has faded.