Congratulations, and you are so sweet to plan a trip for your wife!

In Playa del Carmen (Caribbean side of Mexico) there are some fabulous all inclusives that don't break the bank. Excellence Playa Mujeres, Royal Hideaway Playacar, and Zoetry Paraiso, and Tides Riviera Maya are my favorites.

Hermitage Bay in Antigua has a good all-inclusive option, as does Little Dix Bay and Jumby Bay in Antigua. All of these places have the culture, outdoor adventure, water sports, siteseeing you're looking for.

Let me know if you have any more questions or need more help! Do you have a particular budget? That may help narrow down too.

It's always helpful if you could give us some idea of your budget for airfare, accommodations, food and activities. Please give us a dollar range rather than use nebulous terms like "affordable", "Won't break the Bank" or "Not too expensive". Understand that when you use the term "upscale" you will probably get recommendations on some very expensive properties with daily rates pushing the $850 to $1500/night category.

Tell us also when you are planning to travel, where you are traveling from and how long you plan to stay as that will have a big bearing on the recommendations you receive.

There are many, many islands that offer what you included on your "Wants" list.

For "upscale" properties look at:

Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda
Peter Island Resort on Peter Island (BVI's).
Cap Juluca, Cuisinart or Viceroy on Anguilla
Carlisle Bay or Jumby Bay, Antigua
Parrot Cay or Amanyara, Turks & Caicos
Sandy Lane, Barbados
Anse Chastenet, St. Lucia
Four Seasons, Nevis
Caneel Bay, St. John (USVI's)

last year was my 15 year anniversary. I was looking for a similar type vacation and spent tons of time researching where to go. I had alot of hotel points as well so started there. I ended up picking Curacao. The Hilton on Curacao offered an all inclusive package that was cheaper than what sandals offered. Finding flights was a little tougher. I live in Ohio and it was very expensive for a flight to Curacao. But i did purchase a roundtrip flight to Jacksonville for $180 round trip and then a flight from there to Curacao for $199 per person round trip which was very reasonable.
Curacao was wonderful. It's part of the ABC chain(Aruba, Bonaire,Cuaracao). Its a dry Island almost desert like with cacti everywhere with loads of lizards and iguanas running around wild. Now what i had in mind when we left but was very interesting. The water around the Island was very nice. Then we did an excursion to Klien Curacao(little Curacao). That is a must do for anyone who travels to Curacao. It has the nicest beach front ive ever seen. The charters over are reasonable and include a nice lunch and drinks(beer,soda,water, and mixed cocktails). We went with Bounty Adventures. The captian is very funny and made the trip awesome. Also while your there you will snorkel and swim with sea turtles. It was truly the highlight of our trip. You can also hike while in curacao. I rented a car and just traveled the island. Christoffel Mountain is awesome. It takes about an hour to 2 hours to climb and some of the trail is tough to get around but well worth the experience. great views from the top and worth the drive. Also go into Williamstead. Its the capital and has tons of shopping and tourist attractions. The pontoon bridge is something to see in its self. We also did segway tour while there which was great as well. I could go on forever about this trip but will stop here. lol Im going to Bermuda in June so looking for things to do there now and happened upon your question so threw my 2 cents in. enjoy where ever you pick.

Of all the Islands we've been to, The DR and St. Thomas are at the bottom of our list of destinations we liked. Going off a resort in DR will be bascially the same as Jamaica. In St. Thomas we did not feel comfortable off the resort at night. During the day wasn't as bad.

I would check out Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman or Aruba. 3 Islands that have gorgeous beaches and plenty of things to do off the resort and are considered "safe". Easy to walk off the resort and do things on your own. Getting a rental car and doing your own touring is recommended. AI's not good on those Islands.

We love Mexico and I agree with the Playa del Carmen area. Really nice lux AI resorts and much easier to walk off a resort and explore than Jamaica. 5th Avenue in Playa has several blocks of pedestrian walkway with tons of bars, restaurants, shops and entertainment. I would actually go with The Royal Playa del Carmen, Secrets, El Dorados or the Iberostars. The Royal is our ablsoute favorite and within a 5 minute walk to 5th Avenue. The others you'll need a cab or hotel shuttle.

We didn't care all that much for Curacao either. Depending on where you are flying from it can be a pain to get there. Save yourself some frustration and try to avoid American Airlines and Miami whenever possible.

