Anyone planning a winter vacation somewhere in the sun ?

[discuspaul]

A little heads up 'tip' for you folks wanting to take a winter vacation somewhere warm, but haven't decided on a destination ?

Linda & I just returned from a week long stay at an adults only, all inclusive resort just 15 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and I just felt the need to pass on this info as a matter of interest.

And just so you know, Linda & I have traveled a great deal over the years, and stayed at a good number of quality resorts, or all-inclusives, in several different countries, but have never run into anything as top quality as this place:

It's called the Grand Fiesta Americana, a 1 year new, 3 tower resort right on the beach, that is rated 5 Star (someone on Trip Advisor even rated it a 6 -Star - LOL), that is very competitively priced ( translation: affordable)

Here are some of the features:
- Modern - All glass & marble throughout, and as clean as a whistle !
Very impressive overall.

- All rooms (except Penthouse type suites) are of the same size & layout, all facing the ocean, and all with a good-sized , furnished balcony ( & some with Jacuzzi tub). They are 3 categories of 'suites' - 'Junior', 'Deluxe Junior', and 'Grand Junior'.

- Higher rooms - 'Grand Suites' - are priced more dearly but have great sea views on these topmost floors - 11 to 14 ( the latter being the uppermost floor) have access to the 'Grand Club', an exclusive, hardly utilized haven serving lovely breakfast & lunches to only those on these 4 floors - also serving cocktails & hors d'oeuvres till 10 pm).

- Staff service is impeccable throughout the resort.

- There are 7 restaurants, all serving excellent meals. The Mexican, Asian, and Italian restaurants have superb menus and the presentation is nothing short of outstanding ! Even room service has very good food, and the all day buffet is the best we have ever seen, with an unbelievably wide variety of excellent choices.

We can't say enough good things about this unique place, and certainly plan to return sometime.

Google it if you're interested - we feel you won't be disappointed if you try it. Just had to pass this on to you fellow members.

[Willie]

Hey Paul;

We were going to take a vacation down in the Caribbean this Winter. My daughters and my nephews wanted someplace warm, but then came Zika. (That's probably why the prices are so reasonable!) Now, we're planning to meet up in Las Vegas.

Willie

[discuspaul]

P.S. ...........

Someone just PM'd me about prices/affordability outside of the room prices only, which are quoted directly by the resort itself, so here is some addt'l information for the rest of you:

Anyone interested should look into booking a special 7 day deal provided by a usual resort booking agency having some clout to obtain bargain pricing.

For example, I understand that in the U.S., these types of deals are provided by the likes of Wal-Mart & Costco - but I'm sure there are many others. You'll need to check this out.

Don't mind telling you that we booked through Air Canada Vacations, but deals here in Canada are also available through SunWing Vacations, Air Transat, TripAdvisor & WestJet.

Our full cost was $3,850. CDN $, all-in for the 2 of us, (i.e. that's less than $3,000. USD) and that included an upgrade to Business Class for the return flites. ( It was only $150. cad $ extra per person for the upgrade to Business Class on Air Canada Rouge.)
Hope this is helpful.

[discuspaul]

Hey Paul;

We were going to take a vacation down in the Caribbean this Winter. My daughters and my nephews wanted someplace warm, but then came Zika. (That's probably why the prices are so reasonable!) Now, we're planning to meet up in Las Vegas.

Willie

Hi Willie,
We didn't even see a single mosquito at this resort, but maybe it was just the time of year.

[brewmaster15]

I wish I was going somewhere, but as it strands, not likely.:( I almost tried a trip to the Everglades (Fl) but camping spots were all taken and I am limited to exactly when we could go. Oh well....another year.

al

[rickztahone]

Cool info Paul. I will check to see if we can make it out there. We missed our Time Share vacation this year but that only means we roll over the points to this following year and can take 2 trips.

We are always looking for nice places to travel to.

[discuspaul]

Hey Ricardo,
This Grand Fiesta resort also provides/has a time share element, so perhaps it may be possible (dependent on the features of your time share & this one) to trade a week of yours for a week at this one.
I don't know how these things work, so maybe I'm way off base in this regard.

[Jack L]

Thanks for sharing. the coolest warm place i went during a winter was Peru for an ecotourism trek through the rainforest. unlike your holiday,,,there were biting insects : )

[brewmaster15]

Thanks for sharing. the coolest warm place i went during a winter was Peru for an ecotourism trek through the rainforest. unlike your holiday,,,there were biting insects : )

Jack, have you posted photos from that Trip?

al

[Discus-n00b]

Actually in the process of renewing my passport now, dying to travel somewhere it's been to long since doing it as a civilian. No current plans but I do keep a list in my pocket of where I want to go. Good friends of mine are toying with the idea of having their Wedding down in Costa Rica so I'd love that to pan out.

