Carribean - Cayman

Colts

I've been offered a position in the Cayman Islands, everything that I've read online seems quite positive, however I was wondering if any people on boards have had personal experiences?

ASBO

Hi Colts,

I lived there for a couple of years but it was 6 years ago.

If you've any specific questions i can try & answer them, pm me if there's anything more personal.

You wont regret it.

ASBO

twiddleypop

Hi,

I'm going to go over at the end of January.

Did you ever go over OP? Heading over in January by myself,

From what I've been reading the surrounding islands aren't that accessible?

Could I get round on a bicycle or will I need a car?

How's the food?

Will accommodation be easy to find?

What should I bring that's impossible to get there? I mean like clothes, cosmetics etc. Packing seems an impossible task at the moment!

Any advice at all appreciated

Colts

Hey

Yes I did go over and in fact I'm still here! 3 years in and I'm really enjoying it, best decision I ever made.

To quickly answer your questions (feel free to pm me with more queries!)

The surrounding islands? Assuming you mean Little Cayman & Cayman Brac, they're accessible by plane from the airport in around 15 minutes, but in general there's no need to visit them, except maybe for a quiet weekend away/diving.
Otherwise other islands in the Caribbean aren't that easily accessible; there's direct flights pretty much daily to Cuba, Jamaica & the Bahamas, but for the eastern Caribbean, and most flights, you'll be reliant on routing through Miami.

A common misconception on the place is it's size, yes, you will almost definitely need a car, unless you're working very close to where you live & don't mind going in sweaty in the summer time! Cars will start at around CI$2000 for a 10-15 YO car and go upwards, most people get an 'island car', which leave a lot to be desired but do the trick for the short journeys!

Food is surprisingly good, if a little expensive, but overall I'd rate it as being slightly better than home for your average restaurant.

Accommodation will be relatively easy to find, but again, like a car, you pay for what you get! Look at this site, www.ecaytrade.com , which is essentially a classifieds site that's used by the majority of people for cars & accommodation on island!

Nothing is impossible to get here, but you'll pay alot more for some items, as you've noted I'll typically only buy clothes and most cosmetics off island, but most people find themselves travelling to the states every couple of months so it's never a big deal.

If you want to fire me over some specifics in what you'll be doing and what you're looking for accommodation, car & social wise I'll be more than happy to help out!