NurseLisa513

Some girlfriends and I are trying to plan a trip and have no idea where to go. Due to work issues we are limited in that we can only go the first week of April. We don't want to spend more than $1500pp for 7 days. What we are looking for is a spectacular beach, decent nightlife, and safety. Any suggestions?

suze

Realize that it Easter week this year, so beach resorts in Mexico will be particularly busy.

pepper131

Playa del Carmen would be fun. Are you looking for an all-inclusive or a cool, boutique hotel?

NurseLisa513

I know that it is easter week, but that is the only time we can go. We probably want an AI unless the area we are in has good restaurants that are reasonably priced that are close by (like walking distance)

suze

Where are you flying from? Costs will most likely be cheaper with shorter flights (i.e., if you are back east go to the Caribbean, if west coast US go to Mexico somewhere).

NurseLisa513

we are flying from Philadelphia.

adamlesper

Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica is a great place to go with a beautiful white sand beach close to all the hotels, good nightlife (a mix of global tourists and locals) and no crime. There are an abundance of activities for all interests and i often see groups of US girls there on vacation alone. A nice, clean and cheap hotel is www.villasmymosa.com. rates good and they have rooms for small and large groups.

suze

From Philadelphia somewhere in the Caribbean is likely to be a better price for you than Latin American destinations.

calgontime

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I wanted to interject that I have similar requirements for a group of 8 guys that I am shepherding down to the Carribean/Latin America in March for my bachelor party. After initially leaning towards Costa Rica, time restraints (e.g., direct flights, paved roads)--not to mention my mother in law's piqued curiosity regarding the legality of prostitution in CR--more or less relegated us to the Yucatan peninsula. As we were mostly originating from the East Coast (i.e., DC, Philly, NYC, Boston), this destination seemed to also make more sense.

I have never been a huge fan of Cancun, so we quickly settled on Playa Del Carmen, which I have really enjoyed in the past. Depending on your tastes, PDC may be the call for you. As many others have noted in this thread and others like it, PDC has a much more European feel than Cancun. The Deseo and a couple of other places in PDC have a great Euro lounge feel at night that reminded me of some of the better (i.e., non cheesey) spots in South Beach.

juribe31

There are many wonderful beaches in Mexico. See if you can find a great deal thru Luxurylink.com or Skyauction.com. I am always looking for a great deal for a colonial city hotel, but they sell or auction more beach resorts than anything else. I have seen great prices for elegant hotels. Cancun seems to be the most obvious because is the most popular resort right now. You have tons of great hotels to choose from and once here you can do tons of activities even a maya experience and two wonderful ecological parks in Xcaret and Xel-Ha. Close by you have playa del carmen, riviera maya, & Cozumel. Other great beaches are Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Los Cabos. Look at Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, for comparing prices, and like I said look at the auction sites for a great deal on luxury. For $1500 a person for a week, you should be able to find a great deal eventhough is spring break season for Mexicans and Americans. If for some reason don't want to be around spring breakers try the more inclusive playa del carmen and riviera maya or smaller resorts like puerto escondido, huatulco, and manzanillo. Good luck!