suze

<<We have not returned to Mexico since all of the drug problems>>

There aren't "drug problems" in the tourist beach resort destinations in Mexico like Cancun, Isla, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Tulum, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, etc.

Idahospud

I am looking forward to your trip report on Akumal Jamie99. It looks like a quieter area & still lots of ruins around. I'm not a worrier & have checked out the advisories so know it's much safer than years ago. Check out the snorkeling & fishing for me. 17 years ago when my oldest granddaughter was just a baby we went to Cancun. Everything that could go wrong did. There was a problem with her birth certificate, then my daughter got sick & lost her purse & it was so hot when we went to Chichen Itza & that was in the spring. So we laugh about a retry.

suze

I can see why all of those might be good reasons to double-think a return to Mexico (but the drug cartels aren't one of them)

jamie99

I'll let you know idahospud - know what you mean about Chichen Itza, we got a late start (10am) and had lunch first in Valladolid so got there early afternoon, people all over and hotter than heck, could feel my face getting really red so only saw a few structures. Bought two bottles of water, drank one and poured the other over the top of my head! Then we left.
Snorkeling is great in Akumal, unfortunately is has been "discovered" last few years and is inundated with snorkel tour groups, so you need to snorkel early, like 8 or 8:30am or after they leave. Am staying on Half Moon Bay which is nice and quiet. Fishing I have not done, but I know you can hire a panga at either of the two dive shops, $150 for 3-4 people not including tip for about 3 hours fishing. You can also arrange a pange through the restaurant Cueva del Pescador, if you catch anything they will cook your fish for free and only charge about $5 for sides (plus drinks and tip). Sounds like a good deal to me.
Hope you have a great trip wherever you decide to go.

bellalinda

That's a tough trip to co ordinate. I have been all over the Big Island and would not go back to Kona side. There are still some wonderful isolated spots but they are, well... isolated. With your group I would go somewhere fun as a base. I used to love Tulum but it is now over priced and over run and you would need multiple rental cars to move every one around. Isla Mujeres is super fun once or twice and worth considering if you have never been but it is limiting - sometimes not a bad thing - there's still lot's to do there with boats, snorkeling and scooters but after a week you may be done.
I just checked out AirBnB - I have used them 4 times in the past year to book apartments and they all went smoothly. Check out this in PDC - great base for the teenagers, easy walking access to multiple restaurant choices, road trips close by, decent beach, plus it looks very chi chi, cool and fun. My ONLY hesitation is there are no reviews yet so you would need to do some real diligence- Good luck - family trips are the best - you are going to have so much fun !
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/2626167?guests=11&s=gcfE

FaceInTheCrowd

You've not said anything about budget, but I'm trying to imagine the place on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island (where you'd want to be) large enough to accommodate your family that won't cost $2,000 +/- per night. That might be reason enough to sway you towards Mexico.

Otherwise, there are good connections through either Seattle or Portland directly into Kona on Alaska Airlines, and if you get a couple of their Signature VISA cards, you'll save some money on airfare too.

PamT

We took our family of 11 (6 adults, 5 kids ages 15-8) on vacation 12/26/11 - 1/1/12. We chose the Rivera Maya area of Mexico where we stayed at the Marina El Cid Resort & Spa.

I've attached the link for my review of the resort on TA.

There are plenty of different resorts in the area for every price range - we chose this one based on our travel agents recommendation. We booked with Delta vacations at the time for the best price flying out of Minneapolis.

When my husband and I go on vacation alone we never pick all inclusive resorts but for this family vacation we loved the fact that it was all-inclusive. All food, drink and water sports were included. There was something for everyone and when the kids wanted snacks, or drinks they could just go and get them.

We looked at plenty of different places before we chose Mexico and the reason we did was the all inclusive choice. We didn't want our kids/grandkids to have to pay for anything at the resort. Each family spent time at the ruins close by and enjoyed them as well.

