After st barts can you really go anywhere else?

If the shirt fits you wear it but the same shirt doesn't fit everyone.

As I posted before, we came to SBH then spent several years traveling to other islands. We made many trips to the BVI and if you want an undeveloped beach vacation, its much more rustic there and many people prefer that. We loved the BVI. The beaches were great. The people were very friendly and the reggae beat was intoxicating. But then we reconnected with SBH.

There are people I know that have been to SBH and for them, once was enough and they have no desire to go back. That's good and fine. Nothing wrong with that and it doesn't make them bad people ;). Everyone has different tastes and preferences and thank goodness they do. Can you imagine how much more crowded it would be if everyone who had ever been loved it and kept returning?
 
((There is just something about stepping off that small plane (no matter if its Winair, SBC, or Tradewind) when I take a deep breath and just sigh with happiness and gratitude that I have once again returned to my (our) favorite place.))

This.
 
I reckon it would depend on their ages... Like someone already responded, every island is different. Try comparing to St Barths and you may be disappointed. They also have villa rentals & guesthouses on T&C, not just hotels or resorts. As much as I love St. Barths and it indeed holds a place in my heart, I've only had great experiences in T&C, but I will say the food on St. Barths is better. Most memorable was our last trip where we kayaked from the guesthouse across the shallow cay to a deserted tiny beach. On St. Barth the shallowest water may be Grand cul de Sac where they can paddleboat or do stand up paddle, etc. If they're old enough to jet ski, you could arrange a jet ski tour around Provo. We did jetski once in St. Barths and dont get me wrong it was fun but it was deep water outside the harbour.

T&C also has a more typical island feel... and the fried conch is good too. The one bad thing I will point out about T&C is, on our last trip in 2017 we discovered Sapodilla Bay (very shallow) had become some what commercial with beach chair rentals & jet skiing (more crowded than the first time). It's up to you if you want to explore, because you can take the ferry to North Caicos, rent a car and explore the very unspoiled beaches of North & Middle Caicos (caves too). Never felt unsafe though I'm sure there's more crime on Provo than St. Barths... (https://www.visittci.com/about/safety-and-crime) Forgot if it was this year or last, but an American woman was found dead somewhere on Grace Bay, not that it should deter you... plenty of Americans are found dead here in the States.

In a nutshell, T&C has better kayaking & water activities. Hope this is helpful! Enjoy your vacation no matter where you choose :)
 
Our daughter wanted to go to Turks for her high school graduation present. We had a great time. We stayed in a resort with everything and the room included a full kitchen so eating was easy. Turks also let us bring in frozen food from home so that made things really easy. Since the trip was for her and she had fun, that’s all that mattered to me. The kids have also sailed the BVI twice so they have had a great exposure to the Caribbean.

That year we also kept our plans for SBH! SBH is just for Bill and me! We have been going since 2003, minus 2017, and we look forward to our time every year. I’m sure the kids would enjoy but I am being selfish.

Would i I go back to Turks yes, but would rent a house next time.

Just my .02

Enjoy your vacation, you can’t go wrong if you are with family and making memories!

Charlotte
 
((There is just something about stepping off that small plane (no matter if its Winair, SBC, or Tradewind) when I take a deep breath and just sigh with happiness and gratitude that I have once again returned to my (our) favorite place.))

This.

Agree with Fred 100%

Charlotte
 
Fred and jpa you both nailed it! From June through September our St. Barth is at our lake house on Lake Charlevoix, Michigan. But in our winter Ouanalao isn’t the only destination but is always one we return to each year with anticipation and tingling!
 
Fred and jpa you both nailed it! From June through September our St. Barth is at our lake house on Lake Charlevoix, Michigan. But in our winter Ouanalao isn’t the only destination but is always one we return to each year with anticipation and tingling!

A friend of mine has a cottage on six mile lake and we go up every spring/summer to golf the many great courses in that area. Love Charlevoix Country Club (both the golf and the restaurant). Also a nice little brew fest there in late May early June the past few years.
 
