Hi world travelers!

My husband and I (Americans) have not traveled nearly as much as we’d like (we’ve never left North America), but that’s about to change. We plan to vacation in a new, interesting place each year, and Real Vacation #1 is scheduled for the second week of April!

We would like to venture somewhere new, but not too, too far. My husband has some flight anxiety and has not taken any long flights, so he’d like to build up his tolerance slowly. (He’d like to experience a ~6–10-hour flight before going all the way across the globe.)

We have already looked into many places that fit our specifications, but without biasing you, we’d like to know what you might suggest, based on what we’re looking for:

- Not in North America. We want to try somewhere new. Central America is acceptable.
– Not a Caribbean island. We want somewhere more interesting than a place with a bunch of American tourists on a nice beach. I’ve already been to a bunch of Caribbean islands anyway.
– Must have a great beach, though. We’re only interested in coastal locations for this vacation.
– Less than 10 hours of total flying time from North Carolina.
– Interesting culture different than that of the US. We’re not planning to do a lot of “touristy” stuff. We would rather interact with the people and experience the local culture.
– Good food and alcohol and easy access to both!
– Great beach weather in April.

So suggest away! Name the place, and tell us why the beaches, culture, and food are unforgettable.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions! If we end up choosing a place you suggest, I will be happy to send you photos after our trip!

Topics: food, restaurants, travel, Europe, vacation, trips, South America, alcohol, hotels, Central America, culture, suggestions, locations, beaches, islands, destinations