Caribbean Islands - which one?
Discussion
I'm reading this thread with interest and so apologies for a bit of a hijack. It doesn't seem right to start a new thread asking essentially the same question, but in a different context.
A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
paulmakin said:
as a previous resident and still on island almost year round now I'd probably advise against Tobago at the moment. The island is developing, rapidly in some areas (the SW). It's good for us as this means we now have things like round the clock internet, a few ATMs, 2 new sets of traffic lights, a new roundabout at the Buccoo RD/CNH junction and we almost always have water and electricity, even in the dry season
paul
Are you originally from the UK? How did you end up living there - sounds fantastic paul
oldbanger said:
I'm reading this thread with interest and so apologies for a bit of a hijack. It doesn't seem right to start a new thread asking essentially the same question, but in a different context.
A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
Grand Cayman. Also my suggestion for this thread.A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
oldbanger said:
I'm reading this thread with interest and so apologies for a bit of a hijack. It doesn't seem right to start a new thread asking essentially the same question, but in a different context.
A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
Power is a good game to be in, as is water. just finished a long stint in Barbados on a pilot project and we have a lot of work forecasted in the region so is something I'm interested in myself. Quite fancy island life and pace even if it would mean an end to real career development. A few years ago I hit upon the idea of going and working abroad for a few years once the kids are grown up: working abroad rather than travelling as I don't think I could afford to do it otherwise.
I keep coming back to the Caribbean as the prime potential destination, Languages are not my strong point. I can pick up words fairly easily but fluency doesn't follow. I've actually not made it out of Europe, so far. However I've got 10 years to steer my career in a direction which will allow me scope to do this.
So, can anyone tell me which islands are the nicest to live on and also what work is there? I know there's tourism and some offshore finance/insurance firms, but would be interested to get a better feel for what is out there.
can't do the quote thing as i'm a technical dyslexic
defcon - i ended up on tobago completely in error. i had been vacationing there since the late 80's. then, one sunny sunday afternoon after a few beers with my new neighbour i, erm, sold him my house. i'd bought low and sold at what was probably the peak of the property market in the SE.
whole thing done within 3 weeks and i had a crapload of possessions to dispose of and quite a bit of cash to drink my way through.
i decamped to tobago for a long holiday, thinking that i would use the island as a base to look at settling elsewhere - venezuela, northern brazil, panama, mosquito coast etc. i even looked at hostels in Argentina and guest ranches in Guatemala. however, the dive shop on tobago that i had long been a customer of was looking to expand. so, i bought in and turned a hobby into a job. then i bought land, built on it etc etc.
turned down a nice little apartment complex on margarita and totally missed the (investment) boat with panama but it is what it is.
came back to the UK in the late 2000's to top up my occupational pension and will be retiring in July and then moving straight back down for good. mind you, i have no choice in this matter - my life is there and has been for too long to start dismantling it now. with the back-up of my UK pension, the business just has to stay open for it to be good enough - nobody gets rich owning a small dive shop, my salary is just walking around money and my needs are simple. it's a lifestyle I've bought into, not a cash cow.
paul
defcon - i ended up on tobago completely in error. i had been vacationing there since the late 80's. then, one sunny sunday afternoon after a few beers with my new neighbour i, erm, sold him my house. i'd bought low and sold at what was probably the peak of the property market in the SE.
whole thing done within 3 weeks and i had a crapload of possessions to dispose of and quite a bit of cash to drink my way through.
i decamped to tobago for a long holiday, thinking that i would use the island as a base to look at settling elsewhere - venezuela, northern brazil, panama, mosquito coast etc. i even looked at hostels in Argentina and guest ranches in Guatemala. however, the dive shop on tobago that i had long been a customer of was looking to expand. so, i bought in and turned a hobby into a job. then i bought land, built on it etc etc.
turned down a nice little apartment complex on margarita and totally missed the (investment) boat with panama but it is what it is.
came back to the UK in the late 2000's to top up my occupational pension and will be retiring in July and then moving straight back down for good. mind you, i have no choice in this matter - my life is there and has been for too long to start dismantling it now. with the back-up of my UK pension, the business just has to stay open for it to be good enough - nobody gets rich owning a small dive shop, my salary is just walking around money and my needs are simple. it's a lifestyle I've bought into, not a cash cow.
paul
V8Matthew said:
Thanks for the suggestions all - we settled on Barbados eventually. Unfortunately now we've booked it I really want to go a lot sooner than we are!
