Finally, it’s here! You’ve made it to the Caribbean! Bright, brilliant sun is beating down on you and perfect sand is beneath your feet. This is a tropical heaven and you love it!
Hold that thought. Have you considered the things that could go wrong during your stay? Believe it or not, without proper planning and prevention strategies, your “dream” vacation could very well turn out to be a nightmare in the making.
There are two main points to consider while traveling in the Caribbean:
Getting Around
Traveling is all about being on the move. In the Caribbean, where the tourist destinations and sights are vast and widespread, you might find that you’ll be doing a lot more touring than in other places. Buses, trains and taxis seem luxurious compared to the night buses, pickup trucks and below-par boats. If you’re the adventurous type or traveling on the cheap, you may end up in the latter group.
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You may be surprised by how far distances are and how bad the roads can be in hard-to-reach areas. Some areas of the Caribbean don’t even have roads, yet that’s what makes it perfect for hiking and camping! Really, it all depends on what you’re looking for when traveling to the Caribbean.
The variety of activities available in the Caribbean is amazing. You can enjoy hiking, camping, paragliding, rappelling, rainforest gliding, mountain trekking, mountain climbing, mountain biking and more. There are also activities you can do in or on the water, like swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, body surfing, windsurfing, water skiing, whale watching, boating, cruising and even skinny dipping!
You will most certainly need a reliable mode of transportation in order to get to the places where these activities take place. Some like hiking, biking and boating involve transportation by nature. Gliding, mountain trekking and camping, however, require a ride to where the action is. It’s very helpful to take part in a tour booking when planning these Caribbean adventures.
Protection and Crime Prevention
It’s not easy to write about crime when traveling to the Caribbean. To emphasize the subject might discourage first- time travelers from visiting this incredible region. Don’t be paranoid. Still, avoiding the subject might lead inexperienced travelers to believe that their journey will be virtually risk free.
These concerns can be simplified in three general areas:
* The Caribbean is not a place where crime festers and encroaches into society. The crime rate is fairly high, particularly among the territories encompassing Latin America, but not dramatically high as in most other countries.
* Thieves are everywhere, and they will be present in your piece of paradise. This is just a fact of life. If you don’t want to be a victim, don’t give these criminals the chance to make you one. Be careful and protect yourself.
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* Finally, it never hurts to be a little paranoid about being in a new country. At the very least, it will help you protect your belongings and avoid getting into trouble during your trip.
As a rule, you should exercise a degree of caution when you travel to the Caribbean, but only a degree. To be overly concerned borders on paranoia. Don’t spend too much time stressing out about crime when you could be enjoying the vacation you’ve always dreamed of.
Keep in mind that people with a criminal intent make up a tiny fraction of less than 1% of the population. Don’t be overly suspicious of every person you meet.
Tagged with: caribbean travel • caribbean vacation
Filed under: Travel -- Caribbean