2210 So. Peninsula Dr.
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
800-444-9194

Top 10 List of Making Island Travel Less Terrifying

If you ask anyone what's the best way to get from island A to island B there will be many suggestions. What works for one may not work for others. So with that qualification let me proceed with our top ten list of making island travel less terrifying and more the trip your friends wished they'd been on.

#10. Planning- This goes against all my "Live for the moment/We'll worry about it when we get there" travel planning of long ago. Before all it took was a part time job for the summer, ordering a new surfboard, making sure you rounded 10-15 guys needed to cover housing and a duffle. A few years and three boys under age 6 later have not killed my need to see beaches that others only dream about -- it only has changed how we plan.

Start early. Never leave it to the last minute. The good houses are booked by repeat visitors before they leave to go home, so you need to get an idea. As you research and plan your trip you learn about deals, advisories, tips and suggestions. These are the things that can really make or break the trip if only you had heard about it sooner. By starting early and actually planning, you find that you can be more flexible in dates should a deal arise or someone in your group bails on you or you get pregnant.

#9. Remember with whom you are traveling. (Unless you're traveling alone and then you have already left and don't need to read this.) There are actually two reasons you plan trips with your close friends and family. (1). You enjoy their company so much you want to share these types of moments with them. (2). They're paying half the freight. So remember to allow for different styles and ideas of what an island get-away means to others. So remember the fine art of compromise. For the boys, a Pipers Aztec with the pilot right there and all the cool knobs and dials and being able to feel the turbulence and ask, "Hey Dad, ask if he can make the plane drop like that again," was half the trip for them. However, Mom is white knuckled, and looking at Dad like, "remind me again why we need to travel like this." And Dad says "no" to the boys and to Mom he says "ten minutes from car to plane, no big airports and we depart when we want and leave when we want". In short, more beach time for everyone.

#8 Half the clothes and twice the money. You'll hear that one over and over. Keep it simple. For example, if you are going for seven days bring enough clothes for four days. Then once you're on island time ask for the local laundry. Most full service marinas have laundry service or at least machines to do your own. Most times however, you can find the name of a local who'll wash, dry and fold for a small fee. Mid week, drop off your clothes and you good for the rest of the week.

#7. The right attitude can save you time and get you out of a jam. Your busy schedule is not the concern of the airlines nor the ferry operator getting you from one island to the next. Remember, you're on vacation and they're not. Relax, stuff happens and if you're polite and respectful, most situations you come across will be worked out to your satisfaction. For the other times have a drink and write it off to the learning curve. Because if you don't and think if you just bitch a little louder because the customs officer is moving too slow or does not speak clearly enough or friendly enough, you could find yourself in that line all day.

#6 People are basically good. There are billions of people in this world and only a small fraction are bad. Just because their face is worn from years on the oceans and they seem a little aloof, remember, you're the stranger to their island and not the other way around. If you're lost, ask directions, need advice on local eats, ask the locals, need a guide, ask the locals. Most island nations, if not all, depend heavily on tourism for survival and the people of these nations will go out of their way to help you. They want you to return to spend more money. Bad news travels fast and bad reputations are hard to lose. They know it too. Generally the bad people follow the crowds. Crowds mean opportunity and anonymity. Small, out of the way destinations are just like the small town back home......everyone knows everyone and you can't get away without someone finding out about it. That includes the tourist.

#5 When possible chose a villa or a house for accommodations. Or small resorts with 6-10 units are what we recommend. Most likely the owner is someone who depends on the few dollars it'll bring in. The small resorts most often are owner-operated. Got a problem, talk to the owner. The villas are not always more expensive and for the additional amenities, privacy, and service the difference is usually worth it. There is nothing like cooking the fish you caught earlier that day for friends and family and enjoying it in the comfort of you own dinning room and the nicest thing is that the bar never closes.

#4. Respect the local environment and natural beauty. Learn the local fishing regulations and abide by them. More and more these island nations are realizing that clean water, healthy reefs, and abundant wild/sealife are what draws people to their countries. Just because you don't recognize the fish does not mean it is dangerous and needs to be killed. Also remember, coral is alive and doesn't respond well to human touch and anchors dropped onto it.

#3. Passports. Believe it or not there are still some countries where all you need to enter is a valid drivers license and a birth certificate. If you are traveling with any group of any real size, passports can make your travel a lot smoother and you'll answer fewer questions. All our children have them we move pretty quickly through customs. I know there are those out there that feel they are too intrusive into your private lives. Well, unless you are paying cash the whole way and never use a credit card, then you still have some anonymity. For the rest of us, the credit agencies know who we are, and I am more concerned about them than I am about our Government.

#2. Don't go into debt over this. We have always paid most of our trip up front. We always deal with reputable service providers and like knowing the tab's been paid already. Most smaller destinations with private homes and small resorts will require the balance paid before you arrive. This is customary and has never failed us. Ask for references and research credentials. Plan and save so any bills you do have when you return will be paid off and you can simply savor the afterglow and not the financial after taste.

And the Number 1 tip for island travel.........You can't plan the weather. Be flexible, go with the flow, and chill. Trust me. I've seen just about every SNAFU. Lost planes, lost luggage, lost family, and childhood diseases that appear two days before you leave and disappear when you cancel your flight. We had an 18-month old child who would freak if he knew he'd left his stuffed animal on a taxi.....a kind local sent it to our island on the late ferry. Thank God for VHF. The power does go out and it does rain. Things happen for a reason and if you ride the storms that pop up, things work out. On one occasion we arrived on island two days ahead of a storm. Ok, it was a hurricane and it stayed with us for three days. Needless to say boating was out. Now we had been to this island before but most of what we knew of this island was viewed from a 20' Aqua Sport or the bottom of a Kalik bottle at the end of the day. Being forced to higher ground, we found ourselves exploring the island's dirt roads and roads less traveled. What we found were deserted resorts of long lost infamy and locals with stories we had never heard. The beach combing after the storm was the best I'd ever seen and I still have some treasures given up by the sea from that trip. I saw the honesty and beauty of the hard scrabble life of an islander. I witnessed Mother Nature at her meanest and mankind at its best. Islandgoing is an attitude as much as it is a destination.

We hope these tips can help you get to and enjoy that island destination you've been dreaming about for so long now.

Paul M. La Motte

Back to IslandGoers News Archives