In my experience - best food one of the 4+/5 star resorts in either Punta Cana (DR) OR Maya Riviera(Mexico) - but not much outside complexes
- safest to go out at night possibly Puerto Plata (DR)?? - again a good resort
- Value for money - Cuba - Varadero for nightlife - try Iberostar Varadero

Lots of useful info on individual resorts and areas on "TripAdvisor" site

Best place we have ever been to- The Royal Playa del Carmen. Mexico. Fab 5* luxury adults only AI. You treated like royalty, super rooms with 2person hot tubs. Waiter service around the pool and on the beach. No reservations needed for the al-a-carte resturants. Also just around the corner from the famous 5th Ave. Perfectly safe to walk around. Minutes away from the ferry port so easy access to Cozumel. Have a look at their website http://www.realresorts.com

Denny

Do you have a particular budget in mind as this might help with our suggestions?

shirley h wrote:

Do you have a particular budget in mind as this might help with our suggestions?

I'd say our absolute top limit is £1000 per person for 2 weeks AI

With fear of repeating myself and sounding like I work for the company I'd like to suggest any of the Riu complexes in Mexico and the Dom Rep. We stayed in the Riu Tequila, Riviera mayo area of Mexico and also had a brilliant holiday in the Riu merengue, in the North of the Dom Rep. You can use the facilities of another 2 neighbouring hotels in all of the Riu resorts, which meant that there was plenty to do without going off site and having to spend lots of money. We stayed at Dreams, la Romana in the south East of the Dom Rep last summer and had another great holiday. In my experience Dom Rep and mexico were much of a likeness but I can't praise the Rius enough.

Thanks for suggestions so far everyone

It's a long way off before we'd be going (June 2012!) but I wanted to start having a think about where to look at. Really fancying a far flung holiday for my 30th, but it's hard work deciding where! Getting a few ideas from this post so thanks for the ideas.

My boyfriend seems quite keen on Cuba...he's a politics graduate and into history etc and one of the reasons we'd consider about there is if there's anything of interest to do with Cuba's history in terms of excursions? Or is it not really possible to do anything to do with that (can understand history might be a bit sensitive over there), and probably more worth it to visit Mexico or Dom Rep? I'd really like somewhere where the food and drink is really good, and I've heard some of the hotels in Cuba can be a bit hit and miss with food.

Hi Helen,

I haven't made it to Mexico yet but have been to Cuba (Iberostar Daiquiri Cayo Guillermo) & Dom Rep (Superclub Breezes PC & Riu Palace Macao) & have to say I would never go back to Cuba but am returning to DR Ocean Blue PC in May this year! The standards of food & drink in Cuba were very poor! You won't go hungry but thats as far as it goes, I know it wasn't just that hotel as we spoke to others at the airport on the way back & they all said the same! Dom Rep however is in a different league, the Riu complex in Punta Cana was Fab, we had such a fantastic time & everything was 1st class! The hotels vary from 5*/4*/3* If you book the 5* (Palace PC or Palace Macao) you can use the facilities in all the hotels (all 5) We found the food excellent & all top shelf drinks! We are trying the Ocean Blue this year & can't wait till May....Whatever you choose I am sure this site will be able to help & answer all your questions!

Debs x

If you are into a bit of the "local culture" then definitely consider Cuba , stay in Varadero and visit Havana for a couple of days. Or there are also various excursions run in the South East of the island when based in resorts in Guardalavaca. The downside of Cuba as other posters have stated is that the food isn't really "a la carte" even in the best resorts, altho' you won't starve.
An alternative is to stay in Mexico - there are obviously excursions to see the Mayan ruins, Tulum is certainly worth visiting or Coba.
With your budget of £1000 pp in June you should be able to find a good standard of accommodation in all 3 areas.
I've not stayed in a Riu, but my daughter spent her honeymoon in a Rui Palce and raved about it on return.I've stayed in Iberostars and Gran Bahia Principe resorts - all of my experiences have generally been good.

