Vacation spot suggestions ????
look into Secrets resorts- they are all over Mexico and the Punta cana. A few just opened or are opening in Costa Rica. The "kids" ages are tough- they've outgrown the teen clubs but don't want the snooze fest of some of the older, couples-oriented AIs. Secrets or Dreams may fit your needs. Secrets might skew older, Dreams younger. I might give some thought to a cruise with kids those ages. Costa Rica might be a good choice because it will have lots of activities for the young adukts.
A friend I admire set out to visit all of the National Parks with her family. Have you thought about an Alaska trip? Do you all have scuba certification? How about a safari?
Resorts seem so isolated to me. How about a cycling trip to someplace flat like Amsterdam or the Eastern Shore or northern Vermont? Golf school at Kohler? Learn celestial navigation on a bareboat charter? Cooking school in Spain?
Not meaning to be a negative reply, and resorts sometimes have their place for extended families, but there is so much to see in the real world!
Belize is very accessible and affordable. Flying time can be as little as five hours and there are many resort options both on the cayes (barrier islands) as well as inland. We have been twice and enjoyed it very much.
ETA - Also the official language is English (since Belize was formerly British Honduras and still has a relationship with Great Britain.) And you don't really have to change your money. We found that everyone took our American dollars at the fixed exchange rate of 2 $BZ per USD. You may get your change in either currency.
Are you sight-seers, birders/wildlife fans, hikers, beach types? We have loved plopping down in various Latin American towns where there is some nightlife (restaurants/etc.), living in the town (some airbnbs, some hotels) and doing excursions -- wildlife, whales, volcanoes, ziplining and so forth. This worked great in Costa Rica, Granada Nicaragua, Mexico City and Santo Domingo, DR. All easy to get to. Having a Spanish speaker on board helps.
PS these are trips we have taken with our high school/college age kids.
A neighbor told me to look into Elbow Beach Resort, on Bermuda....She raved about it;but when I looked at tripadvisor, it had quite a few "not so great" comments ..... Might anyone be familiar with Elbow beach?
elbow beach itself is gorgeous and the hotel is in a beautiful setting. I think the hotel is a bit stuffy and run down- a bit past its prime. I really like Bermuda though- really nice beaches, lots of good snorkeling, nice days trips ( 2 nice towns)
Do you like nature/birding at all? I have my heart set on villasflamingos.com on Holbox Island in Mexico. Akamal, Mexico also is amazing--four hour direct flight, easy drive, near the ruins at Tulum, great vibe.
Our next family trip will be London, though. I saw some great apartments for a group your size online. Eating some meals at home keeps the price down somewhat.
Love JR's Holland idea, too, and have seen similar deals.
Have fun!
About this time 2 yrs ago took an 'adventure' tour of Costa Rica. There are lots of active tours- zip lines, inner tubing, horse back riding etc. Also ecot-tours. Don't know your budget. Our group went while school in session; RT air $650 JFK, tour $800. Higher during school breaks.
Anothrer idea cruise to Bermuda- check cruisecritic.com
About this time 2 yrs ago took an 'adventure' tour of Costa Rica. There are lots of active tours- zip lines, inner tubing, horse back riding etc. Also ecot-tours. Don't know your budget. Our group went while school in session; RT air $650 JFK, tour $800. Higher during school breaks.
Anothrer idea cruise to Bermuda- check cruisecritic.com
Look into Tulum, Mexico. We went for the wedding of a young couple and everyone had fun. (We stayed in an eco-resort.)
oots said:
Rome or Paris (europe in general)
Agree with this. Your older kids can have a great time, some of it no doubt on their own (separate from the parents).
Or the best of both worlds... hit Paris, then head south to the Côte d'Azur. Win/win. Beats the hell out of (most of) the Caribbean any day.
Elko, Nevada. Lots of casinos, the Ruby Mountains, Cowboy Poetry and great Basque Food.
I have heard some nice suggestions about Belize......but I am unfamiliar with any personal recommendations of all-inclusive resorts there (if there's even such a thing!)
There definitely are all-inclusive resorts in Belize, but I can't make a specific recommendation, since we did our trips there DIY.
I second a city vacation - especially with the ages of the kids. Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Florence, Rome, Madrid, barcelona (there's a beach in barcelona!) You can find adventure and culture and great restaurants in all those places.
Or a city vacay in the US, like SanFran, Portland, Seattle. Drive along the coast. Santa barbara, etc. Or Arizona- Tucson - beautiful and great hiking. Go up to the Grand Canyon.
I second Barcelona! Beaches, great restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and Gaudi! Very fun, beautiful city. Or, Costa Rica for a very different, adventurous trip.
Our dilemma: We are a group of 5 (2 adults and 3 teens 18, 21 and 24 yrs old). We have been to Beaches, Atlantis (a few times) and Club Meds. We'd like to go somewhere but am at a loss now where we all can go, where there is "something for everyone". We actually had booked out the Club Med in Columbus Isle, which looks FABULOUS but the travel time, and transfers, would take nearly 12 hours each way.
Can anyone suggest a vacation place (all inclusive, or a la carte), that offers alot of activities, has a decent amount of amenities available, some things to do at night (idk....entertainment, gambling, whatever), is well-maintained, that has kept-up-with-the-times?
I well realize that this posting may get some negative replies, but we all look forward to a once-a-year vacation and we try to select a site that can offer each of us, something to indulge in.
We are not committed to the carribbean. We can go anywhere that sounds inviting and enticing!