USVI-On-Line

I'm glad to hear people (FlipFlop) talk about Cancun and Playa del Carmen and the Yucatan in general. I'm headed to Playa in a few weeks and staying at a small hotel some friends referred us to. I'm really looking forward to it!


lpowmacbac- We got a great deal on this trip. We are not going all-inclusive but many of those were even very reasonable, as well. We just decided on the more "real" experience of not being on a resort.

DELETED

[quote="cypressgirl"] a family at Caneel the other day that said their favorite vacation so far was to Turtle Inn in Belize.

Belize is amazing. It is beautiful, not crowded, and the locals are SO nice. If I weren't so obsessed with STJ I would go back to Belize!

I think Punta Cana might be one of the most reasonable destinations in the Caribbean. There are some great deals to be had there. The downside, as has been mentioned, is that except for the resort properties, there's not much else to do. But the resorts are probably all you need for a short getaway.

Have you checked out skyauction.com? There are some good values there, just be sure and check out all the incidentals. With a soon-to-be category 5 heading to the Yucatan, this may not be the year to head that way. Hope it doesn't turn out that way, but doesn't look good now.

Robin

I've been to quite a few Caribbean islands. For ease of travel and a bit more "glitz," I think St. Martin and Aruba are good bets.

Aruba has large resorts, casinos, and a wide array of restaurants. It's a desert island surrounded by bright blue water - quite a contrast. The Radisson and Hyatt are beautiful properties. Great downtown area with shopping, not much cruise ship traffic compared to other islands like STT, and nice beaches.

St. Martin is one of my favorites. I prefer the French side. Rent a car and explore. I've been five times and I know a TON of places - from inexpensive on up. I saw someone classified St. Martin as "expensive." Not really true if you know where to go - St. John is much pricier. St. Martin has some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean, from gourmet down to budget, and we've eaten fabulous meals for $20 in St. Martin (that's for dinner). Also, St. Martin has cheap rental cars - think $35 a day. The nearby islands of Anguilla and St. Barths make for great day trips. I personally think that, love it or not, St. Martin is a "can't miss" in the Caribbean.

We're going to Costa Rica in May. Can't speak to this yet, but I'm excited.

We also really like Playa. The Iberostar Tucan is smaller and more intimate than the Maya and just lovely on a gorgeous stretch of beach. We would definitely stay there again.

With several Caribbean cruises under our belts, we too have been fortunate to visit quite a few islands. Aruba is not one we had visited - but one we are not interested in. While I did say we were looking for a destination that was a little glitzier than STJ, Aruba, from what we know of it - is not what we are looking for (too flat & arid). St. Martin sounds lovely, and while not as pricy as STJ - I think I may get a better deal at a place like Playa Del Carmen, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica or Punta Cana...

Again.. THANKS EVERYONE It may take us a while to decide where we go - but I'll let you know

Of all the places that have been mentioned thus far, and under the assumption that we are somewhat 'kindred spirits' as we both love St. John, I would second the recommendations for both Costa Rica and the Czech Republic.

VERY different from each other but both are places that I definitely want to return to someday. (Given that my days are increasingly growing scarce--true for all of us--and that my travel 'wish list' is VERY long still, I do NOT say that lightly )

I have also been to Anguilla, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Rico, and Belize; not been to Aruba or St. Martin (can't remember any others that may have been mentioned).

For what it is worth..... Puerto Adventuras. Check out Chac Hal & the Omni Hotel. A NICE trip and not too far away.

+1 for Costa Rica

Spent a week there exploring. Did Arenal, Tamarindo, and Jaco.

Would go back again. Tamarindo is a nice beach town, and there's nothing quite like seeing (and hearing) Arenal spew lava! Jaco was so-so, although it has a great surf break.

But right now Jackie & I are planning a trip to the Abaco chain in the Bahamas.

One more thing though ....

Travelling in CR is an adventure. Sometimes horrible roads & non-existant road signs made this a truly memorable vacation.

Hi!

Saw the suggestions about Portugal and the Cheque Republic and just want to comment.
If you only have 5-7 days, I personally wouldn’t go to Europe. You will use much time just to travel, I think. But Portugal is nice with many beaches, not too expensive, worth a visit. Last year we spent some days in Praque. This city is incredible beautiful and the history is very interesting. But what makes it beautiful is all the buildings, churches, castles etc. We were very impressed. One of the prettiest capitals in Europe, we think. And cheap to live there. But no beaches and not much nature. There will be pretty nature to see in other places in the Cheque Republic. But then you need a longer time!

Linne

Love hearing these suggestions especially about Portugal. My husband and I are looking to go to Portugal for two weeks, hopefully this spring. His family is from Portugal and he lived there as a child. We have been together for almost 10 years and I still haven't gone! When we go, we will spend a week just visiting his family and with his father - who still lives there as well. The second week we are hoping to go to the Algarve - looks really pretty! I will be sure to let everyone know how it was....As for the suggestion of Prague - my boss and his wife were there a couple of years ago and said it was so incredible and almost magical. To see a city that is so old and so beautiful was amazing. While its not a beach destination - sure sounds like a lovely place and really pretty inexpensive.

LMG you are gonna love playa. Esp. the way you describe the place you are staying. We've done Cancun and Cancun is Cancun. Its all in what you are looking for. In the past Cancun would suffice because it was cheap and doable for a quick getaway. Once I discovered Playa ... same convenience totally different feel ... I was sold.

We have been to several islands and really none come close to STJ. I have enjoyed them all, but the feel/vibe is just different. St. Martin seemed a little stuffy. Not so much the people of the island they were fantastic, but the other tourists were kind of serious. It was strange in that way. Some gorgeous beaches though! St. Barths is very ritzy. It is where many celebrities play. I love Jamaica, but only Negril really its the closest I've gotten to a laid back STJ vibe (didn't like Ocho Rios or Montego Bay).

I don't like the big resort gated feel. When I travel I want to be in the mix. But that is just me.

flip-flop wrote:I stayed near Playa Del Carmen a little over a year ago (April 2006) with a couple of girlfriends and swore I'd be back.

I used to stay at the Dolphin Inn in Playa back in the early 90s. There's been a lot of condo development since then. I started going to STJ for two reasons: the beaches are close together and a more rustic experience. If you want to hit secluded beaches there is a lot of driving from Playa del Carmen.

If you want rustic in Quintana Roo you can go to Tulum and Punta Allen.

Cheers, Rick