Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# South Pacific or Caribbean? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
aramisa 15:55 UTC 23 Aug 2008 | Starting to plan my next trip, it's too long since the last one (Oz, Nz, Tonga, Fiji, US in 2005) and trying to plan where to go which you all know is impossible when you want to see everything!!! Was thinking Japan, south pacific (tonga, samoa, fiji) then over to the US, do a green tortoise tour of Mexico, and then starts my dilemma! I really want to go to Cuba, but then had a thought... should i not go to the SP and instead see DR, Barbados and do some island hopping in the Caribbean when i'm already that side of the world? What do you think? I like the SP because many of the islands are untouched, and not so exploited, but have never seen the caribbean so that might be a good idea? Any experiences? Would appreciate any help! Also posted in Caribbean branch... Thanks, Aramisa |
hardnosethehighway 19:58 UTC 24 Aug 2008 | It's Papayas to Mangoes-my personal preference is the South Pacific. | 1
venezio 22:51 UTC 24 Aug 2008 | Go to the South Pacific!!!!!!!! Last year in November I was in the Caribbean for the first time, to make some kind of "comparative studies". Having been almost everywhere in the SP, I wanted to find out what makes the Caribbean such attrctive to Europeans, since both of them have the reputation to be a dream destination. I was islandhopping from Barbados to Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada and Martinique . I'VE MADE THERE THE WORST EXPERIENCES ON ALL OF MY JOURNEYS EVER!!! Generally speaking, I've never met before so many people who are eager to get money out of you such obviousely as in the Caribbean. Here are some stories: Barbados: After having consumed a coconut at a stall and having got offered a second one as a present (friendly guesture, I assumed), I eventually had to pay two. Souvenir stall owners are one of the most aggressive I've ever met. It's useless to change on the other side of the street, from twenty, thirty metres afar they target you and torture you to have a look at their kitschy stuff. After I left Pravda Louge, which I visited just to find out why it's said to be the best wine bar in the Caribbean, the owner of the souvenir stall on the opposite side argued that, since I can afford the lounge, I must buy something from him. Saint Lucia: When entering a minibus with a teen boy whom I didn't know and who was waiting at the same bus stop, the boy said to me that I have to pay the bus as well as to the driver when he left (you pay when you get off). Well, I wasn't charged when I left. I asked in my hotel to keep a part of my baggage there, since I made an overnight trip to another island. They told me be to keep it on my room, as they wouldn't have a storage room (.......). When I got the bill, they charged me that night with the argument that I had stored my baggage there. Grenada: Taking a picture of the harbour of St. George's, a guy asked me to pay him for taking pictures of his beautiful country. In Africa (Uganda, DR Congo) I've paid to people at markets, but they had been on the photo. Martinique: At the Big Market, the stall owners cannot prohibit to make pictures, but when you haven't bought anything from them, they hide their faces behind newspapers, even for panoramic pictures. Not such a bad idea, as the newspapers are sometimes more aesthetic than the faces. In Pape'ete there is a comparable market, where I haven't found such a reaction. And now the worst story at all from Barbados, which is, btw, a rather unattractive island and looks loke a big golf course: When walking around, I was asked twice "boy or baby?" I know it wasn't meant serious (like in Shenzen, China, where I was asked several times, but only there) , since they had a smile on their face, but even if it was a bad joke, it was a tasteless one. On my last day in the Caribbean, I did something I've never done before: My taxi to the airport was orderer for 3.30 pm. Everywhere else I'd have used the time to make a stroll, having a last drink or meeting people to whom I got acquainted. But I prefered to stay in my hotel, killing the time at the pool bar, without having had any ambitions to get out and make a final bad experience. THE WORST THING EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WAS THREE RAINY DAYS IN NIUE: | 2
mandja 23:29 UTC 24 Aug 2008 | Ive never been to the Caribbean so cant compare. That said, in all my travels (especially, SP, Europe and Asia), Ive come tio realise that seeing 1 or 2 places in depth is far preferable to spreading yourself over many places (think of the film "If its Tuesday, this must be Belgium" ). | 3
mandja 23:31 UTC 24 Aug 2008 | To pick 2 for you - Id suggest New Caledonia and Vanuatu, or maybe Samoa and the Cook Is. | 4
aramisa 08:15 UTC 25 Aug 2008 | On my previous trip i spent almost 4 weeks in Tonga which i loved, hence want to go back to and see more of! But will try to see some other countries too this time... thanks for your advice, anyone else?? | 5
raro 22:53 UTC 25 Aug 2008 | I found the Caribbean a bit too touristy compared to the SP. And the locals a bit too jaded about visitors, hard to meet locals, etc, except when they wanted to sell you something. A bit different than the SP. | 6