Korean Job Discussion Forums

steelhead · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:47 am Post subject: Travelling/Living in Carribean

Hey all,

Looking for some advice about the Carribean. I have been offered a job, that really has just a generral area (Carribean) where basically I could choose from anywhere to live and work.

I am looking for some advice from anyone who has travelled or even lived there. Where would be a good place to set up for a year? What is the cost of living like? and most importantly... How are the women?

Thanks

MB

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Important questions:

Is your salary amount independent of any particular location?
Does your job involve ESL?

If the answer to both of these is 'no', you should consider Grand Cayman.

The cost of living there is by far the highest in the Caribbean, which is why you don't want to consider it if the answer to the first question is 'yes'.

On the plus side, it also has the highest wages and is a tax-free zone.

Other pluses include- the best diving in the Caribbean, the longest beach in the Caribbean, a large expat community, relatively modern infrastructure, great bars, and lots of well-to-do, care-free, inebriated tourists looking for a good time...

Of course the official language is English so the number of ESL jobs there steadily hovers around the 0% mark.

Alyallen · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:20 am Post subject:

Hi,

Can't help too much. But I would suggest not going to Jamaica. It has been getting pretty bad there and my own family has pretty much moved out of there because of it. It is beautiful and I hope I am wrong about this but perhaps it would be important to find out about the crime rate a place has before moving there....

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=100236

The page has a number of links to various sources of crime rate information throughout the Caribbean. I hope it helps....

Alyallen

steelhead · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:15 pm Post subject: not esl

It will not be an Esl job. Pay will be about 30k US + some incentives. Id go into more detail but I would have to kill you Cool

nothing illegal but to do with the internet so my location isnt that important just as long as it is in the area.

I still want to put away some decent bank but would also like to live fairly comfortable.

Thanks

Mb

crito03 · Joined: 30 Jun 2003 Location: Seoul

Hey, I was born in Trinidad and lived there for quite a few years. I have alos been to quite a few of the other Caribbean countries. Feel free to pm me with specific questions. As for where to live and the women.

Trinidad is the New York of the southern caribbean (relative to it's neighbours). Good night life and relatively cheap. However it is dangerous, really dangerous if you are white. But good times if you meet the right people. As for beaches I would have to say Barbados, and it also has a very foreigner friendly atmosphere and a very laid back island mentality. For beauty Grenada is the place to go. But it is really deserted, and kinda boring.

As for women, the most beautiful are from Trinidad if you like mixed women, just georgeous. And very foreigner friendly. You can bank alot of money if you are smart.

Hope this helps

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Hmm.. if cost of living is a factor.. then I�d definetely definetely go for Cartagenia in Colombia. Very very low cost of living compared to anywhere else in the Carribean.. plus its particularly safe and immune from the rest of the politics and the more negative for what Colombia is well-known for. I�d consider Cartagena first and foremost if I were in the same position.

If money isn�t an issue.. hmm.. if it were me.. well.. I�d probably consider Domican Republic.. just seems lively, interesisting and such.

If you are going to be Internet-dependent.. you�ll probably want a very solid computer-accessable site.. hm.. that might be tourist areas with rich businesspeople running around and the facilities to make them happy.. sounds like the Bahamas (probably)..

There are some great books on the Carribean published by Lonely Planet. The biggest thing is its so subjective. My interests might not be the same. I�d more interested in being in a Spanish-environment in the Carribean.

You could think about where you�d want to be.. if its English-speaking environment.. there are certain islands which are just that.. others are French, Spanish, Dutch, etc.. so a lot would depend on that.

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

Alyallen · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 11:09 pm Post subject:

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

crito03 · Joined: 30 Jun 2003 Location: Seoul

Thanks for clearing that up,Alyallen. That is what I meant. I should have said that in certain parts of Trinidad it is not safe to be a visible foreigner. Seeing that how Trinidad is pretty cosmopolitan, that would mean you would probably only stand out if you are white. Not that they have anything against whites, it has more to do with poverty and the obvious easy score that a tourist presents.

Sorry I should have said that from the start. However in the touristy parts it is pretty safe. In Barbados foreigners are completely safe seeing as that is their main industry.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Not trying to be funny, but I didn't realise colombia is regarded as part of the Carribean...
Is "Carribean" a geographical, or more cultural term I wonder...

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Depends on the definition. Most Northern Americans think of ONLY islands as being Carribean.

But Colombia and Venezuela share the same Sea. In Colombia, they�d talk about Cartagena being a Carribean city.. but maybe North America wouldn�t as readily think about it as such.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I've heard that Roatan, Honduras, is beautiful, cheap, and foreigner friendly (never been there though but you might want to look into it).

I had a couple of roomates who lived in the Turks & Caicos for a year and they liked it, but no other details that I can remember.

Perhaps that's not very helpful but it's a little hard to understand exactly what it is you're looking for.

Why Caribbean as opposed to say, Mexico, Central or South America? What kind of visa will you be getting while you reside there? A tourist visa?

Then quick and cheap access to another country would be useful for renewing your visa which you will probably have to do a few times.

Will you be wanting to fly regularly to the States to visit home or on business trips?

Then perhaps you'll want to compare/factor the costs of various flights from your choice of possible locations [and this may be more important than you think- have you ever heard of cabin-fever? There is also island-fever.]

The business is internet-based? Will having access to broadband be a factor?

Then you'll have to find some place with a fairly modern telecommunication infrastructure [that might rule out a number of locations I would think].

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

maiden's iron · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

Mexico is part of the Carribean. I've been to Cancun and other areas around there but Cancun is a tourist trap. Either way, it is the Carribean with typical soft blue-green water and very beautiful. The sand is like talcum powder and the water of course is warm even at night. Mexico has a lot of the best beaches in the world and great resorts--went to quite a few when I was real young. For a much more spectacular setting, Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca.

Dominican Republic is not a place I would really consider. A good friend who went to medical school there used to tell me about how backwards the place seemed. But he did say that many of the mixed natives were incredibly beautiful. He lived there for about 3 or 4 years and would never go back. He suggested St. Martin or some of the other islands nearby for visiting.