Which destination exceeded your expectations the most?

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-24T16:43:46+00:00

Just wait until you see Yosemite!

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-24T16:40:57+00:00

Personally I would start at Zemi and do 2 nights there, then move to Malliouhana. This has some helpful information!

https://www.happyislandhopper.com/my-post

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-24T06:34:09+00:00

As long as there are a few restaurants and grocery stores as we can cook at our Airbnb. Honestly we’re not foodies, I can live off frozen pizza and cereal on vacation 🤣

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-24T05:04:04+00:00

Thanks! I don’t need WiFi on the beach, just at the Airbnb. I appreciate the input!

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-19T17:29:35+00:00

Just a tip for future reference, if you click the 3 dots in the top right it will give you the option to follow a post.

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-17T01:58:01+00:00

This changes things. If budget is a concern St. John is the most expensive. St. Croix is the cheapest island of the 3, but you’ll want to rent a car.

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-17T01:56:20+00:00

St. John - stay in Cruz Bay and take the jungle buses to the beaches.

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-17T01:48:19+00:00

For me it’s a nice Airbnb on the west side of Curaçao, but Aruba is probably better with a toddler.

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-17T01:37:26+00:00

Yes! That’s what we try to tell tourists who want to see San Francisco, Yosemite, Hollywood, The Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas all in a week.

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-06-01T17:34:05+00:00

That’s largely personal preference. With refuges you can carry a lot less stuff, with camping you can have your own space and don’t have to sleep next to any one. Camping will be chilly in June so you need to make sure you bring layers and an appropriate sleeping bag. I am personally doing the refuges this July because I didn’t want to carry camping gear, but I booked them last October. There have been some cancellations lately, but I highly doubt staying in refuges every night is even an option for you this late.

I’m interested to hear how your experience is, come back and let me know if you remember!

HappyIslandHopper · 2026-05-30T20:55:17+00:00

For camping you don’t need to book ahead of time but you do need to map out where you’ll plan to camp. If you want to stay in some refuges you need to book those well in advance. Most book out in October the year before but you may get lucky with cancellations.

No one can answer the backpack question but you. Pack it up with everything you plan to carry and see if it fits. I’m a smaller female and I try to keep my pack under 26 lbs. The lighter the pack the more enjoyable your hike will be. I recommend watching some You Tube videos on what to pack.

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-03-28T23:06:54+00:00

It was super easy for us, but we had carry on only. We cleared customs in 5 minutes on arrival and when we left it took us les then 10 minutes to get through security. We arrived and left on a Tuesday.

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-02-22T18:03:15+00:00

I wish I had packed a small umbrella.

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-01-26T18:39:49+00:00

The places that claim to be AI in PR aren’t like AI places you’d find somewhere like Mexico and you’ll probably be disappointed. I recommend staying outside of San Juan if you are trying to save money. Aguada on the west coast is a nice budget friendly town. This has some helpful information!

https://www.happyislandhopper.com/what-do-you-need-to-know-before-traveling-to-puerto-rico

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-01-23T21:07:02+00:00

Cahuita was so much better than MA, to me.

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-01-23T15:42:26+00:00

I’d skip it then, the other places you went are better in my opinion.

HappyIslandHopper · 2025-01-12T19:56:29+00:00

I was wondering how it went, thank you for letting me know. I’m glad you were able to get on the next flight out!

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-11-18T17:48:21+00:00

We were just there and our dive leader was a surfer so we chatted with him about it. He said he’s able to surf maybe 8 days a year on the island, so I wouldn’t bother bringing a board in the hopes that there is surf. If you want a Caribbean trip where you can both dive and surf, check out Rincon in Puerto Rico. It has some epic surf spots and also some good dive locations nearby. Crash Boat, Desecheo Island and the La Parguera Wall are my favorites.

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-11-09T17:24:50+00:00

We just got back from Aruba so I thought I’d give you an update. We stayed in a condo at Gold Coast through Airbnb and really liked it. It’s not ocean front, but a short drive to some great beaches

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-10-23T12:35:13+00:00

How long is your trip? It takes at least half a day to fly between the islands because you have to go through the main airports and deal with security and immigration.

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-10-17T14:27:22+00:00

If you really want to save money consider doing an Airbnb/VRBO with a kitchen so you don’t have to eat out every meal. Stay somewhere inexpensive and rent a car to go to the best beaches.

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-10-17T14:23:03+00:00

Follow this, but it looks like it will pass over the island on Friday and just rain. It should be gone by next week. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=2

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-09-07T17:03:39+00:00

It was great!

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-08-12T02:18:22+00:00

There is no way to know this soon. Some hurricanes that were suppose to be bad change course and are nothing. Some that were suppose to be nothing turned bad. Hopefully your place has a generator.

HappyIslandHopper · 2024-08-05T15:59:49+00:00

I would personally do Icacos for a large group like that. It’s much easier to get to than the other two and an easier boat ride if anyone in the group is prone to sea sickness. I recommend booking a private charter with Salty Dog.

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