Time for a change from the Caribbean...Where to next??? Please help!
 

Hi All! My husband and I, both in our early 30's are looking for a new adventure. We love to soak in the sun and warm weather, sightseeing, relaxing on the beach and by the pool, visits to the spa/fitness center, beautiful scenery, outdoor cafes, strolling the streets, people watching, new and fun cultures, Great food and wine, not feeling rushed. We are open to all suggestions, as most of our travel has been done in the Caribbean by staying on an island and cruising. Two yrs ago we spent an amazing honeymoon in Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Moorea. We also LOVED our time spent in Italy last yr in Rome, Florence, Ravello, and Capri. We loved the history as well as some down time. We prefer a little bit of both big city feel and small quaint city life or just the relaxation of island life.

We have never traveled to South America, Central America, or Mexico (honestly because I have been nervous about traveling to Mexico) nor have we ever thought about. I think it is time to see new places besides our beautiful Caribbean. We will be traveling from Newark and prefer a nonstop flight if possible. Our dates of traveling due to our schedules has to be somewhere between Dec 28th-Jan4th. I have heard wonderful things about Belize and Costa Rica.....what about others? We would love a resort feel with a spa, restaurant on site as well as great restaurants close by.

I know many will say to look at guide books, but because i dont even know where to start, I am hoping to get some advice and opinions and take your feedback to begin my research process. Thank u all in advance!

Belize has the largest barrier reef in he hemisphere and mainland has impressive Mayan temples, rainforest, caves with artefacts, waterfalls, river and horse trips, botanic gardens, friendly English speaking diverse cultures

The Maya Riviera/Yucatan peninsula is calling to you. Perfectly safe and American-friendly, beautiful beaches, tons of lodging and restaurant choices, quaint colonial towns you can visit, Mayan ruins, adventure tours, nature and wildlife, snorkeling, scuba, cave/cenotes exporation, etc.

Cancun, Valladolid, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Tulum, Merida, Isla Mujeres . . .

In Costa Rica, it has wonderful spa-resorts.
Some with international fame, like the Tabacoon Resort.

It is a very safe country.

There are some resorts in Guanacaste too (northern costa rica).

Here are some of them listed in Trip Advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/HotelsList...-zfp28604.html

Enjoy!

Thank u all for responding! These all seem like great places to research and check out flights. What are some favorite resorts in Belize? And riviera maya area? We will be leaving from newark nj. Are these areas pretty easy to get to?

Mexico would be my suggestion. It is a huge, beautiful, diverse country. Just don't go to the border towns or get involved with the drug cartels. Seriously, tourist travel to most destinations in Mexico is now and has always been safe.

If you want an easy introduction, go to the Caribbean side of the country, along the Mayan Riviera (Cancun down to Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Tulum) that will be more similar to the islands you hare used to (say than going to the Pacific Coast of Mexico like Puerto Vallarta, my personal favorite).

We visit Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras over and over. My photos with blog and travelogue links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there. Have a great trip, whatever you decide!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

There are dozens and dozens of resorts up and down the Maya Riviera coast line. From Cancun about 70km south to Tulum. Lots of choices for big resorts with huge swimming pools, several restaurants etc.

If you want more intimate, you can rent a condo or villa in places like Akumal. Check out Locogringo.com for rentals there.

Our favorite place (ironically maybe) is La Selva Mariposa, which is inland from Tulum along the road to Coba ruins, so not on the beach, but in the forest in a very small town. We saw a spider monkey there one afternoon. We stayed in room #4, which has a private plunge pool and waterfall, with a hammock of course. Plus an open air shower.

http://laselvamariposa.com/rates.htm

All of these areas are easily accessed from Cancun, btw, to which you should have several non-stop flights available from EWR (United has two nonstop outbound flights per day, and three nonstop return flights per day).

I went to Playa del Carmen, which is near Cancun, last year. The weather was good, the streets were clean, the people were friendly. I live in a border town and to my surprise I never felt unsafe there. Cancun has an excellent nightlife, but according to the locals, Playa del Carmen is the place to stay, saying that Cancun is a little bit overrated. I stayed at the Mayan Palace which is about 10 minutes away from Playa.

You can get a cheap two-star hotel or a five-star resort with all the amenities you can think of. (I recommend an all-inclusive). I recommended my friend the same resort that I stayed in, and he never even left the hotel, it was that many things to do.

"(honestly because I have been nervous about traveling to Mexico"

this is a classic case of paranoia.

look at the Pearl islands on the pacific coast of panama.

We really loved Victoria House in Belize. It pairs nicely with Chaa Creek if you want jungle time in addition to the beach.

Many grt options in Belize on the mainland as well as coast and cayes. BTW, its still the Caribbean, but considered NW Caribbean

Costa Rica has a Caribbean coast with a laid back vibe, jerk chicken and English is spoken fairly widely along the stretch of coastline that includes national parks with protected coral reefs, rain forest and beaches.