Where Will You Go? (Part 3 - Alternative Travel Destinations)
Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, Play Del Carmen, Nassau. We all know the names and what we will see when we get there. Tourists flocking to the beach. And this is a good thing - they know what they want, and they know where to find it. (See the previous post) But what if we want something a little different? Not crazy different - not sleeping in an ice hotel or a Bedouin tent - but some sort of an alternative travel destination. Might I suggest destinations near the top destinations, but not actually the top destinations.
Take Cancun for example. It is justifiably one of the top beach vacation destinations in the world. I like Cancun so much I spend half of my year there. And an hour south is Playa Del Carmen, which is also a top destination for beach goers. As an alternative, might I suggest Cozumel. It’s not unheard of, by any means. Cozumel is an incredibly popular cruise port, and a key destination for scuba divers. But it is also a great place for a resort vacation.
Relaxing on the island of Cozumel
Cozumel has excellent beaches, especially at the resorts on the south side of the island. The downtown square has all the vacation shopping you could want, and if you walk a few steps away from the core there are better deals. That is part of my approach to travel - wandering. While at the great place with ten thousand other tourists, look down the (safe, well travelled) street, and see the shops that others miss.
If you’re open to something a little more out of the way - consider Dominica. This tropical island has unbelievable natural wonders, making it (like Cozumel) a frequent cruise ship destination. But there is much to see on the island that is not easy to reach when you have to get back to the ship.
Don’t you want to know where this path goes? And what is on top of that mountain in the distance?
That is one of my favorite things about cruising - I get to sample a bunch of places, and learn which ones I want to return to. That’s how I fell in love with Cozumel - my first cruise stopped there, and I knew I would be back. As it turns out, many times.
That’s they key - go to places that capture your imagination. Sometimes maybe all you want to do is lay on the beach - I get that. But shouldn’t travel be about more than just working on your tan? Even in the traditional vacation spots- Miami, Cancun, New York, Rome - go off the beaten path. Yes, that #1 destination on the famous trip planning website is #1 for a reason. But it wasn’t always. Someone found it. There are other places to see other than the ones everyone talks about. Find them.
A restaurant known to most Cancun locals, but almost forgotten by Hotel Zone tourists. You need to venture into the City for this one, but it is worth the trip.
