How do you travel for a full week in one carry on? We’ll show you how in this edition of Cubicle Travel Tips, plus other useful travel information you need before you pack.
Do you have other useful travel tips? Share them below or tweet them @deltablog.
Sean C, Delta Vacations
Now is the perfect time to escape winter and head to the beach! Some of the best spring break destinations are Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico, where you can find all sorts of adventures and activities. But what are the most fun things to do? I first took a look at the top 10 places to go on a sunny beach vacation, and then put together the coolest things to do in these places. If you are looking for spring break fun, check out these travel tips for these top 10 popular vacation spots in Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico. And, as you are planning your spring break vacation, consider these places and activities.
Montego-Bay, Jamaica
1. Ocho Rios, Jamaica- Be sure to visit Dunn’s River Falls, a 600-foot waterfall. You can climb the falls in a human chain (led by guides), and stop at the “massage parlor” for some falling water therapy. And if you like Bob Marley, you can write him a chalk message at the mausoleum in Nine Mile. Check out the Harmony Hall art gallery to find a one-of-a-kind memento of your trip to Jamaica—you’ll find lots of handmade Jamaican crafts and art.
2. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - The real beauty of Grand Cayman is underwater where there are more kinds of fish than you’ve ever seen. It is one of the world’s favorite scuba diving and snorkeling spots. If you don’t like to or you can’t dive, you can still see the awesome marine life from the windows of a submarine.
3. Cozumel, Mexico – This is another underwater paradise for you divers and snorkelers, with lots of coral reefs to explore. Charter a fishing boat if you want to try and catch sailfish, swordfish, and marlin. I caught a marlin in Mexico! In San Miguel you can shop or chill at a waterfront cafe. There are also several small Mayan ruins to visit on Cozumel.
4. Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico - Watersports rule here. Golfers, be sure to play a round at the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course. Zihuatanejo (Zee-whah-tah-nay-ho) is a laid-back fishing town, with lots of handmade crafts, an open-air market, and restaurants.
5. Los Cabos, Mexico- Ahhhh, Cabo! San Jose del Cabo, a 200-year-old town, is very traditional Old Mexico. Cabo San Lucas is modern and full of action. The two towns are connected by “The Corridor”, where you will find some of Baja Mexico’s most beautiful beaches. Like Mexico sunsets? Take an evening cruise aboard Cabo Rey.
6. Isla Mujeres, Mexico– Isla Mujeres is a relaxing little island. Take a sail on the Sea Passion catamaran – a friendly crew will guide you to some fun snorkeling locales where you will find a private beach and enjoy the open bar (domestic brands) surrounded by a tropical environment.
7. Liberia, Costa Rica- This is where you go for adventure! Take the canopy tour, visit the many different hot springs, see the rainforest, and meet the wildlife!
8. Big Island (Hilo & Kona), Hawaii- You can see not one but 2 active volcanoes at Volcanoes National Park, and if you’re lucky you’ll see lava flowing into the ocean from Kilauea. For tamer sightseeing, visit Hulihee Palace, King Kalakaua’s summer palace (now a museum). Sample Kona coffee and macadamia nuts where they are all grown, cracked, and canned.
9. Maui, Hawaii - Maui’s has some of the most beautiful, and longest beaches. If you are there in whale watching season, the boat cruise to see them is fun. Plus, you get to see the island from a distance and the view is breathtaking! If you like adventure, you can ride a bike up to Haleakala, a sleeping volcano, and see the ranches and farm life on your way up are really cool. Lahaina is a great place to shop and eat (I had some excellent sushi there). The drive to Hana is really spectacular, but leave enough time, because there are many great places to stop and visit along the way. My all-time favorite place is the bamboo forest, along the old road to Hana.
10. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands- St. Thomas also has great white-sand beaches, and lots of watersports to try. There is also one of the most beautiful harbors in the world on this island. Ritzy restaurants, upscale resorts, lots of nightlife, good golf courses, and duty-free shopping are all fine ways to spend your time. Some people say the best shopping in the Caribbean can be found on St. Thomas.
If you don’t see what you are looking for here, check out more great spring break and vacation destinations.
If you have additional recommendations on things to do in Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico, please let us know about them by commenting to this post or tweet them @deltablog.
Kathy L., Delta Vacations
If you liked reading about our favorite beaches you’ll also like reading about our favorite dive and snorkel spots in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
There are many great places to dive and snorkel, but I was curious to find out some of my colleagues favorite dive and snorkel spots that they have experienced in these popular destinations.
