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On the contrary; my husband and I are just plain ol working folks. Our financial state is definitely not that of higher class at the moment. This is why we choose Hawaii. It's a cheap non-stop flight from Portland to Hawaii and condos are reasonably priced. I know if we had a bit more money to spend on travel ,we would love to go the Caribbean, but until the economy picks up and our concrete business recovers (hopefully) we will be lucky to make it to Maui .
I appreciate your ideas and suggestions. All the places you mentioned sound wonderful.
We just went to Maui for the first time last fall. All of our friends have been there. But all with their kids. we had a different experience than they did in some ways. have you been to Warren and Annabelle's magic show in Lahaina? Best show we've ever seen.
Caribbean has better beaches than Maui, IMHO. But that's all it is. You won't enjoy too much if you go out side of the resort area. But in Hawaii, you can go any where in any island and there are a lot of things to do.
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 .
Mahalo in advance for your input,
Kelly
I know a lot of people who just continuously go back to the same 'vacation' spot they always go to. It's just the way some people are.
For me, I always enjoy going somewhere new.
I've been to beaches/islands all over the world...Carribbean, Mexico, South America, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, the U.S. etc.
They are ALL good but for completely different reasons.
Maui/Hawaii is good for it's safety, and worldclass amenities. However, it's definitely on the expensive side. Beautiful waves, beautiful trees, beautiful weather, etc. All that being said, each place has it's own allure.
As you pinpointed Mexico and the Carribbean. Well, the allure of Mexico is also the Mexican food, it's cheaper, and some Mexican culture. The allure of the Carribbean is completely differnet culture and people. Well, basically the different cultures are the main differences.
Sitting at a gorgeous beach or going up into the mountains is always beautiful in its own way...especially if its one that attracts tourists from all over the world, wherever it is at.
We return to Maui every year. We have stayed on all the islands and prefer Maui for our lifestyle. We are from the east coast and have been to the Carribbean islands and Mexico many times but do not feel comfortable/safe as in HI, even at the resorts. The crime in the islands has multiplied and no one wants to spend their vacation looking behind their back and afraid to explore.
Anyone here been to Dominica (Not to be confused with Dominican Republic)? They call it the Nature Island of the Caribbean. It has 365 waterfalls, a boiling lake and amazing mountain scenery. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was filmed there I am told. I hear the beauty blows away Hawaii and any other Caribbean Island. However, I was told it has black sand beaches, so it is not necessarily a great beach destination. However, there are nice beaches on other island that are within a stone's throw away.
Personally, I think hanging out all month at a beach would be boring and I much rather explore rain forests and beautiful mountain scenery.
I was told Dominica, although a 3rd world country, is perhaps one of the safest islands in the Caribbean. I'd be interested in hearing people's experiences there and comparing it to Hawaii.
I am thinking if I am going to do a tropical island vacation, it would be Dominica. To me Hawaii and other Carribean Islands are just over-hyped. They are overrun with tourists and expensive. Some people like simple and quick vacations and perhaps those places are good for that. For me, I am a bit more adventurous and like to have an experience.
I am thinking if I am going to do a tropical island vacation, it would be Dominica. To me Hawaii and other Carribean Islands are just over-hyped. They are overrun with tourists and expensive. Some people like simple and quick vacations and perhaps those places are good for that. For me, I am a bit more adventurous and like to have an experience.
You'd probably like the Philippines than.
7000+ islands...and just dirt cheap. There is only ONE beach that all the tourists go, Boracay Beach. The other 100,000+ beaches are just largely unexplored by tourists.
I've been to the Philippines about 10-15 times, and usually try to explore several different islands each time. Just dirt cheap as well. Great live music all over the place, and friendly locals.
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