I’m planning a trip for DS and his gf this winter, probably February, that will be their Christmas gift. It’ll be just the 3 of us and the goal is to go someplace warm and just relax in the sun. If there are other things to see and do, that’d be good, but not essential. I haven’t done much research but I’m wondering about Punta Cana. We’ll be traveling from the East Coast. Any ideas of other destinations or feedback on Punta Cana? Also debating whether to do an all-inclusive resort…
We are going to Punta Cana for xmas. We’ve been there a few times. I have been to the Club Med resort a few times and one of the Melia hotels a few times also. The beaches are beautiful and the weather is hot enough at DR in Jan and Feb (other islands are iffy). It is also very easy to get to from the east coast.
Club Med was renovated few years ago, so you could get some upscale rooms. The Melia group has few resorts at Punta Cana, and you could get a room at “The Reserve” section where you could get higher end services (better alcohol and food). Both of them are all inclusive.
Grand Cayman? Not sure where you are on the East Coast, but Jet Blue has direct flights (~4 hours) out of JFK.
Are you interested in all inclusive or something else? A lot of Punta Cana is all inclusive but we did stay at the Westin which was not. I like the independence from the resort. We also enjoyed Aruba.
If you’re looking to relax on a beautiful beach and don’t mind an all inclusive, DR is really a nice spot. We stayed at the Iberostar and had a nice time there.
An all inclusive is a great way to go, gives you so much flexibility. Riviera Maya resorts in Mexico are another good option. Iberostars are good wherever you go, lots of options for activities without leaving the resort.
Personally I love Jamaica but I like spending some time off resort and my wife likes all inclusive, so it’s a good compromise for us.
If you mostly want to relax on beach, all inclusive is hard to beat. Mexico and DR are probably the best value for that, and great beaches most places. I do enjoy not thinking about how much things cost or even carrying a wallet it definitely makes the vacation more relaxing.
Be aware of current advisories in the Caribbean. State Departement has increased alerts in several areas so it is good to research before going and take recommended precautions. dhttps://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/10/30/sexual-assault-caribbean-islands/1809721002/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2017/07/28/10-most-dangerous-places-for-women-travelers-and-how-to-stay-safe/#40e6430d2448
I don’t think it is necessary to get all worked up about going to Caribbean on vacation. The only island listed is Jamaica. They all want to keep those islands safe for tourists. As long as you don’t do anything stupid there is really nothing to worry about.
I am more nervous about living in the States now than traveling overseas. I am sure there are a lot of warning about traveling to the States.
There’s a unique all inclusive on the Caribbean Sea, just above Playa del Carmen and below Cancun, on the Yucatan Peninsula - Sandos Caracol Eco Resort. It is really nothing like I’ve ever visited before, and there was so much to do on site, that my best friend and I never had to leave the property (and we had planned several off-site excursions, which we ended up cancelling). We were almost the only American’s there, most were European and that added to the enjoyment for us. The staff was kind, helpful, and went out of their way to ensure everything was a-ok. Our very large room (2 queen beds, huge bathroom) had a balcony that overlooked the jungle and we could watch monkeys bop around from tree to tree.
Onsite there are Mayan ruins, several cenotes (one is for snorkeling, and it is out of this world beautiful) they have 2 weekly night markets that come to “town” - one is street vendors (crafts, etc.) from Playa del Carmen and local mariachi plays and dancing in the “street” (this was so much fun!) the other is food vendors (no extra charge for the food), which was incredibly delicious. There’s an “adult section” that requires all to be 21+ so it’s very peaceful. There’s a gigantic water park on site (we never made it there but saw it, it’s huge) and several pools (we only went to the adult pool, but that was to sit in the jacuzzi), there are bikes to borrow and a bike path around the property (included), there are eco-tours of the property and some very interesting shows at night (all included).
The resort is in the jungle on the beach, and it really IS jungle, with monkeys and other wildlife that simply live among the visitors. The ocean is warm, pretty and snorkel ready. There are inexpensive massages available on the beach (and not so inexpensive massages at the onsite spa).
I believe there were 6 restaurants (we “only” got to 5 of them) including a vegan that was incredible.
Over our 5 nights there we snorkeled (ocean and cenote - we bring our own equipment, but it’s included if you don’t), kayaked (ocean, included), hiked the huge property (well over 20 acres), enjoyed the spa, the gym, the food. played pool, ping pong, danced and relaxed.
We took a chance on this place and booked through “Cheap Caribbean” which did not offer the “adult section” - we upgraded ($125 p/p total to upgrade) as we checked in. Price wise we did a double take at how low it was, our pricing included airfare and we kept verifying the price was for 2 and all inclusive. It was.
Safety is of little concern here, they were amazing about ensuring everyone’s safety.
We haven’t stopped talking about how wonderful it was and we went months ago (we needed a break and impulsively booked this place). We plan on going again. There are videos on YouTube you can watch and a lot of information online. And as always there are some negative reviews, we take them with a grain of salt, assuming that some people are simply unable to be satisfied.
https://www.sandos.com/sandos-caracol-eco-resort/playa-del-carmen-all-inclusive-resort
It’s too late for me to correct my post, I am mistaken, the adults section is 18+ not 21 as I wrote.