I'm planning on taking a trip somewhere in April or May probably from Thurs-Monday and I haven't really ever been anywhere (except Greece). I want this to be very inexpensive soooo... nice places that won't bust my pocketbook are fabulous. Any experience/suggestions? Please advise.

3/6/2006 11:27:09 AM

what is your budget? there are tons of places that you can go, of course depending on your finances. cheapest would probably be to drive down to florida, like the keys or something. also, depends on your accomodations.

3/6/2006 12:05:15 PM

I guess I don't want to spend more than 700 dollars per person since it's only a few days... For hotel and/or flight... I was looking @ Expedia and that seems do-able...?

3/6/2006 12:50:11 PM

Look here - good deals:

http://vacations.travelzoo.com/caribbean-vacations/
http://vacations.travelzoo.com/florida-vacations/
http://vacations.travelzoo.com/mexico-vacations/
http://vacations.travelzoo.com/south-american-vacations/

http://tinyurl.com/ezspj -- cruises

http://leisure.travelocity.com/Promotions/0,,TRAVELOCITY|2089|pkg_main,00.html


the below are ideas that might be in your range if you look (hard for some) -

places i like:
st. lucia (prob can't do for that $)
st. maartin (not the french side, the dutch)
st. kitt's
costa rica
belize
cabo san lucas
puerto vallarta (i would live here)
acapulco
curacao
florida keys
br. virgin islands

places that are "ok" imo:
playa del carmen/cancun/etc
puerto rico
mazatlan
st. thomas
aruba
bahamas
jamaica (but closer to the below category)

places i wouldn't go back to:
barbados
antigua

places i want to go to (not including ones i know that are outside your range - i.e. tahiti):
venezuela northern part
panama
st. john's
haiti (don't ask, i just do)
dominican republic
roatan, honduras

[Edited on March 7, 2006 at 9:28 AM. Reason : fixed link so the page wouldnt scroll sideways. -jackleg]

3/6/2006 1:13:31 PM

You should be a travel agent. You're awesome.

3/6/2006 1:34:21 PM

i'm going to the domincan republic next week and staying at the melia caribe tropical resort - i can let you know how it goes. i've never been anywhere tropical like this either, so it will be an adventure...

3/6/2006 4:54:03 PM

if you ever thought about going to jamaica, save yourself a shitload of money. just go to walnut terrace in south raleigh and tour that place for a couple of hours. walnut terrace has all 3 things jamaica has to offer: sun, sand, and ghetto.

3/6/2006 6:50:00 PM

^^^^

How the hell are you gonna put the Keys as a place you like, then say that Mazatlan is "okay"? Did you stay in the slums there?

Even you don't like fishing (which Mazatlan is ridiculous for), Mazatlan >>>>> Keys, even though I love the Florida Keys

[Edited on March 6, 2006 at 6:55 PM. Reason : .]

3/6/2006 6:53:46 PM

om friggin god i love puerto the carribean...... u should really scrap up some funds and go to tahiti!!

3/6/2006 7:07:59 PM

ive never been there before. so im taking a cruise in a few weeks. and i get to hit up a few places down there. dont get to stay at each place for long. but should be a nice first time down there

Labadee, Haiti (hispanolia, some cruise line owned island or some shit)
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Georgetown GCM
Cozumel, Mexicoooooo

haha and Miami

[Edited on March 6, 2006 at 7:12 PM. Reason : ,]

3/6/2006 7:10:54 PM

you must be taking the western carribean cruise by royal carribean. it was a great cruise, except for jamaica. i did that cruise 3 years ago.

3/6/2006 7:20:51 PM

yeah.... the ship is called Voyager Of The Seas. it looks cool. 7 nights. never been on one so im excited. why didnt you like jamaica?

[Edited on March 6, 2006 at 8:41 PM. Reason : ...]

