The U.S. Department of State has issued travel advisory levels for Caribbean countries, advising Americans to avoid certain areas due to their higher level status. These include Haiti (Level 1), Jamaica (Level 2), Trinidad and Tobago (Level 3), The Bahamas (Level 2), The Dominican Republic (Level 3) and Montserrat (Level 1). Anguilla, also known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, is in Level 1 threat category. The safest Caribbean islands are those with a level 1 travel advisory, advising travelers to exercise normal precautions.
The Virgin Islands, consisting of US and British territories, are considered one of the safest in the region. The ABC Islands, consisting of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, are three of the safest in the Caribbean. The CDC has advised people to “avoid travel” to Jamaica, Saint Barthelemy, the Dominican Republic, and two island territories of France: Guadeloupe.
On the basis of crime rates, some of the least safe Caribbean Islands to visit include Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. Most crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands, with violent crime such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults. Authorities are advising increased caution in the Turks and Caicos Islands due to crime.
As of March 4, 2024, the 11 safest Caribbean islands to visit include The Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Grenada. However, Caribbean countries with a bad reputation include Jamaica, Trinidad, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and Belize.
📹 Top 10 Islands To Visit On A BUDGET!
What island has the lowest crime rate?
The safest islands in the Caribbean include the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Maarten, Caiman Islands, Martinique, Aruba, and Bonaire. These islands are situated outside of Hurricane Alley and have been observed to have low crime rates.
What country has the most murders in 2024?
The countries of Central America and the Caribbean have the highest rates of murder globally, with El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica experiencing the highest incidence of this phenomenon. In contrast, countries with low murder rates, such as Japan and Singapore, have been able to maintain these low rates due to the effectiveness of their law enforcement.
What island is not allowed to visit?
North Sentinel Island, part of the Andaman Islands, is a protected area in India, home to the Sentinelese, an indigenous tribe who defend their voluntary isolation by force. The island, which is approximately 60 square kilometers long and 7 kilometers wide, is about 8 kilometers long and 4. 3 kilometers wide. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation 1956 prohibits travel to the island and any approach closer than 5 nautical miles to protect the remaining tribal community from “mainland” infectious diseases. The area is patrolled by the Indian Navy.
The island belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indian authorities recognize the islanders’ desire to be left alone and restrict outsiders to remote monitoring. In 2018, the Indian government excluded 29 islands, including North Sentinel, from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime to boost tourism. The relaxation of the prohibition on visitations was intended to allow researchers and anthropologists with pre-approved clearance to finally visit the Sentinel islands.
Why is there a warning not to go to the Bahamas?
Violent crime, including burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, is prevalent in both tourist and non-tourist areas in The Bahamas. It is advised to exercise increased caution when staying at short-term vacation rental properties without private security companies. The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands, with increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area due to gang-on-gang violence. The local population is primarily affected by the high homicide rate in Nassau.
What is safest island to visit?
The US government is advising residents to reconsider visiting Jamaica, a popular spring break destination, and instead consider other Caribbean islands like Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Maarten, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. These islands fall under the government’s “level one” travel advisory, requiring travelers to exercise normal precautions due to crime. The Bahamas is also under increased caution.
What island nation had 65 murders?
In response to a recent surge in homicides, the US State Department has issued a security alert for Jamaica, citing concerns about elevated crime rates and a dearth of adequate medical services. The warning is urging travelers to reconsider their plans to visit Jamaica, citing a significant increase in violent incidents over the past month. The warning is a response to the recent surge in homicides in Jamaica.
What country has the worst crime?
Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Afghanistan, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and El Salvador are some of the countries with the highest crime rates globally. The crime index is calculated by dividing the total number of reported crimes by the total population and multiplying the result by 100, 000. Factors such as high poverty levels and unemployment can inflate a country’s crime rate, while strict police enforcement and severe sentences can reduce it.
Age is also a significant factor, with most crimes, especially violent ones, committed by those aged 20-30. The United States has a crime rate of 47. 70, with violent crime rates decreasing sharply over the past 25 years. States like Alaska, New Mexico, and Tennessee experience higher crime rates than others. Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Japan, and New Zealand have some of the world’s lowest crime rates due to effective law enforcement and restrictive gun laws.
Venezuela’s high crime rate is attributed to government corruption, a flawed judiciary system, and a breakdown of the Rule of Law. The U. S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Venezuela, indicating it is unsafe for travelers.
Is Jamaica or the Bahamas safer?
