There’s nothing better than all inclusive resorts to make a Caribbean vacation as affordable and enjoyable as possible. If you’ve never been before, here’s what you should know about all inclusive resorts.
All inclusive resorts can include round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, all meals and snacks, beverages (including alcoholic beverages), various activities and entertainment, and taxes and gratuities. Basically, you pay for your Caribbean vacation, put your wallet away and start enjoying the island breeze and those drinks with the little umbrellas in them. Some all inclusive resorts may also include shuttles or ground transportation, off-site excursions, motorized water sports, green fees for golf, and even wedding packages.
To create the perfect vacation for your needs, consider what it is that you’re looking for in all inclusive resorts: Are you single and hoping to find romance? Does the idea of an adults-only resort — some specializing in romantic getaways for singles and couples, with others focusing more on seclusion, casinos or golf — sound good to you? Do you plan to spend the majority of your Caribbean vacation on the property or are you more interested in venturing out into the local towns and natural surroundings? Is this a family trip?
To help narrow down your search and save some money, check out these hotels to enjoy these extra perks plus great spring savings right now:
* Marriott San Juan Resort and Stellaris Casino: Free meals for kids.
* Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, also in San Juan: Every fourth night is free.
* W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island: Book now and get a 20%-off early booking bonus.
Bottom line, if the hardest thing you have to do in planning your perfect Caribbean vacation is to choose from the many wonderful all inclusive resorts, you’re in for a fantastic trip.
I went on an amazing international vacation — an African safari to see some of the world’s most prized national wonders: Arusha National Park, Ngorogoro Crater, the Serengeti National Park and Tarangire National Park.
Zebra graze on the hillside at Ngorogoro Crater.
We spent our days cruising in the sun under the popped top of a converted 4×4 Eurovan hunting for sightings of hippo, elephant, gazelle, rhino, giraffe, and lion. We didn’t have to hunt terribly hard.
Perhaps as a side effect of eco-tourism, the animals were strangely comfortable with our gawking presence. On day one a wayward lioness even came up to our van and slept in our shade for 20 minutes. I careened my upper body out of the window to take a shot of the lioness and I in frame like a kid posing with a character at Disneyland. Needless to say I was quickly shooed back in the vehicle by our safari leader, who was irritated by my Siegfried-and-Roy-like actions.
Lions at the Ngorogoro Crater
On night two we slept in tents under a indigo sky as a the sound of Maasai children in the distance singing songs carried over the flat, calm, plains and right through my nylon tent. A Maasai man with a bow and arrow lashed to his back watched over the site to ensure hyenas and other “visitors” would not make their way in to our campground.
The other days of my international vacation peeled by. Scrambling to find the binoculars to spot a jaguar in a tree, standing on the seats of the van as we watched a baby elephant cool off in a muddy bank — all of these experiences creating a personalized vision of Africa in my mind that I surely will never forget.
An older brother, watching his sister, introduces himself to campers..
Ostrich Crossing at Taringire National Park
Two lionesses lay in the afternoon sun in Serenghetti National Park.
Here’s some helpful tips for traveling over one of the busiest travel days of the year!
1. Don’t delay. Travelers who wait to book their holiday travel will find choices shrinking and prices growing as Thanksgiving weekend creeps closer. With “reduced capacity” — less planes / less seats — and major airlines already adding on surcharges for the peak holiday travel days, there’s no reason to wait to book your ticket.
2. Be flexible. This may be easier said than done when your main objective is to get home in time for the big turkey dinner, but giving yourself a little wiggle room in your travel schedule can make all the difference both on the price of your ticket and your experience at the airport. Wednesday, November 24 and Sunday, November 28th will be the busiest travel days of the holiday weekend. Consider departing on a morning flight on Thursday and returning on Monday.
3. The early bird gets…the on-time flight? Well, most of the time. Early morning flights typically have a better chance of on-time operations. And over the holidays, when delays are inevitable, booking a pre-dawn flight may save you hours spent in the airport lounge and more time at home with your family. It’s well worth a 4 a.m. wake-up call!
4. Expand your search. Don’t limit your search for flights to only your closest local airport. Expand your search options to include airports within a reasonable radius and you’ll find yourself with more flight and price options. Be sure to search multiple airports in both your departure and destination cities.
5. Consider connections. If you’re on a tight budget, look for connecting flights rather than those that go non-stop. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time between connections — at least an hour — as you’ll likely find it difficult to get on another flight if yours leaves without you.
The quaint islands of Sanibel and Captiva are a unique place for a Florida vacation. Over the years the islanders have vehemently defended the area against overdevelopment, and the result is a peaceful sub-tropical island paradise where there are no stoplights, and where no building rises higher than the tallest palm tree.
Sanibel Island offers 25 miles of paved pathway, great for walking, jogging or a family bike ride around the island. The area is also renowned for its shelling, and some of the rarest shells can be found on the island beaches. (What a great way to spend Christmas morning — searching for treasures from the sea!) Hotel options range from intimate beachside inns (a couple of my personal favorites include Sanibel Inn and Song of the Sea) a full-service Florida hotel on the tip of Captiva Island offering everything from water-view guestrooms to 2- and 3-bedroom beach villas and a wide range of activities to keep you entertained. If you are staying in the Naples or Fort Myers area, Sanibel/Captiva is an easy day trip and well worth a visit.
Concerned that with the dazzling sunshine and balmy temperatures, it just won’t feel like the holidays? Don’t be. Every year Florida hotels, shops and restaurants embrace the holiday spirit. Graceful palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights line the streets, hotel lobbies and driveways boast impressively decorated Christmas trees, and restaurants offer tempting seasonal menus with an innovative Floridian twist.
