It has been decided that for Spring Break 2009, three families (12 people) will spend the week together. One idea that was brought up was Atlantis. Of course, some all inclusives in Mexico were also discussed. I would like some additional ideas. What happens next is that we will all gather at one of the homes to present our ideas to the others on March 15.
Yes, "present." This means a slide show or multimedia extravaganza.
What do you need to know about the final destination?
It has to be warm and sunny (I don't care if rains the other 51 weeks of the year, but the week we are there, no rain, please).
Water sports (swimming, boating, snorkeling, etc.).
Golf (optional)
Three families. Kids ranging from 17 to 11. Perfect balance of kids: Three boys, three girls. Everyone gets along. Right now.
Vacation days are April 10 through April 18, 2009.
If you recommend a house, a pool and access to a beach, would be nice.
If a hotel/resort, a "suite" (by this I mean a room with a kitchenette and a separate sleeping area for the kids) for each family.
A cruise is not out of the question.
If an "all inclusive," somewhere other than Mexico would be good (since I think that one of the other families will be recommending a Mexican all inclusive).
We are all starting out in Cleveland (if that makes any difference).
Everyone has a passport.
Let's see what you have to recommend!
Comment posted by Mika Heinonen02/18/2008 06:02:38 PM
Homepage: http://www.siipi.com/mika
Hainan
Comment posted by Charles Robinson02/18/2008 11:46:44 PM
Homepage: http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com
Given all your stipulations the only choice is going to be somewhere in the Caribbean or Central America, unless you want to get into crazy amounts of time in planes. It really depends on how touristy you want. Myron works as a tour guide, so when we're on vacation we like less developed and low key.
We've been to St. Martin (stayed at The Atrium) and did day trips to Saba and St. Barth's. Both St. Martin an St. Barth's are very touristy and very nice; Saba is a little more rustic. This summer we're going to Anguilla and Montserrat, both a little further South and little less developed.
A group of six of us did an all-inclusive catamaran trip out of Tortola with TradeWinds Cruise Club, and that was awesome. To me we had the best of both worlds: on a boat and able to snorkel or scuba dive pretty much at will with frequent stops at islands so you could touch dry land. I'm not sure how bored an 11 year old might get, though, and it is pretty close quarters. I think the boat holds up to 10 passengers so that might not work for you, but they may have bigger boats.
We spent a week in Panama at the Gamboa Rainforest Lodge. It's in a protected rainforest and boasts the largest pool in Panama. Fishing in Lake Gatun was an incredible experience, as was seeing the ships in the canal and all the wildlife.
We also stayed at an all-inclusive in Cancun, but I don't remember the name of it. I'll see if I can dig it up, just so I can warn you about it since it was so bad. Let me know if you go to Cancun and I'll share what I know, including some discounted tours we did that were about half what the resorts wanted.
Comment posted by Scot Haberman02/19/2008 08:33:12 AM
British Virgin Isles (not the US). Rent a sailboat for a week (if you are not comfortable sailing it, hire a captian as well).
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred02/19/2008 10:13:21 PM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
@Mika - thanks for the suggestion. A little far for us, but at least you forced me to read up on Hainan. Thanks for that.
@Charles - I am appreciative of your excellent comment. The more I think about this, I think that you may be right: The Caribbean or Central America. I didn't consider Panama or a smaller cruise. St. Martin looks like a great spot, too. I am jealous of you, having Myron to find some out of the way vacation destinations.
@Scot - I think that one of the great benefits of BVI is its proximity to other islands/countries. If we get tired of one island, a simple boat rental or ferry ride and we can enjoy another island. Another outstanding idea!
These are all wonderful ideas and give me plenty to consider. Thank you for your time and comments. I may have to post my presentation after we deliver it so that you can see what we proposed.
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