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Okay, I'm wondering why to some people it seems odd that my husband and I go to Maui every year for our vacation, instead of other places like the Carribbean,Mexico,Jamaica etc. Has anybody visited these places? If so, are they much different than the Hawaiian Islands? I do know there is only one place in the world that has the warm Aloha spirit and that is Hawaii and thats what keeps us coming back .
Okay, I'm wondering why to some people it seems odd that my husband and I go to Maui every year for our vacation, instead of other places like the Carribbean,Mexico,Jamaica etc. Has anybody visited these places? If so, are they much different than the Hawaiian Islands? I do know there is only one place in the world that has the warm Aloha spirit and that is Hawaii and thats what keeps us coming back .
I don't think it's odd, though I tend to do the reverse. I prefer exploring new places, although I did go back to a sleepy little village called Puerto Morales. south of Cancun, a couple of times, because it was cheap and the beach was great and I had friends going in together on a villa and a resident chef.
But if you found your sweet spot, and you want to keep going back, that's what you should do. What other people think should be none of your business.
I'm from the Caribbean. The best beaches there are much better than the best beaches in Hawaii, unless you're into surfing. Think white sand and turquoise lagoons. The water is also much warmer- you can literally spend all day in the water and not get hypothermia.
There is more violent crime in the Caribbean, but if you stay in the resort areas you're probably just as safe as Maui.
I would go to the Caribbean (and Jamaica) from the East Coast... very cheap & quick flights. But from the West Coast, Hawaii makes just as much sense if not more. Hawaii is easier in lots of ways (part of the US, so no passport necessary, no language barriers... well not much!... no money conversion, etc.). But it may be less exotic to some people for those same reasons?
Yes, the Caribbean sounds wonderful but the reasons mentioned are why we keep going to Hawaii. We enjoy having the freedom to explore and not feel we are stuck in a resort because we are too afraid to go anywhere else. We arn't the hang around a resort kind of people. We are from Oregon, to us the water in Hawaii is like bath water . If you were to feel the Oregon Coast water, now thats hypothermia . We also like the fact that it's a short plane ride (5 hours) from Portland non-stop for a pretty reasonable rate. Then we arn't spending two days of our trip traveling. It's a pretty short ride to get to paradise . Now.. if we lived on the East Coast the Caribbean would seem like the place to go or if we had more money . Much easier then.
Your comments are much appreciated. I enjoy hearing everybody's thoughts
Kelly
As others have said, if you enjoy Maui, there's nothing wrong with visiting there repeatedly. But the Caribbean has a different culture from Hawaii, and there are differences from island to island. Most have African influences, and various islands have British, Spanish, Dutch, or French influences. I have a friend on the East Coast who visits a different Caribbean island every winter. Some he likes, and others he doesn't. I've been to the Bahamas and had a great time. So if you'd like a cultural change of pace, you might want to try the Caribbean.
My wife and I also live in Oregon, and since she's from Hawaii, it's our tropical destination of choice. Interestingly, Maui is her least-favorite island (she finds it too touristy and, aside from Hana, too dry and barren), so I haven't been there yet. Most of the people I know who go to Maui have a favorite resort hotel or condo, and they go to relax, which is perfectly fine. Since you say you don't like being confined to a resort, and you like to explore, you should consider trying some of the other islands. The Big Island, Oahu, and Kaua'i are all different, and are all wonderful. The BI is indeed big, and you almost don't feel like you're on an island. I love the cultural diversity and energy of Oahu. Kaua'i has an incredible amount of natural beauty packed into a small space.
I've travelled to probably 10-12 Caribbean Islands and had a good time at all but that varied from luvin' it! to It's allright. Been to Oahu only in the Hawaiian Islands and it was definitely luvin' it - compared with my favorite Caribbean Islands Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Barbados just a hair behind those. I'd say if you enjoy HI's you'll also enjoy Puerto Rico - US so no immigration hastles, just a hair less spectacular mountain scenary, beaches that were nicer the Oahu north shore or Waikaiki, and an interesting twist with the Spanish (they'll say PR) Culture that makes it feel different than your normal mainland state.
I'm a guy who started to travel a lot for my work and I find that it's really a treat to experience different cultures - not just different sceneries. I've found places in my work travels that weren't even on the typical American tourist's map the were simply fabulous - e.g. the east coast of the Malay peninsula, the Elbe River Valley of then East Germany. You were lucky to have first started going to undoubtedly one the most gorgeous spots on the earth - my visit to Oahu stacked up with my best experiences - but you really should venture out of your comfort zone and experience this great wide world that we live in. Expecially because it sounds like you have plenty of money. E.g. most of those Caribbean Islands that you're thinking about are much cheaper both in airline and hotel rates.
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