vacation recomendations?

[jokerselsa]

Hubby and I would like to take a vacation this fall to celebrate our 10 yr meeting anniversary.
We would prefer a warm tropical destination other than Florida, as we plan to live there soon,and would like to go somewhere we will probably never go again, at least for another 10 yrs.

We have thought about Hawaii, Costa Rica, or a carribean destination, not so sure about Mexico, and would prefer it to more layed back, with as few tourist''s as possible. Also not sure if it is better to take an all inclusive trip.

Can anyone help me. And recommend a destination they have either been to, or have heard of.
I really would appreciate it. I want this to be an unforgettable vacation

 

[jokerselsa]

OOps forgot to track my topic.

 

[sosst7]

Where you looking for something in or near the US? I heard Maui was very nice and not as touristy as Oahu (which is where we will be going in 3 days!) If you guys were looking to go someplace far away, I would highly recommend the Seychelles. I was there a few years ago and it was GORGEOUS!!!! It''s quite a long flight and pretty pricey there because everything has to be imported, but definitely worth it. I have never seen water so clear and blue and the locals are so friendly and helpful. Hope this helps!

 

[regalada]

Kauai, St. John in the Virgin Islands and Culebra, a little island off the coast of Puerto Rico, all rank high on my list of laid-back vacations I''ve taken. I would pick Kauai if looking for a destination I might not return to in 10 years since it''s the farthest one and the most expensive one if you are coming from the US east coast.

 

[jokerselsa]

Thank you, The Virgin islands interest me. I will look into that. But then again Hawaii sounds nice too.

 

[lovelylulu]

Hello!

my fiancee and I and a great friend took a trip to costa rica a coupe of summers ago. the plane tickets during the warmer months are incredibly inexpensive (we got ours for something like $330) because it''s the "rainy season" however, we had incredible weather and i fantastic time. we rented a car and made our own way through the country which allowed us to avoid a lot of the more touristy areas. if you are interested i can give you some more specifics, but we got to go surfing, whitewater rafting, and hiking around a volcano...it was a really great trip!

 

[eks6426]

Have you considered the Tulum Mexico area? You fly into Cancun which is relatively inexpensive, but then drive a couple hours south. Very laid back and not touristy (nothing like Cancun). I''m going in June/July for my 1st anniversary.

Lovelylulu--would love to hear more about Costa Rica.

 

[Selkie]

I hear Belize is up and coming as a tourist destination, but is still relatively undiscovered. Similar to Costa Rica in terms of travel time, activities, and culture. I guess there is great diving and snorkeling.

 

[lovelylulu]

Here''s what i can remember from two years ago:

We talked about belieze because I love scuba diving, but had heard that it''s actually a bit pricey. We decided on costa rica because the plane tickets were unbeatable and it just seemed like there were so many great things to do.

We flew into san jose, the capital, and wanted to get out asap (we decided that before even traveling). It''s a crowded city and not the safest. i had reserved a car in advance, but that meant absolutely nothing, so we had to wait a while and use our limited spanish to NOT get ripped off. be tough! i had reserved a 4 wheel drive car thinking we''d need it in the rainy season, but of course they didn''t have any and rather than wait we just took a regular sedan -- had no problems.

renting a car was key. there are limited roads and limited public transportation, so if you really want to get out and explore, it''s definately a best bet.

highlights:
Manuel Antonio National Park - we went here first. a little more touristy, but the most brilliant beach i have ever been to and tons of monkeys.

Arenal Volcano -- here we hiked around the volcano and went to the hot springs and did a ropes course. much fun

Samara -- this little town is on the caribbean side of the country. beautiful beaches, surfing, great lodging options. would go back in a second

Some where in there we went white water rafting, but i can''t remember where. That was another great time.

The food and lodging was so cheap -- which allowed us to do all of these great activities and on some night splurge on more *luxurious* accomodations

i recommend going to anyone.

 

[jokerselsa]

lovelylulu, It sounds like your vacation was a blast. Thank you for sharing your experiences and information.
And it sounds like a vacation we would very much enjoy as well.

Also I do plan to look closer into belize. I would love to go scuba diving.

Mexico sounds nice, but hubby and I think it would be to desert-y
and not tropical forest-y. which we desire on this trip. Maybe we are wrong to think that.

