As summer approaches, incoming Seniors should start thinking about where they want to go for their Senior Trip. Because I have spent way too much time thinking about where I want to go for my Senior Trip, I have accumulated a long list of places to potentially travel to—an entire list, including pros and cons for each location. Since I don’t feel like inputting all my options here, I am going to list the five (in my opinion) best places to go for a Senior Trip down below.
5. Mexico
Pros:
- Relatively cheap for an out-of-state trip (especially for bigger groups)
- Very good option if you can’t/don’t want to spend a lot of money
- Many all inclusive resorts in Mexico have discounts for bigger groups
- Gorgeous beaches
- All inclusive resort means that food and activities are provided for your entire stay
- Don’t need to find transportation, because everything is in the resort
Cons:
- Can’t leave the resort (not very safe outside of resort)
- Typically must pay for excursions outside of the resort
- Must have a passport
- Because of Trump’s immigration policies, tensions with Mexico have risen
- Traveling to Mexico could become dangerous based on how foreign relations progress so you should check relations between Mexico and the US before booking
4. Tahiti
Pros:
- Very pretty beaches, fauna, and flora
- Lots of free things to do:
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Snorkeling
- Farmers Markets
- Downtown Areas
- Exploring the Island
- Amazing waterfalls
- Unlike Mexico, relatively safe so you won’t need to stay inside an all inclusive
- Both all inclusive and regular resorts available
- Great weather (tropical climate)
- Has an efficient bus system, so renting a car is not necessary
Cons:
- Very expensive plane tickets
- Need a passport
- Somewhat pricey trip
3. Santa Catalina Island
Pros:
- In California, therefore, no plane tickets needed
- Near LA, so it would be ~6 hours to drive to LA and then ~2 hours to take a boat to Santa Catalina Island
- Need boat tickets, but they are much, MUCH, cheaper than plane tickets
- No passport needed
- Because it’s in California, it won’t be as expensive as other trips
- In case of emergency, adults will only be a few hours away
- Nice beaches and great vibes
- Island is small, so car is not necessary
- If you don’t want to walk, you can bring a bike
Cons:
- Housing can be difficult to find
- Food not included
- You have to either buy food every day, which is expensive, or find housing with a kitchen and cook your own food
- Activities are limited because you are on a small island
2. Florida Keys
Pros:
- In the United States, so plane tickets won’t be outrageously expensive
- No passport needed
- Nice, tropical climate
- Amazing beaches
- Nice hikes
Cons:
- Cultural differences
- The Florida Keys tend to lean more Republican/MAGA
- The urban areas in Miami are fairly Democratic so it does depend where you go in Florida
- California is primarily Democratic
- More information about the political tendencies of states here.
- The Florida Keys tend to lean more Republican/MAGA
- Not many all inclusive resorts, so you will likely need to use a hotel
- Food likely won’t be provided if your not at an all inclusive, so the cost of food will definitely make your trip a bit more expensive
- Need to rent a car if you want to go somewhere
1. Oahu
Pros:
- Great public transportation (TheBus)
- You don’t have to pay for a rental car or other forms of transportation
- Very tourist friendly & safe
- Amazing weather
- Pretty beaches
- Nice hikes
- Free activities:
- Hiking
- Farmers markets
- Downtown areas
- Swimming
- Tanning
- Snorkeling (free if you bring your own gear)
Cons:
- Somewhat pricey (because it’s Hawaii)
- Does not have any traditional all inclusive resorts
- You will have to figure out where to eat (I recommend renting a house/room with a kitchen so you can cook your own food at least part of the time)