A few years ago, when a group of friends and I were planning a vacation, I shuddered when someone mentioned, “all-inclusive”. How could such a thought even enter their minds? Certainly there are other alternatives, that would be easy to plan, an escape from the dreariness of yet another Canadian Winter, where we can eat our faces off and not worry about the bill, for a week, for under $1000?
Well, apparently the answer is “No” as we ended up at some 4-star resort in Varadero which was actually quite relaxing.
Since then, I’ve had a change of heart about all-inclusive vacations. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them as long as they’re not your only source of “experiencing culture” – one of the reasons I go on vacation. The other reasons why all-inclusives make sense to me are 1) I dread the cold weather and 2) I’m usually on a limited budget/time-line.
To combat the bit of guilt for immersing myself in a fakeland of sloth-like gluttony, I just eat as much as I can handle (I just eat more frequently! ;), walk on the beach A LOT, and try to do at least one excursion to get a sense of what “real life” is really like.
Since I don’t have too much money to devote to travel, I tend to do these sun vacays every other year – mixing it up with seeing other places that I have never been to before. With that said, I should just toss any guilt aside, relax, and just enjoy my vacation no matter where I decide to go!
If you’re fortunate enough to take a vacation, how do you decide where to go? Do you think going on an all-inclusive vacation is money well-spent? If not, how do you prefer to spend your vacation fund?
We did an all inclusive 5 star resort in Punta Cana”da” we loved it! They took care of us from the time we stepped off the plane until we went home. There were lots of “off resort” excursions but we never went. We just had fun in the sun, bartered with locals and hung out with other fellow Canadians. The pineapple was amazing. I’ve never had it so fresh in all my life. It cost about 1300 each with full insurance. I want to go again next year. I loved the pamoering, 24 hour free room service, bahana mamas, rum punch u name it!
It’s okay to love all-inclusives or even go to them exclusively. I don’t see what’s so bad about it…not everyone wants to use their vacation time to “experience culture”. Some just want to get away from their hectic daily lives and experience some mindless relaxation. I’ve encountered some ppl who are really condescending about this, as if they are so “cultured” because they went backpacking through Thailand or something. Not that there isn’t anything enjoyable about that but….different strokes for different folks, really.
^ so true Lindsay! A girl I knew backpacked through Costa Rica for 2 weeks “roughing it”
To me thats not relaxing, thats torture hahaha!
I’d rather sit pool side sippping on gin and juice, relaxing.
We like all inclusives…but we don’t love them. We find we get bored of the artificial surroundings pretty easily and end up taking multiple excursions. We haven’t booked one for awhile as we find renting houses works better for us, and we definitely are immersed in the culture more effectively this way, which is important to us (although I know this isn’t for some).
People have vacation funds now? ha ha . I would much rather relax than take a trek in some jungle…
We rented a beach front condo and did our own thing this past christmas… would much rather not be in a place swarming with other tourists, i enjoyed getting out and meeting locals!
I have been to 5 all inclusive resorts in my life and to be honest, they all start looking the same after awhile. If you want a “real experience” of the country you are visiting, stay away from the resorts and live among the locals.
It depends on your reason for vacation. If it’s to relax, all inclusive are amazing.
I usually mix mine up. I also add in some cruises. I find a cruise, given the right itinerary is very convenient if you want to see alot of places but don’t want to have to repack and take luggage to every place. It’s nice being able to go spend a day or even two days in a city, then return to your same room, at night.
We did a 17 day trip to Asia recently this way. A lot of the places we were in port for multiple days. We didn’t take any of the ship tours, and went out and experienced everything ourselves. It was very nice coming back to the same room every night, and knowing you’d have you’re own bathroom!
I think a ‘vacation’ is what you want it to be. I have done tha see the world travel vacation–(what some call “real experience”), the all inclusive, the disney (read: crowded) type vacation, and the reclusive condo style and even the camping style vacation. They have all been great –but I did not always want to do the same style of vacation every time. I enjoy the all inclusive, but did not plan on it being a cultural wonder and I am always surprised when I hear of couples returning from an all-inclusive (and they never left the compound) and feeling they really understand, and “know” the locals.
Vacations are time for enjoying whatever makes YOU happy, not for trying to impress friends and family with where you have been, when you return home!
