The people

The people of the Cayman Islands, now 40,000+,  are amongst the friendliest found.  The lack of prejudice towards race or color makes up a society were all are equal.  Many visitors comment "We went to a restaurant and were seated by a Canadian, an Australian took our order, an American served us dinner and a Caymanian brought us the bill..." Cultural diversity has helped the Island reach a comfort level to all who visit incomparable to other locations found in the world.  There are small instances, hardly noticed to all of who have lived here for a long time, that make life here enviable to most visitors.  The other day, a friend of mine was driving his family to the airport when his car broke down.  Within minutes a car stopped (my friend lifted his car's "hood", the Cayman sign of road distress) to see if they were ok.  Not only did the person who stopped take everyone to the airport, he even brought my friend back to his car and gave him a tow to the mechanic.  That story sounds normal or even boring if told to a Caymanian, outlandish if told in other parts of the world.......

Crime

Crime is almost nonexistent here in Grand Cayman, we enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in the world.  Perhaps it's a product of extremely low unemployment rates or the Cayman Islands Christian heritage, either way the low crime is what makes Grand Cayman (not to forget our sister Isles Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) a favorite family vacation spot.  Here you will find no solicitation, rude/pushy street vendors, beggars or people loitering.  Well, many of us do loiter on the beach quite a bit, but that's another story....

Infrastructure

With unparalleled state of the art telecommunications systems, world class medical services and education, road systems, quality and quantity of products, one can't help but feels as if we live in the "real world".  Just a trip to one of the many Super Markets will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.  There you can find fully stocked shelves with all of the products found in North America as well as European, Central/South American and Asia.  Water is potable Island wide and "electric blackouts" are so few that they have became an enjoyable novelty.  If you are lucky enough to experience one, make sure to step outside and look at the stars or go to the bar, they usually serve free drinks because the cash registers don't work....

The beaches

The beaches should have been first on my list of importance but what good are beautiful tropical beaches if one can't walk on one at night to look at stars?  Our powdery white sand, combined with every shade of blue and green imaginable reflecting out of our crystal clear water makes our beaches irresistible.  Without the ever-present beach vendors found elsewhere, our visitors (and don't forget the locals!) can relax for hours and soak in the rays in perfect peace.  Walking the beach at night is one of my favorite pastimes, the stars, the sound of the waves and overall tranquility makes life magical.  The other day, early in the morning, I was walking my dog on the beach; not far from my house I noticed two people sleeping on a blanket still dressed in what looked like the night before.  A couple of drinks still sat next to them half drank, straw still standing, as well as her purse and other artifacts laying about.  That surely made me appreciate where I live, where else in the world can you sit on a beach at night and simply fall asleep for the night?  You should have seen his face when my dog woke him up by licking his face, but that's another story..........

The Diving and Snorkeling

The Caymans have long being considered one of the top dive/snorkel destinations in the world.  That being said, most people don't realize the full reason behind the number 3 rating in the world awarded to us by many, if not all, dive magazines.  It could be the clarity of our water, (100ft visibility is considered just an o.k. dive here by locals, we are more used to 200ft viz) the sheer drop of the Cayman Wall, an indescribable feeling as you look over a ledge that is deeper than the Grand Canyon or the abundant sea life.  Well, all those things are somewhat expected by most divers since they have read all the reviews by the "magazine experts".  What people mostly miss or should I say "take for granted" is the proximity to dive sites found Island wide.  It only takes a few minutes to reach the Cayman wall from many parts of our Island by boat or even by fin power.  Shallow dives and snorkeling sites are just as accessible.  Yes, shore diving and snorkeling are two of the best gifts nature could have given us, we locals usually just "jump in and swim out" to our favorite dive/snorkel spots.  The professionalism and friendliness of all dive operators also plays a big part, as well as our many safety factors; such us hardly any currents, no big waves or cold water temperature make Grand Cayman a pleasure to explore by all ages.  Diving in 86F° water will spoil you for life!

Restaurants

There are currently 300+ restaurants in the Cayman Islands.  You will be able to find multi-national cuisine as well as local delicacies such as Conch, Lobster and Turtle.  So, if you will be visiting for just one day you will have to pick wisely from the multitude of choices offered on our beautiful Island.