[discuspaul]

That sounds great, Matt.
I've wanted to visit Costa Rica for many years now - it's one of the few popular vacation spots we haven't been to - yet !

[Discus-n00b]

I've called it paradise ever since going there in like 2006 Paul. I feel like I went before it was overly popular, but not real sure....just the perception I have. I'm sure it has gotten more touristy since. It was the most beautiful place I've ever personally seen on this earth. Such good energy to it too, and easy to travel to speaking english. Like here in the states, everything is English with a Spanish translation, down there it's Spanish but everything has an English translation. And when I went you could pay with American dollars everywhere. Not sure how much has changed since but I have been dying to go back. The amount of wildlife down there is incredible, some of the best Birding around. To see pairs of Scarlet Macaws flying and living in the wild is one of the most vivid memories I have, and Toucans too! Iguanas and Poison dart frogs everywhere, same with primates. The cloud forests. Just such a beautiful place. Never had a bad meal there and had fresh fruit with EVERY meal. I highly recommend the Pacific side of the country, it was my favorite and where we spent most of the time. Oh and look in just about any body of freshwater and you find Cichlids! Convicts, wolf cichlids, everything. If you are a coffee drinker you can't beat it, coffee bushes and fresh brews everywhere.

On that trip I accidentally formatted my camera's card halfway through so I lost half the trip's pictures in a few seconds, I was sick to my stomach. Some of the best hummingbird and butterfly shots I've ever gotten and a lot from the cloud forests/birds. Ever since then Costa Rica has been my White Whale, and I've been scheming to go back ever since even to just re-shoot what I lost. It will always be #1 on my travel list until I go finish it. May not be the next trip taken, or the next, but it will always stay #1 until I get back lol.

Before I learned how to resize photos more than thumbnails, I'd have to dig up the originals from where ever they are buried.
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb199/Clemmatt2/Costa%20Rica/Pacificsunset6.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb199/Clemmatt2/Costa%20Rica/beach5b.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb199/Clemmatt2/Costa%20Rica/beach2b.jpg

[discuspaul]

Great photos Matt.
Your second pic looks very much like the many, almost always deserted, beaches in Malaysia (where often the only living things seen are sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach).

[Jack L]

Jack, have you posted photos from that Trip?

al

no, it was years ago, they are all film photos. only on is my user image on this site.

[discuspaul]

Just thought of reviving this discussion as Linda & I are seriously thinking of places we might like to go in 2019.

Anybody have any good tips on super vacation spots - particularly any adults only all-inclusive resorts which we quite like ?

We went to an adults only, all inclusive in Cabo San Lucas last year (tip of the Baja), and really enjoyed it.

I think I mentioned before that we really like Mexico and have also booked a 7 day vacation for next month (Dec. 13-20)
at an all-inclusive in Ixtapa, and are really looking forward to that since we haven't been to that area of Mexico.

Always like to hear about travellers' vacation experiences, particularly to sun, sand & ocean spots.

Anyone been to Jamaica in recent years ? Please tell us about it - that's one place we'd love to return to some day - it's been 20 years since we were there - in the Ocho Rios/Dunn's River Falls area.

[robincooper]

Thanks!

[discuspaul]

Here's an update since I posted this thread near 3 years ago:

Since then Linda & I went to 'Breathless' all-inclusive, adults only resort in Los Cabos - rated about 4.5 stars - quite good - we really enjoyed our stay but not sure we would be tempted to return.

Following that we booked a smallish 4 star resort in Ixtapa - since we hadn't been in that area before and it was relatively inexpensive - a disappointment though - particularly the food and amenities - we rated it not more than a 3 star at best.

Our next booking is for this coming October, at a 5 star rated all-inclusive, adults only spa/resort in Puerto Vallarta called Villa Premiere Boutique Resort (only 80 rooms), which is almost next door to P.V.'s Malecon - the main beach & boardwalk area of P.V. with many fine restaurants. The price was reasonable and we're quite looking forward to it!
It's very highly rated by the Mexican resort critics for their spacious accommodation, real good food & service, and great ambiance.

It'll be a nice departure from many of the new mega resorts - 300 to 500 persons - where you can rarely find an empty lounge around the pool(s) after 9 in the a.m.

But I'm mainly posting in this thread today to give some of you folks food for thought as to the Mexican scene of all-inclusive resorts which are attracting many U.S. and Canadian vacationers.