My boyfriend seems quite keen on Cuba...he's a politics graduate and into history etc and one of the reasons we'd consider about there is if there's anything of interest to do with Cuba's history in terms of excursions? Or is it not really possible to do anything to do with that (can understand history might be a bit sensitive over there),

In my experience, Cubans are really proud of their history and there are loads of excursions designed to show it off, right back to the wars of independence from Spain. However, the majority of the major revolutionary sites are in the southeast and a fair distance from the main tourist resorts were you'll find the big AI resort hotels. So if it would be possible to stretch your budget a bit and he is really keen on this then the best thing to do would be to go on one of the Revolution tours that would take in Santiago so you can see the Moncada Barracks (the location of the first doomed uprising against Baptista), the town hall balcony were Fidel announced the success of the first battles in the 1957, the Sierra Madre where they all holed-up and trained in preparation etc.

Following this up with a week spent in one of the tourist resorts on the north coast would enable you to take in Santa Clara on the way and visit both Che's mausoleum (still a place of great reverence) and also the site of his greatest battle when he liberated the city. And of course if you can then take in Havana too then the Museum of the Revolution would be an absolute must where the Granma, the boat on which Fidel arrived back in Cuba on at the start of the Revolution, is housed in its own specially constructed building along with relics left over from the various American attempts to depose Fidel.

So, yes, the history is freely available but don't go to Cuba for the food unless you are planning to eat away from your hotel. The best food in Cuba is always to be found in Casa Particulares (small B&Bs in people's own houses) or Paladares (privately run restaurants, again in people's own homes). My experience of hotel food on the whole is that it is plentiful but a bit boring, with the exception of the Grande Hotel in Trinidad which was exceptional both because it was so good and so un-Cuban!

Whether the drinks are good by your standards or not depends on whether you like rum or not! The range of rums on offer is staggering - the white rums similar to Bacardi are the equivalent of blended whisky and used in cocktails etc, the older golden rums are closer to single malts (try a 15 yr old if you get the chance!). Apart from the local rums, other spirits can be a bit hit and miss and potentially expensive - for example, French cognac can be had but at a price. When in Cuba I tend to drink rum cocktails in the main - and mainly mojitos at that! There is local wine industry and most of it is pleasant enough to drink as an accompaniment to food but you won't go home raving about it. I'm not a beer drinker but of the local brews, Crystal is both light in colour and alcohol strength, Bucccanero is darker and stronger but in the main big tourist hotels you'll find imported European lagers but I've never seen anything remotely like a British bitter. What is and isn't included in your AI deal will to a large extent depend on how upmarket the hotel is and the price you've paid.

I can't compare Cuba to either Mexico or the Dominican Republic because my main reason for travelling to that neck of the woods is Cuban culture, especially the music and dancing and they just don't have that in Mexico or the Dominican Republic

SM

First time we went further afield we went to Cancun. We had a fantastic time, food superb and great trips (especially if you like your wildlife) Very commercialised as they cater so much for the Americans, loads of nightlife outside the hotels. So quite a gentle introduction for going further afield, extremely safe and no real worries about getting sick. (no jabs really needed for this resort) The thing is most people will tell you that you should go four star or higher for any of the above resorts and I think you might struggle to get what you want in Mexico for your price range. (I will explain why later)

The next yr we went to Cuba, Food not so good (as already explained) but I am fussy and I certainly did not struggle. Completely different to Mexico but we also loved it, the people, the culture. I don't like cities but I was entranced by Havana, we did a 2 day trip from Varadero and also saw the countryside, it was stunning and I was even interested by the history (not usual for me!) We did not have any jabs to go here and had no problems , we found it also just as safe as Cancun. Just out of interest their health service is one of the best in the world if you happen to get sick. No real nightlife outside your complex.

I would go back tomorrow to either resorts, and would like to try other parts of both countries. As long as you know what to expect you won't be disappointed. We knew the food would not be the same quality in Cuba, so it was not a problem.

After a few yrs back in the Med (had child!) we are going later in the yr to Dom Rep. I checked prices for all the above and found I could not really afford to go back to Mexico (to get the standard I wanted) so hence trying something new. I thought the prices had shot up this year and could not seem to get any bargains! The best deal to be had was in Dom Rep but the downside is the jabs we are all going to have to have and also taking malaria tablets.

Anyway hope this might help

Steph

Wow! Thanks for all the info and ideas everyone

Trying to decide between Cuba and Mexico now...my boyfriend has said it's up to me, and we can always go to Cuba another time so I'm veering towards Mexico.