Jamaica and the Bahamas have maintained their advisory levels at 3 and 2, respectively, due to a crime wave mainly related to gang violence. Government leaders and tourism officials have argued that most travelers remain safe, particularly in resort areas. The State Department has not given its lowest threat assessment score, level 1, indicating travelers should “Exercise Normal Precautions”, for other tourism heavy hitters in the region.
What Caribbean islands are not safe to visit?
The most dangerous Caribbean islands, according to recent studies, include Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago, due to elevated rates of criminal activity. The majority of criminal activity in the Caribbean occurs within the islands themselves, predominantly in urban areas distant from tourist attractions. It is therefore imperative that those intending to visit these islands conduct exhaustive research and eschew areas with a documented history of safety concerns.
Is tourism bad for the Caribbean?
The Caribbean region’s tourism industry, which accounted for 14 percent of the country’s GDP in 2013, has significant environmental impacts, including marine pollution, degradation, and high demand for water and energy resources. Coral reef degradation is a significant concern. The tourism sector and public sector are working to protect the environment for economic and ethical reasons, but these efforts are not always effective.
High tourism levels are due to the extravagant lifestyle options offered by tourists, which consumes three times more water per day than residents. Waste management in the tourism industry is inefficient, and waste services in many countries struggle to handle the large number of tourists. Cruise ships also contribute to marine pollution, producing 210, 000 gallons of sewage, 1, 000, 000 gallons of grey water, 125 gallons of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste, 8 tons of garbage, and 25, 000 gallons of oily bilge water.
Despite attempts to regulate this discharge, most of this waste is still dumped into the sea. Some cruise ships are managing their waste through advanced sewage systems, shipboard recycling programs, and increased use of biodegradable alternatives to plastic.
What Caribbean islands have the highest crime rate?
In the 2023 Caribbean Crime Index, Trinidad and Tobago is ranked first, followed by Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico.
📹 The UNSPOKEN TRUTH- BE CAREFUL in Tenerife & Canary Islands! ⚠️ News Update Spain
Join me in Los Cristianos Tenerife as I run through some very important information regarding the latest crime wave to hit Tenerife …
Fantastic article, Vanessa and right on time given how inflation has eaten away at budgets. I have been to Curacao, Negril, Jamaica, the Bahamas, DR and Barbados and they are all wonderful budget locations. Curacao, the Bahamas, and Barbados were especially wonderful for my husband and I on a budget because they were safer islands and we could go out and find restaurants, beaches, snorkeling, nightlife, and transportation on our own. We were able to stay at less expensive hotels because we could eat and get around on our own without booking tours, or needing to stay at expensive all inclusives. I’ve already started looking into Dominica and Roatan. I’m so glad you concur. I appreciate your travel from Miami tip also.
Very surprised Grenada didn’t make the list somewhere. It’s a beautiful island, much more lush with better beaches than Curacao and one of the cheapest places in the Caribbean. The people are so welcoming too. If you haven’t been you must check it out. Agree with Roatan though. You really shouldn’t tell people 🙂 And it’s already hard enough to get a breakfast or lunch table at Sandy Buns 🙂
Love your articles – gives me ideas more of where I could go if I had double the budget. I have always budget travelled to the Caribbean but spent about half or less than those amounts from eastern Canada. Prices have gone up everywhere but usually spent about $1200 for 15 days including my flight and All inclusive – that has now gone up until about $1700 in April or May. Your tips though are very universal and so true. May onwards is always much cheaper. I have rented local apts in Jamaica which can be cheap like you mentioned for $20 to $70 a night.
Hi Vanessa yes these flights are getting pricey😮 to add to your affordable vacays a friend decided to go to Thailand instead of Mx bc the flight she said was about the same or a little cheaper which is shocking but I can attest that it’s beautiful there with beautiful beaches lots of things to do easy and cheap to get around and eat out everyday and although I stayed in a resort I’m positive you can find lots of affordable hotels or air b&b. You’re right though a lot of these areas can be extremely affordable though no less enjoyable if we just change where we stay Thanks again
W O W, just found your website. Very informative and fun! Out of your top 10 we have been to 5 (Curaçao, The Abaco’s in the Bahamas, St. Kitts & Nevis – gotta get a Killer Bee cocktail at Sunshine’s Beach Bar…6 trips to Jamaica including Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios and Roatan – day trip from a cruise) Soooo we 💯 % agree with those 5 recommendations and now we have 5 more “hidden gems” to visit post covid! Thanks!!
This is so great! Thanks for all of the specifics, especially names of resorts. I can book from them directly, too, so they don’t lose a big portion to booking companies. For future articles, I’d love more about traveling alone. I prefer it! It’s so much fun to make friends with locals and just do whatever I want. But, are all of these safe for single females? Affordable if not paired with someone else? Just a thought. Thanks!
