Help an inexperienced traveler plan the perfect anniversary trip

4 nights----where are you flying from? You'll want a quick flight.

That sounds great! With just four nights you want to keep your air time short...agreeing with tpayt it would help to know where you are flying from! The Jamaica Inn has some great deals for long weekend getaway's (all inclusive is an option)! The Ocean Club on Paradise Island is gorgeous with the ability to visit the Atlantis for some romantic dinners....and there are many gorgeous beachfront resorts on Turks and Caicos which you didn't mention but might want to look into.

OK, since you are going in July you'll encounter some of the lowest rates of the year, so that's a plus in your favor.

I agree with others that with only 4 nights you want to go to a destination you can reach in a relatively short non-stop flight from your neastst International gateway city - hard to give you specifics since you didn't say where you are originating from.

It would also help if you also told us what your budget is - please be specific, don't use terms like "rerasonable" or "affordable" as they are meaningless without a "dollar value" point of reference.

Since you indicated a desire for an All Inclusive Package Deal with airfare try looking on your airline of choice's website. Quite often the airlines offer special package deals.

Good luck.

We will be flying out of Little Rock, AR. Hopefully leaving on a Wednesday morning and returning Sunday evening. I'd be willing to consider other places in the Carib as well.

Budget around $2500.

Look at the all-inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Easy to get to and available at a wide range of prices. $2500 might require a lot of shopping. I assume that you know your wife well, but some women might not react too well to a last minute surprise, such as at the airport. They might need to plan clothes, makeup, new swim suit, etc. so as not to feel out-of-place and uncomfortable at the final destination.

We are planning the same type of trip. Our 10th wedding anniversary is July 15th. We orginally booked Ocho Rios, Jamaica, but the hotel we chose; Sandals Dunn River, will be closing within 3 weeks of our arrival, so didn't really want to spend that kind of money for an iffy property.

For adventourous tours off property, I would suggest the Riveria Maya in Mexico. There are caves, cenotes, Mayan Ruins, eco parks, a monkey sanctuary, ATV's, sailing, snorkeling. I'm baised since it's our favorite destination, but it does offer many of the things your are looking for. Look at Secrets Maroma, El Dorado Maroma, Iberostar Grand Parsio, Valentin Resort and Spa.

Negril, Jamaica is a good option. Go to the YS and Mayfield Falls. I picked Ocho Rios because we had already been to Negril and Ocho Rios seems to have more sightseeing opportunities. In Negril, look at Couples Negril, Couples Swept Away and Sunset at the Palms.

Unfortunatley, we had to "cheap" out for our anniversary destination because the wonderful IRS creamed us this year for contract labor I did last year. We took our air miles and are going to Key West, FL. A destination we've not been to and it looks like fun.

No body has mentioned punta cana in DR.This one our favorite spot lots of hotels to pick from all price range,best beach 27 miles of white sand to walk on.We stayed at Punta Cana Priness all adult small resort under 300 rooms very nice we will go back some day.
Later Dom

Is all-inclusive the way to go or is it better to book hotel and flight and figure out the rest on our own?

agree maya riviera is a great choice for you. ruins to tour, zipline, cenotes/caves, diving/snorkeling/fishing, jungle tours on foot, atv or jeep, 2 fabulous eco-marine parks, fun duty free shopping in playa del carman.
tons of ai's in all price ranges to pick from. note it will be Hot in july.
you might look at sites like tntvacations.com or gwvvacations.com
if you don't book air in a package, kayak.com is useful for flights - it lists multiple airlines. it indicates american will fly you through dallas/ftworth in 4 /12 hrs. for a short trip be sure to look for flts that leave in early am so you get there and can start enjoying the beach for as long as possible on travel day. also look for flts that leave for home later on last the day.
i strongly advise you tell your bride what's up in advance. not the destination but that it is a tropical place - clothes, shoes even make up is different for beach vs ak. bed & breakfast. think sundress & sandals vs. nice dress & heels.
one place i'd suggest is a small ai in akumal called akumal beach resort. not fancy but has good snorkel off it's beach, is an easy on the beach stroll into small town of akumal, and is fairly central do enjoy area activities.
for more info look at locogringo.com offers many of the ai's & has good maps and aerial views of beaches & resorts.

Also, don't forget about passports. If you haven't traveled much you may not know they are now needed for the Caribbean. And if you already have passports, make sure they are not within six months of expiring when you travel. Allow at least 8 weeks to apply and receive passports. I agree with all the previous suggestions of destinations. Cancun, (closest airport to Riveria Maya) Dominican Republic and Jamaica probably have the most direct flights and usually are cheaper for airfare than other Caribbean locales.

Jamaica is so scenic and has such a relaxed pace of life. I think it would be the ideal place for your anniversary.

One other thing to remember, if you do not want to spend your anniversary with thousands of kids, pick an adult's only resort.

I don't think the DR is a good place to do adventurous activites off the resort.

As far as the surprise, I may tell her ahead of time. However, she thinks we will be at a b&b and taking a couple float/swimming trips and going out for a couple nice meals. Haven't decided when to spring it on her yet...

Her passport is valid for 3 more years, but I need mine renewed.

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions. Keep them coming! I'm going to try and pick up some travel books on the individual countries tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Bermuda is beautiful. Most hotels include a breakfast and dinner meal plan. So, not all inclusive, but including most meals.

smyth.. take a look at couples swept away in negril,not as pricey as sandals and may be in your price range for 4 days. look at negrilonestop.com for info on other resorts also. good luck.