Has anyone stayed in a resort called Akumal? As Steph24 said, Cancun looks a bit out of our price range if we go for 4 or 5 star, but I've found a couple of places in Akumal that have been rated really well on tripadvisor.

Still a very long time away but enjoying having a think about where to go.

Thanks everyone

try Cuba wonderful look at SRLM hotel Guardalavaca said this hotel is you sound young at heart otherwise it would have to be the best hotel in Cubs PRDO adults only, we up for third visit. By the way they are sister hotels and share the same wondeful beach

My choice would be Cuba without a shadow of a doubt! Mexico and Dom Rep have already been exploited and leaving them a year or two will not make any difference. Get to Cuba now, before mass tourism and global fast-food empires change it forever. We were there two years ago - 4 days in Havana and 10 in Cayo Coco - I wish it had been the other way round. Havana is a fascinating, vibrant and welcoming city - great bars, great food and great music with lots and lots of great people.

Do it!

Cheers,
Jet

I have been to all 3 and I would tend to agree with jetnoise on going to Cuba. Not because it is better than Mexico or DR (as I don't think it is), but because it is starting to change and become more commercialised. We went just after Fidel Castro stepped down and it had already started changing. Havana is an amazing place so I would recommend going to Varadero but only because it is closer than the Cayos, Havana is more accessible, and you can easily go into town in the evening. The food in the hotels in Cuba is not fantastic, but you can usually find something nice unless you are really picky with your food.

As for the safest place (and also the best food in my opinion by far), Mexico is by far the safest of all 3 to walk out of resort. My wife is quite nervous but feels completely at home walking out on her own in Mexico, which she didn't in the other 2. It also has lots of history and culture and I would recommend staying somewhere in Playacar as you are out of the way but still very close to town so heading out for a few drinks after tea is no problem. Cancun is also only a $6 bus ride from there using the local transport (air conditioned coaches). We stayed at the Riu Tequila and cannot recommend it enough, it's fantastic.

DR sits somewhere in between the other two. Not quite as safe as Mexico but better food than Cuba. It also doesn't have as much history or culture as either of the other 2 have. But the beach at Bavaro is stunningly beautiful.

So, for recommendations I personally would choose Varadero in Cuba or Playacar in Mexico or Bavaro (Punta Cana) in DR. Also, if you are in the UK, I wouldn't book until about 4 - 6 weeks before you go because you can save yourself lots of money. We have just returned from DR and paid just over £800 for 2 weeks in Riu Bambu in Bavaro. We spoke to several people who booked early and paid over £1200 for exactly the same holiday. You may need to be a little bit more flexible with the hotel choice, but we have found that the Riu hotels are usually available.

LEWISKEI, I hope you mean £800 each?? My OH and I have paid ~ £1200 each for a 4+* in DR; Notice its down to ~ £1000 each now

Brewerdave, yes it was just over £800 each for a 5*, not total price

Most of the major hotel chains usually have late availability but if you desperately want to go to a specific hotel you may be safer booking earlier just to get in, even if you end up paying more. As I said, booking late is ok if you can be flexible on your destination and dates (and also if you have nerves of steel).

Another tip for late booking is if you are going away in Feb or March, DO NOT book over the Christmas period as the prices normally go sky high, but then come down again in the New Year.

Thanks for that lewiskei -Unfortunately my wife has to book the time off to coincide as far as possible with her boss, also this year her employers have clamped down on carrying holidays over into the following holiday year - therefore we weren't very flexible so had to book up 4 months in advance - we actually booked this year''s holiday late November to make sure that she didn't lose any entitlement or get refused leave at the last moment.
Previous years doing this has worked out OK as the holiday destinations/dates we were interested in, were fully booked by the time March came round, but this year despite the contraction of the industry there still appear to be plenty of March breaks available....... Oh well

For what you seem to be looking I would recommend Cancun.

Great nightlife and very good all inclusive resorts there. Very nice beaches and a good cultural aspect if you also interested.

Cuba is also very nice but the overall resort quality is lower and, if you get to Habana you might feel a little less secure during night (nothing very serious though).

Dominican Republic is very good too, but unless you stay on the Caribbean side, the beach aren't as good as in Mexico or Cuba.

You'll be well sered in any of those but I think Cancun should be your choice.

Been to all 3 now and for us Mexico is the way to go.