We found this next one - a near new (2018) adults only all-inclusive in Los Cabos, quite by accident.

It's part of the Moon Palace chain, and it's called 'Le Blanc Spa & Resort Los Cabos', a sister to the only other Le Blanc resort that has existed in Cancun for a number of years. We've booked it for next spring and I'm mentioning it because it's extremely highly rated by well over 95% of those who have vacationed there since it's opening - an unusual ocurrence. It's more costly by Mexican resorts standards for 5 star resorts, but judging by the photos of it -

(https://www.expedia.ca/Los-Cabos-Hotels-Le-Blanc-Spa-Resort-Los-Cabos-All-Inclusive-Adults-Only.h18584139.Hotel-Information)

it's nothing short of unbelievably fabulous, and very well worth it !

Have a look for yourself - Several reviewers have rated it well above a 5 star and almost all the reviews of it's food, services, rooms. etc. attest to that !

It's called 'spectacular' in all aspects - and a large number of people have already returned to it once or more times since their initial visit, or are planning for it to be the only all-inclusive resort they will go to/return to in future.

Sure sounds like one hell of a winner to us - so we're really looking forward to this one !

If you liked the album of photos of this place, you should read the reviews !!!

[LizStreithorst]

You know what, Paul. Not much could appeal to me less. If I could travel I would like to poke around, eat street food or restaurant food in hole in the wall places. That's way to fancy for my taste. I'm a poor but proud country bumpkin. Being catered to is not my style. But everyone is different in their taste.

[discuspaul]

You know what, Paul. Not much could appeal to me less. If I could travel I would like to poke around, eat street food or restaurant food in hole in the wall places. That's way to fancy for my taste. I'm a poor but proud country bumpkin. Being catered to is not my style. But everyone is different in their taste.

Well Liz - can't disagree about everyone being different.

I my case, I also did all of the things you mentioned above through my 20's up to & into my 40's, and truly enjoyed it - it certainly was an eye-opening learning process for me about the different peoples, cultures and lifestyles in this world of ours.

In these later years of mine however, I'm able to affordably take advantage of enjoying a more 'dolce vita'. LOL

[Disgirl]

I wish we could go. But our days of travel are over. For all you seniors who are still healthy enough to travel, be very thankful. It is a true blessing. The old saying "Health is Wealth" is very true.
Barb

[avalonstar]

I really hope that we will be able to fly to Australia for a holiday in February. We planned this vacation a year ago, but the coronavirus changed many of our plans and we had to move the vacation to more stable times. We have long dreamed of visiting Australia, but unfortunately, tourism in this country ( as in many others) still suffers from the effects of lockdown. Therefore, we are now in search of the Best holiday houses (https://www.onholidays.com.au) for a large family and a golden labrador for 2 weeks. We will be glad to receive any of your suggestions and advice.

[discuspaul]

I really hope that we will be able to fly to Australia for a holiday in February. We planned this vacation a year ago, but the coronavirus changed many of our plans and we had to move the vacation to more stable times. We have long dreamed of visiting Australia, but unfortunately, tourism in this country ( as in many others) still suffers from the effects of lockdown. Therefore, we are now in search of the Best holiday houses (https://www.onholidays.com.au) for a large family and a golden labrador for 2 weeks. We will be glad to receive any of your suggestions and advice.

I'll give it some thought - first though, it would help to know your location.
Are you looking for a B & B type facility, or are you amenable to a rental home/villa ?

[peewee1]

Due to the ongoing viurs, children Little Ricky and Ellie Mae in college with one possible PhD this fall, which is hugely expensive, a classic car pared in the garage in need of repairs that I may never get to, my bank accounts are in no condition for traveling. Although I might be committed to a late August trip to Vegas, which is nothing, that is my sad tale of travel woe. One the other hand because I for years worked for an airline plus added years serving in the US Air Force I have been almost everywhere in this world several times over anyway I have little desire to travel much of late.

[IamPhenomenal]

I was planning to visit Spain this winter but it was snowing there too, lol.

[CliffsDiscus]

I'm on a Stay vacation with the Covi-19 around my Alaska, Hawaii and Asia trip were cancelled, besides who's going to take care of my fish.

Cliff

[Willie]

My wife and I are huddled in the basement waiting for death...

[gunnerschh2]

My wife and I are huddled in the basement waiting for death...

Willie you are COOL!

[Kirbs]

Aruba was always the winter destination choice for my wife and I........last year was our last trip though. My wife passed away unexpectedly 10 days after we got back last February. I know I'll go back eventually but who knows when. My brother in law went back and he says it's not the same. But they have great weather.....85 degrees and windy every day. My wife loved it!