When landing in St. Maarten, on the Caribbean island's Dutch side at Princess Juliana Airport, a certain strip of beach is visible out the plane window.

Of course, it's not just a simple view--planes essentially land on top of beach goers on Maho Beach in order to land safely.

If you've ever done the landing, it's quite jarring.

Out the window, you can essentially see every detail of the semi-worried sunbathers below, right down to whether a bathing suit has polka dots or not.

It's all very "Wayne's World", like when Wayne and Garth park their car near an airport runway to watch the underbelly of an airplane land. Except in this case, it's innocent beach goers.

The beach has gained notoriety for its nearness to the airport and is, it seems, consistently flooded with tourists who want to catch a close-up glimpse of a plane. Note to self: It's REALLY loud.

via:cnn

Havana, Cuba -- What is your favorite neighborhood? Why?

It's a touristy area but one that's really well kept is old Havana so when I haven't been for a while I get in a nice early morning or late afternoon stroll, get a cup of coffee, listen to the bands who play Buena Vista Social Club-style music, which is probably a bit touristy for Cubans but it's really nice.

Where is the best place to people-watch?

By far the best place is the Malecon, the sea wall. Think of it as Cuba's free bar. Every night, especially at weekends, hundreds of Cubans go down there, often with a bottle of rum, to sit on the wall. People promenade; others strum music.

It's crowded and rowdy in some areas and quieter and more romantic in other spots, so depending on your mood you can pick a place that suits.

Where can you get the best view of the city?

There's a building called FOCSA that has a bar and restaurant at the top. I'd skip the restaurant but the view is great, so go up and have a drink and look out over the city.

There's also an old Spanish colonial fort called El Morro on the other side of the bay from Havana. You can get there by car. It has a couple of state-run bars and restaurants. Again, I wouldn't eat there, but it's a nice place to go at sunset, have a drink and enjoy the view of the bay and the seafront.

How do tourists stick out and what's the best way to blend in?

You can't blend in. It's very difficult. And they don't want you to! If you get a tan and don't carry a camera, that'll help, but it's hard not to stand out.

What's the biggest misconception about your city?

Maybe the old cars. There are a lot of old cars but most people are surprised when they come that probably the most common are 1980s Russian Ladas because of Cuba's closeness to the Soviet Union. So you see lots of boxy cars driving around, and plenty of new cars.

The old American classics aren't disappearing, but so many other cars have hit the roads that they aren't as obvious as they used to be.

Where should people stay in Havana?

There are two ways to do Havana: hotels and private homes. All hotels are either state-run or joint ventures with big hotel chains.

Depending on your budget and what you're looking to experience, private homes are a great way to discover Cuban life.

From accommodation near old Havana, which can be a bit more basic as demand is higher there, or further afield, where some homes even have swimming pools, for around 25-45 bucks a night you'll get a room with air conditioning and a private bathroom.

Where do you go to relax?

To the Hotel Nacional -- it has an outdoor grassy lawn that overlooks the Malecon. It's a good place to take kids because they can chase the peacocks that wander around and roll around in the grass while you relax with a drink and watch the world go by.

What essential thing should visitors see/experience if they only have a few hours?

Old Havana in the day and the Malecon at night.

What's the biggest tourist trap? Is there a "tourist trap" that's actually worth seeing?

You have to recognize that tourism is an important source of income. You'll stick out, so everywhere you go, people will spark up a conversation with you. Generally they are looking for something -- commission from a restaurant for bringing you there, or to sell you some cigars, that sort of thing. You can't stop it, so recognize it for what it is -- people simply trying to make a living -- and take it with a bit of good humor.

Be aware that in some of the late-night dance places, as in many tourist spots, you can get hustled. If you want to avoid people trying to make a buck off a tourist, try and experiment with some private restaurants that aren't in old Havana -- you may have a more authentic, interesting experience too.

Shasta Darlington is an international correspondent in Havana

What's the food scene like in Havana?

It used to be a joke in the 1990s during the post-Soviet economic crisis that the three main failures of the Cuban revolution were breakfast, lunch and dinner -- that's not true any more.

Since the restrictions on private enterprise were relaxed last year, more businesses are opening up and the number of restaurants is mushrooming, so there are suddenly far more exciting places to visit. Often they're run out of people's homes (establishments known as "paladares"). You'll find good food, good service and it's a really nice experience.

Which restaurant would you take your loved one to for an anniversary or other special occasion?

One that's been around for a few years is La Guarida. It's in a sketchy part of town, a relatively poor part right in the center, but in Cuba everywhere's pretty safe. It's in a very typical Cuban building, the sort that you think of when you think of Havana -- falling down, crowded with people. You walk up three flights of stairs to get there. The movie "Strawberry and Chocolate" was filmed there, then it was turned into a restaurant. It has a great atmosphere, it's very romantic, there's great kitsch décor and you can really feel the culture dripping off the walls.

A new option is L'Atelier in the Vedado neighborhood. It has high ceilings, breezy curtains, very nice food and atmosphere and an outdoor space where you can lounge around on pillows and have drinks. It serves international cuisine that's more original than a lot of restaurants here -- a nice mix.

Are there local specialty dishes or drinks that visitors must try?

One typical dish that I really like is ropa vieja -- it means "old clothes" -- shredded beef with spices, usually served with rice and beans. Cubans do wonderful black beans. Another specialty is malanga fritters -- it's a tuber like a potato and they often mash it with garlic to make these amazing fritters.

The national drink is of course the mojito. Don't leave without trying one - they're delicious. Experiment with rum while you're here, too -- they make everything from cocktail white rum to some very nice dark aged rum that you can drink on its own -- sip that on the Malecon, it's a nice way to spend an evening.