Our family of 4 did a 5 day cruise 4 years ago for only $3500. That included a night in Miami the day before the cruise left and $1000 spending money. We LOVED it. Next week we are trying the all inclusive resort deal in Punta Cana and I am hoping it’s just as good. I loved the cruise because as Nettie said you can see more places in a week. I like the idea of a resort because being in one place might force you to relax a bit more plus the booze is included. The booze being extra on the cruise was ok because it was just us but we are going with friends to the resort and I think there might be some drinking involved this time and that really adds up on a cruise. Now you just made me more excited! 11 days to go! Hehehehe
I went to Punta Cana last April for my honeymoon, 5 star all inclusive and I loved it. We did a few excursions off site from the hotel and honestly, we were glad to get back to the hotel after, they were fun, but we liked our pampered lifestyle behind walls. If you want to relax, all inclusive is the way to go, you want adventure, might not be for you.
Went to Mexico- Puerto Vallarta in Feb,stayed in a hotel- no all inclusive. It would have cost over 160.00 per day to add an all inclusive plan to our stay, 2 Adults and 2 Teenagers. We had a kitchenette for breakfast and lunch and ate at many fabulous restaurants. Most dinners for 4 were less than $40 CDN, we couldn’t even eat at Mcdonalds here at home for that….
We had a great trip at an afforable price, did some touristy things and experienced some local culture….
It’s true, a vacation is what you want it to be. I am the type of person who likes to lie by the pool in the sun (with SPF galore!) but my husband is not. So I am more likely to go exploring and trekking around if I’m with him – and now I like that, too 🙂
Next stop: Madrid in May, we’re staying with friends who are locals – now THAT is a great way to travel!
I never wanted to go on an all-inclusive for my honeymoon but with getting married at christmas my wife won and we went for two weeks. I discovered it is the best thing ever. I am such a couponer and deal person that I have trouble splurging on a non-all-inclusive trip. I will analyze every expense and as a result not enjoy myself enough. I love that I can get a deal, and have paid everything up front except for the tips. I am not going looking for culture, I live in Mississauga, I have more culture here than I know what to do with. The cultural experience I love there is talking to the workers about their lives, learning phrases in their languages, etc. I love everything being done for me, not having to keep track of what I am spending, get my volleyball time in, and of course “mommy daddy” time. Our kids love the experience too, we took our one year old in November, my wife took our 4,6 year old to cuba last month. We are a Caribbean family but the fuel surcharges are starting to threaten future trips.
Trying to make the all-inclusive or not decision for our upcoming honeymoon. It’s tough both have their advantages and disadvantages!
You can either vacation among the locals, or enslave them by staying at the all-inclusive on their land!
When I was working as a Travel Agent, I hated selling All-Inclusives. Everyone, it seemed, who bought them didn’t care in the least about the culture of the country they were visiting…they want the Banff Springs, with unlimited liquor and food, in sunshine. I haven’t been to the Caribbean or Mexico, but I doubt it would be able to match my experience with resorts in Fiji.
“Vacationing” to me is traveling, which is not going somewhere to sit on ones behind but to experience the world without worrying about day to day troubles. I have a friend who spent 1 month backpacking around Mexico; the people she met and experiences she had are likely worth the 500 extra she probably spent above airfare…as people seem to forget how cheap these countries are.
About two years ago, a couple friends and I stayed at an 3.5* All-Inclusive in Puerto Vallarta (Mex) for a week. We weren’t really looking for culture, just a cheap supply of sand, sun and rum, but as it turned out, that hotel was quite popular with Mexicans from inland, and it was coincidentally their vacation time. Our hotel was quite full, but I’d say 80% were Mexicans themselves! While we did run into a few Canadians and Americans, and I’ll admit to checking out the WalMart and Costco (mostly out of curiosity), we certainly did not feel culturally segregated as we were right in town and spent numerous days strolling around down-town and the harborfront, bartering with locals, and checking out the architecture. At nights we danced and sang with the Mexican guests of the hotel, got their advice (in our best Spanglish) on great local restaurants, but still had all the benefits of being pampered. It was awesome! Again, I make no claims that we were culturally submersed, as Puerto Vallarta is obviously a very touristy city, and is certainly not representative of what it must be like to stay in a small village somewhere off the beaten track, but it was also quite enjoyable to not be hidden behind big walls with only other Snow Birds.
I do agree with those above. A vacation means different things for different people. Last summer, I did a 4 day hike to Machu Picchu with my sister — NOT relaxing in any way! Beautiful, and I’m proud that I did it, but it it was certainly NOT a vacation as far as I’m concerned. But maybe, for others, 43 km of grueling hike at high altitudes with 30+ days and sub zero nights would be paradise… For me, that’s sun, sand, surf & turf, and sangria.
I should add, about a decade ago, I lived in Switzerland for a year, so I really do know the difference between complete immersion and superficial exposure… I’m simply saying, that if your vacation is the only time you get to relax, maybe superficial is all you want. For me, travel and vacation are not necessarily synonymous. Though I do love the first, and think the best way to go is to go with a friend who’s native to that country, sometimes all I’m looking for is… nothing… bliss… effortless relaxation.
