Some people say the Caribbean has been over-commercialised, others think that the Indian Ocean lacks soul. So The Club asked two travel journalists, with ludicrously well-stamped passports, to tell us what they thought. Judith Baker argues the case for the Caribbean, while Amanda Statham presents the plaudits for the Indian Ocean. What do you think? Join The Club’s debate on Twitter and let us have your vote

The Caribbean junkie, Judith Baker 

“Cheer up, you’re in paradise,” shouted an early morning vendor as I lay, jaded and jet-lagged on Seven Mile Beach, Negril on my first trip to the Caribbean. I winced. Paradise is probably the most overused word in travel, and although the Caribbean is beautiful, it’s not the Garden of Eden. But each time I return to these shores I find that it is the region’s quirky imperfections, as much as its loveliness, which captivate me. Other ‘paradisiacal’ destinations just don’t have the same energy and verve for me. Lacking the Caribbean’s riotous cocktail of carnival, jump-ups and local banter, other beaches I’ve sprawled on across the globe seem but a two-dimensional picture postcard of palm tree, sand and sea.

We talk about ‘the Caribbean’ as one destination but it includes hundreds of islands as well as countries on the mainland. It covers a vast area and has an incredible diversity of both terrain and people. True it gets battered by hurricanes and has its share of troubles from time to time, but what pulls me back is its sheer personality.

Dominica has magical rainforests but is wild, mountainous and wet. Tiny Bonaire has saltpans and bright pink flamingos; Barbados has wonderful colonial great houses. Some of the smaller places are as eccentric as old English villages with their strange crab racing, while at the other end of the scale there is some of the finest dining in the world. The elegant Graycliff in Nassau has a wine cellar to rival anywhere, although lobster enchiladas from a roadside stall on Vieques are equally historic. Other special moments include watching a group of market traders on Antigua fall about laughing at some private joke; a bus driver in Trinidad bursting into an impromptu calypso; a monkey outside my door in St Kitts; a frigate bird soaring overhead on Barbuda. Oh, and watching the sunset ‘green flash’ on Grenada with a rum in hand and the smell of cinnamon on the air is, dare I say it, heavenly.

The Indian Ocean devotee, Amanda Statham

Bright blue warm water, pristine beaches, palm trees swaying gently in the breeze: have I convinced you? Okay, if you still need more reasons to visit the Indian Ocean, read on. 

How about the fact each destination has unique selling points that can be matched to individual traveller’s needs? The Maldives, with its 1,000-plus islands ringed by white sand, is the place for beach-lovers. Sri Lanka hits the spot for anyone wanting lots of cultural activities (why Sigiriya, a free-standing rock topped by an ancient palace, isn’t a wonder of the world I’ll never know), the lush Seychelles archipelagos is ideal for nature lovers and those seeking a more lively vibe tend to opt for Mauritius.

Did you know resorts in the Indian Ocean are setting new standards across the world? Underwater nightclubs, over-water villas, 24-hour spas and open-air cinemas on the sand leave other tourist hot spots in the shade. It’s also universally acknowledged that diving and snorkelling is off the scale in this region - whale shark and manta ray spotting excursion anyone?

And how about safety? Unlike so many other parts of this increasingly unstable world, the Indian Ocean is a trouble-free zone where you can truly relax. Seychelles and Mauritius in particular are little pockets of paradise and, while the Maldives and Sri Lanka have experienced some political unrest and tsunami fallout in the past, there’s no threat in tourist resorts and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises travel to both is safe.

Personally, I have a particular love of the Seychelles (just like Wills and Kate who honeymooned there on North Island.). This eco haven is my idea of tropical paradise; powder soft beaches, dramatic granite boulders and never, ever feeling crowded as the population is still very low. And it’s the home of rare coco-de-mer, the world’s largest nut shaped like a derriére. What’s not to love?

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This article has been tagged Opinion, Destination