Has anyone ever been to Tahiti ?

I have plenty of time to plan this, and want to make sure I/we make the right choice.

 

[Tybee]

Tahiti is on my list of MUST visit vacation places.

I''ve been to, and LOVED Tulum.
Have also loved the coast of Oaxaca Mexico.

I''m getting married in St. John, USVI---because it''s my favorite place in the world---so I highly recommend it.

Friends have visited and LOVED Culebra.

I''ve never been to Hawaii, but it''s also on my list---

Good luck and let us know what you plan!

 

[jokerselsa]

Well we have decided on Hawaii

Now we just need to research and book the trip.
We are planning on spending 2 weeks there,and would like to stay on at least three islands.
Just not sure how to plan a very nice itenerary.

Going to talk to some travel agents,and have requested info from the Hawaii tourism website.
But know we want to explore the islands with a helicopter,and go diving for sure.We are going to get certified before we go.

Does anyone else know any must do''s in Hawaii ???

 

[regalada]

jokerselsa, good choice!

When we went a couple of years ago, we did three islands, Maui, Big Island and Kauai, in that order. Maui was a good introduction and great for decompressing after the long flight from the east coast, and to adapt to the time change. In Maui, the must dos for us were a visit to the Haleakala National Park, driving the Road to Hana, and the Old Lahaina luau.

The Big Island was true to its name, so it involved quite a bit of driving. By the time we got there, we had our bearings and it was easier to find our way around. In the Big Island the must do for us was the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where we got up close to the lava flow, an amazing and unforgettable experience. At that time, seeing the lava required a one hour hike each way over dry lava in the dark and the heat, but we loved it so much we did it twice.

We left Kauai for last because it seemed the most laid back of the three, and it worked out well. The must dos for us were the helicopter ride and the Waimea Canyon. We loved the Kauai beaches the most, so we spend a couple of days laying around at the beach here after we did all the activities.

We used the Hawaii Revealed travel guides for the three islands, they were wonderful for planning and even better for driving around the island to see the sights.

Hawaii was our first big trip together and to this day, after having been to so many other places, Hawaii is still our favorite trip.

Have fun planning!

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Be careful with Belize as it can be dangerous for tourists. If you want to head in that direction, try San Pedro Island, off the coast of Belize. Beautiful, inexpensive, less tourists, lots to do and much safer.

My advise if you choose to do Belize...stay out of Belize City and the areas the immediately surround it.

See the warnings on the State Dept website.

 

[jokerselsa]

regalada,
Thank you for the information. That is exactly what I want to know. Which island to visit first,last etc.
And would like to have flexible planned itenerary.
I am getting so exited now. Only 5 months away.

 

[jokerselsa]

Well we made our Hawaii vacation plans

.

Oct 26th - Nov 9th. We will arive on the Big Island first (Kanaloa at Kona 4 nights).

Then head to Maui (Napili Kai beach resort 5 nights).

And our final destination is Kaua''i Castle Poipu Shores 5 nights).

I am soo excited and cant wait to go.
I was looking thru my closet last night for clothes I want to take.
Then hubby reminded me its still 5 months way

.

 

[codex57]

Congrats! As long as you avoid Oahu, your ok in terms of not being overrun by other tourists. To be honest, Hawaii is the best choice. Yes, the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands and South/Central America are beautiful and all, but you really can''t help but notice things aren''t quite as nice as the US. We really do have an incredible standard of living here.

Are you active people or not? Doing a traditional luau (sp?) on Maui is usually a must do. Otherwise, it kinda depends on what kinda stuff you like to do. Check out the volcanos on the Big Island. Find some out of the way waterfall on the other islands. Scuba dive, zip line, helicoptor tour, deep sea fishing, etc. If ya wanna be lazy, go to a cruise operator''s website (like Princess, Norwegian, Royal Carib, etc) and pick Hawaii and see what they offer to get ideas.

 

[jcrow]

i would check out the honeymoon bio on the knot. be sure to read the reviews on hawaii.
it's going to be a great trip!

 

[VegasAngel]

Enjoy your trip! My husband & I vacationed in Maui (Lahaina) last June. We loved it. We went snorkeling, took a helicopter ride, went parasailing, enjoyed a Sunset cruise. You have to try Mamas Fish House if you can; the food & view are wonderful!