Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nathan Andover on June 11, 2012 at 1:09pm

Hi Mike,

 

My first thought is Playa del Carmen In Mexico about an hour south of Cancun.

 

There is a great road called 5th Avenue that has a ton of shopping, restaurants, bars, hotels and a lot of good people watching as lots of people walk up and down that road all evening with no cars allowed on it.  The road is about a block up from the beach and is pretty long since it streatches along the entire Playa del Carmen tourist area.

 

There are some great Playa del Carmen all inclusive resort options in the area.  Once you find the resort you like, you might be close enough to walk to the tourist area or just ask the resort if they have a free shuttle as many of them do. 

 

My personal recommendation would be The Royal Playa del Carmen as it is a great resort and close enough to 5th Avenue to walk over and return at any time.

 

Fly into Cancun and take a shuttle south to Playa del Carmen.

 

I can't really think of anything else that would meet your expectations, but I haven't been to all destinations.  Cancun has some shopping malls and nightlife options, but they are spread out and probably not what you are looking for.

Jamaica is one of my favorite destinations with a great beach in Negril, but the shopping options are limited.  People mainly walk up and down the long beach in the evenings with live music options and beach bars.

 

Punta Cana is a huge all inclusive resort area, but that is all it is. Just big resorts with very few urban areas so just about everything happens within the resorts.

 

October is a great ime to go because the rates are lower and you will not have to worry about crowded beaches, pool chairs and resort restaurants.

 

I hope this helps.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mike on June 12, 2012 at 5:37am

Thanks so much for the information.  So many options to choose.  Jamaica also seems like a great deal for OCT :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nathan Andover on June 12, 2012 at 12:39pm

Jamaica is one of my favorite destinations and there are a ton of great all inclusive resorts to choose from.

 

The only thing I don't like about the all inclusive resorts in Negril is that they are on the far northwest end of the beach.  That isn't the worst thing in the world, but it does put you further away from the nightlife and "beach scene" of Negril.  Nice little cove that most of the resorts are in and I think the Riu Negril is the only one that is across the road which isn't a huge deal, but not crossing the road each time is better.

 

Montego Bay has some nice resorts, but it definately is more urban.  The resorts are near the airport, but there are only a few planes each day so the noise is there, but not a major obstruction to relaxation.  There also have been some concerns with thumping nightclubs  

 

Ocho Rios is a nice little area, but I usually head to Negril since the beach is better and the shuttle transfer from the airport is shorter. 

 

One main difference about Jamaica is you definately feel like you are somewhere else.  In Mexico, it can seem sometimes seem like you are in Phoenix or El Paso, but in jamaica, you certainly are in a different country.

 

If you are considering Jamaica, I would put Cancun back on your list.  More shopping options for the wives and the all inclusive resorts are more centrally located.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mike on June 12, 2012 at 3:50pm

Thanks Nathan.. A friend of mine is one of the owners for "All about Honeymoons" and has been to Jamaica several times and recommends a few places at Montega  Bay, alittle pricey but we will be very pampered :-)

thanks

Mike

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nathan Andover on June 14, 2012 at 12:21pm

Have a great trip.  Nothing wrong with being a little pampered while on vacation : )

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nathan Andover on June 12, 2012 at 12:42pm

Here's a video of the 5th Avenue shopping and nightlife area of Playa del Carmen:

 

• ▶ Reply