Caribbean – Guess Where

Trip date: July 2019

Flying into Grand Cayman, the first thing that struck us was how breathtaking the water was.

Once we landed, we were on the move to getting to the ocean. We dropped our bags off at the house, changed from sneakers to flip flops and headed straight to the beach with gusto.

Their beaches are truly beautiful and they are easily accessible and free and you can bring whatever food or drinks you want. One group we saw had an entire BBQ grill and were making steaks. Over the course of 5 days, we went to multiple different beaches – each with their own vibe and beautiful view. We had yummy pina coladas and daiquiris and just kinda hung out and took life easy. It was all about going with the flow.

Eating a mango on the beach. The good life!

So … OK there’s beach – But what else is available there?

You can visit the Turtle Farm (it wasn’t for us, but kids seem to like it. An hour and half should be enough time) and you can send a postcard from Hell (just something to cross off your “been there done that” list). You can stroll through the Botanical Garden, and, if you want to, you can tour their Caves.

While we didn’t take advantage of it, Cayman is also known for its tax free shopping. Ya know … if you are in the market for fine jewelry or something. Tax free does not equal cheap though. Their currency, known as CI Dollars, is more valuable than the US dollar and since they import the vast majority of what they need/use, things are quite pricey so your dollars may not stretch quite as far as you’d like.

But – If you are up to it, you can save some money by catching your own food 🙂

We went crab hunting one night. Then cooked ’em and ate ’em the next day.

Ultimately, we think, is the best thing about Cayman. It’s so easy to feel unbothered. It’s not a hustle and bustle type of place. There are not a ton of thrilling excursions to sign up for. What it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in relaxation on every level. Locals and tourists mix and mingle together at beach side bars/restaurants and unlike other Caribbean islands, no-one is trying to braid your hair or sell you a hat. There are no road-side vendors hawking fruits and bracelets made of thread with your name sewn into them. It’s not loud and it is clean and safe. (No disrespect to other islands – we love them too). But we cannot imagine anyone coming back from a stay in Cayman not feeling refreshed.

Saving the best for last:

In our opinion, no trip to Cayman is complete without taking a boat ride out to Stingray City. It’s basically a sand bar where you can hold, swim with or even kiss a stingray. It really is fun for all ages. We would encourage you to make a day of it. Pack some food and some drinks and plan to be on the boat all day, even though you may only be in the water with the stingray for a few minutes. It’s just a totally fabulous way to spend your time. Your boat captain will definitely have music and will do whatever they can to make your day enjoyable; including making stops at Rum Point or Star Fish Point. We were on the boat for so long that we caught a breathtaking sunset on our way back to the mainland.

(*Note: Family we were with got off the boat at Star Fish Point where they got some amazing pictures and where the kids jumped and played on a floating water park type thing, BUT, one child did get stung by a jelly fish so ask about that when you go if you are concerned. We didn’t have any such issues at any of the other beaches that we went to.)

On the dock waiting to board our boat.

We don’t have any experience with hotels there since we stayed at an Air BnB – so do your research. Pick a spot that works for you and whoever you are traveling with. We can tell you that there are no all-inclusive hotels on the island so if that’s your jam, this isn’t the place for you, but we’ve heard wonderful things about the hotels that they do have and our Air BnB was great; central air, stainless steel appliances, washer/dryer, pool etc.

Smiling, but not happy to be leaving.

Full Disclosure:

We were in Cayman with a large group of family and friends – some of whom live there. Fortunately for us, our day on the boat and to Stingray City was a gift so we don’t know how much something like that actually costs. If you can swing it though, it’s well worth it. Also, we don’t have any information regarding traveling around the island. The island is fairly small and there are rental cars available of course but we were lucky enough to have locals who drove us around.

We didn’t upload any of the photos with our extended family because we haven’t asked for permission but we’d like to acknowledge them and thank them all for their hospitality and for showing us such a great time and for all the delicious food they provided.

*Quick note to people who may have heard us talk about Cuba before – This post is a little different and we share pictures this time 🙂 *

What a contradiction Cuba is.