3/6/2006 8:39:11 PM

yeah, that's the same ship i was on. i stayed in the high rent district......rm. 1255. the ship is cool as hell. it was the largest cruise ship at the time. i think it's now the 2nd largest. the casino is where it's at though. after the 6th day i was ready to get off that fucking ship and come back to raleigh. jamaica was just a fucking dump. hell, a couple on our boat got robbed at gunpoint in jamaica. trash, thugs, and drugs all over. you really are better off visiting a local ghetto. at least you'll get killed in your hometown.

3/6/2006 9:23:32 PM

nassau or emerald isle

3/6/2006 9:41:18 PM

^^ hahaha i figured haiti would be the place i wanted to avoid. i get visions of people with machetes when i think about it

how was the casino btw? any poker besides caribbean stud? i guess i'll just make a new thread actually, and not steal hers.

3/6/2006 11:02:40 PM

jamaica was my favorite! The waterfalls were sooooo pretty!!

3/7/2006 1:17:47 AM

I'd vote Dominican Republic but I'm bias having lived there for 2 years and never having the money/time to go back. I couldn't tell you about the touristic spots, I never went to any of those, but I would say avoid Haiti.

They are coming off a bout of political unrest and things are never quite stable there. I will say that the Haitians I met while in the DR were some of the nicest people I've ever met but I'd avoid travel in a country that is trying to get itself together politically - and yes, some people do tend to settle grievances with machetes down there.

Then again you would be in the touristic spots and they keep all of that far away from the spots where foreigners like to come to spend money. DR and Haiti are on the same island so it isn't like one is going to be better that the other climate wise. DR probably has better beaches anyway. If you go check out Samaná.

3/7/2006 7:57:05 AM

St. Thomas was a little disappointing. The beach wasn't pretty.

Aruba and Dominican Republic were both heaven on earth... Palm Beach and Punta Cana, respectively.

Mexico (Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera) was good for the money.

Whatever you do, pay the money up front to stay at someplace all-inclusive. You'll be glad you did. I've been pleased with the Allegro resort chain.

3/7/2006 8:44:43 AM

Quote :

"How the hell are you gonna put the Keys as a place you like, then say that Mazatlan is "okay"? Did you stay in the slums there? Even you don't like fishing (which Mazatlan is ridiculous for), Mazatlan >>>>> Keys, even though I love the Florida Keys "

it is all personal preference. mazatlan was "ok". i'd go back if it were part of a cruise. i just wouldn't pay the $$$ to stay any real length of time. the city was dirty compared to other western mexican ports i've been to. the water was so cloudy you couldn't see anything snorkeling. i don't fish. i don't party. the beaches were sub-par compared to other places i've been. it was a little too 70's in terms to construction and a little too industrial. the people were fine. i didn't stay there long - it was part of a cruise that went to acapulco, zihuatenejo, cabo, and puerto vallarta - it was my least favorite ot the ports. it was just "ok" to me. my opinion. you can have a totally different one. that's fine.

3/7/2006 9:09:13 AM

Everyone is so helpful in the lounge... You tell 'em Queti...

I'm interested in Panama... but my bf has been there, although it was spring break like 5 or 6 years ago so he doesn't remember much. haha I still want him to go somewhere new. I think I'm going to let him decide this one because I decided all the details for Kitty Hawk/Nags Head this coming wknd.

3/7/2006 10:21:50 AM

^^ thats great and all, but if you spent any real time there, you would know that the Florida Keys do not light a candle to Mazatlan. I've been to much better places than Mazatlan- like Cabo and Puert Vallarta (2 places you mentioned) included. I just don't see how anyone could ever say the FL Keys are better.

3/7/2006 11:23:11 AM

dude it's all opinion. i gave mine. yours is totally different. you don't understand mine and are being strangely defensive about some city in mexico. i don't really care if you disagree. that's the whole thing about opinions... they're like assholes, everyone has one that's why people don't all vacation in the same spots. and i'm quite glad they don't... think of the traffic

[Edited on March 7, 2006 at 11:29 AM. Reason : er]

3/7/2006 11:28:32 AM