Island Hopping

In its simplest form a twin-centre holiday on two different islands could be considered as island hopping, but when we think of an island hopping tour at Caribbee we envisage something a little more exciting!

The planning

The planning stage is key. We recommend you begin by speaking to one of our expert travel advisors to plan your perfect island hopping tour. They will listen to what you like (or don’t like) and get a feel for places you have visited and enjoyed, and what might constitute an ideal tour for you. For example, not everyone wants a fast-paced tour, some prefer to linger and enjoy the ambiance, get to know their island hosts, and enjoy some authentic local cooking before moving on to their next destination. Once we’ve taken care of the logistics, you will be free to choose how you’d like to spend your time. And of course we are always happy to make recommendations, and there is lots of useful information on our website.

Who would enjoy island hopping?

Travellers with an adventurous spirit would probably get the most out of an island-hopping tour. The pace of travel can be varied to meet your specific requirements, and to fit the length of the tour. Island hopping is probably less well-suited to families travelling with younger children or large groups.

When is the best time to go?

Two key considerations are the temperatures and hurricane season. With regards to temperature, the winter (December to April) is a little cooler and drier than the rest of the year although weather patterns have changed in recent years. Hurricane season usually runs between June and November (although a hurricane can occur as early as May). Predicting exactly where and when they might occur is difficult, but most are manageable and do not affect roads and airports. The more developed islands have excellent contingency plans in place, so their visitors usually experience nothing more than a few delays and some inconvenience.

How long should I spend travelling?

One week is probably not long enough for an island hopping tour. We recommend you allow 10-12 days for a three-island tour and up to 14 days for a four island tour. Your stay on any island can be as long or short as you choose, subject to flight constraints.

Can we sail?

It’s the Caribbean so sailing is very popular. But, as you can imagine if flights can be affected by weather, then boats will be even more susceptible. So we do not sail between islands on our island hopping tours.

Accommodation

An island-hopping tour isn’t best suited to all-inclusive accommodation as this can be a little restrictive. On our island hopping tours the idea is for you to be able to explore so we recommend you stay in 3 or 4-star accommodation with breakfast. This allows you to head out and then enjoy lunch or dinner at different local restaurants or cafes on the island you are exploring.

You may of course choose to end your adventure with a relaxing all-inclusive stay at one of the fabulous resorts on the island, and we can certainly arrange this for you.

Is a car required?

Most of the English-speaking Caribbean Islands drive on the left which is helpful. Whether you choose to rent a car will depend on three things.

1. Are you comfortable driving on small windy roads?
2. Are you happy to travel around either by local taxi or bus (which can be fun).
3. How central is your accommodation – as if you are not staying for long, you may be happy to explore locally on foot.

Is it safe?

We take thousands of clients on trouble free visits to the Caribbean every year and are happy to leave them to explore many of the islands without a guide. If we feel a guide would enhance their experience, we will recommend this. There is plenty of advice on the FCDO website if you require further information.

There are small planes!

Many of the flights between the islands are served by small planes, with between 12  to 70 seats and many of these are turboprops. Statistically, turboprops are as safe, if not safer than, a Jet airplane.

Cost of an island hopping tour

An island hopping tour is made up of numerous different elements and the cost will vary according to several factors including; when you travel, where you stay, how many islands you want to visit, and how long you want the tour to last.

Our well-travelled experts will take all your requirements into consideration, and discuss budgets before designing the ideal island-hopping experience for you.