What is your budget? Some of the destinations recommended above you'll need more than a healthy budget or in my case, I would have to win the lottery first.

Any of the islands you have flagged can offer what you seek and more islands besides. I have never heard good things about DR or St Thomas and have not been to either. Bahamas would be very nice depending on the time of year which you have not disclosed.

Sandals in Antigua is on a beautiful beach, so is Galley Bay but not much shopping or hiking on this island. Nightlife is usually centered around hotel activites, or if around Falmouth or Jolly Harbour there are some nice bars

Not sure if there is sightseeing or hiking on T&C.

Barbados offers all what you ask for but it might be only poss via MIA and AA.

I second what KVR said about checking out Grand Cayman!

My parents went there for their honeymoon 25 years ago and have been going back every year since then and have been taking me every year from the time I was about 5. It is probably one of my favorite places with AMAZING beaches and extremely friendly locals. There is so much to do that I cannot write it all here, but if you want to know more about it let me know and I will give you my email.

I have also been to Aruba and the Bahamas (which you tagged) and a few other islands as well so if you want to hear about them I can tell help you there also.

Good luck!!

I highly recommend Four Seasons Nevis. The resort itself it upscale with a great beach and outstanding service. This is not an all inclusive hotel however if you book through Amex travel or Virtuoso, your breakfast will be included.


The island itself is very safe and has fabulous hiking trails, great restaurants and offers old school caribbean culture and charm. Night life is limited however Lime and Sunshines is located at the far end of the beach. My idea of caribbean night life is hanging out at the beach bar with fellow travelers and locals enjoying rum punch and listening to reggae while the sun sets.

There are numerous, fabulous, romantic restaurants off property and you will be safe and feel safe. During the day you can hop on a local bus and for about two dollars per person you can explore,

I have travelled extensively throughout the caribbean and this resort and island have been my favorite thus far.

I forgot some pretty important stuff!
Trip will be in October. Preferrably the first or second week and the budget is flexible. Certainly not looking for a K a night. Would like to keep the cost around 4-5K.

Well, the good news is October is "Low Season"in the Caribbean so you'll have the advantage of finding the lowest room rates of the year and you should have no difficulty finding some very nice "upscale" accommodations in your $4-to-5,000US price range The (not so) bad news is some resorts are closed at that time of year so your choices may be limited. It's difficult to give you a definitive list as to which resorts may or may not be open in October since "closing dates can vary from resort to resort and from year to year. For instance, the aforementioned Caneel Bay is closed in September and October and I'm pretty sure Little Dix Bay is also closed. Peter Island is usually open as is the Four Seasons. You can check the websites or contact the Reservations Offices of the other resorts you are interested in to get the latest info on "closings".

jMay:

Four Seasons Nevis, off season rates fit into your budget requirements. We went off season and 8 day 7 night stay, air fare, taxes and round rip ferry from St. Kitts to Nevis was $4,300. FS also offers specials this time of year like a $100 daily resort credit that can be used for food, drinks, spa treatments and golf.

Calabash Cottages, St John's, USVI offer romantic, tranquil charming and private cottages and villas in quiet secluded location, think jacuzzi overlooking the ocean, very relaxing.

http://www.calabashcottages.com

Seven Stars in Turks and Caicos. Luxury, pampered, TCI has some of the best spas in the world. Easy to bike. Some light upscale shopping. Totally upscale island with one of the worlds best beaches.

Will fit your budget, and luxury is amazing! Includes breakfast, but the restaurants there have the most romantic settings in the world, so AI is kinda a disservice.

Easy to get to, easy to stay in touch back home (many cell phone rentals, cars include loaner pay as you go cell phones, etc)

It is hurricane season, so get insurance just in case. TCI is one of the driest islan chains, so chance are slim.

Easy biking around, especially the main hub.

Lounge relaxing nightlife, the deck at Seven Stars is on the dune of the beach, with tiki torches, fire pits, they have Sunday beach BBQ with live music. Live music (mellow) at Deck other nights too.

As for hiking, you can take a day trip to Middle Caicos. Z(easy but does require a ferry and rental car). Mudjin Harbour is breathtaking! There's a long Crossing Trail of bluffs overlooking the beaches. Follow the trail through to Mudjin Harbour, it ends with a secret staircase into a cave opening, then a secret beach!