Tropical Vacation Destination Ideas

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GophersInIowa

GophersInIowa

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My wife and I haven't really gone on a true vacation in a long time so are considering doing something in the next year or so. We've done Mexico several times so would prefer to go elsewhere. Looking for any ideas of places you guys have been to that aren't going to break the bank and potentially offer things to do outside of the resort if we wanted.

A few I've seen in my brief research include Cayman Islands, Punta Cana, Costa Rica and St Kitts. What about a cruise? I hear mixed feelings on them.
 



Aruba or Curaçao (less Americanized version of Aruba - where all the Europeans go), rarely touched by hurricanes either. Amazing beaches and people will do your dishes 😃
 
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I liked Costa Rica that was about 17 years ago.

It's safe enough you can really do whatever, don't need to stay at a big resort. I took the bus from the Capitol to the beach where my friend was getting married.

Just watch out for pretty thieves, they got my unattended backpack off the beach.
 

Slim Tubby said:
We head up to Northern Ontario every January to ice fish for trophy walleyes. Always room for more but new couples do the dishes and make the drinks.
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giphy.gif
 





Wally said:
I liked Costa Rica that was about 17 years ago.

It's safe enough you can really do whatever, don't need to stay at a big resort. I took the bus from the Capitol to the beach where my friend was getting married.

Just watch out for pretty thieves, they got my unattended backpack off the beach.
Click to expand...

I'll second Costa Rica. We absolutely loved it. We stayed in the rain forests a few days, hiking, zip lining, etc. and then 3-4 days on the beach. Perfect combination for us. Punta Cana was one of the places we've been that we wouldn't go back, but that's just us, many others love it there. Puerto Rico is also nice, you'll feel like you're in a different country with many comforts of being in a U.S. controlled island.

Go Gophers!!
 


tikited said:
The navy moved out years ago.
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Thanks for the correction -my bad.
IIRC 60 minutes did a piece on the unexplored ordinances which still litter the island.

I’d still skip it based on the following -

www.usatoday.com

In Vieques, Puerto Rico, cancer rates are high. Advocates say Navy bombing may be to blame

Research shows higher cancer rates in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Advocates say it's linked to contaminants from decades of U.S. Navy training. A proposed bill would compensate residents.
www.usatoday.com
 




Gopher_In_NYC said:
Thanks for the correction -my bad.
IIRC 60 minutes did a piece on the unexplored ordinances which still litter the island.

I’d still skip it based on the following -

www.usatoday.com

In Vieques, Puerto Rico, cancer rates are high. Advocates say Navy bombing may be to blame

Research shows higher cancer rates in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Advocates say it's linked to contaminants from decades of U.S. Navy training. A proposed bill would compensate residents.
www.usatoday.com
Click to expand...
I've been there twice. Only went to the beaches the Navy had in their vicinity once. Was like we were the first humans to walk the sand. Very cool. Hopefully no cancer.

The other beaches were great. An adventure to get there but incredibly picturesque.
 

tikited said:
I've been there twice. Only went to the beaches the Navy had in their vicinity once. Was like we were the first humans to walk the sand. Very cool. Hopefully no cancer.

The other beaches were great. An adventure to get there but incredibly picturesque.
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Glad you liked it and can provide a first hand account vs. my non-experienced take.
 

I would third Costa Rica. Since the 90's, they've been teaching every student English, so the only ones who don't speak English are the old timers and immigrants (they have a lot from Columbia, Venezuela, etc, and have a very similar visceral pro/con with them as Americans do with Mexicans and other Hispanics). Affordable and generally safe; third richest country in the Americas behind US and Canada. Most places take both local currency (colones), or USD.

Did similar to Bleed - spent half in the rain forest and half on the beach, snorkeling, etc. The beach at Manuel Antonio State Park may be Heaven on Earth, IMO. Also just randomly picked a few beaches that looked out-of-the way to tourists, brought a lunch and spent the day there with the locals. By far better than the couple times we've been to Mexico (honestly, it's not even comparable). The rainforests and wildlife are mind blowing. We aren't "resort-type" people, which has something to do with it. Tons of hiking, adventures, etc. if you're looking to not just sit around.

Some of the roads there are pretty horrific. We made sure to get a 4x4, and really appreciated it. Depending on where you're going, that may be something to look into. Additionally, if you're doing tours at nature preserves, national parks, etc., get a guide - they will spot the wildlife for you with binoculars and it makes the experience much better.
 

forever a gopher said:
I would third Costa Rica. Since the 90's, they've been teaching every student English, so the only ones who don't speak English are the old timers and immigrants (they have a lot from Columbia, Venezuela, etc, and have a very similar visceral pro/con with them as Americans do with Mexicans and other Hispanics). Affordable and generally safe; third richest country in the Americas behind US and Canada. Most places take both local currency (colones), or USD.

Did similar to Bleed - spent half in the rain forest and half on the beach, snorkeling, etc. The beach at Manuel Antonio State Park may be Heaven on Earth, IMO. Also just randomly picked a few beaches that looked out-of-the way to tourists, brought a lunch and spent the day there with the locals. By far better than the couple times we've been to Mexico (honestly, it's not even comparable). The rainforests and wildlife are mind blowing. We aren't "resort-type" people, which has something to do with it. Tons of hiking, adventures, etc. if you're looking to not just sit around.

Some of the roads there are pretty horrific. We made sure to get a 4x4, and really appreciated it. Depending on where you're going, that may be something to look into. Additionally, if you're doing tours at nature preserves, national parks, etc., get a guide - they will spot the wildlife for you with binoculars and it makes the experience much better.
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So you rented a vehicle and drove around yourself?
 

forever a gopher said:
I would third Costa Rica. Since the 90's, they've been teaching every student English, so the only ones who don't speak English are the old timers and immigrants (they have a lot from Columbia, Venezuela, etc, and have a very similar visceral pro/con with them as Americans do with Mexicans and other Hispanics). Affordable and generally safe; third richest country in the Americas behind US and Canada. Most places take both local currency (colones), or USD.

