Top 3 Money-Saving All-Inclusive Trips to the Tropics

When food, drinks, and activities are included in the price, a tropical resort vacation can feel like a downright bargain. Here's a guide to three Caribbean island resorts where the price is right.

Nassau, Bahamas
Accommodations at the Paradise Island Harbour Resort include three meals daily, unlimited house drinks, snacks throughout the day, snorkeling, bike rentals, use of the swimming pool, activities for kids ages 4 to 12, and more.

Cancun Trip Idea: Cancun Underwater Museum

Having submerged his creations beneath the waters of another Caribbean locale—namely Grenada—underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has trained his artistic sights on the waters off Cancun. Part of an effort to create an artificial reef to draw throngs of tourists away from the region’s other more fragile reefs, Cancun’s new Underwater Museum and Marine National Park will eventually house over 400 sculptures scattered over the ocean floor in the waters facing Cancun and Isla Mujeres. Currently in its second phase of installation, Jaime Gonzalez, the national park’s director, estimates that there will be nearly 250 sculptures on display by April 2010.

Photo credit: Sculpture in Cancun Underwater Museum (Jason de Caires Taylor)

Top 10 Travel Tips to Avoid Getting "Greenwashed"

As the importance of sustainable tourism continues to grow, environmentally sensitive travelers should be aware of the difference between authentically green resorts and "greenwashed" resorts and hotels that position themselves as environmentally friendly, but only have minimal green practices in place. Ewald Biemans, owner of Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba, has been an environmental advocate for more than 30 years and has lead Bucuti to become a model resort in sustainable tourism throughout the Caribbean and the world. Here are ten green tips from Biemans to help savvy travelers identify the greenest resorts:

World's Most Romantic Escapes #5

Coming in at number five in our Valentine's Day great-getaways countdown: Mexico's chill Riviera Maya. Palm trees, beach bars, and Mayan ruins strung along the Caribbean Sea provide a suitable backdrop to some of the world's best all-inclusive resorts. After all, relaxation is a key component to romance.

Photo credit: Riviera Maya horseback riding (courtesy, RivieraMaya.com)

Value-Packed Spring Break Escapes

From all-inclusive packages to amenity-packed resorts, it is possible to take a sunny beach vacation without blowing your budget at these four spring-break hot spots.

Nassau
Specials and packages at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort make this luxury Caribbean escape affordable. Enjoy the three freshwater pools with swim-up bar, kids' club for the little ones, windsurfing, golf lessons, kayaks, and more. (Also take advantage of resort's "Warm Coats Warm Hearts" offer, good till mid-March, to earn free night's stay on your next visit.)

Cancun
Luxurious suites with separate living areas, nightly entertainment, water activities, wine tasting, cooking classes, and much more are part of the experience when you book an all-inclusive package at Paradisus Riveria Cancun Resort.

Top 5 Caribbean All-Inclusive Resorts

Find your own private slice of paradise in a pre-paid package that takes the guesswork out of your vacation budgeting.

1. The Reef Resort, Cayman Islands
2. Crystal Cove, Barbados
3. Coco Reef, Tobago
4. Curtain Bluff, Antigua
5. The Caves, Jamaica

Photo credit: Curtain Bluff Resort, Antigua (courtesy, Curtain Bluff Resort)

Top 5 Tropical All-Inclusive Resorts

At these balmy all-inclusive getaways, you won’t have to keep reaching for your wallet. Just be sure to check each resort’s policies carefully to make sure you know what’s included in your base price.

Coconut Bay Resort, Saint Lucia
This super family-friendly resort offers a wing intended just for guests with kids, featuring colorful rooms, Cocoland, St. Lucia’s largest water park, and a paintball facility as well as a supervised Kidz Klub.

Allegro Resort Playacar, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Watch the blue-green waves lapping against the white sand shores from a thatch-roofed villa in this charming Caribbean resort.