my husband and I are looking to travel with friends in winter 2013 but are trying to decide on best location: Punta Cana, Negril (as I'm told that's our best choice) or Cancun...here's what we're looking for:
Great beaches with decent snorkelling (availability of good snorkelling isn't a deal breaker)
Great nightlife
All-inclusive resort with good food choices & fun nightlife, looking for a 4 Star and up, prefer something a bit more luxurious but still affordable...any advice is appreciated!
Best choice for vacation with friends, Jamaica, DR or Cancun?
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neither punta cana or negril have good snorkeling. cancun & the area south of it known as maya riviera have very good snorkeling. seven mile beach in negril is a good beach - you can walk on the sand to various rests/bars.
negril or mex have good nightlife. pc is mainly a lot of ai's & not much town - there is a hardrock.
maya riviera has ai's in every price range
if you'd prefer not to be in a high rise zone of cancun, you might look at ai's near the town of playa del carmen. it's a med sized town with fun duty free shopping & good nightlife.
locogringo.com has tons of info on maya riviera.
The Royal Playa del Carmen in Play del Carmen, MX. It's an very nice adult only AI resort within walking distance to 5th Avenue with tons of bars, restaurants, shopping and entertainment. There are so many things to see and do in that area.
I am in the same boat as you! We are looking to book an upcoming winter trip with friends (we will actually be 2 couples). We are not considering MX but have been looking into PC, Jamaica, and St. Lucia.
My boyfriend and I went to Jamaica last year and loved it but we have been getting recommendations for Punta Cana for our winter trip since we have a bigger group.
Right now we are looking at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro in PC. It is adults only. You may want to check it out.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147293-d611703-Reviews-Catalonia_Royal_Bavaro-Punta_Cana_San_Juan_Province_Dominican_Republic.html
Looking forward to see what everyone else has to say.
I love Negril, but it's pretty rustic there. It has a fabulous 7-mile beach but it's not really a "4 star and up" resort type of place.
I'm not a fan of Punta Cana because it seems people just go to their resort and stay put there and never leave or go exploring. This may or may not matter to you.
My issue with Cancun is the same. It's a man-made strip of resort hotels much like Miami beach and having not much to do with Mexico. Again this may or may not matter to you and your friends. For a more authentic experience on that coast, I'd fly into Cancun but then head south along the coastline to the Playa del Carmen area. There's loads of nice AIs there to choose from.