Please help me decide
 

Hi -

Trying to decide on a vacation destination which is basically an extended honeymoon for us. Our honeymoon in December was rather stressful. We are in desperate need of some pampering, warm weather and nice/kind service! :)

Anyway - I am debating between Mexico (Riviera Maya/Playa Del Carmen area) at an all inclusive OR Aruba (which we have been to before and loved).
If you have been to any of these places, please let me know what you think! Air out to Mexico is nonstop and cheaper then the longer flights which stop to Aruba.

In Mexico here are the places, all varying in price from most expensive to least. All are all inclusive

Aventura Spa Palace (adult only)
Iberostar Lindo/Maya
Iberostar Tucan/Queztal

Aruba
Radisson (includes breakfast - only about $400 in total less than Aventura which includes all meals and drinks)
La Cabana All Suite Resort (good since we could make some meals and save money)
(We stayed at Wyndham all inclusive don't want to do that again.)

Things that are important to us;
Good food (more importantly safe food! We don't want to get sick, not a concern in Aruba - I have stayed at Moon Palace in Mexico and was fine.)
Romantic and not loud and nutty - not overun with kids
Very nice pools (beach is fine - but we don't have to have a beach, I know Aventura really does not have one)
Potential for golf (we could golf at a 9-hole course in Puerto Aventuras in Mexico)
Great weather - obviously

Thanks!

I have heard that Playa De Carmen is nice and romantic.I have never been there before.
I have been to Aruba,I see that you also, have been to Aruba.I did not feel that it was romantic.I did not care for Aruba because its flat,snorkeling is not good.I like the more mountainous islands.The food was great and the people were friendly.
If I were you, I would try someplace new, Playa De Carmen, Kauai,Hawaii ( if the flight is not too long for you)it is beautiful and the food is real good.Good luck choosing and happy traveling.

I may not be the best person FOR YOU to respond as I dislike Aruba. However, I'd suggest nonstop flights as a forerunner to decisions, well at least mine. Go for the adults only place in Mexico or you might want to consider the 4 seasons Nevis, total pampering, excellent golf course and QUIET untouristed island.
Happy travels.

First of all, I'm sorry that your honeymoon was stressful. I'm sure that there is a story behind it. You might want to post where you'll be coming from so people can give you better advice re: shorter flight times.

My honeymoon is in May and I was debating b/w the Riviera Maya area and the Caribbean. Ultimately we decided on Turks and Caicos b/c it was hard to find the place we were looking for in Mexico (i.e., nice beach, not too big, not Maroma prices). However, I feel like I've become something of an expert on the area due to my obsessive trip planning compulsion.

Mexico:
-I've heard that Aventura, although nice, gets overrun w/convention business.
-I don't know how romantic the big Iberostars will be. One big deterrent for me when I was researching all of the ALs in the Riviera Maya area was how many rooms that they had in the hotel.
-I would look at Tulum if I were you. It's two hours south of Cancun and it looks fantastic. Look at Ana y Jose's beachfront suites (www.anayjose.com). It's not all inclusive but their restaurant is supposed to be really good.
-I also recommend that you look at Ceiba del Mar (www.ceibadelmar) which is the town of Puerto Morales (sp?) in the Riviera Maya. It's smaller and looks a lot like Maroma. They have an all inclusive plan which gets rave reviews, but more importantly, it's vibe is supposed to be really romantic. You mentioned that the beach wasn't a big issue for you. Their beach looks nice but I've read that they have seaweed problems.

The pool looks fantastic and I've heard great things about their rooftop jacuzzis and concierge service. I think I found a good rate for Ceiba del Mar on either Delta Vacations or American Airlines Vacations.

Caribbean:
-Aruba: I must admit that the only place in Aruba I considered for a honeymoon was the Bucuti Tara Suites. It's on a more quiet part of the beach and the recently added Tara Suites are supposed to be very nice.

I've heard that Aruba is more of a family friendly place, which is fine but you mentioned that you don't want to be overrun w/children. Aruba was included on the Caribbean Best Beaches list on the Travel Channel for having the best family beach. I get the impression that most hotels on Aruba are really aimed at pleasing the family, with the exception of the Bucuti.

Depending on where you're coming from the Out Islands of the Bahamas may be something to look into. I really liked Harbour Island in the Bahamas (which was listed as the best overall beach on the Travel Channel list) when I was researching destinations. Look at Coral Sands hotel (www.coralsands.com) or The Landing (www.thelanding.com).

Good luck and I'm sure that this honeymoon will be less stressful than the last!

mah,
Obsessive complusions for travel details pays off, you're well read on the areas you refer to. I think you'll have a great time in T&C, its one of my favorite places...the water is incredibly beautiful there. Do stop at the Tiki Hut restaurant/bar at the marina excellent fresh fish and reasonably priced...its a great lunch stop and dinner too. Have a great trip.

Thanks Traveler 863!

We're counting the days to go to Turks and Caicos. I think it will be just right for us (we're not big night life people) and I can't wait to float in the beautiful water.

I've heard good things about the Tiki Hut and that's on our tentative itinerary.