Where's your favorite place to spend a night out on the town?

The best thing to do at night is go and listen to jazz -- there's lots of great Latin jazz in Cuba -- or go salsa dancing. Cubans are great salsa dancers and there are lots of quality venues. For a more authentic experience, go in the early evening, at around 7pm, to a matinee -- it's cheaper and that's often when Cubans go. Later on, towards midnight, you'll find more tourists. Restaurante 1830 is a great place for this. You can watch the dancing while relaxing under a mango tree in the garden.

What is a good local souvenir?

If you're not American, cigars and rum are terrific options. Obviously if you're American you can't bring most things home, but you can still buy art -- that doesn't break the embargo. There are lots of great crafters and artists and if you go to the arts and crafts market in old Havana you can find terrific photos or small paintings that easily cost under $20.

Instead of getting away from it all, go underneath it, and escape to some of the world's unique underwater restaurants and hotels.

You'll have to wear scuba gear and a bathing suit or use a boat to get to some of these undersea retreats.

Jules' Undersea Lodge

Feel like a superstar at this resort. Celebrities such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Jon Fishman of Phish and former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau have visited this underwater lodge in Key Largo, Florida.

To reach Jules' Undersea Lodge, you must scuba dive 21 feet down. You'll enter through a 5-foot-by-7-foot opening at the bottom of the lodge, where you'll be greeted with amenities you'd find at an above-ground hotel: a cozy bed, a telephone, books and a VCR/DVD for movies.

You'll breathe easy inside this air-conditioned lodge, which is filled with compressed air to prevent water from flooding the rooms.

Visitors must scuba dive 21 feet beneath the water to reach Jules' Undersea Lodge.

The living quarters include two private bedrooms, a wet room where divers leave their gear and take a shower, and an 8-foot-by-20-foot multipurpose room for dining and entertaining.

One couple named their baby Jules after discovering that their recently conceived child had accompanied them to the underwater hotel. Another couple's visit inspired them to change careers and open a dive shop, according to the owners.

A night's stay costs $400 to $500 per person, depending on the package.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant sits 16 feet under the Indian Ocean.

Watch sea life swim around you as you dine in this underwater getaway.

Set in a picturesque corner of the Maldive Islands, Ithaa Undersea Restaurant claims to be the world's first all-glass underwater dining establishment.

This luxury restaurant, which has welcomed thousands of diners since 2005, sits 16 feet deep in the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by sea life and a coral reef.

The six-course dinner menu often features French dishes from executive chef Nicolas Boutin and is priced at $320 a person. A lighter three-course lunch menu is available for $195 a person. Both meals include one glass of bubbly champagne.

If you're dining at lunch, don't forget to bring your sunglasses. The sun's rays illuminate the water and make the restaurant so bright inside that diners and the wait staff need eye protection.

Utter Inn

The Utter Inn is located on Lake Mälaren in Sweden.

If you're looking for a simpler underwater experience, consider the Utter Inn in Västerås, Sweden, which is a single-room hotel containing just two twin beds and a table.

This underwater spot, which looks like a small red house above the water, lies nearly 10 feet below the surface of Lake Mälaren and can be accessed only by boat. Panoramic windows in all directions allow guests to watch fish and other aquatic life swim by.

During your stay, hang out on the above-water deck to sunbathe, read or fish. Guests are also invited to use an inflatable canoe to explore a nearby uninhabited island.

No cooking is required at this getaway. Instead, order dinner and have it delivered.

A typical night's stay at the Utter Inn costs $212 per person.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Poseidon Undersea Resort is scheduled to open in late 2012, according to the developer.

Sleep next to exotic sea life at Poseidon.

This underwater five-star luxury hotel in Fiji, set to open in late 2012, has been marketed as the "world's first sea floor resort."

The 24-room Poseidon Undersea Resort will sit 40 feet below the crystal clear waters of a Fijian lagoon, next to a coral reef.

Guests will be required to spend two nights in the underwater hotel and four nights at a more traditional beach resort and over-water bungalows on a 222-acre island called Poseidon Mystery Island.

The high-end hotel will feature an underwater restaurant, library and theater area.

Above the water, visitors can check out wine-tasting classes and a nine-hole golf course, or be pampered with spa treatments.

Be prepared to open your wallet wide at this resort. The cost for this exclusive experience is $15,000 per person (when sharing a room) or $30,000 a couple.

Forbes Island

Forbes Island in San Francisco offers dining both above and below the water.

Reachable only by boat, Forbes Island off Pier 39 in San Francisco offers above- and below-water dining.

Featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," the island was once home to millionaire Forbes Kiddoo.

On the menu are French culinary classics like coq au vin or filet mignon with a truffled Bordelaise sauce, local seafood such as halibut or Pacific Coast salmon, and a large wine list.

In the underwater area, guests can peer through several portholes while dining in a dark wood-beamed room accented by a giant gas fireplace and a large collection of nautical antiques.

Above the water, dine outside or in rooms with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The price range for an entree is about $20 to $39. Wines by the glass start at $9.

cnn

The room service arrived in a canoe and exotic fish frolicked just beneath the floor when Gary Leff spent his honeymoon in Bora Bora.

Life is good when you're in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and even better when you're staying in an overwater bungalow -- that iconic, stilted, thatch-roofed symbol of a tropical paradise.

"It's unique because there's a million beachfront resorts in the world ... but it's much less common to have your room actually be [over] the water," Leff said.

"There's something neat to the story about climbing off your deck into the water, snorkeling right off your deck."

You'll probably have to travel far and open your wallet wide to stay at one of these exotic villas.

