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Summit to Shore Travel Group
Summit to Shore Travel Group
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    • Home
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Sandals Resorts
    • Beaches (Family Resorts)
    • Diving in the Caribbean
    • Destination Weddings
    • Let Us Inspire You
    • Need help packing?
    • Blog
    • Islands
    • Europe
    • Dive Packages
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Sandals Resorts
  • Beaches (Family Resorts)
  • Diving in the Caribbean
  • Destination Weddings
  • Let Us Inspire You
  • Need help packing?
  • Blog
  • Islands
  • Europe
  • Dive Packages

Our team is standing by to help you plan your dream vacation.

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SO YOU WANT TO VISIT THE CARIBBEAN....BUT WHICH ISLAND?

We are also Island Specialists!

On top of sitting in classes and training for all the different hotel accommodations, we also decided to take our training a step further and learn about every Island in the Caribbean.


We can take care of all your travel needs, from booking flights to arranging accommodations and tours, but we also like to ensure that you book a vacation package that suits YOUR budget and YOU.


IF you called us today and told us that you wanted to go to the Caribbean, we would ask you questions about your style of vacation first.  Just like every island has its own vibe and unique characteristics, so do you. Before we talk about your hotel, we'd love to talk about you. 


What are YOU looking for in your vacation? Is it relaxation? Adventure? Beach sitting? Jungle exploration? Maybe you want clear calm water to snorkel, or are you more into pounding ocean currents for drift diving? Regardless of your preference, there is an island to fill every item on your wish list. 


When someone contacts us and says, "I want to go to the Caribbean", it's equivalent to them saying "I want to go to the United States." Some clients narrow it down for us a little bit further and say, "I want to go to the Bahamas", but to us "The Bahamas" is equivalent to "I want to go to Montana." What we're looking for during our conversation with you is WHERE in the Bahamas you would like to go. If, for example, you tell us Exuma, Bahamas, now we could go straight to discussing hotel accommodations, flights, and things to do. Telling us something like "I want to go to Exuma, Bahamas" you have now narrowed it down for us in the equivalent of saying "I want to go to Bozeman, Montana."  


The Caribbean has thousands of islands within various countries.  Our goal is to narrow your wish list down to an area we know you would like to vacation at based upon your vacation style and budget. Some islands are more expensive than others, some have land and water sports and yet others mainly have water sports. 


Not sure which island you'd like to pick? We're here for you! Whether you choose to continue reading, or pick up the phone and give us a call, you can't go wrong.

All Islands have their own culture, cost and activity level. The groups could be broken down even further into micro groups (like Spice Islands), but for the sake of time and not making you read a novel, we have grouped them for you into larger areas that share a lot of the same characteristics.

Caribbean's Five Main Areas...

Atlantic Caribbean

Atlantic Caribbean

Atlantic Caribbean

Bermuda

Bahamas

Florida Keys

Turks & Caicos

Northern Caribbean

Atlantic Caribbean

Atlantic Caribbean

British Virgin Islands

Cayman Islands

Cuba - we currently do not offer trips to Cuba

Dominican Republic

Haiti - we currently do not offer trips to Haiti

Jamaica

Puerto Rico

US Virgin Islands

Southern Caribbean

Atlantic Caribbean

Southern Caribbean

Aruba

Bonaire

Curacao

Trinidad & Tobago

Western Caribbean

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Southern Caribbean

Belize

Costa Rica

Cozumel

Mexico (Los Cabos, Cancun)

Panama

Eastern Caribbean

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Anguilla

Antigua & Barbuda

Barbados

Dominica

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Martinique

Montserrat

Saba

Saint Martin

Saint Barts

Saint Eustatius

Saint Kitts & Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Islands Outside of the Caribbean

Pacific Islands (like Bali, Fiji, Galapagos, Tahiti, Hawaii & Philippines)

Maldives

HOW "TOURISTY" IS IT?

Everyone has heard of a horror story where someone they know went to an Island only to have chair wars on the beach, or very little breathing room to take in the culture, sights, and beauty of the island they are on. Touristy Islands tend to be where Spring Breakers flock in droves and high school kids barely 18 are ecstatic they can drink. If you prefer crowds and lively night life our Island suggestions would be different than if you wanted space to explore on your own and even different islands still if you want to feel as though you are marooned in paradise all by yourselves. There are exceptions to the rules when you have an Island, like Jamaica, which has 3 distinctly separate vibes. That is why you will find some Islands in multiple categories below.


Touristy: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, Hawaii Big Island), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Florida Keys


Semi-Touristy: Jamaica, Curacao, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Martinique, Saint Martin, US & British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii (except big island)


Non-Touristy: Belize, Bonaire, Grenada, St Vincent, Antigua, Dominiqua, Guadalupe, St Kitts & Nevis, Anguilla, Jamaica, Bahamas, Hawaii (except big island)

ARE THERE DIRECT FLIGHTS?

Most vacation packages we can book can include flights at a highly discounted rate. Do you prefer direct flights? While not available to every island, there are a ton of options depending on which major international airport you're closest to and if you're willing to drive to get there. 


Generally, the further away from the United States you get, the less likely you are to get a direct flight, but there are exceptions to the rule. 


November to April is peak season for travel to the Caribbean and airlines typically offer more direct flights for peak season than they do for the slow season. Once you get into hurricane season (June to October) there's even less availability for flights with fewer airlines and airports. Have a question on flight availability in your area? Reach out and we're happy to talk about all of your options. 