Good decision - we went there last August with our 3 year old and had a really great time. Lovely people, lots to see and do, and even in the rainy season the weather was fine with just a couple of storms at night. Lovely food and beaches, and oh the cocktails...shirt said:
Power is a good game to be in, as is water. just finished a long stint in Barbados on a pilot project and we have a lot of work forecasted in the region so is something I'm interested in myself. Quite fancy island life and pace even if it would mean an end to real career development.
ReaperCushions said:
Grand Cayman. Also my suggestion for this thread.
Thanks both. I take it Barbados is planning quite a bit of new infrastructure then?What's the best thing about Grand Cayman RC?
oldbanger said:
Thanks both. I take it Barbados is planning quite a bit of new infrastructure then?
Unlikely. There are a large number of unfinished hotels / resorts as it is and the government treats tourists as a flowing tap that won't end and have very, very little in the way of beach facilities or other tourist friendly infrastructure.Barbados is one of the best options for things to do and places to eat / drink in the Caribbean but many of the other islands put it to shame in terms of catering for the tourist who doesn't just stay at one resport for the duration of their stay. For example Tobago has great beaches and beach facilities but outside of the Crown Point area even getting something to eat and fuel for the car can be a major undertaking.
What I really dislike about Barbados is the number of people on the take. Its really hard to go anwyhere without someone begging for money or trying to sell you drugs or a necklace. Quite of few of the beggars are on the aggresive side and have obvious mental health / drink / drugs issues which isn't great.
If you just stay in the resort you won't likely see any of this though.
Been to quite a few and St Lucia would be my choice, followed by Grenada or Barbados. We've been to Barbados a lot over the years but last time we went (2012) it just felt a little too over-developed. I'm sure we'll go again but whereas we usually went once or twice a year I'm happy giving it a miss for a bit.
Whereas I would put the 2 weeks we spent at Sugar Beach (Viceroy) in St Lucia up there as possibly the best holiday we've had. The beach was man-made but the resort and those views of the Pitons were amazing.
The beaches in Antigua were nice but didn't really take to the island. Can't quite put my finger on it and we did hire a car for the day to drive around the island, but never felt 100% safe.
Grenada was nice (stayed at Grand Anse) and not over-developed at all but it's 15 years since we went there and I'd like to go back again and see if it had changed.
There are of course plenty others but those are the mainstream ones with direct flights from the UK.
Whereas I would put the 2 weeks we spent at Sugar Beach (Viceroy) in St Lucia up there as possibly the best holiday we've had. The beach was man-made but the resort and those views of the Pitons were amazing.
The beaches in Antigua were nice but didn't really take to the island. Can't quite put my finger on it and we did hire a car for the day to drive around the island, but never felt 100% safe.
Grenada was nice (stayed at Grand Anse) and not over-developed at all but it's 15 years since we went there and I'd like to go back again and see if it had changed.
There are of course plenty others but those are the mainstream ones with direct flights from the UK.
V8Matthew said:
Thanks for the suggestions all - we settled on Barbados eventually. Unfortunately now we've booked it I really want to go a lot sooner than we are!
We were there a couple of weeks ago. It was my first time and I wasn't that wowed to be honest. My yardstick is southern Europe along the med; what do you get elsewhere that makes it worth, say, 3-5x the cost? By this reckoning, Barbados is way more expensive than it has any right to be and only two things stood out:- The yellow reggae reggae buses. The fastest things on the island, driven by complete nutters and lots of fun. This from someone who avoids buses like the plague.
- The Cliff restaurant. Completely exceptional venue. Book it now and get one of the tables on the lowest deck overlooking the bay. They feed the fish so you have Tarpon, Amberjak & Rays swimming around below you. http://thecliffbarbados.com/CR/Public/Gallery.asp?...