There are more than 90 overwater bungalow resorts in the world, but about two-thirds of them are in the Maldives, according to OverwaterBungalows.net, a website that tracks the properties.

The Caribbean has a few such resorts, but it doesn't really lend itself to overwater construction because of hurricanes, said Terry McCabe, national director of leisure for Altour.

Many overwater bungalows, like this one in Cayo Espanto, Belize, feature glass panes in the floor.

The peaceful, shallow lagoons of French Polynesia and the Maldives, on the other hand, offer more hospitable surroundings.

Most overwater bungalows come with "Tahitian television," or glass panes built into the floor through which you can observe the sea life below, McCabe said.

"For everyone, they've come to typify romance, the allure of the South Pacific," McCabe said.

Here are five overwater bungalow resorts to remember.

Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, Bora Bora

The resort, on Motu Toopua in the lagoon of Bora Bora, has dozens of overwater bungalows, including the only two-story overwater villas in French Polynesia, said Kleon Howe of The Art of Travel in San Diego, an agency that specializes in the region.

Leff, who honeymooned here in 2005, said he enjoyed the privacy the huts provided.

"It's almost like you're alone in the world," he said. "Even when the resort had plenty of people there, you rarely saw people because they stayed in their bungalows."

The resort is also one of the best values for redeeming Hilton HHonors points, said Leff, who shares strategies for making the most of traveler loyalty programs on his website, View From the Wing.

Need another reason to go? Bora Bora Nui was among the winners of TripAdvisor's 2011 Travelers' Choice awards -- chosen by the site's members as one of the top 10 hotels for romance in the South Pacific.

A king overwater deluxe villa goes for about $1,170 a night during the summer with an advance purchase .

Te Tiare Beach Resort, Huahine

About 30 minutes by plane from Tahiti, the two islands of Huahine -- billed as "one of Polynesia's best-kept secrets" by Tahiti Tourism -- are home to archaeological sites, vanilla plantations and mango, banana and papaya groves.

You'll also find the Te Tiare Beach Resort, where visitors can stay in various types of huts, including deep overwater bungalows.

"There are only 11 of these, and all have stunning views of the lagoon and reef," Howe said. "The resort is only accessible by water, which lends a remote and very romantic feel."

All of the bungalows face west, so expect to end your days with spectacular sunsets.

The deep overwater bungalows go for about $830 a night during high season (from June to October) and about $720 for the rest of the year.

For more information, click here.

Constance Moofushi Resort, Maldives

Choose from dozens of water villas on the spectacular South Ari Atoll, which is home to a number of world-class dive sites.

You'll reach the resort by seaplane after arriving in Maldives International Airport and relax in bungalows with gorgeous views of the Indian Ocean.

There's lots to do if you want to leave your hut, including scuba diving, snorkeling, night fishing and other activities.

For an extra fee, the resort also offers a "Robinson Crusoe" experience for couples, allowing them to spend a half-day or a full day on a deserted island.

Rates for the all-inclusive package, which includes meals, drinks and other amenities, start at $705 per night for single occupancy in the water villas. They jump to $1,700 per night during the holidays.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

The resort's 100 overwater bungalows sit on stilts over a turquoise lagoon and feature traditional teak wood furnishings and roofs thatched with pandanus leaves.

You can choose various views, but Howe recommended splurging for the Otemanu-view overwater bungalow with a private plunge pool.

"These are right out at the end of the pontoon and have great views of the main peak of [Mount] Otemanu on the main island of Bora Bora," Howe said.

This type of bungalow goes for about $2,700 a night.

The Four Seasons Bora Bora was among the winners of TripAdvisor's 2011 Travelers' Choice awards -- chosen by the site's members as one of the top 10 hotels for romance and luxury in the South Pacific.

Cayo Espanto, Belize

As mentioned, you won't find a lot of overwater bungalows near the United States, but this five-star resort on a private island in the Western Caribbean is one option closer to home: It's less than two hours by plane from Miami and Houston.

"That's a lovely property," McCabe said. "It's a very private, very upscale resort."

There are seven villas on the island, including one overwater bungalow. You'll find the one-bedroom Casa Ventanas at the end of a dock that stretches more than 150 feet off the island "for the ultimate in privacy," the resort says.

Like many of its counterparts in French Polynesia and the Maldives, the bungalow has a glass panel in the floor so guests can gaze down at the sea life during their stay.

Casa Ventanas is yours for $1,295 per night, which includes meals, drinks and personal butler service. (Prices rise for the holiday season.)

By Kitty Bean Yancey

Emerald Archer, pretty in a pink bikini top and carrying a foot-long plastic glass filled with a flamingo-colored cocktail, strolls the wide white sands of Playa Chac-Mool with three friends from Toledo.

The quartet has a message for those back home who are, in Archer's words, "burning up the phone" with messages of concern about their being in Mexico. The country has been making headlines with drug-war-related kidnappings and killings, and the U.S. State Department has had a travel warning for Mexico in place since fall, though it mainly involves border towns and violence-plagued cities such as Acapulco and Monterrey, which are on the other side of Mexico from Cancun. Cruise ships have been stopping calls at Mazatln. Recently, the Texas Department of Public Safety took the unusual step of counseling college students to avoid spring breaks south of the border.

"We haven't been beheaded," Archer, a 26-year-old dental assistant, says with a grin. "We've had no problems. People need to chill out."

Aside from the throng of spring breakers partying around her, Americans aren't doing that. Cancun says it welcomed 5.9 million international visitors last year, up more than 400,000 from 2009. But this year, some have canceled trips, say tour operators such as Funjet Vacations.

