Safe & Affordable All Inclusive Honeymoon Destinations??

What's wrong with Mexico? The resorts are perfectly safe, they're more affordable, and the beaches are wonderful. Seriously - the drug cartels stay off the resorts (which have guards and ginormous gates at every entrance).

I've stayed at all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Punta Cana. My mom and stepdad always go to Riviera Maya, Mexico at an all inclusive as well. I've never felt unsafe. Most of the time if you are at a resort it is gated so you should be fine. We always travel through Apple Vacations and have had great luck with them. The resorts have always been wonderful (we stay at 5 apple or greater properties).

I agree with Shannon! My fiance and I booked the All-Inclusive Canto Del Sol in Puerto Vallarta for 6 days and 5 nights, my grandmother actually has a condo and lives in Puerto Vallarta, and my step mother travels there every few months. If you do something all-inclusive im sure it will be waaayyyyy less likely something is going to happen to you with drug cartels. The only time my fiance and I are going to step foot off the resort is to do a little shopping, but other then that when you have free meals, entertainment and drinks at your feet, where else do you need to go? lol

Good luck!

Kathryn - I'm impressed you managed to leave the resort! We stayed at Excellence Playa Mujeres and it was so fabulous we didn't leave for the six days we were there. Plus we had a junior suite with a plunge pool on the roof.

Nikki - I'm going to say I completely agree with you about Mexico. Although very beautiful - that'll be one of the last places on earth I'll ever want to visit.

Have you looked at Sandals resorts? Other than Jamacia they offer a bunch of other places.

Oh Shannon, we are going the day after our wedding- 9/26/2011...im sure we aren't going to want to leave lol, we booked a superior king ocean view suite, and we plan on doing a swim with the sea lions activity while we are there lol (I love sea lions) and I know my fiance wants to rent jet skis...and I just want to get a tan lol...but ill be tanning before the wedding so I wont blind everyone with my paleness! That pool sounds awesome!

Thanks ladies! I just know that there is a travel warning right now for Mexico from our government, so I just want to steer clear. I'm sure if you are staying a resort it's pretty secure - just the whole getting there part is what scares me! I think I've watched maybe one too many episodes of "I Survived"! Our search continues!

Well good luck to you, I searched with Sandals, and alot of other places outside of Mexico, and alot of them were waaayyyy out of our budget, but hopefully you can find something awesome :-D

Nikki -- The media have really blown the Mexican drug violence out of proportion, and if you read the actual travel warning itself (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5440.html) it relates to border towns that are hundreds of miles away from the resort areas in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera. It also makes it clear that the violence is happening in conjunction with illegal activities like drugs and prostitution -- not something your typical honeymooner is engaging in!

It's kind of like being worried about visiting Chicago because you heard there was drug violence going on in some bad areas of NYC. I was just there in April, and I continue to send LOTS of clients to Mexico to take advantage of the great pricing and the beautiful resorts.

Agree with Annie.

I tend to not rattle easily (I live in DC, back when my neighborhood was sketchy, lived in Bogota when stuff was getting blown up fairly easily). So I honestly roll my eyes a little when people act like the Riviera Maya is Libya or something. But seriously...it's hundreds of miles away, and you're in a cosseted Anglo bubble. It'll be okay.

The travel warning is for border cities. It is not for the resort areas. They protect that area fiercely.

We're heading to Sun Palace ADULTS ONLY all inclusive on Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan. MUCH more affordable airfare and resorts, and easier to get to than some of the more exotic locales.

You can go to St. Lucia and stay at the Coconut Bay Resort if you don't want to go to Mexico

We're going to St. Lucia! There is some risk no matter where you go. Just be smart travelers - don't leave valuables sitting out (or leave them at all) in your hotel room, research where you should and should not be going, where things may get a little rowdy after dark, etc. Know ahead of time how risky it is to leave the resort itself. No place can give you a guarantee, but if you do your research, you should be fine.

Also, don't bring your engagement ring, you can do without it for a week or so.

Nikki, Take it from an experienced Carribean traveler...me! (That is until my daughters clobbered me over the head with engagement announcements on Fathers Day!)Understand, you cannot escape petty crime anywhere in the entire world, where ever you go. I'm sure your own hometown as petty break-ins,robberies, assaults. The Carribean is no different.

Having said that, Cancun (hotel district & Riviera Maya)are super excellent & quite safe. We just came back 2 months ago from "NOW Sapphire" Riviera Maya resort. Breathtaking and the "Best" all-includive we have ever stayed in, and this makes our 9th Carribean all-inclusive. 20 minutes from the airport and our transportation was via an

APPLE TOURS bus.

The next favorite place for us is PUNTA CANA. From the thatched roof style airport it is a straight run to the resorts on a brand new exclusive highway. The DR people are so great and grateful that tourism has discovered them.

And one more thing... Cancun hotel zone is like going to any US city. Every major US nightclub, restaurant is there. Gosh, even a super WALMART!!

We visited Cozumel and the Riviera Maya (Tulum, Akumal, and Coba.) Great trip, great food, and we had no issues even though we were not staying in an all inclusive and utilized public transportation the entire trip. Stay away from border towns and use the same safety precautions you would in the US and you will be fine.

Try Cabo San Lucas in Mexico...it doesn't have a lot of the crime (or reputation for crime) that most of the other Mexican resort areas have. It was beautiful.

PUNTA CANA! Trust me you will not regret it, I love it. It is beautiful, cheap and perfectly safe!

We travel to a tropical destination yearly. We have been to Jamaica, Punta Cana and the Riviera Maya section of Mexico. Mexico is totally safe. As others have said, it is the border towns that present problems. The all inclusive resorts have incredible security. Imho, Mexico truly provides the most bang for your travel buck. Resorts that continually receive awards include: Secrets(Maroma, Capri, Silver Sands); Excellence(Playa Mujeres and Riviera Cancun; and the Iberostar Grand.

If you do not want to do Mexico, check out Punta Cana. We have stayed at the Majestic Colonial and sent my parents to the Majestic Elegance last year, for their 50th. They stayed in the Elegance Club(Adults Only) section.

Tom H...Last year, we stayed at Now Jade and loved it. This year my FH surprised me with Secrets Silver Sands. I love the hacienda decor of Now Saphire.