Can someone help with trip to Carribean??

[Anna]

Anyone been to SJU??

Yes. It is interesting and worth a visit. I flew there SYD - LAX - MIA - SJU in economy with no stopover and I could hardly stand up straight by the time I arrived in SJU at midnight. I would definitely recommend stopping for a night somewhere in continental USA unless you want your first day in the Caribbean to be spent in a haze of fatigue. On subsequent trips to the Caribbean I have stopped overnight in MIA which is a much better way to do it IMO.

The Gallery Inn in SJU was a great place to stay last time I was there. Hotel and art gallery combined.

SXM is excellent for diamond shopping if you have done some research first and know what you are looking for (eg, 1 carat of diamond chips in a ring is not technically a 1 carat diamond ring). The French side of the island has the best food. Bring US dollars and pay in cash at restaurants and you get great discounts (or at least you did last time I was there in 2005).

From SXM you can do great day trips by ferry to St Barts (Australians needed visa when I went - if EU passport then no visa needed), Anguilla and Saba. All very interesting and different. The airport runway at Saba is a sight worth seeing.

 

[Rolls]

Thanks Anna, I am liking the look of SYD/DFW/SJU stop over then on to SXM. That is if I can sort out at least J class for the long haul. I am trying to study multiple pages on YUPP ATM!!

 

[vitagen]

Looking at doing this at the end of the year, it seems there is a blackout period from 12th dec for yupps. Not sure if this is a rolling period though.

 

[drron]

Looking at doing this at the end of the year, it seems there is a blackout period from 12th dec for yupps. Not sure if this is a rolling period though.

Probably because it is a peak time for the Carribean as the snowbirds wing south.There is also virtually a total lack of sAAver awards to the Carribean in November/december.

 

[Rolls]

Well I now have some understanding of YUPPs!
Have you been to SJU drron??

 

[Blackswan]

Thanks to both of you, I will to try again
Anyone been to SJU??

I visited San Juan in September last year. I stayed at the Intercontinental Resort in Carolina (cheap rate from Hotwire). It was a little tired, but I got it for a good rate.

I booked Puerto Rico so I could sit by the pool and relax after a crazy US trip. I did venture out past the pool - the shopping isn't very good, but Old San Juan is interesting to walk around. A visit to El Yunque (Rainforrest) is also worth the time - plenty of rockpools and waterfalls to swim in/under.

English is fine around the tourist areas (Carolina/Isla Verde, Old San Juan, Condado), but venture out further and most of the locals speak Spanish.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Do Aussies need a visa to overnight in SJU or SXM?

 

[TimB]

Do Aussies need a visa to overnight in SJU or SXM?

SJU is part of the US, so the visa waiver applicable to Aussies applies.

SXM doesn't require a visa for Australians either. The island is actually (part of) two countries, the Netherlands and France, and the joint immigration form you have to fill out is interesting. (The airport is on the Dutch side of the island, but there are no border controls between the two parts.)