| Week of February 19-25, 1998 |
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Family vacations that ring up under $5,000 Question: I’m looking for a low-budget eight- to nine-day vacation starting August 26 for us and our two kids, ages 12 and 9. We want a great sandy beach, but not just that. The Caribbean is too hurricane-prone at that time, Club Meds are too hot and humid or closed for the season, and I’ve run out of ideas. Can you suggest anywhere we could go that would include a hiking or scenic-wildlife component as well as water activities for no more than $5,500 including food and airfare from Boston? Deborah Fogel ϳԹ Adviser: I have a number of ideas for you, but my first suggestion is to head to your nearest bookstore and buy a copy of the brand-new 1998 ϳԹ Family Vacations guide for just $3.95. The annual magazine is chock-full of creative suggestions for those mindful of sticking to a budget. You can also order it by sending a $6.50 check to ϳԹ, 400 Market St., Santa Fe, NM 87501. While you wait, here are a few suggestions: Hawaii: If you’re willing to stay across the street from the beach, you can book a condo at the Maui Park Resort for as low as $2,837 through Pleasant Holidays (800-242-9244). Staying right on the beach will raise the price to $4,073, but the price includes airfare from San Francisco or L.A., a rental car, tennis, pool, sauna, and fabulous snorkeling. Costa Rica: Though this is a cruise, you can forget about black-tie dinners and sequined gowns. This seven-night round-trip cruise starts in Puntarenas on the Pacific coast, and includes such non-cruise events as eating dinner on the beach after a day of snorkeling, and watching white-faced capuchin monkeys at Curu National Wildlife Refuge. Sea kayaking, nature St John: Next on my own personal travel list is in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Though it may be hurricane season, you can’t find a less expensive, more aesthetically pleasing way to stay in the Caribbean. You’ll bunk in a 16×16 tent on a |
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