Did similar to Bleed - spent half in the rain forest and half on the beach, snorkeling, etc. The beach at Manuel Antonio State Park may be Heaven on Earth, IMO. Also just randomly picked a few beaches that looked out-of-the way to tourists, brought a lunch and spent the day there with the locals. By far better than the couple times we've been to Mexico (honestly, it's not even comparable). The rainforests and wildlife are mind blowing. We aren't "resort-type" people, which has something to do with it. Tons of hiking, adventures, etc. if you're looking to not just sit around.

Some of the roads there are pretty horrific. We made sure to get a 4x4, and really appreciated it. Depending on where you're going, that may be something to look into. Additionally, if you're doing tours at nature preserves, national parks, etc., get a guide - they will spot the wildlife for you with binoculars and it makes the experience much better.
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You're making me want to go back. I also went to Manuel Antonio State Park when I was there.
 


Another question: do you guys use a travel agent or book it yourself? We had a good experience using our agent for our honeymoon. I'm not sure if there's much cost savings or not using them.
 

GophersInIowa said:
So you rented a vehicle and drove around yourself?
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Yes. They require you to have “damage waiver insurance”, but if you have proof your credit card covers it (many do), you don’t need it from the rental agency, which will save a good amount of money. We went to 4 different places, so we really needed a car. Suzuki Jimny FTW!

IMG_5252.jpeg
 

Wally said:
I liked Costa Rica that was about 17 years ago.

It's safe enough you can really do whatever, don't need to stay at a big resort. I took the bus from the Capitol to the beach where my friend was getting married.

Just watch out for pretty thieves, they got my unattended backpack off the beach.
Click to expand...
At least the thieves were attractive.
 



GophersInIowa said:
My wife and I haven't really gone on a true vacation in a long time so are considering doing something in the next year or so. We've done Mexico several times so would prefer to go elsewhere. Looking for any ideas of places you guys have been to that aren't going to break the bank and potentially offer things to do outside of the resort if we wanted.

A few I've seen in my brief research include Cayman Islands, Punta Cana, Costa Rica and St Kitts. What about a cruise? I hear mixed feelings on them.
Click to expand...
Costa Rica & the Dominican Republic are both great choices.

Sun Country flies to both Guanacaste (Costa Rica) & Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) affordably Oct-Apr.

Two very different experiences culturally as CR is Central American & the DR is Carribbean.

Either way you go, I suggest getting out of the resort & traveling. Rent a car. Have some adventures.

People have listed a number of nice options in CR like Manuel Antonio National Park, and in CR you can hit a volcano like Poas', lake Arenal, a canopy tour in the rain forest, etc. The DR has just as much to do, its just not as well known. Isla Saona is amazing. See the star fish. Jeep safari tours are great. Drink Rum & Cokes while they take you into little villages on the beach. Go on a catamaran tour. Go into town and go Meringue dancing at the first busy place you see , etc.

* Edit: Was posting from my phone earlier and wanted to add this final thought:

Figure out the dates (hopefully flexible dates) you want to travel. Then go on the Sun Country low fare calendar (or whatever it's called), and check the dates for both CR & the DR. See where you'll get the best combination of cost/shorter flight duration/convenient travel times. Then do the same on Google Flights to compare. Then book whichever one is better overall on those grounds. Not only will you get the best deal this year, it also gives you a year to set up your trip to the one you didn't choose this time around.

Best of luck, and feel free to ask me (or PM me) if you have any questions, as I know those areas well.
 
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Wally said:
I liked Costa Rica that was about 17 years ago.

It's safe enough you can really do whatever, don't need to stay at a big resort. I took the bus from the Capitol to the beach where my friend was getting married.

Just watch out for pretty thieves, they got my unattended backpack off the beach.
Click to expand...
I was there for 5 weeks in 2012. Also took the bus to both coasts and a place in the mountains. Seems like the bus fare was only about $5 back then. But it was a bit too similar to a jungle for my wife's taste. I thought that it was fine. She prefers Puerto Vallarta and we are going there around Christmas. She likes to spend the day at the beach and then walk to any of several nearly places for dinner. I like that the airport is very close and once clearing custom its less than 10 minutes to most hotels. I guess that it depends on what you prefer. Enjoy the trip!
 

GophersInIowa said:
My wife and I haven't really gone on a true vacation in a long time so are considering doing something in the next year or so. We've done Mexico several times so would prefer to go elsewhere. Looking for any ideas of places you guys have been to that aren't going to break the bank and potentially offer things to do outside of the resort if we wanted.

A few I've seen in my brief research include Cayman Islands, Punta Cana, Costa Rica and St Kitts. What about a cruise? I hear mixed feelings on them.
Click to expand...

I've been to three different places in the Caribbean and loved them all.

St. Lucia is an absolutely stunning island (mountainous/rain forests/great resorts). It's not as famous for its beaches but we went on a number of great tours. Snorkeling/waterfalls/volcanic mud baths/ziplines.

St. Maarten is interesting and a great place to explore via car. Two distinctly different cultures depending on which side of the island you find yourself (Dutch vs French). Better beaches than St. Lucia but not as beautiful. Better shopping. More cultural?

Cayman Islands are great if you want a more commercialized experience. Nicest beach of the bunch (7 mile beach). We also liked walking around Georgetown. Bigger cruise destination so maybe a little busier.

PM me if you want to discuss further.
 




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