AI Carribean for family

[summerholsdreamin]

Already looking at hols for next summer and really want to do AI in Carribean.

Looking for recommendations please; pretty open minded on islands (with exception of Jamaica as already been there).

Must be on beach, PLENTY for 12 and 9 yo to do, yet not too big or noisy and relaxing for me and DH.
Good food and service.
Also safe for us to leave resort and explore.

Have had a quick look and quotes coming in above & £10k is there anywhere that won't break the bank yet still naaice

Sensatori Mexico - its lovely, it is on carribbean coast but not sure if you were looking for an island.

Would also recommend the hotel at Xcaret on Riviera Maya

Thanks Albus....unfortunately DH really reluctant to go to Mexico

THB I think you'll be lucky to find AI for 4 for much less than £10K.
The cost of the flights in the summer hols are ridiculous.
Would you consider a villa or apartment?

What's AI?

Yes Sweet, I fear you are right

Am set on AI as am so sick of the constant shopping, cooking,
Cleaning on SC hols. Just for once it would be lovely not to have to lift a finger

All inclusive Cath

Cat... All inclusive

Does it have to be AI? I would SO recommend Costa Rica. Just hundreds and hundreds of amazing things to do and eating out is so cheap it actually wouldn't be too bad eating out all the time. I can't wait to go back there when my kids are older.

Sorry, see you are set on AI - distracted halfway through writing the post!

Watching... We're going to Paradisus in Dom Rep in Nov. I'm scared about food poisoning and the fight (with 18mo) , and just realised its a Zika area, duh. Better not get pregnant!

But summer if you rent a house in the Caribbean a lot of them come with a maid who maintains the property and for a bit extra will cook.
We've done it a couple of times and had fantastic, authentic carribean cooking.

We stayed at memories splash punta Cana a few years ago, it has a huge onsite water park and beach access through its sister hotel the royalton

Oh. Duh! . Im stupid sometimes.

Our requirements are exactly the same as yours although just one DC. We're looking at Atlantis in The Bahamas or somewhere in Barbados which I would class as both safe to explore

Don't forget that the hurricane season starts in August.

It doesn't have to be AI or SC. you could stay somewhere half board and just buy lunch out when you are doing things or in the hotel if you stay there for the day.

We are returning to Mexico, down to the riviera maya don't think I could do cancun.
Would love Costa Rica but next year we need a fly and flop holiday.
Have also been to Barbados, grenada, Antigua, st Lucia and grenadines without kids.
We did a two centre New York and Mexico and that was great.

I really would recommend Mexico. There are loads of trips out you can do, the best one we did was to get the Collectivo (bus) down to Akumal Beach and rented snorkelling gear to see turtles. It was amazing and cost us about $10 each. Other activities are swimming in cenotes, xel-ha park, a zip wire park. If you stay in Playa del Carmen you can go for a wander round the resort. If you were able to go in the May half term and do 11 nights it would be cheaper. Think we paid £1200 each for that and the weather was fab.

How about Cuba?

Agree with pp re akumal beach etc.
Can totally understand why your dh doesn't want a hotel with 3000 rooms in Mexico. But there are lots of smaller ones. Fab beaches, snorkelling, jungle etc. The infrastructure is excellent the roads re excellent, drivers are very good, tonnes to do, great weather and you won't pay £10k.

Personally Dominican Republic doesn't appeal to me, hotels sound like compounds and lots of food poisoning tales, I like to explore the area. Also seems to attract a cheaper rowdy element.
Cuba I have heard the food is not great. Travel agent told me to avoid if I wanted decent food.

Lurkinquietly, how old were your kids when you went to Costa Rica, where did you fly via?
Did you book a tour or just travel round independently? How bad were the travel distances?
What were the kids highlights?
Thanks!

I've been Cuba 3 times, the food is ok there's nothing bad about it. The beaches and the snorkeling are amazing though, the hotels are beautiful too.

We've just come back from the Verandah resort and spa in Antigua and had s great time (we have 2 kids - 13 and 11) and last year went to St James Club in St Lucia also fab.

Both have lots of water sports etc. Of the 2 I prob preferred Antigua although they were both wonderful. BA fly direct to both islands (8 hours). Time difference -5 so some jet lag - wasn't so bad going but tough at mo.

Weather was around 30 and v high humidity.

Forgot to say that if you're worried about Zika that Antigua is not listed as a problem - St Lucia and many other islands are.