Have taken 3 all-inclusives in Mexico. LOVE THEM! It is a real holiday for the wives/mothers no dishes to do, no grocery shopping, no cleaning up towels, dusting etc., etc. One dad told me he got bored after a week I’m afraid I have a different view! Took our 2 teenage boys and I said he figured he ate $300 worth of icecream. Could not have feed my sons this well for so little!! Our trips have been around $1000 each for a week but the flights alone would have been at least $650 so for $350 to stay at a posh hotel and eat and drink fancy drinks. We tip very well as we are so happy to be there. Remember people these places employ alot of people too.
I find they make sense economically. Often you get the whole week cheaper than airfare along. But, there is a ‘sameness’ to them. I always make sure to leave the resort several times. And not just on the planned excursions. Go wander through the nearest town. Rent a moped. I’ve even spent a night in a downtown Havana hotel (booked separately and privately) when I was staying nearby because i wanted to.
i like to think of the all-inclusive as the ‘home base’ of my vacation and take it from there.
I like to mix it up. Two years ago we went on an all inclusive to Mexico, and I absolutely loved it. We were living in Montreal at the time, and I just couldn’t take the winter any more. I loved that we never touched our wallets the whole time we were there, we were completely taken care off, and we got what we really went for: relaxation. We swam, we ate, we drank, we slept when we wanted to, went dancing, it was great. We did go on a couple of the day trips to see the pyramids, which was fun, but we were also taken care of that whole time too.
Last summer, we toured around Europe on our own, without tour guides and pre-arranged itineraries. It was also a great time, but more work to plan, and we were really tired at the end of each day, having felt the need to see as much as possible.
So it really depends on what you’re looking to do!
My husband and I LOVE to travel and experience culture. When I was younger I back packed across Europe for a month. Ever since then I have had the “traveling bug”. My husband and I have traveled to Domincan Rebublic, Colombia, Guiana and Asia to do volunteer work. We really enjoyed staying with the locals. Eating the local food, taking the off-beaten path and understanding the culture is an incredible experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. We avoided “all-inclusive” resorts for years because of our love for this. However, over the last 5 years we started to go on all-inclusives and we even went on a cruise. Obviously, when it comes to “experiencing culture”, there is no comparison. On the other hand, when it comes to a week of much needed relaxation, there is no comparison. I guess it just depends on what you are traveling for!
For our next trip we are looking at splitting the two ideas. We want to go to Turkey, perhaps spending a week on our own and then a week at a all inclusive….
Just wanted to throw my own two cents in here, I agree with a lot of the comments that “travel” and “vacation” are often two separate terms. I would love to be able to travel to different places and enjoy the cultural experience and it would undoubtedly be enjoyable and the experience of a lifetime, but it wouldn’t necessarily be relaxing. A vacation to me is where you go to do nothing unless you want to…a place where you can just sit back and completely relax and get away from life.
Currently saving for a trip for our family of 4 to Universal Studios, Florida. Half the price of Disney and the kids are more familiar with the characters.
Taking last-minute deals if you have flexibility makes all-inclusive resorts often cheaper than airfare and a motel room. If you take a vacation close to a city, you can use public transit, eat out some, shop where the locals do (and that includes Walmart these days!) all for less than planning it on your own. BTW I enjoy my beverages, so that feature of an all inclusive is a big saving for me.
I say if you go to universal studios T.M. don’t do more than two days in your package. After two days you’ll be sufficiently exhausted…and tired of the crowds…if you anything like me anyways. I had a wonderful time there with my brother and sister about five years ago, but three days was too much.
I haven’t done an all inclusive but I would like to try it in Cuba….I’m a little afraid of Mexico at the moment. I do think I will like it.
I have done a cruise and having a family….not having to plan or think about food for a week was wonderful. Not to mention having enough activities to fulfill my every desire. It was wonderful, relaxing and amazing. I can’t wait to cruise again.
As for cultural experiences, I can’t say I am interested in that at this point in my life. I work with street kids and I get all the culture shock I need there. I just want to relax on vacation. If I can travel at some point for months at a time, I will live amongst the locals in an apartment but for now….with a week off here and there I think I’ll do all inclusive, bus tours and cruises for the most part. To each his own.
Last summer, my mother, sisters and I went on Alaska cruise for a week to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday. My sisters were not very excited about the cruise when we were planning the trip, especially my older sister, she is the backpacker type of traveler; they all said that they went because of my mother. At the end of the cruise, they all love it. It was a great trip; very inexpensive. Imagine having a gourmet dinner every night, and visit different port/town each day without hassle of finding a transportation. It’s totally relaxing.