8 affordable tropical vacations you can take this winter, according to a travel writer who skips the snow every year

I usually visit the Caribbean on assignment, often solo, but sometimes with friends and often with my adult daughter and other family members.

Over the years, I've experienced everything from five-star resorts to tiny budget B&Bs. I've made it my mission to find the most economical ways to enjoy island life and like to share my tips with friends looking for affordable fun in the sand and sea. Here are a few of my personal tricks and recommendations on where to go and how to do it frugally, from Hawaii to the Dutch Caribbean.

Aruba can be one of the more expensive tropical destinations to visit, especially because almost every product on the island has to be imported, and the luxury hotels can be pricey, especially along Palm Beach. But I've found you can do it affordably if you choose to stay on Eagle Beach where most of the accommodations were designed for time-share or extended stays, so most have kitchenettes for self-catering. It's also home to the island's largest supermarket complex, Superfood Plaza.

Eagle Beach is ideally located right between all the action of Palm Beach and all the attractions of downtown Oranjestad. The public bus from Eagle Beach to both is fast, cheap, and reliable, and all the island's beaches are free to the public. I like to beach hop by bus and park my towel wherever I please, even in front of the ritziest resorts, though the lounges and palapas are reserved for guests. Although you might never want to leave Eagle Beach, there's not a lot to do on it beyond enjoying the alabaster sand and turquoise surf.

I recommend a visit to Oranjestad for free and affordable pastimes. Explore pedestrian-friendly downtown on foot or via the free trolley that begins at the cruise terminal. Keep your eyes peeled for places like the Pastechi House for what I think are the best local pastechi and cheap fresh fruit batidos, or shakes. Get off at the National Museum of Archaeology for free admission, and sleuth out a massive buffet at The Kitchen where you only pay for what's on your plate by weight.

For nightlife, there's lots of free live entertainment. Alhambra Mall & Casino off Eagle Beach always has live music, as does the Renaissance Marketplace downtown, but Paseo Herencia Mall off Palm Beach is my favorite alfresco venue for its free musical light and water shows and free cultural concerts. Also, I recommend grabbing a free island guide at the airport for savings coupons for various activities and shops.

Beyond taking the bus, taxis are inexpensive since they operate on a fixed rate grid system, and there are many bike-share stations throughout Aruba as well, ideal for exploring the two paved linear parks along the sea. But I do recommend renting a car one day to explore the other side of Aruba like San Nicolas for its excellent outdoor art and Arikok Park, a massive natural preserve.

Where to stay: Bubali Bliss tucked away behind Superfood Plaza is an ultra-affordable collection of little apartments with full kitchens and a garden pool, just a short walk to Eagle Beach. Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort, right across the street from Eagle Beach, is one of my favorite places for a mid-price stay — all the suites have kitchenettes, and it's walking distance to the Superfood store, too.

Willemstad is the capital city of Dutch Caribbean Island of Curacao, and a UNESCO World Heritage site best known for its rainbow colored Handelskade, the brightly painted historic colonial buildings lining the harbor.

It's divided into distinctly different pocket barios, or neighborhoods, the main two being Punda and Otrobanda, which are connected by a floating pontoon bridge called the Queen Emma that swings open to allow ships into the harbor. When it does, there are free ferries for people to cross over to each side. Willemstad has more historic neighborhoods like Scharloo and Pietermaai that are also worth seeing for their ongoing gentrification and new outdoor art.

And exploring it all on foot doesn't cost a thing. I recommend signing up for a free guided walking tour of the city's old town with Free Walking Tours Curaçao.

There are lots of fancy restaurants throughout Willemstad, but just ask a local where the best sneks, aka take-out eateries and BBQ shacks, are. Or for late-night cravings, ask about the trucki-pans, aka bread trucks, that stay open late catering to hungry partiers. Most locals in Curaçao speak four languages: Dutch, Spanish, Papiamentu, and English.

Many museums in Willemstad are free to visit, and free entertainment is easy to find around town. I love to check out Punda Vibes, a big street festival that takes place every Thursday night and ends with fireworks over the Queen Emma Bridge. There are also often live bands in Rif Fort square on weekends. Although you'll need to rent a car to access the very best beaches which are outside of city, there's a lively urban seaside scene at Mambo Beach, a few minutes from the downtown core where chair rentals are as cheap as $4 a day, and there is a large complex of restaurants, beach bars, and shops called Mambo Beach Blvd.