Hi, I wrote a review in the past on a place I loved in the DR: Here it is:

I stayed for a week last week during "hurricane season" but we had perfect weather for the entire stay. It was quiet, as it is the low season, meaning we had the resort to ourselves and all the wonderful care of the employees- who are Dominicans who attend to your every need in a truly caring, attentive, warm, respectful and friendly way, while being very professional- very different from the US. The rooms were clean, charming, comfortable, although simple with all the amenities I needed- kitchen, cable TV, wireless internet. The price was very reasonable. Usually I think of the DR as all-inclusive resorts but this was a refreshing alternative to that type of stay. Security was great- I never thought twice about leaving my ipod out for hours on the property - the guards will help you, watch you, I felt like I was a child again being taken care of and watched over. The property was prestine, natural, extremely well maintained. Units have beautiful views- I just kept saying in any direction I looked- that is beautiful, and that is beautiful.. over and over. The food at Velero was good. but what I liked is leaving the property and finding local dominican restaurants with great food, great locals to talk to, and unbelievably inexpensive prices ($3 , $4 a meal). Because it is on the Atlantic you have surf! body surfing, sailing, windsurfing, surfing.. and kite surfing for the adventurous- combo of snowboarding, sailing, trapeze, surfing.. The craziest sport I have ever seen. The town is very cute- lots of shops. At nite the restaurants on the beach pulled out tables w/ very beautiful lighting- it was a magical scene with food ranging from local to italian, Japanese, Irish, All American. (but I still like the local restaurants the best!). A combination of cultural experience, beauty, new cuisine, relaxation, pampering, and great music and dancing at nite for those who like to stay up late. Velero is on the point of Cabarete bay and has the best view and location in the area. Hope you get a chance to experience this- it is unmatchable.

How about St. John----it's 2/3 National Park and you don't need a passport. You can find luxury plus have the terrain you are looking for.

Easy flight to St. Thomas, easy cab ride to Redhook, easy ferry over to St. John----sounds long, but it's not.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

This is a whole lot harder than I anticipated. There are so many places to choose from...I've been reading reviews of places and can't seem to find the perfect spot yet.

What are the "Out Islands" in the Bahamas?

Any other suggestions?

Update!!!

Well, I just booked at the Valentin Imperial in the Riveria Maya. Thanks for all the help, and will definitely doa trip report when we return. The only bad part of booking so early is the long wait until it gets here...I am planning a tour of the ruins at Tulum, some snorkling, some relaxing, and hope to find an ATV/zipline tour.

Still open for suggestions for things to do. Thanks to all the Fodorites for wonderful suggestions and help planning this trip.

these 2 ruins are easiest to get to:
http://www.locogringo.com/past_spotlights/aug2002.html
and http://www.locogringo.com/past_spotlights/may2005.cfm
at tulum i suggest you tour first with a guide then wander more as desired. also take cold bottled water & swim suit/towel as there is a great beach just below the ruins.
at xel-ha ruins you're on your own but you can touch/walk in the ruins and there is good paint one building.
this is lg's page for your resort: http://www.locogringo.com/playadelsecreto/valentinimperialmaya.html?name=Valentin%20Imperial%20Maya

there are 2 cool ecomarine parks. xcaret is large and busy, has night show. xel-ha is more laid back and for snorkeling.
http://www.locogringo.com/past_spotlights/dec2006.cfm
http://www.locogringo.com/past_spotlights/mar2007.cfm

on lg you'll find info on the horseback, atv rides, cenotes, etc.
south of tulum pueblo is the si'an kaan biosphere - a wetlands natural preserve. you can take a kayak tour through the mangrove to see flora/fauna & a few old mayan buildings.
shopping in playa del carman is fun. learn to say no thanks in spanish.
in the seaside section of akumal is yal-ku lagoon which is an outstanding place to snorkel. if in this area go to lol-ha for a drink or lunch. just off their deck is where this camera is located (you could text your friends/fam the day you go there so they could give you a cyber wave) http://www.locogringo.com/upload/akumal-beach-cam.html

There is a new zipline park that recently opened;

http://www.xplor.travel/

I suggest doing a tour to the ruins with James and Anna. They take small groups and there is always a stop at a cenote or two for swimming;

http://www.playa.info/tours-anna-james-general.html

We've done two kinds of ATV's. There was one on Maroma Beach, which I don't recommend, and one out in the jungle with cenote swimming that I do recommend. Try this site for tours. We've used them a few times with no issues;

http://www.playadelcarmentours.com/

I also suggest a catamaran sunset cruise with lobster dinner on Maroma Beach. Very romantic, and the food was actually good;

http://www.cancun-discounts.com/tours/playa-del-carmen/sunset-cruise.htm

Since you asked- I love the out islands of the Bahamas- quite a few different places to choose from- from the more travelled Abacos to Eleuthera, the Exumas, Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, and more; however, I think you would spend more time travelling than you want to to get there and you would cheat yourself of really relaxing, exploring and appreciating the laid back charm of those islands- save that for later or plan for more than 4 days. I will tell you also that the out islands tend to be more expensive than many realize between the sometimes complicated travel to get there, accommodations, food that can get expensive even in non-spectacular places, to boat or golfcart rentals, etc. I don't think $2500 would be quite enough- you would have to research anything that looked good to you.
I second the Riviera Maya area of Mexico- there are some very pretty places that are very good buys. The suggestion of Akumal or Playa del Carmen are good ones- there is a lot to do and see.
My brother-in-law once surprised my sister in a similar way and asked me to come over and pack for her on the spur of the moment- it was an anxious experience for me trying to decide what she would like to have with her - I think it was Grand Cayman. I would say tell your wife (at a nice romantic dinner) about 48 hours in advance. That way it is still a wonderful surprise but she has time to pack what she wants and time for last minute shopping.
Have a great time. You sound like a very thoughtful husband!

I love updates. Thanks smythley. Hope you have a great anniversary trip!