Direct Flights to Caribbean: Altana, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, Philidelphia, Seattle & Washington D.C.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

There are over 7000 islands, and they all have different characteristics. While some islands are flat, others have lush jungles and steep cliffs.  You can find volcanos, waterfalls, deserts, tropical forests, and uninhabited islands. There are soft white sand beaches, black sand beaches, pebble beaches and steep cliff drop offs. The larger the island, the more likely they are to have a variety of regions offering your choice of habitat to play in. We separate activities on Islands into three main categories. We take into consideration if there are a variety of land sports, watersports, or a combination of the two. Your love of being IN the ocean will give us a better idea of which island is right for you. Here are some examples:


A little bit of both: Antigua, Saint Martin, Guadalupe, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Bermuda & Grenada


A lot of both: Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Hawaii, Trinidad, Costa Rica, Curacao, Mexico, Puerto Rico, & Barbados


Mainly land sports: Saba, Dominique, Panama & Montserrat


Mainly water sports: Turks & Caicos, US & British Virgin Islands, Guadalupe, Fiji, Bali, Belize, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Bahamas, Maldives & Bonaire

ARE BEACHES PRIVATE?

In the United States we have private and public beaches. While different islands have different regulations on their beaches, some islands are more private than others. Antigua, for example, declares that all of its 365 beaches are public, but you can find areas of beach that FEEL Secluded from the world around you. Here is a list of some islands with different beach regulations. 


Public: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Anguilla, Costa Rica, Belize, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Bonaire, Saint Lucia, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Panama, St Kitts & Nevis


Technically public: Aruba, Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent


Public & Private: Jamaica, Bermuda, Florida Keys, Bali, Fiji


Private only: Maldives 

Cultural Experiences

The Caribbean Islands offer many cultural experiences. Whether you prefer wine tasting or rum tasting, we have an Island just for you. The fun doesn't stop there. Some islands offer cooking classes in their local cuisine, have historical buildings and ruins to tour, or put on a display of color you will never forget in something called a "Carnival". No two Carnivals are alike, so it's not a one and done celebration. While Trinidad is the birthplace of the carnival, nearly every Caribbean Island now hosts their own Carnival celebrating freedom from colonial rule, enslavement, and in honor of their culture and ancestorial roots.  Carnival goers don masks and costumes and walk in parades so bright with color that you'll need to wear your best pair of sunglasses just to watch it all. Carnivals are held ahead of religious holidays or fasts and allow attendees to break from religious rules they typically follow. Some islands celebrate for so long it stretches into months instead of days. Below is a list of Carnivals typically held each month. Contact us to book your cultural island experience today!


December - January Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

Aruba

Bahamas

Bonaire

 Montserrat 

 Saint Kitts  

St Martin

Turks & Caicos

US Virgin Islands St Croix)

February Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

Carriacou

Curacao

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Guadalupe

Haiti

Martinique

Puerto Rico

 St Barthélemy 

St Martin

Trinidad


March - July Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

August - November Carnivals

Bahamas

Barbuda

Bermuda

Cayman Islands

Cuba

Jamaica

Saba

St Maarten

 Saint Eustatius

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

US Virgin Islands (St John)

US Virgin Islands (St Thomas)

August - November Carnivals

December - January Carnivals

August - November Carnivals

Anguilla

Antigua

Barbados

Belize

British Virgin Islands

Cuba

Grenada

Nevis

Tobago

ISLAND COST

We hope that any trip you take with us is one you want to call home and tell everyone about. We understand that budgets can be tight and that vacations can be once in a lifetime. That's all the more reason to let us work for you to get you the best deal for your unforgettable vacation.   


No island is off limits no matter what price range you are in.  It just means that if you choose a higher priced island in general, we will need to get creative with your hotel accommodations. That may mean you could go for 4 days versus 7, your hotel would be further from the beach, or you'd stay in a rental home and need to rent a car and cook your own food. No matter the location, we have tons of options. Below you will find a list of where each island generally sits on the cost scale.

General Island Costs for 2 people / 7 days

Low-Range

  1. Dominican Republic
  2. Jamaica
  3. Mexico
  4. Panama
  5. Costa Rica
  6. Philippines

Mid-Range

  1. Anguilla
  2. Antigua
  3. Aruba
  4. Bahamas
  5. Barbados
  6. Belize
  7. Bermuda
  8. Bonaire
  9. Dominica
  10. Fiji
  11. Florida Keys
  12. Grand Cayman
  13. Grenada
  14. Guadeloupe
  15. Hawaii (Big Island)
  16. Montserrat
  17. Puerto Rico
  18. Saba
  19. Saint Lucia
  20. Trinidad & Tobago

High Range

  1. Bali
  2. British Virgin Islands
  3. Curacao
  4. Hawaii (except Big Island)
  5. Maldives
  6. Martinique
  7. St. Barts
  8. Saint Eustatius
  9. Saint Kits & Nevis
  10. St. Martin
  11. St. Vincent & The Grenadines
  12. Turks & Caicos
  13. US Virgin Islands

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  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Sandals Resorts
  • Beaches (Family Resorts)
  • Diving in the Caribbean
  • Destination Weddings
  • Let Us Inspire You
  • Need help packing?
  • Blog
  • Islands
  • Europe

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Welcome to Summit to Shore Travel Group. We are licensed, bonded and insured travel advisors. If you can't find an answer you're looking for give us a call and we're happy to help!

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