All-Inclusive Vacation Help

[sunshower]

For whatever reason, I decided today that it would be fun if a special girlfriend of mine and I went on an all-inclusive beach vacation this winter for a girls weekend. The problem is that I have no idea where to start looking.

So, I'm looking for your help! I don't care what country the resort is actually in so long as it meets the following criteria:
1. There must be loads of fun things to do. I cannot just sit around on a beach all day, every day. I will go mental. I'm thinking activities like hang gliding, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc.
2. Nothing "guided". While I want loads of fun things to do, I don't want anyone else telling me what fun things I must do from 10 AM - 2 PM.
3. It must be relatively inexpensive. Hopefully under $900 per person for 3-4 nights.
4. It's in the Caribbean.

Obviously, drinks must be included in the overall price.

I'm hoping that someone here has been on an all-inclusive vacation before or knows a close friend who has. If you have any advice including, but not limited to, a country to narrow it down to, a company to get in contact with, the best way to get a good deal, what to avoid or personal stories about where you went, I'd love to hear.

Thanks!

[thom hudson]

wherever you go, you should definitely make out with each other.

[sunshower]

Originally Posted by thom hudson

wherever you go, you should definitely make out with each other.

Thank you for your helpful input. We'll take that into consideration and possibly add it to the agenda.

[Barbossa]

Go to a nudist resort. That's a sure way to spice things up.

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by thom hudson

wherever you go, you should definitely make out with each other.

[Number41QT]

I've heard Dubai is amazing.

[siserilla]

Hey LeeAnne,

Check out Costa Rica. I know there are a few all-inclusive resorts there and there is so much to do there. I went for 2 weeks about 4 years ago and we visited the volcanoes, rain forests and went to the beaches. It isn't very expensive either. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[Hudak-Budak]

Originally Posted by Number41QT

I've heard Dubai is amazing.

If they're going for a weekend, something tells me a 20-hour flight to and from might drastically cut into their vacation time.

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by Number41QT

I've heard Dubai is amazing.

The last place anyone should travel to right now is the oil-rich Middle East. Until they lower oil prices, we shouldn't be putting any more money in their pockets.

[Beefsteak1138]

Originally Posted by Hudak-Budak

If they're going for a weekend, something tells me a 20-hour flight to and from might drastically cut into their vacation time.

Plus last time I checked, Dubai isn't in the Carribean.

[Number41QT]

Originally Posted by Hudak-Budak

If they're going for a weekend, something tells me a 20-hour flight to and from might drastically cut into their vacation time.

Originally Posted by Beefsteak1138

Plus last time I checked, Dubai isn't in the Carribean.

OOPS - I read her post WAY too quick.....fucking multi-tasking!

[Number41QT]

Originally Posted by colegibson

The last place anyone should travel to right now is the oil-rich Middle East. Until they lower oil prices, we shouldn't be putting any more money in their pockets.

Good point too

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by siserilla

Hey LeeAnne,

Check out Costa Rica. I know there are a few all-inclusive resorts there and there is so much to do there. I went for 2 weeks about 4 years ago and we visited the volcanoes, rain forests and went to the beaches. It isn't very expensive either. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Costa Rica is awesome. My uncle lives in San Jose. It's beautiful down there. I spent a week there several years ago at an all-inclusive ecolodge in the rain forest called "Lapa Rios." It's very stripped down and you really get in touch with the surrounding nature. I went on nature hikes, saw monkeys and sloths, learned to surf, went deep-sea fishing, and ate fresh local cuisine. It was one of the best vacations I've been on.

http://www.laparios.com/

[william.hosking]

Don't take any travel advice from me.







Seriously, don't.

[sunshower]

Originally Posted by siserilla

Hey LeeAnne,

Check out Costa Rica. I know there are a few all-inclusive resorts there and there is so much to do there. I went for 2 weeks about 4 years ago and we visited the volcanoes, rain forests and went to the beaches. It isn't very expensive either. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks Lissa! Do you remember where you stayed when you went? I've never done all-inclusive before but in the interest of two differing budgets, it would be great to have a set price tag for accom, flight, food and drinks and take it from there. Obviously "extras" would cost extra but those are the big 4 I'd like to have planned for. When you booked, did you do it the way I've always done it in the past--shop around for a good flight, check out hotel reviews online, etc--or did you use an agency?

The volcanoes interest me greatly! Were you allowed to climb them? Anyway, any info you can pass along would be awesome.

