All Inclusives

Depends where you go, how many people and if you drink alcohol. Self catering will generally be the cheapest to buy in your food and cook yourself. You are restricted to just your resort if you go all inclusive but it can be cost effective

Never done it myself but friends tell me that generally the drinks are unbranded versions of the real thing, and it depends on your idea of 'real food', they were disappointed that the children were only offered kids meals not the local cuisine. The kids were very well entertained though. It's the same story, you can go up or down market to suit your budget but generally you get what you pay for.

The big problem with all inclusives if you're going for a week or more is that it gets boring eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same hotel restaurant(s) and stops you from eating outside the hotel.

A better and generally cheaper alternative in my view is to book your flights yourself, and book a hotel package deal from places like Luxury Escapes, Secret Escapes etc. Basically they package up a room , a few free meals, a few free drinks and an airport transfer or two. That way you get to eat in the hotel and outside. The thing to check and be wary about is whether or not other restaurants and bars are within easy walking distance of your hotel.

Depends where you are going and what you want for a holiday. If you want to just relax and not worry about anything, without factoring any additional costs and all that, all-inclusives allow you to do just that. However, if you want to experience the country and culture at its best, it's always nice to venture out and try the local cuisine, whether that be in a restaurant or a shack. The latter is usually cheaper, but if you have higher standards, all-ins will be the better option

If you are not fussy eaters and will try most things, like a drink and especially if you have kids I would say they are well worth it . I've been to a couple where the food hasn't been top notch but I hadn't paid Ritz money either so as long as you don't mind sometimes just having a plate of whatever you can put together they are great. Check out what people are saying about the hotel on TripAdvisor and look at the majority of people's comments not just on a couple of negative ones. I've read comments from people who have ripped the food but when I've got there it's been fine , as I say don't expect fine dinning if you've not paid for it. Also read what your inclusive package covers as they vary . I weigh up what the difference in price is between the options of all inclusive or not and decide if it's worth it . Have a great time