((There is just something about stepping off that small plane (no matter if its Winair, SBC, or Tradewind) when I take a deep breath and just sigh with happiness and gratitude that I have once again returned to my (our) favorite place.))

This.

Totally agree with Fred. I was also in total agreement with a Ted Cruz tweet earlier this week. Did hell just freeze over?!?!?
 
Nobody mentioned Europe's beaches. The South of France, Croatia's Adriatic coast, Mykonos and Santorini and the rest of the Greek islands, Ibiza, Mallorca, Portugal's coastline, the Amalfi Coast... We have enjoyed many of these magical places as much as St. Barth and sometimes more because of the magnificence of the settings, history, food and diverse people.
 
Nobody mentioned Europe's beaches. The South of France, Croatia's Adriatic coast, Mykonos and Santorini and the rest of the Greek islands, Ibiza, Mallorca, Portugal's coastline, the Amalfi Coast... We have enjoyed many of these magical places as much as St. Barth and sometimes more because of the magnificence of the settings, history, food and diverse people.
Adios to all of the people who have posted about the simple and some not so simple things that keeps bringing them back to St. Barts. A place that for a long time, class did not matter. I'm not suprised that it is a post from Cambridge MA. will be the last I read. Someone wrote a song. Money Can't Buy You Love.
 
My wife and I went to Madeira for our honeymoon. It was great. I don’t know if it is technically the azores but it is in the vicinity. It is hilly, has beautiful views, and great food. People are very nice. Lots to see. We went on some great tours. Beaches are not great at all. It is more rocky. We stayed at Reid’s Palace. That was a stunning hotel.
 
Adios to all of the people who have posted about the simple and some not so simple things that keeps bringing them back to St. Barts. A place that for a long time, class did not matter. I'm not suprised that it is a post from Cambridge MA. will be the last I read. Someone wrote a song. Money Can't Buy You Love.

Huh?
 
We actually just took our first trip to Turks & Caicos this past November. We were looking for an island that fared well in the hurricanes, was easy to get to on AA miles and a bit more budget friendly so that was how we arrived at our decision. Provo ticked all the boxes and was a nice enough vacation and perfect for what we were looking for in that trip but we still prefer St. Barth. We left saying we would like to return with our children as a less expensive vacation but they have added some additional taxes since then (up to 27% now!) making the cost savings much less if anything at all. We also found food to be much more expensive than SBH. Our least expensive meal was 2 gyros, 1 order of falafel, 1 beer and 1 coke for over $50 (on SBH we can have a 3 course lunch with wine at L'Isolletta for less than that!). As a whole we found the food and service to not be as good as well. The quality of service is just simply not there. We dined at Coco Bistro (considered the best on the island) and it was beautiful and the food quite good but that was really the only experience that comes close to SBH and the service while friendly was not up to what we would expect from the nicest restaurant on the island. The topography is of course different as well, being flat, and while the wide expanse of Grace Bay is lovely we prefer the more rugged, secluded, smaller beaches of SBH. We just didn't find the island to have the same charm.

Going in with the right expectations and not wanting a SBH substitute but knowing you will have a totally different experience is key. All things being equal with what you are hoping to get out of the vacation I personally would chose St. Barth. If you are looking for something more budget friendly Provo may be the answer since you still won't have the additional expense of the added flight and may be able to find less expensive accommodations but that would really be the only thing that would make me choose Provo. Good luck in your decision!
 
At our age we like to travel and experience what the world has to offer...but St.Barts will always be our special place
 
Adios to all of the people who have posted about the simple and some not so simple things that keeps bringing them back to St. Barts. A place that for a long time, class did not matter. I'm not suprised that it is a post from Cambridge MA. will be the last I read. Someone wrote a song. Money Can't Buy You Love.

Kent . . . I hope that your “adios” is simply with respect to this thread. Your contributions to the Forum have brought refreshing energy to it, & I think that there are many here, moi included, who would miss your insightful & endearing commentary regarding new & old topics.
 
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