all1082

We are headed on our honeymoon in June and keep going back and forth about which island to go to on this trip. Neither my fiance or I have ever been to the Caribbean and, of course, want to have a great experience. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We are looking for:
1. nice all-inclusive (reading reviews has boggled our minds because ratings for different resorts are always all over the scale!!)
2. great beaches
3. calm waters
4. resort that is somewhat private, but close to shopping, local culture, some nightlife (but not the most necessary)
5. the accommodations don't have to be luxurious, but not the lowest scale.
6. Easier to get to - we will be flying out of Boston and don't want to give up tons of time and tons of hassle to the traveling portion of the trip.

Our budget isn't overly expensive (which is why we thought all-inclusive would be the best bet).. we would like to keep the trip (with airfare) less than $4000.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Anguillagirl

I would suggest Playa Del Carmen Mexico. They have nice all inclusives there, and if you stay on the beach it's a short walk to a great downtown area with all kinds a culture, charm, shops and fun restaurants. You will also find good nightlife there and should definately fit into your budget. We've really had fun there.

knor0177

Be Careful with Playa Del Carmen - They have had a lot of beach erosion. If you look at recent reviews people have been voicing their frustrations.

bajangirl

What about Almond Resorts or Sandy Bay Beach Club in Barbados. Both all inclusive, nice beaches and lots of on site or walk-to activities.

bajangirl

A PS to my last post ... www.destinationcaribbean.net might be helpful for you in deciding where to go as there's info on what each island has to do/see etc.

greenie

If you don't go to Playa del Carmen, you can go further south i.e. Akumal, Tulum, Puerto Averturas, where the beaches aren't as eroded. Nice resorts down there.

Peace

travelbuff

I'd suggest heading to a local travel agent so you can see what options you have directly from the Boston area, since changing planes and flight times can eat up alot of travel time.

Also check www.where2stay.com which will have alot of info and pictures of resorts all over the carribean.

Also if you book through a travel agent, you can get package deals including airfare that we would not have access to. Also honeymoon packages are available sometimes at

You might look into Compas Point on Nassau as a good honemoon destination and it should fit your budget. The websites for several nice resorts including CP is www.islandoutpost.com

Congrats and have a great time.

CDB1177

Congratulations! My fiance and I are planning a destination wedding and honeymoon right now. I'm right there with you-so many choices, it's overwhelming. We went to Mexico in March for vacation and stayed at the Royal Cancun. It was really nice, especially the pool, and the food was good. We are from Northern MA (Tyngsboro) and flew from Boston. It was a four hour direct flight on Jet Blue. We are thinking of going to the Sandals in the Bahamas, but our travel agent recommended Secrets Capri or the Excellence, both in Playa del Carmen. Her son got married at Secrets and she said it's absolutely beautiful. I checked out both resorts on trip advisor and they look awesome-tons of great reviews. The weather in Mexico was perfect (in March). If you want more of a beachy scene, this may not be for you. The beaches are eroded from the hurricane a few years ago, and are crushed coral, not powdery sand. On the other hand, the hotels are mostly brand new and very nice. I would definitely check out Bermuda, it's only 2 hours from Boston and gorgeous. Most resorts have meal plans. If you haven't already been there, I would look at the forums on brides.com or the knot.com, people give good advice and follow-up on their honeymoon destinations.

good luck and let us know what you decide.

knor0177

My fiancee and i have the same exact struggle. We have been trying to find a reasonably priced all-inclusive hotel and we want the clear blue water with the powdery white sand. So far we know for sure that the best bang for your buck is La Romana in the Dominican Republic. La Romana is on the Caribbean side so the water is calm and the sand is soft and never gets hot. However, most people do not leave the resort. So you lose island culture etc...

I am sure the Fodors wont mind me advertising their book. lol. We went out and bought the 2007 caribbean fodors book - It wasnt that expensive. The book is great for letting you know what to expect at each island. The most important thing to us is that we get that perfect beach without insane amounts of people. We dont want people trying to sell us stuff (Jamaica) and we dont want to fight off kids.

Good luck!