456mgt said:
Barbados is way more expensive than it has any right to be
Agree with this and even more so with the fall in the value of the pound.What it does give you is guaranteed winter sun and heat that you can't get in Europe in the depths of the northern hemisphere winter. As such there are big differences in cost between high and low seasons.
totally agree with the idea that even completing basic tasks can become a major undertaking on the smaller islands.
on tobago, if you're in the store and you see something you may need in a week or so, buy it there and then as it'll be gone when you do need it and who knows when it'll be back in stock.
got a bill to pay ? that's a trip to town to pay in cash at the offices. more than 1 bill and best to block out the whole morning. little old lady in front of me in the queue at the phone company was overheard telling some visitors who commented on the island being paradise that it is, until you have to live here.
sometimes the ferry doesn't come. sometimes they drop things off it into the ocean (quite fun this, we often get asked to provide search and recovery although the port isn't really one of our better dive sites).
got nice new filling stations now so the days of lining up on the milford road for an hour are long gone. sometimes though, so has the tanker. never let the tank get too depleted, deliveries can get a bit random; as the cashier remarked the other day - shouldn't let it get so low, we might not get gas (petrol).
cooking gas is all bottled. no problem, just drive around until you see a mini-mart with some full ones. to get your first bottle though you will have to go to the depot. many times. you are given a chit when you buy the stove which you exchange at the depot for your first bottle. the trick here is to wait until the tanker ship is moored up offloading. this way you know they've got some and might get away with just going one time.
there's lots more and you become accustomed and accepting. for vacationers some of the delays experienced can be frustrating and bothersome. need to keep in mind that a lot of these smaller places are "developing" nations and stuff goes wrong. just grab another beer and wait it out.
paul
on tobago, if you're in the store and you see something you may need in a week or so, buy it there and then as it'll be gone when you do need it and who knows when it'll be back in stock.
got a bill to pay ? that's a trip to town to pay in cash at the offices. more than 1 bill and best to block out the whole morning. little old lady in front of me in the queue at the phone company was overheard telling some visitors who commented on the island being paradise that it is, until you have to live here.
sometimes the ferry doesn't come. sometimes they drop things off it into the ocean (quite fun this, we often get asked to provide search and recovery although the port isn't really one of our better dive sites).
got nice new filling stations now so the days of lining up on the milford road for an hour are long gone. sometimes though, so has the tanker. never let the tank get too depleted, deliveries can get a bit random; as the cashier remarked the other day - shouldn't let it get so low, we might not get gas (petrol).
cooking gas is all bottled. no problem, just drive around until you see a mini-mart with some full ones. to get your first bottle though you will have to go to the depot. many times. you are given a chit when you buy the stove which you exchange at the depot for your first bottle. the trick here is to wait until the tanker ship is moored up offloading. this way you know they've got some and might get away with just going one time.
there's lots more and you become accustomed and accepting. for vacationers some of the delays experienced can be frustrating and bothersome. need to keep in mind that a lot of these smaller places are "developing" nations and stuff goes wrong. just grab another beer and wait it out.
paul
Nezquick said:
Puggit said:
Glad to see only one mention of (French) St Martin - keeping under the radar 
Lovely place, but I only 'got it' after my second visit there and after leaving the tourist traps.
I think the OP's made a good choice with Barbados - plenty to do on the island if the beach gets boring.
Edited by Keithyboy on Tuesday 28th March 10:40
That's an interesting summary of Tobago, Paul 
We've been going there for quite a few years and usually around Christmas for a month at a time. We've noticed a lot of changes. It was very quiet when we went Dec 16 to Jan 17 and more so than usual than previous years. We've got friends that have lived there for 14 years which is handy as it saves on paying for accommodation, although we have stayed at Coco Reef and The Magdalena for our Anniversary - we got married on the Island.
