Beach vacation suggestion

[mchong75]

I’m planning to surprise my GF with a short beach vacation in July (3 nights, 4 days) and I have no clue where to start.

What are some hot spots for vacation these days? (Prefer all inclusive vacation deals)

Prefer a place with good scenery. I want to take some sunset/sunrise beach photos as well.

My budget is around $1,000 to $1,200 per person. (Airfare and hotel)

Please help :)

[David Whatley]

Cozumel, and there are a cpl all inclusive resorts there.
I would NOT do Jamica

[ngoduyviet]

Originally Posted by David Whatley

Cozumel, and there are a cpl all inclusive resorts there.
I would NOT do Jamica

My brother just took his gf to Cozumel last week, and they love it. I saw the shots he took there, looked really nice. Might have to take my wife & kid there for vacation too.

[Torrey]

Keep in mind, Cozumel is limited on beach space. If you plan to do some snorkeling or scuba diving though, it's hard to beat. I've stayed at a couple of all-inclusives in Cozumel (Reef Club and Occidental Allegro). Both have their own beaches and they're not bad at all for the price. Food is mediocre, but about on par with just about any all-inclusive. With airfare & taxes out of Dallas, it was about ~$800 per person, but probably $100 or so of that was scuba costs. I love diving, but the most fun I actually had there was the 4-wheeler excursion through the jungle to see a couple of Mayan ruins. I highly recommend it if you go.

By the way, both of these resorts are down on the south side of the island and a little ways from town, so be prepared to spend a little on taxis. I suggest you don't rent a scooter to get to town. And take her to Primo's, you'll love it.

Torrey added 7 Minutes and 37 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Here are a couple of land shots I took last time I was there. Don't be scared by the clouds in the last one...this was in November at the end of hurricane season. You should be fine in July.

[mchong75]

Originally Posted by Torrey

Keep in mind, Cozumel is limited on beach space. If you plan to do some snorkeling or scuba diving though, it's hard to beat. I've stayed at a couple of all-inclusives in Cozumel (Reef Club and Occidental Allegro). Both have their own beaches and they're not bad at all for the price. Food is mediocre, but about on par with just about any all-inclusive. With airfare & taxes out of Dallas, it was about ~$800 per person, but probably $100 or so of that was scuba costs. I love diving, but the most fun I actually had there was the 4-wheeler excursion through the jungle to see a couple of Mayan ruins. I highly recommend it if you go.

By the way, both of these resorts are down on the south side of the island and a little ways from town, so be prepared to spend a little on taxis. I suggest you don't rent a scooter to get to town. And take her to Primo's, you'll love it.

Torrey added 7 Minutes and 37 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Here are a couple of land shots I took last time I was there. Don't be scared by the clouds in the last one...this was in November at the end of hurricane season. You should be fine in July.

Cool

Thanks for the tips.

Is Cozumel the only place in Mexico to see the Mayan ruins?

Also, is Cozumel overly crowded as Cancun?

[Torrey]

Cozumel is nowhere near as crowded as Cancun. The mainland has some bigger and better ruins. I never went across to the mainland, but I hear it's about a 30-minute ferry ride. The ruins in Cozumel aren't that impressive (the 4-wheeler ride is the best part). The ones on the mainland are a little closer to Cozumel than Cancun, but either way they're still not too far away.

http://www.mayanbeachgarden.com/mapYucatan.html

[RandySmith]

I'm heading to Cabos San Lucas in May. I haven't personally done this, but I've heard that if you're willing to sit through one agressive sales presentation per day for different timeshares, you can almost "pay" for your trip. When I was there 2 years ago, the "last" offer I received before walking away was $300.00 cash to sit through a 4hour presentation, so "negotiate". I already had plans for that day and I certainly didn't need "another" timeshare.

[Teddington]

I haven't made it to Cabo San Lucas but I'd like to go. Mostly golf or water activity (scuba, snorkel or fish) and I'd expect it to be pretty "touristy". Unless they've discontinued, Delta was doing daily non-stop to Cabo.

Cozumel is closer and you might hook up with a charter flight for near nothing. Janice and I went a couple of years ago and got round trip for less than $200 each on a charter flight that even had Hooters' Girl flight attendants.

I don't see a lot of bargains but with the economy down, Grand Cayman is also close and they speak English. If you're looking for some shopping, water sports and good food you'll find all of that on Grand Cayman. Go swim with the Stingrays.

July can be pretty hot on the Gulf Coast but the Tampa area has a lot of history and some killer wildlife sanctuaries nearby if you are into shore birds and such (can you say Ding Darling?). Needless to say, lots of history and other attractions but the water will be warm.

Going the other way, San Diego or up near Torrey Pines is fun and you stay in the states. The water in the Pacific is COLD, even in July (maybe up to low 70's) but the temps are awesome and sea breezes keep it delightful. Lots of shopping, a quick hop to Tiajuana if you absolutely have to do "Mexico Shopping" but I don't recommend it.

Check out SkyAuction.com. It's kinda like Ebay for travel. They offer packages and some go for CHEAP if you learn to bid it correctly. Janice and I won the bid on a 5 bedroom 5 bath villa for a week, complete with cook, housekeeper and live-in gardner/security, in Jamaica a few year ago for just over $1000!! Take your friends. Or go somewhere else where the police don't carry machine pistols and M-16's.

