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  1. #1
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    Default Need some vacay help

    35 and never really been on a vacation, got a wife and a 6 year old now, with a bit of disposable income. And If I don't really try and relax soon I'm gonna start pushing cars into the ditch.

    This is things we would like in the trip
    -not busy
    -want to lay on a beach
    -we have to see turtles and dolphins
    -im cheap
    -we dont want any risk of getting killed, raped or hostage situation
    -im cheap
    -we just want to relax with a bit of fun.
    -ocean very close
    -im cheap
    -has to be nice 4+ Star?
    -january/February departure

    Kk tell me where to go. Thnxx
    Last edited by B.Spilner; 11-16-2018 at 09:50 PM.

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    Go on the westjet vacations website and pick a Mexico or Hawaii vacation that fits your budget. Choose somewhere with direct flights from Calgary.

    Look at how far from the airport your hotel is. Some are up to 3 hour bus ride. That's far.

    If it's me, I take Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. If you just want sun and sand and someone to bring you drinks, PV is closer.

    My other advice is that there are varying trip lengths. If you can swing it, do 8 or 10 days. It takes three days to relax at the start, and your travel day home doesn't count.
    Last edited by ExtraSlow; 11-16-2018 at 09:13 PM.
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    I'm looking for resort personal experiences from the beyond bros. Lots of good info on here I figured this would be an easy one.

    Hows 4k for a budget. Ish.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    Go on the westjet vacations website and pick a Mexico or Hawaii vacation that fits your budget. Choose somewhere with direct flights from Calgary.

    Look at how far from the airport your hotel is. Some are up to 3 hour bus ride. That's far.

    If it's me, I take Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. If you just want sun and sand and someone to bring you drinks, PV is closer.

    My other advice is that there are varying trip lengths. If you can swing it, do 8 or 10 days. It takes three days to relax at the start, and your travel day home doesn't count.
    Could you reccomend any resorts that fit our criteria in PV?

    I think 8 or 10 might be too long for the first trip, thinking for 7 days....

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    If you go off-season to somewhere like Playa Del Carmen or Cancun in Mexico, a 4-5 star resort can be had for $1000-$1500 per person for an all inclusive. So keep a look out for deal during the off-season (summers).

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    Yeah, it's going to be hard to be cheap, go in high season, and get a decent resort for three people. And if you are willing to wait until our summer, why both going to Mexico at all? Go somewhere closer.
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    Quote Originally Posted by shakalaka View Post
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    If you go off-season to somewhere like Playa Del Carmen or Cancun in Mexico, a 4-5 star resort can be had for $1000-$1500 per person for an all inclusive. So keep a look out for deal during the off-season (summers).
    Were looking jan/Feb as my work slows right down through the cold season.

    What would the budget be to meet that criteria?
    Last edited by B.Spilner; 11-16-2018 at 09:50 PM.

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    4k budget, 4 star min, three people, must be jan/feb (high season).

    Well, you've stumped me, unless you mean 4k per person.
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    Ya that'll be hard to do at that time. I'd suggest postponing until close to summer or upping the budget or reducing the resort niceness. Based on what you want at that time, aim to be around $1600-$2000 per person for a 3-3.5 star resort (on the upper range of that unless you go REALLY high end resorts as then you are at $2500+ per person).

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    What about something like this? I bit more busier?

    https://www.redtag.ca/vacation-resul...hotel_no=2372#,

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    I wouldn't personally fly to mexico on anything by AC or WJ. That's just me. Sunwing and other charter airlines are for sure cheaper.

    Here's one I found for you that is decent. Westjet vacatons, Leaving January 24th, direct flight to Cancun, staying at the Ocean Riviera Paradise on Rivera Maya for six nights in a slightly upgraded "Privilege Junior Suite Garden View" room. Total for all three of you is $3511. It'll be like an hour bus transfer to your hotel. I'm sure there are other hotels with similar deals, I picked that one pretty quck.

    Also, Westjet has a back friday sale starting in a few days. Make a plan before that and book that day.
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    ^^^Linky?

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    Nope. The way the WJ vacations site works links aren't that easy. Just enter what I said, or similar things, and see what you find.

    They also have a "vacation finder" where you can enter "beach vacation" and your dates and it'll give you options. That's how I started the search for this one. Enjoy.
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    Wait for seat sale, book flights to LA... cheap rental car, drive to San Diego area where you’ve booked an airbnb. Would have to trade in turtles for sea lions and maybe see dolphins? More likely whales though

    Safe, cheap ‘Mercia food, and LA flight deals can be crazy cheap... weather won’t be smoking hot though... but probably no rain. Bonus of theme parks for the kids though!

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    Maui air bnb would cost you about $4,000 for fights and condo in kehei. Would need a car and food on top of that but pretty close to the budget.

    You could get an airbnb in peurto Vallarta for cheap, would still be close to the ocean. Maybe not a great idea for someone's first time to the area.

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    As someone who has been to Mexico like 15 times, I feel I could probably add some value.

    January is actually the lull period for Mexico during high season. Mid January you should be able to find something that fits your budget. It's in between Christmas and Spring break, which are the 2 most expensive times by far. If you want to get an idea of prices, go to redtag.ca and use the best price finder calendar. Just look at January and see what the cheapest days are to leave, then start planning around that.

    The issue becomes this mandatory idea of seeing turtles and dolphins. If you go to the Mayan Riviera, you can do a day excursion to Xel-ha where you can see all this stuff. But it's not cheap. I think it's around 100$ per person, but I've never been myself. My wife would never go for the whole supporting of animals in captivity thing.

    Resorts in Mayan are fairly well equipped for families as they have little water parks and kids clubs and stuff. I can't comment on PV for these things, but Cabo I would personally never visit again, especially with a kid. Dominican either. Way too far to go with a kid on a plane just to get an identical Mexico with shittier service.

    Resorts in Mayan specifically, I have been to Grand Sunset Princess x2, Grand Bahia Principe Coba, Grand Bahia Sian Kaan, and The Royalton. Hands down, no comparison or argument, The Royalton was the best, but it will never fit your budget. Grand Bahia was good for budget and what you get for money. Just know that it is an hour and a half ride away from the airport. But well set up for kids and I wouldn't hesitate to go back. If you stay in the Akumal you will be closest to the beach, at the Tulum or Coba you will have to ride a short cart trip to the beach, but it's no big deal. Sian Kaan is across the highway and it's adults only, so no sense worrying about that one.

    Grand Sunset Princess I actually really liked for the price. Didn't seem like much to do for kids there, but if you're just there to relax then it's great. Beach is very close, you just walk right out of the pool area onto the beach. Buffet food was great, A la carts were nothing worth mentioning.

    I've also been to Cancun 4 times, but I won't give any specific review on that unless you ask. It's either a party place or a retirement community. Seems kind of like a less kid friendly place. However if you don't leave the resort then it doesn't matter. All resorts are very small so there's less walking than anything in the Mayan, and everything is right on the beach.

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    Cancun itself can be okay for families, but yeah the resorts are a lot smaller. I can review that concept if it interests the OP.
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    Hyatt Ziva in Puerto Vallarta or Cabo.

    Paradisus are nice too.

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    I feel like meeting all the criteria is possible.

    @ Mexico suggestions, he said he doesn't want to get hostaged or raped, so Mexico is out.

    FWIW if you can swing Hawaii for your budget, it 11/10 gets my vote. That will be tough, but not impossible. Another +1 for San Diego. You get most of what you want (not tropical though), and it's easily accessible and safe.

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