We've been going there for quite a few years and usually around Christmas for a month at a time. We've noticed a lot of changes. It was very quiet when we went Dec 16 to Jan 17 and more so than usual than previous years. We've got friends that have lived there for 14 years which is handy as it saves on paying for accommodation, although we have stayed at Coco Reef and The Magdalena for our Anniversary - we got married on the Island.
oooh - maybe we've crossed paths with each other as i'm always on island overwinter (our peak period) and if you're around coco reef then you must have passed by us on the way into store bay. we're the first shop as you enter from the car park, opposite side to the food vendors. got a load of kayaks and stuff stacked outside at the minute and easy to see if i'm in as there'll be a big blue battered navaro parked where it shouldn't be !!
my own domicile is just by kariwak village - the small apartment complex just before you enter the resort. still not finished my new apartment upstairs so easy to identify it !!
the overseas tourist market has plummeted recently. the whole island is deadly quiet. our only consistent tourism revenue is now from trinidad and that has long been a double edged sword. trini's spend little money here, bringing everything with them. and why wouldn't they with prices up to 30% lower on the sister island. THA and the tourism development corp. speak of initiatives but nothing ever sticks. for as long as tobago can fall back on the gas and oil revenues from port of spain the political will remains lacking. course, the lack of a non-stop flight has turned a 9 hr journey into an 11 hour marathon and, quite frankly, i can see why visitors will just go elsewhere. the lack of reliable infrastructure compounds the problems.
still, i'm nah leavin'
paul
my own domicile is just by kariwak village - the small apartment complex just before you enter the resort. still not finished my new apartment upstairs so easy to identify it !!
the overseas tourist market has plummeted recently. the whole island is deadly quiet. our only consistent tourism revenue is now from trinidad and that has long been a double edged sword. trini's spend little money here, bringing everything with them. and why wouldn't they with prices up to 30% lower on the sister island. THA and the tourism development corp. speak of initiatives but nothing ever sticks. for as long as tobago can fall back on the gas and oil revenues from port of spain the political will remains lacking. course, the lack of a non-stop flight has turned a 9 hr journey into an 11 hour marathon and, quite frankly, i can see why visitors will just go elsewhere. the lack of reliable infrastructure compounds the problems.
still, i'm nah leavin'
paul
Edited by paulmakin on Tuesday 28th March 23:46
Been to most of them and don't rate any of them.
Edited - that is a bit unfair. Barbados has nice beaches, St Maarten is nice too. St Kitts is OK. Problem with most of these places is they are very small and consequently very crowded with tourists, and they are surprisingly scruffy / dodgy away from the beach areas. The bigger places - Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, DR in the main city, have crime problems.
If the OP just wants a nice, no hassles beach to chillax on, and a decent hotel, how about Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic? It is an artificial resort, isolated, many miles from any town, with excellent beaches, and it is big enough that you don't feel crowded.. Not much else there, mind, except other tourists.
Edited - that is a bit unfair. Barbados has nice beaches, St Maarten is nice too. St Kitts is OK. Problem with most of these places is they are very small and consequently very crowded with tourists, and they are surprisingly scruffy / dodgy away from the beach areas. The bigger places - Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, DR in the main city, have crime problems.
If the OP just wants a nice, no hassles beach to chillax on, and a decent hotel, how about Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic? It is an artificial resort, isolated, many miles from any town, with excellent beaches, and it is big enough that you don't feel crowded.. Not much else there, mind, except other tourists.
Edited by Ayahuasca on Thursday 30th March 14:15
I'll chip in with a cool story (bra). I really like Tobago. Did a few dives with Richie from Wild Turtle. Everyone on the island seems to have a completely knackered pickup and his Mazda was no exception with one of the rear dampers completely detached and the axle being held up by what looked like pound shop ratchet straps. Didn't stop him driving from Mount Irvine to Charlotteville with tanks for a dive at London Bridge (probably 3 hour round trip, and on that day there had been a landslide with half the road going down a mountain).