Cancun — trying to retain its position as the No. 1 vacation destination in the Caribbean — has stepped up security in the tourist zone. Funjet is flying in more than 200 top U.S. travel agents next week to reassure them of the area's safety.

Battling image problems

Despite optimistic projections by Mexican tourism officials, visitation by Americans "is flat at a time when it ought to be growing," says Funjet president Mike Going. "It's not to say problems don't exist. But the hype and nervousness" over resort areas such as Cancun and the Riviera Maya to the south "are essentially unfounded."

"The safest people here are the tourists," Erandeni Abundis of the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau says over lunch at a restaurant overlooking the famously aquamarine sea. "We depend on tourism. We couldn't afford to lose it." To accommodate Americans, visitors now can dial 911 in Cancun for emergencies instead of the 066 that locals use, she says.

Abundis says "not one" Cancun tourist has been killed in drug-cartel-related violence. The state of Quintana Roo, which includes Cancun and the resort-populated Riviera Maya, accounts for more than 50% of Mexico's income from international tourism, says Jesus Almaguer, CEO of the Cancun visitors bureau.

Statistics on crime are hard to get. The Cancun visitors bureau could not immediately provide them. The State Department publishes a list of non-natural deaths of U.S. citizens in Mexico, required to be updated every six months. It gets stats from the Mexican government, and they are not always complete, says Maureen Webster of Woburn, Mass., whose son Nolan drowned in Cancun in 2007 and was not on the list until she stepped in. In the first six months of 2010, 18 Americans died in Cancun, Cozumel and on the Mayan Riviera, the list says. Most of them drowned. Two non-fatal shark attacks also have been reported in the last two months.

Care taken to keep Cancun especially calm this year is evident from the moment a visitor arrives at the airport. Outside the customs hall, an officer in camouflage cradles an assault rifle. A dozen "tourist advisers" in white shirts and khaki pants greet visitors and point the way past transport touts to approved airport transportation.

Inside a $12 Cancun Shuttle van, Penn State student Frank Csaszat, 20, and friends prepare to party at a resort that's costing each less than $100 a day, including all they can eat and all the booze they can drink. They were advised by parents to "make sure you stick together and stay where the tourists are," he says.

Where the tourists are is on a long, skinny barrier island outside the city of Cancun called the "Zona Hotelera" (Hotel Zone). Poverty abounds elsewhere, but here the manicured boulevard that runs through it is litter-free and lined with high-rise gated resorts. U.S. visitors feel as if they've never left home as they pass an Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks and Chili's and pay in dollars. Here, they can drink at age 18 ($30 for a night of open bar at many nightclubs) and carouse legally till dawn. No wonder Cancun is a draw for the spring-break crowd.

On a recent 80-degree day, a sign outside the Dady'O nightclub heralds an appearance by Jersey Shore's Ronnie. On one stretch of the 15 miles of beach, an emcee atop a stage sponsored by Corona beer directs four bikini-clad volunteers to kneel and suck brew from baby bottles gripped between the thighs of four young men while rap music blares.

The contest spurs yelps of encouragement from dozens of college students, some passing around a beer bong, drunk at 2 p.m. Several young people appear to be passed out on the sand.

Though many American colleges are on break, the beach is not jammed. Hotel occupancy is 71% this week, the Cancun Hotel Association reports. That's not impressive for a popular resort area in high season, when 80%-plus occupancy is usual.

Sorrow behind the smiles

Taxi drivers complain that business is worse than it used to be. Street vendors may wait an hour to make a $1 sale of Mexican crafts.

Cancun hotel rates paid by Hotels.com customers dropped 2% in 2010, from $169.82 to $167.14, the online booker says. Those rates include all-inclusive resorts; Cancun is packed with lodgings whose rates include accommodations, all meals and snacks, booze and most activities.

Despite the popularity of all-inclusives, which abound in Mexico, "traffic to Mexico is challenged," Funjet's Going says. But according to Funjet post-vacation surveys, "91% of people who go to Mexico express satisfaction and intend to go back."

Over quesadillas and margaritas at Cancun's popular Carlos 'n Charlie's — where waiters encourage tourist high jinks and form conga lines with visitors — American Laura Winfree, 24, who came to Mexico on vacation, met a Mexican, married him and writes the blog gringationcancun.wordpress.com, talks about tourism.

She shuddered when she saw headlines last year saying "bombing in a Cancun hotspot." It "was some divey little bar in a (non-touristy) neighborhood so bad that locals won't even park their cars there," she says. "Cancun is pretty safe for tourists. If you had a war going on in Los Angeles, you wouldn't say, 'Oh, don't go to New York.' "

Kelly McLaughlin, a Canadian in Cancun who writes the blog cancuncanuck.com, says the real violence is "thousands of kilometers away. … Crime happens, sure, just like in Miami or New York or Los Angeles. Bring your common sense, be aware of your surroundings and your belongings. Don't buy drugs, don't solicit prostitutes. Millions of tourists visit the Mexican Caribbean every year, and the worst thing that happens to (most of) them is a sunburn or a hangover."

Toledan Nicholas Weiss, 24, on the beach with Emerald Archer, checks in by e-mail after their trip. "We had a great time," he writes. "No problems with any gangs, drugs or scary Mexican cartels."

Samantha Kaleck, a freshman at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania who shared a shuttle with this reporter, reports on her visit: "We didn't run into any trouble. We took taxis to and from all the places we went to. We all stuck together and kept an eye out for each other. …

"We didn't put ourselves in a position to be in harm. My friends and I decided that Cancun is only as unsafe as you make it. I would definitely, 100%, go back."

