Where do I start???
I travel a lot. I prefer to travel often rather than go for rare luxury travel, so I search out great deals, avoid package deals, and most often I'll rent a car and find my own way and lodgings. Consider this style rather than confining yourself to an 'all-inclusive'. If you pay ahead of time for all-inclusives then you either limit your excursions to between meals or you pay for meals outside of the resort. Also, you might find yourself compelled to make the most of what you paid for in the watersports (because you already paid for it) rather than venturing outside of the resort. I've traveled to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico many times and I have always rented a car and explored without breaking the bank.
Example for Costa Rica:
airfare $230 (if you patiently shop)
rental car, 1 week $165 (4x4 is nice but definitely not necessary, despite what you'll read).
lodging $17 average per night
food $10 per person per day
This is really a budget trip and therefore allows plenty for tours, guides, and/or excursions. (see my portfolio for pics from these places)
I also suggest a cruise. Airfare to Miami is cheap and there are tons of cruises out of here. I don't like cruises because I like to be totally in control of my itinerary. I find that I am looking forward to my next destination and once there, I feel rushed to get back to the ship before departure. With that said, I did take a great cruise two years ago on Norwegian Cruise Lines. It was a 10 day roundtrip from Miami through the Southern Carribean. I took this trip because it was priced right ($850 pp) and especially because it visited destinations that are not normally visited by cruises from Miami. Usually the itinerary from Miami is either the Western or the Eastern Carribean and are so overrun by tourists that I get the feeling of being herded. This ship really hauled butt down to Granada and then stopped at Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Tortola on the way back to Miami.
Another reason for suggesting a cruise from Miami(other than a mostly all included great price) is cheap airfare to the departure port.
I'll list some of the websites that I monitor and/or subscribe to emails for great deals on all-inclusives, cruises, and airfares.
//away.com/index.html
//www.smartertravel.com/
//www.libertytravel.com/
//www.cruiseshopping.com/
Looking over your posting I have some comments:
I wouldn't go to the Bahamas or Mexico unless you have a really good reason that stands out above places like St. Lucia. The mountainous forests that go right to the water's edge in St. Lucia blow away the so-called "rain forests" of Cozumel.
I've heard that Sandals is a nice resort and that might work for you, but I think that with a little research you can create your own perfect getaway that is as adventurous as you'd like as well as private and as romantic as you'd like. In other words, if you plan you own vacation you can combine the best of what a resort has to offer with the versatility of your own schedule, for a lot less money.
Many people get intimidated by going to third world countries or are hesitant about driving and exploring outside of the U.S. Don't be. It's not that bad and can be a lot of fun.
I can offer more details about some of these trips when you make some decisions and narrow down what you think you might like to do. PM if I don't seem to see this thread and I'll be happy to help you with more info. |
