Hello there. I am a 29 year old female looking to travel for my 30th birthday next year.

I'd love to go somewhere tropical.

I am pretty laid back, i'd like some place with beautiful scenery and relaxtion and of course beaches. As well as having the option to go out and explore/hike since i love the outdoors.

I enjoy nightlife and live music but not so much the clubbing scene.

When i am relaxing I would like to be surrounded by nice digs . So I don't want anything run down but nothing super luxurious either.

Great food is also a plus.

I'm not sure what else i am missing. This is really my first time planning a trip. Any suggestions would be wonderful.

Thank you.

Does it have to be a Caribbean island? My suggestion would be the "Mayan Riviera" which is the Caribbean coastline of Mexico. The area south of Cancun including the town of Playa del Carmen specifically. You could also include the islands of Isla Mujeres or Cozumel. Look at www.locogringo.com for ideas.

I also personally like Negril Jamaica a lot. But Jamaica is a little bit more rough & rugged and adventurous so perhaps not the best suggestion for a first trip. Look at www.negrilonestop.com for ideas.

If your not going to an all inclusive...I'd suggest going to St John. They have all the snorkeling,swimming and hiking you desire. As far a nightlife/entertainment, it's usually in small bars or restaurants. Gallows Point Resort is a nice place on a rocky beach near town. I lived/worked there for a few years in the 90's but know people who have been there recently and had a ball...I don't know the current prices but you can Google them..There are lots of options on St John. Before I lived there when I went on vacation, I always rented a small cottage and jeep and went merrily on my way..I hope this helps..

Thanks so much for the suggestions so far. I did forget to mention that I'd probably be going solo so based on the first response it may not be a good idea for negril.

It doesn't have to be the Caribbean but I do prefer warm weather. Any thoughts on Costa Rica?

What is your general budget and when do you want to travel? I can give you some suggestions for Bermuda or Panama ( lots of people willing to help with Costa Rica on the Central America forum).

Budget wise I'm not sure. I wouldn't be traveling until around this time next year, however I also want to go to these places during the times rates aren't so much. So that could either mean earlier than this time next year or closer to 2015. This is all new to me and I've looked at so many places my head is spinning lol.

Bermuda's high season is summer and early fall, so it would be expensive this time of year. Panama has only two season, rainy and dry. Rainy season, roughly March to December, is tge cheaper. The good news is Panama offers a lot of great budget options and is a beautiful place to vacation.

It's OK to go solo to Negril. I was there solo for 5 days before joining a group of friends a couple years ago. It was fine. I didn't mean to scare you off, it is just more rustic than some of the other islands/resorts.

I've never been but I'm sure there are places in Costa Rica that fit what you describe. Seems that people usually rent cars there, which I wouldn't want to do traveling alone.