Where to stay: The Pietermaai District, a colorful neighborhood just outside downtown, is where you'll find the most affordable stays like Bed & Bike, a budget hotel with a choice of shared or private rooms which include bike rentals for only $5 a day. PM78 is a fancier but still budget-friendly stay of boutique apartments, some with full kitchens, and one with a private pool.

The "B" of the ABC islands, Bonaire is best known as a diver's paradise, but in my opinion, you don't have to be a diver to enjoy all that this quirky little outpost has to offer. The downtown is very tiny — a walkable grid of shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes along a seafront cement boardwalk.

The town is not on a beach, but I've found that excursions are very affordable to stunning No Name Beach, just a short water taxi directly away on uninhabited island Klein Bonaire. I also know that there are spectacular reefs on Klein Bonaire that you can explore via the little red BonSea semi-sub tour.

Another must-visit, in my opinion, are the Cargill salt mountains on the southern coast of the island, surrounding a pink salt lake where hundreds of wild flamingos gather to feast on the brine shrimps that give it the rosy hue. I suggest visitors book the $40 excursion here with eco-friendly BonTuk tours, which includes a visit to the salt pans.

I also recommend renting a car or a scooter for a day — Scooters Bonaire has a nice selection to choose from — to discover other island highlights like excellent snorkeling spots at Windsock Beach, windsurfing and sunbathing at stunning Lac Bay, and the historic old village of Rincon where you can enjoy free samples of Bonaire's unique liqueur made from cactus at the Cadushy Distillery Garden. When I first visited Bonaire, I was surprised at the stark, cacti-studded beauty of the island. It's no lush rainforest-like oasis, and instead I discovered a rugged, desert-like outpost with very little rain, and a beauty of its own.

Where to stay: Bonaire Oceanfront Apartments are affordable downtown accommodations with a pool and full kitchens for self-catering. Buy fresh fish right off the pier right in front to grill, and grab other essentials from the massive Dutch supermarket Van der Tweel nearby.

If you'd rather take a holiday from cooking, I think Divi Flamingo Beach Resort is a reasonably priced all-inclusive resort that's also downtown. The man-made rock pier and sundeck at their pureocean beachside bar has a coral reef full of marine life, and is a wonderful place to snorkel — you'll never see the same scene twice.

My go-to way of getting around Nassau, The Bahamas, is their cheap public Jitney bus that goes to town and attractions from most of the best beaches.

While Nassau is known for attracting million-dollar yachts to its high-roller casinos and some extremely upscale resorts, for me, the biggest treasures are its beautiful beaches. Cable Beach is one of my favorites — in my opinion, it's difficult not to love its two and a half miles of alabaster sand and gentle aqua surf, and it's free to the public.

Nassau's public transport is also a great affordable way to get around the island — a $1.50 ticket will take you from Cable Beach right into downtown Nassau. Hop on to visit the famous Straw Market, which I think is a must to snag affordable hand-woven straw hats, wood carvings, and conch jewelry. I also love taking the bus out to Arawak Cay for the famous all-day fish fry kiosks.

Nassau is also easily explorable on foot. I recommend taking a culture walking tour with the Dilly Dally. Their small group tours cover the main attractions like the Water Tower, Fort Fincastle, The Queen's Staircase, The Nassau Public Library, and the Governor General's House. The tour takes about three hours and costs $45.

Where to stay: I'm always very impressed with Breezes Bahamas for its affordability and quality — although I think the food options are a tad limited, their staff makes me feel like family and their beachfront can't be beat. And it's right next door to Baha Mar, a much pricier resort, so you'll get the same million-dollar view and silky sands right outside your room at a fraction of the price.

Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales Island is one of my favorite sand stretches on the planet thanks to its 3 miles of pristine soft, white sand softly lapped with aqua waves, and it's open to the public, so anywhere you stay along it is a treat. I've stayed at the most high-end resorts and some mid-priced stays, but I've found the island can also be done well on a budget.

The downtown area of Providenciales, which locals call Provo, is laid-back, charming, and easily navigable by coaster bike, which is often offered free or for a small fee from most resorts. The taxi ride from Grace Bay Beach to town is also inexpensive, in my experience.

One of my favorite free things to do downtown is to stop by the Salt Mills Mall to visit The Potcake Place, a dog rescue operation for the island's homeless dogs that allows visitors to take the pups out for socialization walks on the beach, free of charge. It's great for the dogs, they love to play in the sand, and as much as I love going it's just as tough each time to stop myself from taking a pup home with me, as they all are adoptable.

