I've been to the DR once (Punta Cana), and am going back in June, have been to Cuba twice, and also Mexico 3 times, which I also think is worth a look. It is difficult to advise, as they differ; so, here are my thoughts on all three:

Cuba:

Great for culture. IMPO you MUST stay in Havana for at least 2-3 nights if you visit Cuba; Havana is just amazing, it's like another world, and there's loads to see and do.

The beaches are great in Guardalavaca and the Cayo's, as is the snorkelling: picture post-card perfect. Varadero's beaches aren't as beautiful, but are still very nice.

Most all-inc resorts are 'remote' in the sense that they are not centrally located, and there is little going on near-by, ie you can't walk to shops/bars/restaurants.

Cuba is not IMPO the destination for you if you want luxury. The hotels/resorts tend to be more basic, and do not offer the same level of all inclusive as resorts in Mexico and the DR do (eg there are usually more exclusions on food and drink, a la carte dining etc)

Dominican Republic:

Not great for culture or sight-seeing. Punta Cana (where the best beaches and resorts are) is essentially built for tourists; with that in mind, if you venture off-resort it will probably be on an organised trip.

Punta Cana's beaches are nice, though not as nice as Cuba's. The beaches are often red or yellow-flagged, meaning swimming is dangerous. Snorkelling is pants.

There is a better selection of resorts in the DR than in Cuba, and if you look hard, you can get a lot of 'bang for your buck'; we've paid £1160 pp for 2 weeks at a resort called the Gran Bahia Principe Esmeralda; for this, we get beautiful rooms with four-poster beds, LCD TVs, lovely big bathrooms, and 24 hour room service, unlimited a la carte reservations, upgraded drinks, access to a small adult only pool, and to adult-only a la cartes, etc.

The quality of all incs is IMPO better than Cuba on the whole, but not as good as Mexico.

The resorts tend to be on the large side; for us, this is a pro due to lack of things to do off-resort; for others, this can be a con.

Mexico:

The beaches vary massively. Some are nice, some are pretty bad. If the beach is important, select your resort carefully.

There is a lot to do off-resort. There are all incs located in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, making access to town very easy, but even those located out of town are usually about 15-20 minutes by cab from either Playa or Cancun.

The resorts in Mexico offer the best quality and highest level of all inc; many resorts offer unlimited a la carte dining with no reservations, 24 hour room service, top-shelf drinks, and top-notch rooms and amenities. Some of the resorts are beautiful, and are true 5* properties (unlike the 5*s in the DR and Mexico which tend to be closer to 3.5-4*).

Mexico is usually more expensive, though there are deals to be had; we've got some amazing deals in the past. And IMPO, the resorts there are worth the extra.

There is a wide range of adult-only properties, which we personally prefer.


Any of the above would be a good choice; it really depends on what your priorities are :-)

Dominican!!!

I've been three times now to Puerto Plata side and love it!!!

Def can't beat Barbie's post, great info!! But all I'll say is my cousin and her boyfriend went to the Dominican Republic and loved it - holiday of a lifetime apparently :) Have always wanted to go to Cuba though...

Sorry ladies I'm 100% voting for Cuba!!!!!!!! I loved it!!!!

I work for TC and all I hear is good feedback from both so you can't go wrong really! It is hurricane season but it's just about luck we book loads of people in Sep/Oct and rarely do they have problems. Good luck deciding hun :o) xxxx

Weather-wise, yes, September is peak hurricane season, but the risk is still very very low; just make sure your travel insurance covers you just in case. Otherwise, you should expect it to be hot and humid, and you should also expect some rain: usually, this will be in the form of one or two very short, sharp showers, which dry very quickly.

I've travelled to the Caribbean between June and August 6 times, and this has been my experience. In a 2-week stay, we usually get a short shower every day (often at night or early morning for some reason), and then possibly 1-2 full days of rain/overcast days. Our worst weather so far was in Mexico last June as we got caught in a tropical storm; we had 2 full days of rain, and 2 overcast days. The rain didn't bother us: we just made use of our in-room double-jacuzzi with sea view and champagne from room service.. ;-)

went to Cuba in December last yr and it was AMAZING. totally recommend it as a honeymoon x

Cuba is amazing, went there beginning of October last year and not one day of rain the whole 2 weeks we were there, absolutely loved it and will definitely be going back :-) xx

Either would be lovely im sure xx

Been to Dominican & it was beautiful. Haven't been to Cuba but its on my list! x