I was wondering if anyone had been to both St. Thomas & Cancun, MX? Which one would you recommend & why? How do prices differ - food, hotels, entertainment, etc. Any response would be greatly appreciated as we are narrowing down planning for a honeymoon at the end of August.

My time on Cancun was limited only because I did not care for the hussle and bussle and excitement and it certainly had more in the way of entertainment, people and places than St. Thomas! We planned to stay a day, have dinner and return to our accomodations south of Cancun. But, I couldn't wait to leave! I much prefer the ambience of St. Thomas and the USVI where things are much more low key and quieter and not all focused in one area like Cancun along the hotel strip. Cancun offers the option of exploring the Mayan culture with trips (and the history, the pyramids, and the Riviera) and outside of Cancun was wonderful - I even enjoyed old Cancun much more than the developed Hotel Strip. Beaches didn't impress but we were mainly in the northern end of the Hotel Zone where the waves broke against the seawall and sunning people were up on grass areas while in the USVI you have some lucious beaches! Further south on the strip, I guess the beaches get "better." You also have the option in the USVI to travel to St. John and the BVI's which give you even more seclusion and pristine undeveloped areas! Depending on your choice of accomodations, Mexico is generally a great bargain coming in less expensive than many islands. You might want to look at St. John (altho accomodation choices are limited) for even more pristine but less activity if that is what you are looking for! If you want non-stop go and see and do, Cancun would be great I think! The ONLY caution is that where ever you choose, be sure to protect yourself with trip interruption insurance to cover any costs in the event of a hurricane that time of year!

Cancun is unbelievably hot in August. You can't walk on the beach barefooted. The heat and humidity make touring the Mayan ruins impossible. The pyramids are in large open areas without a spot of shade. <BR>St. Thomas is also hot and humid but somewhat less so than Cancun. Neither place is very pleasant in August, but St. Thomas is preferable. <BR>If you want tropical, Hawaii is great in August. It's a bit warmer in the summer but quite pleasant.

I've been to both places and it's like comparing apples to oranges. St. Thomas <BR>is my favorite place because I was married there and went back two more times. As a matter of fact my wife and I are going back this August to renew our vows for our tenth anniversary. <BR>As for Cancun, I wasn't real excited to go, but our daughter wanted to go there for a high school graduation present. I'm glad we went. It was great. The people were very friendly and the hotel zone was safe all hours of the night. It was easy to get around on the local buses. The beaches were nice and the whole area was clean. <BR>I guess what I'm saying is that IMO you couldn't go wrong with either place. <BR>E-mail if you have any specific questions about either location.

St. Thomas & Cancun are both great but very different places.... <BR>St. Thomas - Very friendly island, food was wonderful, everything is easily accesible by taxi (although it can get pricey if you're doing alot of traveling around the island), beaches were gorgeous and the shopping is the best. I'd have to say that St. Thomas was one of my most memorable trips as you can island hop so easily to St. Johns, Virgin Gorda etc. so your one trip seems like 3-4 different trips. <BR>Cancun: Great for the young at heart! I've been twice and would recommend staying at the upscale hotels as they won't have the college crowd hanging around. There is always alot of hussle & bussle going on whatever time of year you go. The food was great as they have various restaurants you would find in your local area. I always drank bottled water so I never got sick from the water. The beaches were very nice (to my surprise) and the ruins were worth the drive. You'll find shops and a mall that will remind you of your mall back home. Beware of people selling "silver" on the beach as it isn't real. The club scene is happening and if you want to party and hang out all night - Cancun is the place for you!

Hi Brenna! I may not be the best person to offer an answer because I only spent 1 day in St. Thomas and 2 days in Cancun, but I can tell you that they are both located where you can easily reach other places which are awesome, although neither St. Thomas nor Cancun is great. From St. Thomas you can easily reach St. John by a short ferry, which is a beautiful island with perfect pristine beaches, awesome snorkeling, and great restaurants. From Cancun you can visit the rest of the Yucatan which offers Mayan ruins, swimable sinkholes, perfect beaches, and good snorkeling. My personal preference would be the area around Cancun simply because there's more to do (there's Playa del carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres), the service in Mexico is great, the people are the friendliest, it has an increadibly rich history and culture (much more "foreign" than St. Thomas), and you get more for the money (Cancun is way cheaper than the USVI). Most hotels/resorts in this area are spectacular, because Mexico is so rich in natural resources, there's marble everywhere! The Mayan ruins are very interesting - I've visited Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba and they are amazing. And the shopping in Mexico is great - you can find high-quality handcrafts, jewelry, furniture, etc. <BR> <BR>Be aware though that end of August is peak hurricane season at both places. Buy trip interruption insurance. Also, if dining is a priority, most Americans find that the food in the USVI is more suited to their taste. Good luck, I think you will have a great honeymoon either way!