That's the theme of a new ad campaign for IBEROSTAR's all-inclusive resorts, starring actor Antonio Banderas.

The Spanish chain aims to lure more Americans to its lodgings in the Caribbean and elsewhere by touting what savvy travelers know: Resorts where meals, snacks, booze and most activities are covered, often at jaw-dropping rates, can make budgeters feel like big shots. It's a vacation option that's better every year, as all-inclusives up their games with new properties, fancier rooms and meals that can rival those at chic hotels.

Even traditional chains such as Hilton have dipped their toes into all-inclusive waters, and à la carte resorts (Ritz-Carlton's Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica, for one) have added packages with meals and drinks to woo those who want to know the bottom line before they leave home.

"We see this as a growing market," says Hilton's Danny Hughes, senior vice president of operations for Latin America and the Caribbean. People at all income levels like knowing what a vacation will cost and having an "overall experience" at their fingertips without having to plan or pay extra, he says.

Another draw: You don't have to tip.

Here's advice from veteran travel planners and industry insiders on getting the most from an all-inclusive getaway:

Define your vacation goals

Do you want a gorgeous beach, an adults-only romantic interlude, a family vacation, a wedding that's easy to plan (Sandals Resorts has partnered with Martha Stewart Weddings), a party place? Different chains cater to various ages and proclivities, with everything from suites and butlers to nude beaches, casinos or infant day care.

Find the resort that fits your budget

Clients of Jim Hobbs' Cheapcaribbean.com ask: "Where's the best value?" he says. "People are looking for a high-end vacation at prices they can afford." Because most all-inclusives are in countries with cheap labor and low cost of living, you can stay for less than $100 daily per person.

Luxury lovers can be happy at an all-inclusive, says Arthur Mehmel, founder of TourScan Caribbean Vacations. He has sent wealthy clients to the AAA five-star Royal Hideaway Playacar near Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and booked the all-inclusive option at chic Half Moon Resort in Jamaica. Couples-only Sandals, whose slogan is "luxury included," offers butlers and private plunge pools for $1,000-plus per couple nightly. Its 74-suite Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, is a member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World. Rates before Christmas start at about $700 a couple nightly.

Know when to go

August through mid-December is deal time, especially in the Caribbean. Fall rates at IBEROSTAR start at $158 a room per night (double occupancy) at IBEROSTAR Paraíso del Mar in Riviera Maya, Mexico. In winter high season, the lowest posted rate is $354 double, at IBEROSTAR Cozumel. Watch for grand-opening specials: SuperFun in Jamaica has a $154 nightly rate for two.

Know where to go

Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, St. Lucia and Mexico are crammed with all-inclusives. Up-and-coming destinations include Brazil and Panama. This year, Hilton made its Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa all-inclusive. It appeals to those seeking outdoor adventures. And for some, "the destination is less important if (the resort) has a great beach," Hughes says. That's the lure of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Negril in Jamaica. As for kids, the Beaches chain has partnered with Sesame Street— meaning mingling with Elmo.

Watch for sales

In this iffy economy, specials are everywhere. Even luxe Royal Hideaway Playacar has rates from $213 per person nightly for November and December, instead of $400.

Check before you check in

That's easy via traveler-review sites including TripAdvisor. Cheapcaribbean.com has a resort finder and thousands of reviews from its customers. Read the fine print: You typically pay extra for spa treatments, greens fees, motorized water sports, fine wine. Sandals includes scuba diving and offers free golf (but requires paying for caddies) at some properties.

Opt for air/lodging packages

Cheapcaribbean, TourScan, Apple Vacations, Funjet Vacations and GOGO Worldwide Vacations have cut-rate deals. "Sometimes we can do a week for around $800 a person, including airfare" with a charter flight via Apple or one of the others, Mehmel says. Last-minute deals can be good, too.

Consider pros and cons

If you're looking to explore a destination and its culture, think twice before going all-inclusive. Other than basic classes in local dances or crafts and nightly cruise-ship-like shows, there's usually little cultural immersion. In places such as Punta Cana, there's little to do outside your gated compound other than excursions. You might be ferried to a stable to ride en masse on jaded equines.

Independent sorts may hate wearing a plastic, hospital-style wristband (required at most all-inclusives). Staying and eating at one resort, even with its buffets and specialty restaurants, can be confining. Chains such as Riu or IBEROSTAR combat boredom by allowing resort-hopping when they have several properties in one locale.

Meanwhile, the everything-included concept keeps expanding its beachhead. All-inclusives "have come to realize if they offer better food than average and better service than average for less money, travelers will spread the word," Mehmel says. "And that's what has happened."

A GETAWAY FOR EVERY TASTE

A primer on some all-inclusive chains popular with U.S. vacationers:   SuperClubs: They range from high-end Breezes Grand Negril ($190 a night a person and up), to anything-goes, adult haven Hedonism II and more toned down adults-only SuperFun Beach Resort & Spa (once Hedonism III), all in Jamaica. SuperClubs also has all-inclusives in the Bahamas, Curacao, Panama, Brazil. 877-467-8737, superclubs.com   Sandals and Beaches: Sandals caters to couples starting around $200 a person (suites with pools can cost $1,000 daily for two and up and have butlers) in Jamaica, St. Lucia, the Bahamas and Antigua. Beaches targets families in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos, as do Sandals' new value-oriented "authentic Caribbean" Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts in Jamaica and Antigua. 888-726-3257, sandals.com   Club Med: The pioneering all-inclusive chain is 60 this year. Once famed as a singles haunt, it has clubs worldwide catering to families. Rooms are face-lifted; Florida's revamped Sandpiper Bay - billed as the only U.S. family all-inclusive - reopens soon. 888-932-2582, clubmed.us   Secrets and Dreams: In the AMResorts stable, Secrets (for adults) is in Mexico, Jamaica and Dominican Republic. Family-friendly Dreams is in Mexico and Dominican Republic. Secrets, 866-467-3273; Dreams, 866-237-3267; amresorts.com   IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts: The expanding Spanish chain is making a play for Americans with ads featuring Antonio Banderas. Locations include Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, North Africa and Europe. 305-774-9225, iberostar.com   Paradisus: The high-end brand in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, with VIP quarters at higher cost, is from Spanish hotel giant Sol Melia, which also has lower-priced all-inclusives. 888-741-5600, paradisus.com   Occidental Hotels & Resorts: Its adults-only Royal Hideaway Playacar south of Cancun is favored by discerning travelers and highly rated by AAA. Cheaper Occidental Grand and Allegro resorts also are in the Occidental stable. It has lodgings in Aruba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Spain. 800-858-2258, occidentalhotels.com