[mchong75]

Originally Posted by Teddington

I haven't made it to Cabo San Lucas but I'd like to go. Mostly golf or water activity (scuba, snorkel or fish) and I'd expect it to be pretty "touristy". Unless they've discontinued, Delta was doing daily non-stop to Cabo.

Cozumel is closer and you might hook up with a charter flight for near nothing. Janice and I went a couple of years ago and got round trip for less than $200 each on a charter flight that even had Hooters' Girl flight attendants.

I don't see a lot of bargains but with the economy down, Grand Cayman is also close and they speak English. If you're looking for some shopping, water sports and good food you'll find all of that on Grand Cayman. Go swim with the Stingrays.

July can be pretty hot on the Gulf Coast but the Tampa area has a lot of history and some killer wildlife sanctuaries nearby if you are into shore birds and such (can you say Ding Darling?). Needless to say, lots of history and other attractions but the water will be warm.

Going the other way, San Diego or up near Torrey Pines is fun and you stay in the states. The water in the Pacific is COLD, even in July (maybe up to low 70's) but the temps are awesome and sea breezes keep it delightful. Lots of shopping, a quick hop to Tiajuana if you absolutely have to do "Mexico Shopping" but I don't recommend it.

Check out SkyAuction.com. It's kinda like Ebay for travel. They offer packages and some go for CHEAP if you learn to bid it correctly. Janice and I won the bid on a 5 bedroom 5 bath villa for a week, complete with cook, housekeeper and live-in gardner/security, in Jamaica a few year ago for just over $1000!! Take your friends. Or go somewhere else where the police don't carry machine pistols and M-16's.

Sweet info on SkyAuction.com.

Thank you

[lscottpht]

There are some great deals for the Dominican Republic during that time. The resorts are all inclusive, and it's a fun place. I'm there right now and have been there many times. Also, the Mayan Riviera is supposed to be good. I've been to Cancun and Cozumel, but never the Mayan Riviera. I'm going there at the end of this month, so I can let you know how it is. A couple of other good places, relatively inexpensive, are Belize and Costa Rica. Just thought you might want some place different than Cancun and Cozumel.

[dminton]

OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA -- Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island are two of the best beaches I have ever been to. Avoid international airfare and custom BS. It's just about a 2 hour drive from Raleigh (which is a big airport and you can find cheap flights into there) and most of the Outer Banks are federally protected seashore so they are PRISTINE. NO huge condos on the beach everywhere clogging up the views, no McDonalds or other stuff that you have everywhere back home and best of all no trashy beach party folks. Its really quiet and the emphasis is all about the beaches. No chain hotels, its all small independent places, literally on the beach. Its not a partying, drinking, shopping, clubbing place at all: the total opposite. On Hatteras, when you go out and walk on the beach at night, you see the light from the lighthouse and that's about it. It's the most amazing night sky you have ever seen. There is only one small two-lane highway that connects the Outer Banks islands which keeps the crowding to a minimum. It's very easy to find a spot where you can be the only people on the beach for a long ways.

Ocracoke Island is accessed ferry only, which means even less crowds. Most of the island is national seashore, except the small town of Ocracoke (Blackbeard the pirate used to live in the lightouse!) Lots of little beach shops and hotels and lots of beach to explore. There is literally NOTHING commercial on Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke was Dr Beach's best beach in the world for 2007.

If you want less of a drive, you can fly into Myrtle Beach and drive north 30 minutes up past all the filth of Myrtle Beach into southern North Carolina and go to Ocean Isle Beach or Sunset Beach. Again, these are places that are all about the beach. A little closer to civilization, but still just removed enough. And the best part is Calabash North Carolina seafood, literally caught a few hours before you eat it. Fried seafood was invented here.

[BigC]

My first thought is try to find a 4 day cruise. The next best thing would be South padre island. Then Corpus and as a last resort Galveston.

http://www.carnival.com/find_a_Cruis...CCW&dat=072009

[wclavey]

Originally Posted by dminton

OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA -- Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island are two of the best beaches I have ever been to.

David, my wife and I have been going there since we were both young teenagers and I cannot agree with you more. It is much more of a trip from Houston than it was when we lived in Philadelphia or Baltimore (we have an old dog and we drive so we can take her), but it is a drive worth every minute. Besides, I pick someplace neat along the way in each direction to spend the day shooting... I almost hesitated to say anything here because it is NOT at all like the other places described.

[Bruce M. Morris]

also vote for the NC beaches. you could even fly into Norfolk, VA and drive down and be on the beaches within a couple of hours. I have known people that lived in NC and worked on Naval Station Norfolk, so it isnt that far.

[Spec A!]

VA Beach and Myrtle Beach are both great too on the East Coast.

We went to an all inclusive in the Riviera Maya area in MX (close to Tulum) in October- was awesome! Spent a day in Playa Del Carmen and we're 99% sure we're going back there this October. Looking at staying at the Royal Playa del Carmen- http://www.realresorts.com/The_Royal_Playa_Carmen/

Here's the beach in front of the above hotel:


Here's the rest of the pictures- http://eatonlife.com/MEXICO!.html