Travel Tips for Diving
Cozumel, Mexico: You can snorkel out front of any hotel in the hotel zone and one of my favorites is the Cozumel Palace. Cozumel has amazing cave diving and wall dives. – David & Wendy
Ambergris Caye, Belize: Amazing colors and so many fish and sharks to see. Our guides caught fresh snapper for us and grilled it for us on the beach! – Sean
Hanalei Bay, Hawaii: This is great for snorkeling with its calm waters and great visibility. – Wendy
Kanapali Beach by Black Rock, Maui: This is great for snorkeling because of the great ocean conditions and the endless white sand. – Libby
Molokini, Maui: A partially sunken volcanic crater (that looks like a tiny Island) off the coast of Maui is a wonderful snorkeling and diving experience. – Jeannie
Big Island/Kona, Hawaii: You can do night diving with manta rays. Each diver is given an underwater light which attracts plankton. As the manta rays go after the plankton, they glide over and around you in the darkness. – Susan
Grand Cayman, Caribbean: The water is perfectly clear and warm and the fish are colorful. Also, many dive locations aren’t far from shore, so it doesn’t take long to get to the dive site. – Susan
Xel Ha National Park, Riviera Maya, Mexico: You can see almost every color of the rainbow when snorkeling. It’s a controlled environment so it’s excellent for beginners, yet large and deep enough if you are looking for adventure. – David
West Caicos Walls, Turks & Caicos: This is the best wall diving in the World! The diving conditions are excellent for all levels and the visibility is awesome. A very colorful variety of coral reef and fish. – Missy
Cow and Calf Rocks, US Virgin Islands: This is a great shallow dive, you can swim through natural arches and ledges attached to the reef. – Kathy
Grand Bahama Island: The island is bordered with these reefs, the Wall, the Caves (where a long-ago disaster known as Theo’s Wreck occurred), and Treasure Reef. – Kate
If you know of any other great dive or snorkel spots and would like to share them with us, please send a comment to this post or tweet us @deltablog and let us know your favorite spot!
Sean C.
Delta Vacations
Being a part of the travel industry, I constantly have people asking me where is the best place to go, what are the best deals around, and of course, can I help them book it. It does not end there, we frequently have fans on facebook asking us the same questions and of course people calling our reservations for the same information.
When you think of our 224 destinations and thousands of hotels and many great specials, it could be a little overwhelming for someone to narrow down where they would like to go on vacation. While we have great destination information and deals on the site for people to browse, we decided to have our experts combine our lowest airfare with the best hotel values to our most popular destinations on a weekly basis. “Top Trips of the Week” are updated every Monday with new departure and destination cities. You will see destinations such as Las Vegas, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean and more with specific hotels and travel dates.
It is fun to see what is new each week and gets me dreaming about where I want to take my next vacation. Actually, Riviera Maya Mexico is the plan – all-inclusive with the family. I can’t wait.
Check out our Top Trips and let us plan your vacation for you.
What is your Top Trip?
Libby H., DL Vacations
What makes a great beach? I think we can all agree a great beach has soft sand, crystal-clear water, a variety of interesting seashells, good waves for boogie boarding or maybe surfing, a nice sand bar, or just a good beach bar. But, everyone has something they like in a favorite beach. One of the perks about working in the travel industry is we get to travel so here are some of our employees favorite beaches in Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Are White Sands Calling You?
Our favorite Hawaii Beaches
Big Beach on Maui – Is natural and authentic. Big Beach is great for boogie boarding, long walks and whale watching. It’s a huge beach, with no crowds, fun waves, and has clean,clear water. – Terry, Jason, Wendy, and Kathy
Ke’e Beach on Kauai – It is literally at the end of the road on the north shore – incredible sunsets, super tropical with mountains and natural vegetation and no development along this beach.
- Brian
Red Sand Beach in Hana (Kaihalulu Beach) on Maui – It is beautiful! The sand is red and black. It is remote and hard to get to, which makes it really nice.
Maluaka Beach on West Maui – It is wide, and has a big sandy beach. There are tons of turtles and good snorkeling too.
Hamoa Beach on East Maui – White soft sand and lots of waves, good for bodysurfing.
- Jeannie
Poipu Beach on Kauai – It’s great for families and small kids. With its gentle surf, soft sand, protected swimming area, frequent monk seal visits, and great snorkeling, Poipu is a fun and unique experience.
- Brian and Jeannie
Our favorite Mexico Beaches
Nikki Beach in Cabo Laid back and trendy, I love the party on Nikki beach! – Shanna
Los Muertos Beach in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta – It is such a great beach because of all the activities, people watching, beachfront restaurants and bars. Plus, you can walk for miles to the north along the Malecon for even more people watching. – Lori
El Palmar in Ixtapa – It’s so huge, uncrowded and clean.
The Bahia de Banderas Beach in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit – It’s a wide sandy beach that stretches for miles, gentle rolling surf great for swimming, boogie boarding, and families. – Wendy
Maroma Beach in Riviera Maya – It has been ranked among the Top 10 Beaches in the World. I have never seen such a white beach in all my life. The sand is so very soft, like a super soft carpet. – David
Our favorite Caribbean Beaches
Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana – Endless white sand that stretches for 20 plus miles and is dotted by palm trees. It is the most beautiful beach I have ever been on. You can walk for miles and hardly see any sign of civilization. – Lori
7-mile Beach in Negril – Walking this beach is one of the best things to do in a beach location. Soft white sand and an ‘endless’ beach as far as the eye can see. The laid-back vibe, beer stands selling $1 Red Stripes at happy hour, and small hotels is super charming. – Lori, Brian and Alicia
Orient Beach St. Maarten – Visited this beach on my honeymoon and was so much fun. Great waves to play in and there is plenty of room to layout. You can walk up and down the beach to find many beach bars and different water sports. If looking for water sports price quote a couple different stands, they will most likely match their neighbors prices.
Sean, Delta Vacations
What’s your favorite beach? Let us know by replying to this post.