ASPEN, COLO.

Lay of the land:  The historic mining town turned tony resort enclave sits at the base of Aspen Mountain, one of four ski areas owned by Aspen Skiing Co. The others, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, are nearby and, with Aspen, accessible via a single lift ticket.

Back story: Aspen's roots as a 19th-century boom-and-bust silver-mining town were supplanted in the late 1940s and '50s when the ski resorts took shape. The stars soon followed. Homeowners include Lance Armstrong, Jack Nicholson, and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. But as site of the Aspen Institute and Aspen Music Festival, the town has cultural roots that run deep. Beyond the chichi shops (Prada, Gucci, Dior) and stratospheric real-estate values, long-timers maintain that at its heart, Aspen remains a classic mountain town.

The deal: Book four nights and get the fifth night free with the Perfect Storm package, good at various lodgings (valid March 26-April 4; book by Monday). Sample cost: five nights at the Annabelle Inn with breakfast and après-ski wine reception is $523.60 per room, with tax. The deal also includes a fifth day of free skiing when purchasing a four-day lift ticket, plus other discounts. 800-262-7736; stayaspensnowmass.com.

Getting around: Free shuttles ferry passengers between town and the four mountain resorts.

Après ski: Longtime favorite Little Annie's Eating House draws raves for its burgers ($8.95 with fries). The Double Dog Pub serves inexpensive fare with live music Tuesday and Thursday nights. The colorful J-Bar at the historic Hotel Jerome features Prohibition-era drinks such as the Aspen crud (a bourbon-spiked milkshake).

Budget tip: Many fine-dining restaurants have bar menus with smaller portions at lower prices.

For free: The First Tracks program on Aspen Mountain and Snowmass puts guests on the slopes with ski school pros before lifts open to the public. (Sign up the night before.) Admission to the Aspen Art Museum is gratis.

Information: 888-290-1324; aspenchamber.org.

DEER VALLEY, UTAH

Lay of the land: The upscale ski resort is about 40 miles from the Salt Lake City airport, 1 mile from Park City and close to Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons ski areas.

Back story: Television and hotel magnate Edgar Stern (who owned San Francisco's Stanford Court) envisioned a ski resort that would operate like a five-star lodging. In 1981, he opened Deer Valley, featuring amenities such as ski valets. Besides the perennial five-star/diamond Stein Eriksen Lodge, on-site digs include a new St. Regis resort and, opening next winter, a luxury Montage resort. Deer Valley is one of only three U.S. ski areas that ban snowboarding.

The deal: Late-season packages knock 25% off lodging and lift tickets (800-558-3337; deervalley.com), but staying in Park City is a better bet for skiers on a budget. Sample deal: The Yarrow Resort Hotel has a four-night package (valid through March 20) that includes three-day lift tickets for Deer Valley and breakfast, from $585 per person, double. 800-908-5000; ski.com.

Getting around: Free bus service runs between Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons.

Après ski: Park City's lively Main Street boasts a range of reasonably priced eateries. Locals line up for the $11.75 buffalo burgers at the No Name Saloon. At the no-frills El Chubasco, diners fill up on heaping $7.95 bowls of posole, a spicy corn stew, and other hearty Mexican fare. Squatters, Red Rock and Wasatch pubs serve local brews. At Deer Valley Resort, the Royal Street Cafe at the Silver Lake Lodge offers an array of appetizers for $6-$16; a bowl of the resort's signature turkey chili is $8.50.

Budget tip: March 28 to the end of ski season, redeem your airline boarding pass for a free lift ticket at any of the three area resorts (parkcityinfo.com/quickstart).

For free: Watch the pros train on the ski jump and luge, bobsled and skeleton tracks at the Utah Olympic Park. The Kimball Art Center has free admission.

Information: 800-453-1360; parkcityinfo.com.

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

Lay of the land: The name refers to an area consisting of Sun Valley Resort with its two ski mountains and Austrian-style village, the neighboring historic mining town of Ketchum, and the valley stretching south to Bellevue.

Back story: In the mid-1930s, railroad tycoon Averell Harriman, seeking to beef up passenger business on his Union Pacific trains, created the USA's first destination winter resort. He built buzz by inviting celebrities such as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and Ernest Hemingway (who completed For Whom the Bell Tolls in suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge). The area remains a hangout for A-list regulars including Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Springsteen.

The deal: Get a free lift ticket (regular price is $82) for every night booked at the Sun Valley Lodge or Sun Valley Inn though March 25 for $109.50 per person, double. (Blackout dates apply.) Additionally, from Feb. 22 through the ski season, one child 15 and under stays and skis free for every adult booked at participating lodgings at Sun Valley Resort. Not in the mood for skiing? Multi-day lift tickets of three days or more can be exchanged for other resort activities, spa and meal credits. 800-786-8259; sunvalley.com.