I guess it depends on your particular circumstance but we needed to keep the cost in line with what we could afford and Mexico worked for us.


http://tinyurl.com/kwhj4kz

TC

Akumal, Isla Mujeres, or Cozumel would all be good choices for someplace a little quieter than Cancun proper. You would still be able to fly into Cancun. Your money will go much further than in Hawaii. The snorkeling is absolutely better - especially from Cozumel. The fishing on the flats south of Akumal is famous. The area is very safe. I wouldn't recommend turning the teens loose on their own. We've been to Cozumel several times in November -- its the very tail end of hurricane season and we've never had bad weather. Do get a heated pool no matter where you stay.

Have a look here:
www.locogringo.com

juliekay

These are two very different trips. I vote for Mexico. It has it all; culture, nature and that aqua blue water you won't find in Hawaii. That's the number one draw for me. And Mexico's less money to boot. We're heading to Puerto Morelos for our next trip to Mexico but wouldn't rule out Cancun at a future date-when we just want to lay around the pool.

uhoh_busted

Check out Belize. Fly to Cancun and then get a connecting flight to Belize. Jungle adventures, Mayan ruins, white sand beaches (Hopkins), great snorkeling and diving and fishing opportunities...friendly people...what's to NOT like?

AlexisFord

I'll go for Hawaii! The place has so much fun activities to offer that you and your family will surely love and enjoy!

Idahospud

Decision has been made & I feel good about it. I went with
Akumal MX. The main reason was airline tickets & the shortest time traveling. Southwest is flying from Boise to Cancun for little over 6 hrs & rt tickets for $550ea. Found a great 6 bd 6 ba home on Half Moon Bay with pool for $2500 total so for less than $8000 I can take my family of 11 on a fun vacation with the ocean right in front & a pool as well. The other factor was a fishing trip that the guys really want to do ($150 for 3 hrs up to 5 people). My family loves to cook so looking forward to some great fish meals. I really like that it's not as busy as Cancun, has lots of ruins nearby, cenotes, good snorkeling & lots to do or just a great place to relax.
Thanks for all your help. I'll post in Nov when we return. My husband & I will be going a week early to explore & just enjoy the sun.

Pegontheroad

Have fun! That sounds like a great trip.

I used to enjoy Hawaii back in the 80's, but I was shocked to see that the Waikiki area had been so built up that it looks like New York city.

uhoh_busted

We went to Akumal --- wow in 1996 --- and had a super time. It appeared to have more vacation homes to rent and fewer "All Inclusive" resorts than one finds around Cancun. Sounds like it is still a great place for a big group to enjoy together. DO bring "water" shoes, as the better snorkel spots don't necessarily have a sandy path to enter, and try to rent some sea kayaks for the week, because you can see a lot of cool things from there as well.

jamie99

Good choice, just spent 8 nights on Half Moon Bay in North Akumal this past May. Had a great time.

Idahospud

Thanks Jamie99. You helped me decide. We aren't an "all inclusive" type for travels & I really enjoy places that don't have a lot of shopping. We will be staying near La Buena Vida restaurant & dive shop so will have kayaks, paddleboards, & snorkel stuff available. I doubt anyone wants to snorkel as much as my hubby & I. We dive but right now are dealing with an eye problem so most likely will give that up this trip. My family is excited about all the things available. We will rent cars so we will be mobile. I'm curious if we can explore the Sian Kaan Biosphere or go into Belize while there (speaking of just me & hubby). We loved Belize. And busted, we will definitely check out renting kayaks for the week. My grandkids kayak down the Salmon river many times during the week so are very experienced. It's a great group to spend time with.

justineparis

just want to respond to the person who said the pools were too cold in Mexico ( Mayan riveria) in November 19th.. we went last November and found the pools at our resort disgustingly warm and no, they were not heated.. and chose the sea for swimming and found it perfect.. snorkled for hours!( I saw turtles and sting rays at Akumal Bay...loved it)

TC

Do you give all the money to the Breast Cancer Foundation? Advertising is forbidden on Fodors, you know.

suze

Rebecca, While I want to welcome you to the forum, your post will likely be pulled since it would be perceived as advertising. But if you become a regular participant and contributor to the Hawaii questions when they are asked probably you could sneak in your website now and then

suze

No advertising allowed ;-)