In anticipation of its announcement of the Top Indie Travel Destinations for 2013 on Thursday, January 3, BootsnAll takes a look back to its Top 10 Destinations for 2011.
The first thing that probably comes to mind when you imagine a vacation in the Caribbean is a white sand beach with warm turquoise water and swaying palm trees. The second thing is probably an all-inclusive resort with expensive yachts and retired expats. For independent travelers, the latter is mostly a deterrent for a beach vacation on a Caribbean island. With some small considerations and thoughtful planning, you can turn what you might think to be a standard Caribbean vacation into an adventurous taste of island life.
The Basics Country: St. Maarten Where is it?: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea – one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands Why do people go here?: Part of the Netherlands Antilles, with its unique island government, but the same beautiful white sand beaches [...]
In anticipation of its announcement of the Top Indie Travel Destinations for 2013 on Thursday, January 3, BootsnAll takes a look back to its Top 10 Destinations for 2011. 
The first thing that probably comes to mind when you imagine a vacation in the Caribbean is a white sand beach with warm turquoise water and swaying palm trees. The second thing is probably an all-inclusive resort with expensive yachts and retired expats. For independent travelers, the latter is mostly a deterrent for a beach vacation on a Caribbean island. With some small considerations and thoughtful planning, you can turn what you might think to be a standard Caribbean vacation into an adventurous taste of island life. 