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[deroque49]

I am going to Venezuela in April and it is cheaper if I fly to a destination in the Caribbean and then to Caracas, so I am just going to stay somewhere in the Caribbean for a week before going to Venezuela. So I am trying to decide between Puerto Rico, Aruba, or Trinidad and Tobago. Any suggestions? Anybody been to all three that can tell me which one they enjoyed more and why? I've already decided on the Dominican Republic for the flight back, I just can't decide where to go on my way there. Thanks for the help.

[mmbcross]

Am I to presume you are flying from Europe, not North America?

Dominican Republic is an excellent choice on the way back.

Have you got unlimited cash? I'm sure each of the destinations you mention have different fares. I've been to all three.

If you are looking for a beach holiday ringed by casinos and tourists, Aruba is the place. It is also very close to Venezuela with a flight via Curacao. Trinidad is nice, but Tobago is fantastic. Very close to Venezuela, but I find only one flight, and quite expensive. Puerto Rico is to my mind the best of the bunch, though it is similar in many ways to Dominican Republic (which is much poorer). It's more expensive because it's the USA, and I don't see much in the way of flights from San Juan to Caracas.

If you are coming from Europe, why don't you try Cuba as a first stop?

[deroque49]

I'm coming from the U.S. I picked these three because I found fairly cheap flights from each of these locations to Caracas. Why do you suggest Cuba? Isn't it dangerous? I think I'm leaning towards Trinidad and Tobago because I hear there is a ferry that goes from Trinidad to Venezuela. Puerto Rico sounds like a great place though too.

[mmbcross]

I didn't realize you were coming from the USA. Obviously you can't visit Cuba. It's not dangerous, just very much disliked by our present government. Everyone in the world except US citizens are free to visit Cuba.

Trinidad sounds just the place, especially as you can use the ferry. It's going to get you to a god forsaken part of the country, but from there it will be relatively easy to get to Isla de Margarita and commence your beach crawl.

Read up a lot on Trinidad and Tobago. It's not just a beach. It's probably one of the most fascinating islands in the Caribbean.
http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/home/home.php
http://www.travelpod.com/cgi-bin/keyword2....inidad%20tobago

[starlagurl]

OMG, Trinidad do it.

Imagine the fun times you could have at the reggae clubs???? Wowie zowie.

[deroque49]

I hadn't really looked into Jamaica. I'll think about that. And Los Roques is definately already in the trip itinerary. I'm very excited for Los Roques.

[deroque49]

By the way, I've been using airfairplanet.com to find the flight prices. It's my favorite airline website. Just click on multiple destinations and see which combinations of destinations gives you the cheapest flights. I think this website does the best job at finding really cheap flights. Just a tip.

[deroque49]

We're planning on taking a little over a month for the trip. Most of that time spent touring the coast of Venezuela, about a week in the Dominican Republic, and a week probably in Trinidad and Tobago (not in that order). I lived in Maracaibo, Venezuela for two years as a missionary, but wasn't ever able to visit any other parts of Venezuela so I am very excited.

[mmbcross]

When I lived in Guatemala I met missionaries. They work very hard, I guess you could really call them "dedicated". My best friends had a house in Guatemala City, but spent most of their time in the Maya villages of the Cuchumatanes Mountains. They were there for two years as well, then volunteered for another two years in Peru. It's pretty much a profession with them. They never had time to visit Tikal or the Atlantic coast, which is crazy seeing that Guatemala is tiny compared to Venezuela.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your holiday, and mind you don't get sidetracked to paint a church or build a latrine for a school!

[ngse]

have you ever visited guyana in south america?
www.tropicaltrek.tk
very very exciting!!!
further its the neighbour of venezuela