The Cayman Islands Experience

As you can see from the picture to the right the Cayman Islands are a popular destination for many of the cruise lines. This picture was taken just north of the capital city of George Town on Grand Cayman Island. We took many pictures as we walked south from our hotel on Seven Mile Beach to reach George Town. The Cayman Islands also consist of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, but these islands are located approximately 90 miles to the northeast and therefore the majority of tourist and vacation activity takes place on Grand Cayman Island.

We've visited the Cayman Islands three times now and will be going again in mid-June. We finally broke down and purchased a timeshare just walking distance from Seven Mile Beach when it became clear we would probably wind up there every couple of years anyway, or whenever the family budget permitted it.

To briefly summarize the Cayman Islands experience and how it will affect your enjoyment level, let me just say that it has to be the right "fit." If you're looking for a nonstop party along with thousands of others into the wee hours of the morning you'd probably be better off visiting Cancun. Not that there aren't plenty of locations in George Town and elsewhere where you can "get your party on", it's just that in general the Caymans offer a more laid-back and family atmosphere than some of the Mexico or Jamaica destinations.

The Cayman Islands are also much safer relative to some of the other Caribbean destinations. We've been to Jamaica and Mexico and it's a great feeling knowing you can just walk out of your hotel or timeshare and basically walk anywhere you want and as far as you want and not worry about the First World/Third World differential as in those aforementioned countries. We often will get out and walk for what seems like miles up and down Seven Mile Beach late at night and never worry about any safety issues. I now of course have to issue the usual politically correct disclaimer and say that I have nothing against those nations or their cultures, it's just that I was glad our young daughter wasn't with us on that Jamaica trip after experiencing some of the areas we did. It definitely puts life into perspective and makes you even happier to be American than you already were.

Okay enough rambling. You know there had to be a downside to this whole Cayman Islands thing and for me it's primarily the exchange rate. It's permanently set at $1 US = 80 cents Cayman. In other words, for every $100 US you spend you're only going to get $80 Cayman out of it. This on top of everything already being somewhat expensive. At least they accept US currency just about anywhere you might buy something. So yes you can get a lot more bang for your US buck in a place like Mexico, but it comes with tradeoffs.

I'll eventually post some more pictures from our trips but will conclude by just saying that the Cayman Islands are not for everyone. You have to weigh your vacation priorities and take into account the tradeoffs involved as I mentioned earlier. In our case it's a good fit since we're willing to pay a little more for a safer environment. As always with vacations it all comes down to one's personal preferences.

Until next time...enjoy that vacation!