Best beach vacation?

[jay santos]

What do y'all suggest for a great winter vacation?

Criteria

--Delta sky miles pays for the flight, so location is not an issue
--activities = lying on the beach and snorkeling, maybe other sightseeing type activities but i'm not a hiker/camper
--budget--you know I'm cheap I'm maximizing the enjoyment vs spend
--room can't be a dive but doesn't have to be 5 star
--good food a huge priority--sea food/steak
--I'm not adverse to non-touristy options, part of the adventure might be figuring out how to get around and do stuff like locals not tourists
--I loved the Caribbean cruise I went on a few years ago and won't rule out a cruise but wanted to do something more adventureous, as in I take more active role in planning

[MikeWaters]

I've only been on one.
Maui. Got cheap tickets, about $600 roundtrip. Stayed in condo, cooked own food. $100/night.

Would love to go back to Hawaii again eventually.

[Archaea]

Lots of great options.

Tahiti is one of the best ever.

Costa Rica, Pacific side is a great option.

Cancun and Isla de Mujeres are nice.

In the past, Isla Margarita was nice, off of Venezuela.

Spain, Costa del Sol, the Canaries, the Seychelles, Reunion Island, the Truk Islands (has a great wreck dive), the Greek Isles (lots of them), Antibes of France, Portugal, Porto, the Red Sea in Egypt, New Zealand (North Island), New Caledonia, Thailand has some great beaches, Malaysia has some.

Give me a few options to work with and I can give you beaches. My family does beaches.

[hyrum]

Originally Posted by jay santos

What do y'all suggest for a great winter vacation?

I'd say Cozumel if your main interests are swimming and snorkeling.

Nearby Cancun is nice and there are a lot of options for things to do.... also a wide range of lodging options. A lot of hotels there are all-inclusive, however. Personally not my thing, I'd rather get out and sample the local restaurants. Isla Mujeres (NNE of Cancun) is a bit more rustic ... maybe even more rustic after that hurricane hit there recently. Good for a day trip by ferry or stay there to get away from a lot of the crowds.
http://www.isla-mujeres.net/home.htm

Then there is Hawaii. If your Skymiles will get you there, including the hop to Maui, go for it.

[FarrahWaters]

I agree with Archaea, Tahiti has the best beach that I have been to. I can't remember what the food is like, but there are also topless beaches. (byproduct of a French colony).

For less touristy, there is Fiji and the Cook Islands.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

I agree with Archaea, Tahiti has the best beach that I have been to. I can't remember what the food is like, but there are also topless beaches. (byproduct of a French colony).

For less touristy, there is Fiji and the Cook Islands.

Bora Bora has the best lagoon.

Moorea has the best buy.

Raiatea is the original capital, and Huahine is remote and interesting. You can also see the Tuamotus and several other chains in French Polynesia.

The food is outstanding and benefitted by French knowhow.

You can go with a big chain or a family run fares. I've been there three times and will go again.

[ute4ever]

Who needs to vacation on the beach when....

oh never mind.

[Archaea]

Bali, Four Seasons is a great option.

Jay, you asked a great question, but you didn't define the parameters narrowly enough.

For example, Haikou, in the south of Hainan, is the Chinese Hawaii, and is truly unique.

Okinawa is great.

If you wanted something exotic, Vietnam still has some steals.

India in the south has some authentic, original concepts.

The Gold Coast of Australia is outstanding, with the Great Barrier Reef a good trip.

Brazil and Argentina have some options.

Give me a little guidance to what you seek.

A nice beach vacation is Nice, France. You can stay in a 13th Century apartment building across from the Palais de Justice, or stay at a relatively inexpensive hotel across from the beach at Hotel Suisse Nice.

Monaco has some pricey stuff.

Italia has wonderful stuff, Capri or on the other side.

Turkey would impress you, as would Cypress.

I keep scanning my memory of places visited or planned and each revisit brings to recollection a new great area.

We might go see New Zealand later this year, again, if our Greek plans don't quench our urges.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Bali, Four Seasons is a great option.

since the bombing, I am sure it is less-crowded and cheaper.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

since the bombing, I am sure it is less-crowded and cheaper.

cheaper is relative.

Cheaper than 1000 bucks a night still ain't cheap. It remains one of God's chosen places.

Nouveau Caledonie is fanstastic nearby.

Fiji, Micronesia, Melanesia, Cook Islands, Midway, Guam, Easter Island.