Getting around: Mountain Rides buses, equipped with ski and bike racks, operate freebetween the ski area and Ketchum.

Après ski: Grumpy's is a favorite for burgers and beer (a 32-ounce schooner costs just $5). Try Apples Bar & Grill near the Warm Springs Lodge for casual, tasty fare. Most menu items are less than $10.

Budget tip: Local cognoscenti scour the racks at Ketchum's Gold Mine Thrift Shop for deals on high-end designer labels.

For free: A winter concert series in the Ketchum town plaza runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays through March 25.

Information: 866-305-0408; visitsunvalley.com.

Let's begin with the Caribbean. It's typically not hard to find a decent deal to one of its tropical islands, especially if you're flying from the East Coast. However, the winter months are the Caribbean's high season, which means you're likely to pay more than you would in the summer. It also matters where you'd like to go, as you're more likely to find specials to more popular destinations such as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic than you are to St. Thomas, Martinique, or Grenada.

I priced a five-night vacation to the Dominican Republic starting at $499 per person (without taxes and fees). The offer includes all-inclusive accommodations at the Coral Costa Caribe Resort, round-trip airfare from Miami (other departure cities are available at a higher price), Trip Mate weather insurance, and $100 coupon if it rains during your stay. Travel is valid through April 30, but you must book by January 18.

Though this isn't the cheapest price I found to the Caribbean—I also saw deals to Puerto Rico starting at $399 (without taxes and fees) and the Bahamas starting at $439 (without taxes and fees)—I believe this deal offers the best value because the resort is all-inclusive, which translates to big savings on your food and drinks budget.

Next, let's take a closer look at Mexico. The country's high season is similar to the Caribbean's, although Mexico is also a pretty hot spot during the summer as well. The more popular destinations such as Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta tend to be less expensive than the more "exotic" locales like Zihuatanejo.

If you have to get away now, I priced a three-night package deal to Puerto Vallarta starting at $354 per person (without taxes and fees). The deal includes accommodations at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa and round-trip airfare from Los Angeles (other departure cities are available at a higher cost). Travel is valid between January 25 and March 8.

Once again, you can find cheaper prices to Mexico, including all-inclusive three-night hotel and air packages starting at $349 per person (with taxes and fees), but you may find it worth paying a little extra for a good place to stay. If you have any questions about the quality of a hotel, be sure to read other traveler's reviews at our sister site, TripAdvisor.

Last, but certainly not least, are the ever tropical Hawaiian Islands. One reason to rejoice when planning a trip here is that the winter months are actually considered Hawaii's low season, so you stand a better chance of finding a good deal now versus later. It will also more likely be a cheaper option than the Caribbean for my west coast readers. Plus, the more popular destinations such as Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island have a great selection of deals.

I priced a three-night package to Oahu starting at $459 per person (without taxes and fees). The deal includes one-bedroom condo accommodations at Aston Waikiki Sunset resort, round-trip airfare from San Francisco (other departure cities are available at a higher cost), a book of coupons, and two-for-one luau tickets. Plus, kids 12 and younger stay, play, and eat for free.

As with the other destinations, this wasn't the cheapest deal I found, but your money is well spent on the extra space of a condo. However, I saw several deals to Oahu starting at $335 per person (without taxes and fees).

As you can see, there are deals aplenty to places that will warm your chilly bones. You just have to decide what deal fits your needs. A good rule of thumb is to look for places that are easy to reach by air from your departure city. From there, when you go can make or break your piggy bank. And finally, decide what you're willing to sacrifice in the name of savings and what's just not worth giving up. Stir all of these things together, add a pinch of flexibility, and you have the makings of a great vacation at the right price.

Where else would you recommend going during the cold days of winter? Have you seen a deal that is too good to be true? Please share your experiences in the comment field below.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

When it comes to celebrating the holidays, images of Las Vegas don't exactly come to mind. But this season, Sin City is hoping to boost its fortunes with the opening of the new City Center -- an $8.5 billion dollar gamble.

City Center officially opens Wednesday, unwrapping its luxury spas, casino and new Elvis Presley tribute.

While it's a huge risk, many are hoping City Center is a gift that will keep on giving -- there hasn't been a lot to cheer about this yearin Vegas, which has been hit hard by the recession.

Still, Donny Osmond told CBS News, "Christmas in Vegas is so different than any other place. It's not about cuddling up next to the fireplace--this is about a neon party land."

But Vegas gifts can't be found anywhere else. Cirque de Soleil is opening "Viva Elvis" -- with 75 acrobats, a five-story stage, and rare home movies.

"Viva Elvis" opens in the new Aria Hotel, part of the $8.5 billion City Center. Its 67 acres include custom art, high-tech suites and high-end shopping. Eva Longoria Parker just opened her Beso Restaurant at City Center.

Bill McBeath, chief operating officer of Aria, gave "Early Show" national news correspondent Hattie Kauffman an exclusive look inside the Aria, including the high-ceiling coffee shop and poker room.

The City Center has set the bar pretty high this holiday season, Kauffman said, but added visitors shouldn't count out the rest of the Vegas strip.

Donny and Marie Osmond have added holiday music to their show. Marie, a mother-of-eight, even moved her family to Las Vegas.

According to Marie, "You can walk to see a great show, you can walk to a great restaurant. You can walk and see some of the best shopping in the world. You can have it all right here."

Donny added, "If you want an entertaining Christmas, this is the place to be."