The boat skipper there also had a relaxed approach to life doing the 2 stroke mix on the fly with a beer bottle retrieved from the bilge for a measure. Everyone seems to have Yamaha outboards and his twin setup sounded sweet on the pipe. Speaking of pipes the rotis from Ras and his wife near the fish market were excellent but tuneful later
This dive was pretty uneventful but another one at Divers Dream was interesting. First dive OK. Second dive I swapped our tanks and wasn't watching what the dive master was doing, turns out he hadn't changed his tank and didn't realise until we had touched the bottom. Back up to change his tank, back down and within 5 minutes his low pressure hose exploded. Wasn't his day after the long ride out there. The waves going back to Mount Irvine via Buccoo were great fun though. If you are a surfer the point break at Mount Irvine is a beautiful and seemingly consistent wave.
The road though the rain forest is epic and ripe for a rally special stage. Driving on the island is generally good with well surfaced roads which are wide enough. Great views around every corner and fuel at around 15p a liter.
I actually like the split flights. Taking off in an unladen 777 isn't a chore as is being on an empty one for another hour or so. The drive from the airport to anywhere else is a chore though. We had a rasta who took 2 1/2 hours to get us from the airport to Castara. After going up and down what felt like every mountain on the island I was beginning to think we wouldn't see the light of day. I think door to door it was getting on for a 20 hour journey and we are only 20 minutes from Gatwick.
While the beach facilities are great the other infrastructure isn't. We drove 1 1/2 hours each way on one occasion just to find a working ATM with money in it. Getting food also proved a challenge as places would sometimes not open for dinner if they had been busy at lunch. Rum is more expensive than it needs to be.
I think if you were going for a long stay or already know the lay of the land it would be a much nicer experience than the normal two week stay. I found everyone super friendly but you can easily find yourself in a really isolated location and there is a track record of (IMO likely from Trinidad on a spree) violent, unprovoked, and not drug related crime. Its this last factor which I think puts people off. Having spoken to tourists on other islands and mentioning Tobago the first thing they say is 'isn't it very dangerous', or 'I wouldn't go there its too dangerous'. Such a shame and not deserved.
The boat skipper there also had a relaxed approach to life doing the 2 stroke mix on the fly with a beer bottle retrieved from the bilge for a measure. Everyone seems to have Yamaha outboards and his twin setup sounded sweet on the pipe. Speaking of pipes the rotis from Ras and his wife near the fish market were excellent but tuneful later
This dive was pretty uneventful but another one at Divers Dream was interesting. First dive OK. Second dive I swapped our tanks and wasn't watching what the dive master was doing, turns out he hadn't changed his tank and didn't realise until we had touched the bottom. Back up to change his tank, back down and within 5 minutes his low pressure hose exploded. Wasn't his day after the long ride out there. The waves going back to Mount Irvine via Buccoo were great fun though. If you are a surfer the point break at Mount Irvine is a beautiful and seemingly consistent wave.
The road though the rain forest is epic and ripe for a rally special stage. Driving on the island is generally good with well surfaced roads which are wide enough. Great views around every corner and fuel at around 15p a liter.
I actually like the split flights. Taking off in an unladen 777 isn't a chore as is being on an empty one for another hour or so. The drive from the airport to anywhere else is a chore though. We had a rasta who took 2 1/2 hours to get us from the airport to Castara. After going up and down what felt like every mountain on the island I was beginning to think we wouldn't see the light of day. I think door to door it was getting on for a 20 hour journey and we are only 20 minutes from Gatwick.
While the beach facilities are great the other infrastructure isn't. We drove 1 1/2 hours each way on one occasion just to find a working ATM with money in it. Getting food also proved a challenge as places would sometimes not open for dinner if they had been busy at lunch. Rum is more expensive than it needs to be.
I think if you were going for a long stay or already know the lay of the land it would be a much nicer experience than the normal two week stay. I found everyone super friendly but you can easily find yourself in a really isolated location and there is a track record of (IMO likely from Trinidad on a spree) violent, unprovoked, and not drug related crime. Its this last factor which I think puts people off. Having spoken to tourists on other islands and mentioning Tobago the first thing they say is 'isn't it very dangerous', or 'I wouldn't go there its too dangerous'. Such a shame and not deserved.
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