newyearsbride

I am getting married on New Year's Eve, and currently have plane tickets and reservations to Playa del Carmen and Cancun for January 2nd through the 9th. My travel agent advised that we consider picking a new spot due to the extensive damage Wilma caused.
I am interested in a place that has a little bit of everything (nightlife, shopping, culture, wildlife & nature, beautiful beaches); including a somewhat peaceful and laid back atmosphere...not overcrowded and not plagued by poverty...basically, an overall good, happy, fun feeling.
Any suggestions? I have been looking at the following tonight, and do not know anything about them:
Turks and Caicos
St. John
Belize
Acapulco
Aruba

Thanks!

xkenx

Barbados has it all! See www.barbados.org

alya

Hi Newyearsbride - congratulations!

We’ve only been to Provo in the T&C and Aruba on your list and loved both but I wouldn't say that Provo has nightlife or shopping. It was peaceful (but ask about construction first) laid back but like most Caribbean island there is poverty - only you can figure out what level of poverty you can deal with - we NEVER saw any beggars, I'm having to assume that's what you meant

We stayed at the Coral Gardens (mainly because of the snorkeling right off the beach outside the resort) so that is the only hotel I can recommend, either way the beaches are wonderful. Type Coral Gardens in the search box and you'll find plenty of info and trip reports. On the plus side Provo had no fast food restaurants that we could find, imagine not seeing a McD or BK for a whole week

Aruba - we stayed at the Bucuti Beach in their Tara Suites and this wonderful little hotel has a dear place in my heart, it's in the low rise area on Eagle beach - not where the big chains are, but since you want peaceful and not overcrowded (and clean) then it will be perfect for you. It gets wonderful reviews on Tripadvisor, mainly I think because they don’t encourage children and therefore it appeals to couples. If I'm honest I would not go to Aruba if I couldn't stay at the Bucuti! You will have to travel for shopping but then on a small island with wonderful public transport - that's not really a problem. One main complaint about Aruba is that its ‘Americanized’, I would say that depends on where you spend your time.

Have a wonderful time where ever you decide to go and don’t forget to ask if you have any more questions.

BTW I can also recommend Jamaica Inn in Ochos Rios – you can do AI at the resort and they don’t take children under 12 – perfect for a honeymoon. Funnily enough it’s a really small resort but we met people who didn’t leave the resort for the whole week. The website is very accurate.

gr3664

Congratulations - it's interesting, my wife and i were going to the same places in the yucatan but for our 25th wedding anniversary (jan17) and now we are coming up with similar thoughts - elsewhere in the postings, i am seeing that st. john is good for snorkeling and it's one of the "prettiest" islands, not sure what that means, i would also include how hard is it to get to the island since i am seeing complaints about airlines on "island time" - i'll keep checking in to look at what you find, good luck!!
p.s. marriage was the best thing that ever happened to me, you'll both love it

LLindaC

Take Belize and Acapulco off your short list. St John is lovely and you can do other day trips from there. Have you considered Tortola? Either of those islands is accessible by a ferry from St. Thomas, so you don't have to worry about flights. Right now, you need to get cracking on reservations and flights!

newyearsbride

Thank you so much, everyone, for sharing all of your knowledge and experiences. I got in touch with my travel agent, and she actually recommended Belize-Ambergris Caye (Ramone's is the resort). I have read spectacular reviews on the Caye; it seems to have everything we are looking for. I have been told that is much like the Mayan Riviera, which is where we were originally planning on going. I suppose I just have to plan on St. John, Turks & Barbados later on for anniversaries : )
Thanks for all of your well wishes, everyone, and if you have any experiences you would like to share about Belize and Ambergris Caye, I would love to hear about them.

newyearsbride

gr3664--Good luck on finding a beautiful spot for your anniversary. Congrats on all the great years!

Angler973

Hi Newyearsbride,
Your travel agent is right. We've been to all of the places on your list, and Ambergris Caye in Belize is just what you are looking for. As an alternative to Ramone's, check out Victoria House. Very pretty and romantic, with a wide range of accomodations and prices. Good food, and lots to do around. Victoria House also offers a "split week" with Chaa Creek lodge, which is a lovely rainforest resort. (I think they call this their "surf and turf" package, or something like that) Both of these resorts are very popular with honeymooners, so that should tell you something. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

mah1980

One of my friends went to Victoria House and loved it. Look at their website, which I did after she told me about it. It makes you want to go. By the way, it's reasonably priced and was #1 on Tripadvisor for Ambergris Caye when I looked last week.