At the Bellagio, thousands have discovered this winter wonderland in the desert. The Four Seasons Gingerbread Village features an edible carousel, and a quarter million cranberries fill the Palazzo's pool.

And do you MISS the cold? Mandalay Bay offers faux furs and cold drinks inside the minus five degree ice lounge -- and snow falls in the Qua Spa at Caesar's Palace.

Cher is also strutting her stuff at Caesar's Palace where Jerry Seinfeld will make a rare appearance. Also, Garth Brooks is out of retirement playing the Wynn. John Mayer will also appear at The Hard Rock Café, and the Black Eyed Peas will ring in the New Year in Vegas.

Kauffman added on the broadcast this holiday season is serious business for Las Vegas. City Center alone, she said, has opened up 12,000 new jobs for a city hit hard by the recession.

I'm perched in a wooden treehouse lazing on a cushy double mattress atop a white sand beach along Mexico's Riviera Maya. Overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, I'm about as far away from holiday hoopla and craziness as I can get when the beach butler comes by to see if I need anything.

No one is bickering or complaining. In fact, it is that rare vacation moment when everyone is happy at the same time. I'm not dreaming. We're at the small Azul Beach Hotel, a short walk along the beach from the Azul Sensatori Hotel, where we've been spending the holiday week. Kids play happily on the beach and splash in the water and I don't have to do the dishes after a sumptuous holiday feast -- in this case a beach barbecue featuring freshly caught grouper and snapper.

We've spent Christmases hanging stockings in ski condos from Vermont to Colorado and sailed a chartered boat around the British Virgin Islands. We've watched baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean one Christmas Eve along Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula and swam with the sea lions another year in the Galapagos Islands.

As the kids got older, these trips became their holiday gifts -- the memories and experiences, I reasoned, would last a lot longer than a new sweater or video game and they agreed, though they finally made me stop buying holiday ornaments every place we went. "No more room on the tree!" they groused, at about the same time they gave up posing for those ubiquitous family vacation pictures.

If you're thinking holiday trips are guaranteed budget busters, think again. In this economy, hotels, resorts, adventure outfitters and ski areas need our business as much as we need a break. They understand that if they don't offer families great value for their vacation dollar, we'll stay home.

For the first time, the all-inclusive Azul Beach Hotel is offering 25 percent off at the holidays, for example, and throwing in a massage. And if you can beg off family commitments, it's not too late to snare a deal for Thanksgiving weekend.

"Historically, holiday travelers would have to abide by minimum-night stay requirements and also pay a premium to vacation during the holidays," said Dan Sherman from www.ski.com. "This year we're offering more sales, bigger discounts and we have them available earlier than we did last year."

The trick is scoring a decent airfare. You need to be as flexible as possible, shop around and be ready to book seats when you find a deal you can live with. If you can travel after January 2, for example, the FDR Resorts in Jamaica -- where you are assigned a dedicated vacation nanny -- is offering a $700 air credit.

All the better, of course, if you can drive. Look for resorts with hotel rooms as low as $100 a night (or less). Try Horseshoe Bay Resort in the Texas Hill Country, or the Omni San Diego where you get personalized holiday stockings. Even in tony Beverly Hills 11 hotels are offering "And to All a Free Night" packages (book two nights and receive a third night free www.lovebeverlyhills.org.) Or book three nights at a Loews Hotel and get 30 percent off the entire stay through the end of January with their "Home for the Holidays" offer.

Even during the holidays, you shouldn't have to pay rack rate, even at the ritziest places. For example, The Four Seasons Resort Lana'i is touting a second room at half-price, free baby-sitting and kids program and no resort fee -- a savings of more than $300 a night for those who can afford the freight. Or get a free night at Destination Resorts luxe Hawaii condos on Maui (www.drhmaui.com).

CoCo Key Indoor Water Resort in Ohio -- winner of this year's best of aquatics award -- sports a 50,000-square-foot indoor water park and a holiday deal starting at $149 a night, including four two-day water park passes, as well as goodie bags for the kids. Look for deals at other CoCo Key resorts and check out the Snowland festivities -- complete with indoor snow, a story-telling reindeer and Santa's workshop at the Great Wolf Lodge Resorts that also include free admission to their water parks and room discounts.

If you've got a favorite destination or hotel chain, follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook and you might score an especially good deal, suggests Erik Torkells, editor of www.tripadvisor.com. "Don't get hung up on the hotel rate," he advises, but be ready to wheel and deal for extras that can add up to a lot more than a few dollars less on room-free nights, free food, free lift tickets, air credits and kids' activities.

If you want to head to ski country, for example, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado promises a free plane ticket after you have purchased two, while Breckenridge, Colorado, is touting 20 percent off lodging. The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, will throw in two adult lift tickets each night and credits you can use for the kids ski school. Book four nights or more at the small Treasure Mountain Inn in the heart of Park City and pay less than last year while the kids (12 and under) ski for free. Web sites like www.liftopia.com can save on lift ticket costs too.

Join the "Grinchmas" celebration at Universal Studios Orlando where there will be a nightly Christmas tree lighting, special holiday-themed shows and deals that give you four hotel nights for the price of three and unlimited theme park admission for under $1,000 for a family of four. Or book an entire house in Orlando from www.homeaway.com for less than $200 a night.

Check out The National Christmas Tree and National Menorah when you stay at The Fairmont Washington DC where you can snare a holiday deal for $142 a night. Check Web sites like www.getaroom.com for deals in cities across the country.

In Mexico, my daughters Mel, Reggie and I settle in for an afternoon in our treehouse. My husband Andy and son Matt are next door. For once, they don't have to rush off anywhere and are happy to hang with Mom and Dad. Thanks, Santa!