Hello there! I’m a newbie to your website and soaking up the amazingly informative details that you provide including referrals. Thank you for this wonderful list. Weve been to 8/10 due to cruising but always go back for land trips after scoping things out via cruise. Question: Have you considered covering cost-effective places in the EU? We’ve lived in The Azores (Portugal) for many years then returned to the states for decades. Returned again most recently but decided to head to Madeira Island this time. Day 9 here. It has been incredibly cost-effective and is one of the most gorgeous places on earth imho.
Thank you I just subscribed ☺…I have been to Sinai Egypt 🇪🇬 Lebanon 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇵🇹 and Morocco 🇲🇦 the lat few months but it’s just been to cold 🥶 especially at night…I’m landing g in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 in a few days…I was wondering about purchasing a monthly Cruise 🛳 Ship option that would visit most of these places on your list, while negating costly airfares? I heard that Carnival Cruise has one option for $46 a night which includes meals…your thoughts are welcome…
Another great article, we definitely want to try some of these places. We’ve stayed at the Rio in Negril Jamaica on Bloody Bay which is basically the start of the 7 mile beach and it was incredible. That was the first time we ever stayed at an All Inclusive and it was awesome. The beach was incredible and there was an amazing lobster shack right beside our resort where you could go into the water and pick your own lobster out of the cage and they would cook it for you right on the beach. Our friends love staying at the Iberostar Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic as well. The beach is fantastic and for anyone from Canada, you will appreciate the “Beach Zamboni” that they use to clean up the sea weed each morning 🙂 The resort is very lush and well maintained and the staff are supper friendly especially our cocktail lady “Maria Drinkie Drinkie” She always looks after us!!! The food was also very good. Our friends say this place is the best of both worlds, it has the pristine beaches like Cuba and the great food of Mexico. Speaking of Mexico we stayed at 2 great places, The Barcelo Resort in the Mayan Riverian (The Palace is a real treat for a special occasion but we also stayed in the Colonial and the Tropical, both very nice). The other fun place we stayed was the Blue Bay. It was like an ECO Resort with lots of Mangrove’s and wild life but we weren’t bothered by any bugs. The food was great there as well but the only down side was that the beach was basically unusable because of the seaweed in the water.
Been to Bahamas on a cruise and found it incredible boring. Martinique I loved. My sister had shark there and threw up lol. I stop going to DR because they treat Haitians like crap and I can’t give my money to that. JA is my home. PR is great and I enjoyed the Yunque forest tour. Never been to Dominica but I’m gonna assume flights alone going to be sky high. Never been to Roatan either
Hello, I’m looking for an inexpensive trip to one of the islands you mentioned on this article. Or could you share any other islands you did not mention on a friendly budget. I’m celebrating a getaway for Feb 2024. Is Belize an inexpensive travel tourism? I watched a article that was circulated around an adult only resort of 6 to 9 huts. I don’t believe it was an all inclusive . But the food and drinks seemed very cheap. What drew my attention was the resort offers a litl bit of everything on island and other nearby islands within 10 mins. Snorkeling, hiking, boat rafting, along with other outdoor activities. There are several options of getting around by taxi, can rent a bike or an fold cart. Seemed super cool. The only thing, have to take a ferry to San Pedro which is about a 2 hr ride to get to main island where you will be staying. Is there a way to share article with you?
This is another great article thank you so much for creating this awesome content and I love how you explain things and you have a great voice I’ve been on your website for probably almost a year I learn a lot with you but you forgot another gorgeous tropical island of Antigua I’ve been there twice and I absolutely love it it really is beautiful
Hi Vanessa. Could you pm me. We area group of approximately 5 couples looking to get away south April 1 timing. We would like your experience along the way. We are trying to be frugel but not cheapscates!!! lol. We would like some of your ideas you would recommend for us. Some of us are just doing 7 days but some 10 days.Thanks for your time.
Vanessa, thank you for this very comprehensive article on budget friendly places to visit. QUESTION: Considering going to Turks and Caicos. Yes, I know this place is considered “luxury” with matching luxury prices; however, I have been researching on the internet and YouTube and I found a Resort …. “Ports of Call,” which gives for $200.00 per night and is NOT all inclusive. Only breakfast is provided. The Resort is centrally located in the heart of the main beach area and is next to many “High End Luxury Resorts.” I understand that my costs for lunch and dinner may be on the higher end depending on location. QUESTION: What do you know about Ports of Call Resort and will I have to get a rental car to get around or can I do without? Thank you in advance. 😎🚴♂️⛹️♀️🤸♂️