[jdmpsu339]

turk and caicos FTW

[sunshower]

Originally Posted by colegibson

Costa Rica is awesome. My uncle lives in San Jose. It's beautiful down there. I spent a week there several years ago at an all-inclusive ecolodge in the rain forest called "Lapa Rios." It's very stripped down and you really get in touch with the surrounding nature. I went on nature hikes, saw monkeys and sloths, learned to surf, went deep-sea fishing, and ate fresh local cuisine. It was one of the best vacations I've been on.

http://www.laparios.com/

Honest to dog, this sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. You can chill on the beach if you feel like it but you can be surrounded by culture, good food and fun at the same time.

Did you use an agency for your flights or did you book on your own? How much did the trip cost you?

Same goes for you, Lissa. What did the pricetag look like?

[scrock25]

Originally Posted by Hudak-Budak

If they're going for a weekend, something tells me a 20-hour flight to and from might drastically cut into their vacation time.

Not to mention, it's not in the Caribbean.

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by sunshower

The volcanoes interest me greatly! Were you allowed to climb them? Anyway, any info you can pass along would be awesome.

There are several volcanoes, active and dormant, surrounding San Jose that you can hike up to. We hiked up one of the dormant ones. I would suggest doing the active ones, though. They're all tourist spots so it's not much of a nature hike and the dormant volcanoes are just big puddles of sulfur water.

[sweett513]

On a similar note - anyone have any honeymoon destination recommendations?

[william.hosking]

Originally Posted by sweett513

On a similar note - anyone have any honeymoon destination recommendations?

Cruise through the Caribbean in December.

[Number41QT]

Originally Posted by sweett513

On a similar note - anyone have any honeymoon destination recommendations?

I hear Dubai is amazing ftw

[Barbossa]

Originally Posted by sunshower

Honest to dog, this sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. You can chill on the beach if you feel like it but you can be surrounded by culture, good food and fun at the same time.

Did you use an agency for your flights or did you book on your own? How much did the trip cost you?

Same goes for you, Lissa. What did the pricetag look like?

My father made all the travel arrangements but I'm sure he booked the flights himself. We had to fly into the San Jose airport from Miami and then take a small prop plane into a village on the Osa Peninsula. The resort picked us up there and drove us into the jungle to the resort. The resort is a little pricey, but it's probably no more all together than a regular trip down to the Bahamas or any other all-inclusive tropical resort.

[Beefsteak1138]

Originally Posted by sweett513

On a similar note - anyone have any honeymoon destination recommendations?

The Riu Palace in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

[scrock25]

Originally Posted by sweett513

On a similar note - anyone have any honeymoon destination recommendations?

Me and mine will be shipping off to Aruba the Monday after.

[sweett513]

Originally Posted by scrock25

Me and mine will be shipping off to Aruba the Monday after.

all inclusive resort?

[siserilla]

Originally Posted by sunshower

Thanks Lissa! Do you remember where you stayed when you went? I've never done all-inclusive before but in the interest of two differing budgets, it would be great to have a set price tag for accom, flight, food and drinks and take it from there. Obviously "extras" would cost extra but those are the big 4 I'd like to have planned for. When you booked, did you do it the way I've always done it in the past--shop around for a good flight, check out hotel reviews online, etc--or did you use an agency?

The volcanoes interest me greatly! Were you allowed to climb them? Anyway, any info you can pass along would be awesome.

I went with my best friend and her family who are from Costa Rica. They did most of the booking and we never went with the all-inclusive route. Personally, I don't like going that route because I feel like your tied down to eating at the hotel and you do not get to experience the local cuisine.

You may be able to go on some sort of tour to climb the volcanoes. We went to a park where you can swim in the springs that are heated by the Arenal Volcano.

We travelled all over the country so we stayed in a few different hotels but one of the most memorable ones for me was the Tamarindo Diria. It was absolutely beautiful and I did an estimate and for 3 nights in December it came to 600 total. The beaches are great and you're close to the rain forest where you can do the canopy tours etc. Tamirindo is a big surf town too, so I don't know if that interests you but there are always surf classes available.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

[spoot388]

i think cancun can be done for about $900 if you do it right. some of my relatives go there every few years and the airfare, hotel, food, and drinks are all included. they told me if i wanted to go it would be like $800. not sure how many different way you can plan a trip there, or how prices are in the winter.

[scrock25]

Originally Posted by sweett513

all inclusive resort?

Yes ma'am. The Occidental.

[siserilla]

Originally Posted by sunshower

Same goes for you, Lissa. What did the pricetag look like?

The trip all together cost me a few grand but I was also there for 2 weeks.