I also like to snorkel at Coral Gardens, a free public coral garden off Grace Bay Beach, also known as Bight Reef. It's right offshore and ideal for beginners. Another affordable excursion is a boat trip to Iguana Island to see the indigenous, endangered lizards; it's a protected area run by the Turks and Caicos Foundation.

Where to stay: Club Med Turkoise is an excellent choice for a budget, all-inclusive stay right on Grace Bay Beach. It's adults-only, and has fun amenities like the trapeze on the beach where the staff will give you lessons.

I find Kauai to be nirvana for nature lovers, as one of the more unspoiled and less-developed islands in the Hawaiian chain. I think it's an especially wonderful destination for those who love to hike pristine ancient lands and discover stunning sites like secret waterfalls. The fresh produce is plentiful, and I love that every time I visit, I come across more people who want to live close to the land, which I think lends to the island a laid-back Bohemian vibe.

And though there are ritzy hotels on island, I've had great experiences with lower budget places to stay in Kapaa where eats are cheap and activities free or affordable. From Kapaa, you can hike from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapi'ai for a glorious beach day or rent bikes to cycle the paved trails of the ultra scenic seaside Coconut Coast.

Bus service is spotty in my experience, so I recommend renting a car for at least a day to visit fun local spots like Poipu Shopping Village, where you can catch free entertainment like traditional Hula dance and music in the central courtyard, as well as the famous Napali coast and trails near Hanalei. (Yes, the same place that Puff the Magic Dragon came from.)

Where to stay: Hilton Garden Inn is five miles from Kapaʻa, in a gorgeous and culturally historic region called Wailua Bay and right beside Lydgate Beach Park. I found it had excellent swimming and snorkeling in a protected lagoon and well-equipped modern rooms and amenities. It's also beside the Wailua river where you can kayak.

Just eight miles off the coast of the Cancun hotel zone is Isla Mujeres, a very special little tropical outpost where I've found I can holiday for very little, yet still enjoy some of the best features this region has to offer. Glorious beaches, pristine aqua seas, authentic local food, interesting cultural sights, and natural pastimes all await on Isla Mujeres. The island's name, which translates to island of women, is dedicated to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility.

I've gotten there from Cancun via the Ultramar public ferry, which costs around $12 each way.

I suggest visitors bring their own snorkel gear as the waters are teeming with marine life including sea turtles, rays, and even dolphins. But don't expect a party scene, in my experience the vibe here is laidback.

The island is less than 5 miles long and less than a half mile wide, so I think getting around is a breeze. There are few cars as golf carts, mopeds, or bikes are the most popular modes of transportation I've observed for visitors and locals alike. Rentals are cheap as well in my experience.

Beyond the beaches, I like to head out to explore the wild craggy cliff sides of the south point (Punta Sur) for an outdoor sculpture garden, a lighthouse, and a small ruin of an ancient temple. The entrance fee is less than $1.50. I think the downtown market has great bargains for food and souvenirs, and there are seaside spots for fresh fish at rock bottom prices, too.

Where to stay: There are inexpensive backpacker-style stays like Nomad's Hotel & Beach Club and Selina Isla Mujeres for a beach-bumming style holiday.

I haven't yet explored as much of Jamaica as I have other islands in the Caribbean, but I do know that going the all-inclusive route is the best way to get the most value, and these types of resorts are very popular on this island, in my experience.

Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa is a very hip, trendy resort just 10 minutes from Montego Bay's little town, a popular cruise ship stop, along a private peninsula beach with several other resorts. The all-inclusive food and drink options here are expansive, including four à la carte restaurants, an international buffet, a beachside grill, and five bars, plus 24-hour room service.

When I stayed here, I learned I could also access 19 additional dining and bar options at the sister resorts next door, Secrets Wild Orchid and Secrets St.James, as well as all of their activities, water sports, and nightly special events like live concerts. I ran out of nights before I ran out of things to do and places to eat and drink. Don't miss the sing-around piano bar, I think it's an absolute blast.

There's so much to enjoy here, but what I like best about this collective of hotels is the staff. I find they're truly joyful and fun, and bring the real Jamaican vibe in all they do.

And the hotels are close to town if you want to do some local exploring like visiting the "Hip Strip" for the Harbour Street Craft and Cultural Village. Also, for an inexpensive half-day trip off-property, I recommend an outing to the famous Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, is a must-do when visiting Jamaica.

Where to stay: Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa is a one-stop destination for visitors to Jamaica — for the all-inclusive price tag, you get food and drink at six on-site restaurants and five bars, plus there's a rooftop pool.

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