lrubin16

My fiance and I are getting married in June 2011. We are having trouble finding the perfect all-inclusive spot for our 8-day getaway. We are looking for romance and adventure (hiking, zip line, etc), but would also love spending time on a beach, golf course, snorkeling, at the spa, etc. Any suggestions?

RoamsAround

First, what is your budget for accommodations? It can make a big difference on the recommendations you receive. It makes no sense to tell you about a particular resort if it is beyond your budget. Let's us know how much you want to spend on accommodations, food, airfare (tell us where you are flying from) so we can steer you in the right direction. FYI - do use terms like "affordable", Not too expensive", etc. as they are meaningless without a dollar point of reference. What is moderate for you may seem cheap or extravagant to others.

Second, the islands on your "tag list" are not noted for having All inclusive resorts so perhaps some adjustment might be in order.

Third, not every island will offer everything on your wish list.

Now, looking at the islands on your list you are going to have to make some compromise or perhaps select a different destination. Here's a brief summary of the islands you are considering:

St. Kitts offers hiking, zip-lining, beaches, golf and opportunities for spa treatments but lacks the snorkeling you want. The Marriott on St. kitts offers a Meal Plan that includes drinks but it's not a traditional All-Inclusive (i.e. excursions, diving, etc. included in the price. Nevis is similar to St. Kitts but without the zip-lining and there are no "All Inclusive resorts although some do offer a meal plan.

BVI's - offers fantastic beaches, lots of very good to excellent snorkeling and hiking opportunities but no zip-lining that I'm aware of and no golf. You'll find some high end resorts offer meal plans but here again there are no true All Inclusives in the BVI's. Check out Biras Creek, Peter Island or Little Dix Bay if you are interested in an upscale experience. THe Bitter End Yacht Club is probably the closet you'll come to an All inclusive- go here if you are interested in sailing.

St. Lucia is not noted for snorkeling and there are few , if any, All Inclusives. I don't think they have golf either.

USVI's - St. Thomas has golf, hiking (not sure about zip lining), access to spas, good beaches and access to decent snorkeling. Again, I don't think there are any All inclusives but some places do offer optional Meal Plans. St. John offers everything you want but golf and zip-lining. Caneel Bay has a Meal plan so it would be the closest thing you'd find to All-Inclusive.

You'll find lots of All Inclusive Resorts on Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozemel, and Antigua so give those destinations some consideration.

lrubin16

We are really open to a lot of ideas, however, we would like to avoid Mexico. Our budget is 5-6k. I have over 200k reward miles with star alliance, so airfare should be taken care of with many flights leaving out of the baltimore/dc area. I think we have become overwhelmed with the amount of opportunities available. We love the idea of hot air ballooning, hiking, zip lining, snorkeling, playing golf, going to the spa, and just lounging around on the beach. We both love to eat as well. In your experience, can you think of a place that would be able to accomodate this list?

RoamsAround

I don't know if you'll find hot air ballooning anywhere in the Caribbean. Zip-lining is normally found on the "mountainous islands" which are generally not noted for their snorkeling. You might have to make a trade off.

Check out Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic - upscale resort with spa and golfing (one of the best courses in the Caribbean) on the premises, zip -lining is available around the island and there are a few snorkel spots you can visit.

Also look at Sandy Lane, Barbados - another upscale resort with a great on-site golf course, a full service spa and you'll find some decent snorkeling and zip lining around the island.



With a budget of $5 to $6k you should have no difficulty finding a resort

lrubin16

Thank you so much for your help! I will certainly look into those recommendations. Any thoughts on St. Lucia? I know Sandals Grande resort is all inclusive and has options for snorkeling and hiking, but I'm concerned it may be too commercial.

STT0412

Congrats on your upcoming wedding. My fiance and I are also getting married in St Thomas this coming April. The Wyndham Sugar Bay is the only all inclusive in the area. I did a ton of research since we wanted a budget friendly hotel for all our guests. With the islands so close it's very easy to hop a ferry for a day trip to anywhere in the USVI or BVI. We are going to the BVI for our honeymoon. A great website to help you plan your wedding is www.islandweddingservices.com
Hope this helps!

lizjc

Sandals Grande in St Lucia is also 5 minutes away from the Cap Estate Golf CLub http://www.stluciagolf.com/ It is the most upmarket of the Sandals chain. When you are in ST Lucia you must do a boat trip to snorkel near the Pitons - such a great setting!

Also you could research Jalousie hotel - located between the Pitons it was recently refurbished - not 100% sure if it is all inclusive though.

qwovadis

First Congrats!

www.secretsresorts.com

Secrets Resorts GREAT romantic adult only AIs

For adventure the Jamaica Montego Bay Properties

for lots of adventure golf zips climb Dunn's River Falls

super nice beaches/Brit/Carib vibe might meet your needs

www.bookit.com

www.cheapcaribbean.com

good sales/discounts sometimes...

Happy Hunting,