Vacation Destinations

Brian and I have been talking about taking a “grown up vacation” for a long time.  We have taken weekend trips here and there but nothing super relaxing or romantic.  We decided that we are definitely going to take a vacation for our birthdays in August (we are one week apart) as a gift to each other, but the question still remains – Where?  

I really would love to go anywhere in Europe, but that is out of our budget right now.  I also really want to go to Turks and Caicos, especially after reading Clare’s review from her cruise.  It looks like paradise, but there are only a handful of all inclusive hotels on the island and is also way out of our price range.  We are looking at all inclusive resorts because we truly don’t want to worry about anything.  When you factor in food, drinks, tips, etc vacations tend to get really expensive.  It all adds up quickly and we want to stay within our budget.  I thought about doing a cruise, but I have already been on many cruises with my family, and am familiar with most of the ports already.  I want to try someplace new! 

The Cancun / Riviera Maya area seems to be the most reasonably priced on AppleVacations.com and CheapCarribean.com.  But there are so many resorts to choose from – and thousands and thousands of reviews for each one.  How do we know we are making the right choice?  Some people who write reviews seem hard to please, and others seem to have different priorities on what’s important (like accommodating/entertaining a big group or kids), so it’s hard to get a good feel for how a resort really is unless you go yourself!  Some people actually complain that there is seaweed on the beach, I mean – you’re at the beach, what do you expect?  Others complain that the wine is “undrinkable” or the sushi “inedible” and then compare it to the fancy NYC restaurants that they go to.  How obnoxious!  I am not high-maintenance or hard to please, just give me a clean room, a beautiful beach, and a drink in my hand, and I will be a happy camper!

No matter where we end up going, I am excited to take ANY vacation this year.  We deserve it :-)