There is SO much good. But to fully let go and enjoy it, you have to turn a blind eye to the iron fist with which the country is led, and evidence of it is everywhere. Cuba is full of character.

We arrived by boat and prior to disembarking we were given lots of instructions about what was and was NOT allowed. That was followed by “But, it’s great, have fun!” Sounds wonderful. Right? 🙂

As tourists, we could appreciate the fact that the architecture on many of the buildings is stunning. And there are so many pretty doors/windows. Havana is alarmingly charming and whimsical. It feels more like a movie set than the actual real world. The streets are clean, there is very little crime, the people are friendly and the coffee is magnificent. The little yellow taxi’s are so cute and the plethora of 1950’s cars are super cool. There is live music on many street corners and numerous places to unwind and just chill; whether that means sipping a mojito or just people watching. It’s very laid back. And of course, if smoking cigars is your thing, there’s no better place to be. There is a vibrant art scene and artisan chocolates. The narrow cobblestone streets lined with balcony’s full of flowers make for great photos. Even the perfume shop is worth experiencing even if you don’t actually buy anything. There is also a lively night life.

BUT – All that goodness comes at a very steep price for the residents. A price that the Cubans we spoke with don’t think is worth paying. They are not free.

Every single thing they do is monitored and controlled by the government.

Food is rationed. Most modern technology is lacking. There’s limited (to zero) access to news from other countries. There’s virtually no internet and they cannot make simple decisions about their day to day lives – Including where they can travel to for vacation and even what they can grow in their own back yards. !!! Most Cubans cannot afford to enjoy their own country; the way we tourists do; even something as simple as eating out at a restaurant. Driving through Havana, the poverty is inescapable.

I’m guessing that this “ladder” wouldn’t meet safety standards in the US.

Roaming around in Havana was a treat though. We met quite a few people and struck up several conversations. We found the Cuban people to be very forthcoming and eager to both ask and answer questions.

We would encourage others to interact with willing Cubans as much as possible but don’t be fooled though, while there may not be a lot of crime, there are those who will try to bamboozle tourists out of money by offering “reduced price cigars” that are not so reduced. Make your decisions wisely and don’t be afraid to shop around.

Had to have a mojito!
Possibly the best coffee I’ve ever had!

We loved the fancy doors and brightly colored walls.

Final Personal Notes

As it turns out, Cuba is not as opposed to the LGBT+ community as we had assumed. Shortly before we arrived in July 2018 same sex marriage was made legal and discrimination based on sexuality was deemed illegal. Whenever we travel, we are respectful of our hosts laws/traditions/culture. We do not go to other peoples countries trying to rock any boats or stir any pots but the guides we had were very open and made us feel very comfortable.

Deen: Cuba left me conflicted but it was absolutely worth going and I would have liked more time to explore/learn/EAT. Ultimately, I will say that I loved it there. But I do say that with a guilty pit in my stomach. Much of what I loved about it, is only possible because the people are so oppressed and I feel sad about that. Shaunie asked me while we were there if it was a place I would bring the kids to. Yes, I would. I do think if the kids were with us, we’d make more of an effort to spend time at the beach, for example, in addition to the walking tours and site seeing.

Shaunie: I’m glad we went and I’m happy for the experience, but I had a hard time putting the obvious poverty/struggles of the locals aside to fully enjoy the good parts of what Cuba had to offer. One highlight for me was introducing a group of children who were walking with their grandma to Fruit Loops cereal. It warmed my heart being able to do that. But it made me feel sad in way because things we so easily take for granted are seen as a special treat and was a whole new experience in this case. I would recommend that other people venture to the island so they too could have that experience though. I think after having some time to reflect on the experience, I can say it was a good learning curve and a reminder to not take freedom for granted as well as snacks 🙂 . At first, my reaction was to say I have no interest in going back, but I wish I could have gone to the beach and seen more of the island besides Havana – so I guess that sounds like I need to take another trip – and bring more cereal 🙂 .

If there is anything that we didn’t talk about here that you’d specifically like to know more about, please feel free to ask. We may just have the info you’re looking for 🙂

Category: Caribbean

Grand Cayman

Viva!