The Caribbean during storm season? Believe it.

Why Now: known for their outstanding scuba sites, the Dutch Caribbean outposts of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao (a.k.a. the ABC Islands) lie just off the coast of Venezuela, which puts their peaceful turquoise waters outside the hurricane zone. And here, summer sticks around all year.

What’s New: Aruba has invested $100 million to upgrade hotels, including adding the new Riu Palace Antillas, and the island’s airport also got a face-lift. Bonaire’s Divi Flamingo will wrap a multimillion-dollar update this fall.
Curacao kicked off its reef-restoration eco-initiative in May, and there are new villa-style suites at Baoase Luxury Resort, freshly decked-out rooms at the Hilton Curacao, and gussied-up villas at Papagayo.

Action Plan: Ditch the turkey. Direct flights from the States (especially to Aruba) mean a Thanksgiving getaway that gives you nearly four full days on the ground—and in the water.