Where Can You Stay on Your Caribbean Vacation?
Some people consider a caribbean vacation is an expensive proposition. Well, it could be if you consider that you have to pay for airfare to Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia or another Caribbean island. On top of that you have to find somewhere to stay, because you can’t hop on a plane and get to the islands and live on the beach. Believe it not, some people have this idea in their mind. First, it is not safe and second the government officials might not like it, and you could find yourself escorted to a plane for a return flight before your prearranged time of departure.
With accommodation you also have to think about food. I reduce my intake of solid food during my stay in the Caribbean, but I still get hungry. So you need food and other personal items like water or sweet drinks during the day and night. Depending on where you are staying you might need to rent a small car or scooter to get by. But if you stay at an all-inclusive resort your total price includes everything. You get accommodation and food for one price. Of course, you still have to come up with a budget and some real cash before you travel. You would normally put the cost of your airline ticket on your credit card. You would do the same for your accommodation. This will leave you to carry cash for small expenses. If you stay a week or two weeks you will run up a sizable hotel bill unless you get a travel package deal. So accommodation will be your main expense with airfare.
However, you could still get around the high cost of lodging if you know someone on the island who can put you up for the time you are there. In this case, you will still have to find money for food and personal effects. But if you can swing this deal you will be ahead of most tourists to the islands. You will most likely have to forgo the planned events that come with staying at a resort. But you can also make your own arrangements for tours or visits to local attractions like zoos, museums, calypso tents, nightclubs and so on.
If you are traveling with kids, your hosts can use makeshift beds to sleep your children. Sometimes this is a big deal with residents of first world countries but children on the islands normally give their rooms to their guests. Most times the host family offers their beds to the guests, or arrange that almost everyone will sacrifice a little while the guests are in town. However, you have to understand the cultural tradition here and not complain about inferior lodging. After all it is not your home.
On a recent trip to the Caribbean, I saw four kids sleeping on an air mattress in the living room of my cousin’s. The kids slept while the adults talked the night away. Again, you have to want to do this because it can seem hard to people who normally don’t share their bed, far more their bedroom or bedsheets with other people.