Ready. Set. Travel! Spend Black Friday making your ultimate wanderlust dreams come true

We. Were. Robbed. Due to the pandemic, many of us cancelled celebratory trips and bucket-list vacations this year, and we’re all dreaming of making up for lost time next year. Truth is, early 2021 will likely mean staying close to home and domestic travel, and hopefully – things have to get better, right? – more trips abroad by summer or fall.

So, instead of splurging on a TV or the latest gadget this Black Friday or Cyber Monday, jump on the internets to scoop up a solid travel deal. Some places are slashing prices by up to 50%! Below, some of the best deals around Florida and beyond.

Kick-it in the Florida Keys. Snag up to 50% off at the new Barbary Beach House Key West during its 72-hour Flash Sale, which kicks off at midnight on Nov. 26 and ends on Nov. 30. A dreamy vacation there means a lagoon-style pool with private cabanas, a beach club with gratis non-motorized watersports, and a complimentary shuttle to Duval Street. Extra bonus: most rooms are spacious suites, and they allow pets. Valid through Sept. 30, 2021.

Mingle with manatees. This is one of my favorite winter adventures in Florida: swimming with adorable manatees in the natural springs of Crystal River (a 4.5-hour drive from Miami). Guests of Plantation on Crystal River, a 50-year-old resort that resembles a grand home, will receive $60 off their popular “Swim with the Manatees” package. Starting at just $255 for two guests, the package includes one night in a garden view room, a manatee snorkeling tour for two and breakfast for two during January 2021. Book between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Stay and play. If you want to stay close to home and live the beach life, the Shelborne South Beach is slashing rates up to 50% and offering up to $50 in food and beverage credits for travel through Sept. 2021. You can book this deal through Dec. 7, 2020. Snag 40% off best available rates at newly renovated Cardozo South Beach, an Art Deco gem on Ocean Drive that’s owned by the Estefans. The sale ends on Nov. 30 and applies to stays through March 31, 2021. (They’re also offering the same deal at their other property Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach. I love this laidback oceanfront hotel because it’s dog-friendly and offers a great firepit meant for sipping drinks at night.)

If you’re looking beyond the beach, treat yourself to a posh getaway at the Mandarin Oriental Miami on secluded Brickell Key. Book Black Friday through Cyber Monday for 20% of the best available rate for stays through March 31, 2021. Dinner at La Mar and those unmatched bay views are calling.

Under-the-radar gem? Consider the 22-room Copper Door B&B which is offering a 6-night stay for as little as $600. Hoteliers Jamila Ross and Akino West conceived this Overtown property, with rooms furnished with antique pieces and an on-site restaurant known for Southern-style brunch, for those looking for cultural immersion. This deal is redeemable from Dec. 1 until Aug. 31, 2021 – use the promo code Week2020.

Domestic deals. If Georgia is on your mind, head to Barnsley Resort, a sprawling property with a 55-room Inn situated on 3,000-acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You’ll never get bored with activities like horseback riding, archery, shooting clays, golf, hiking and plenty of on-site dining and bourbon tastings. Book through Cyber Monday for 25% off the best available rates for travel through April 1, 2021.

My alarm is set for this showstopper: Indulge recently featured a five-star stay at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, and the sprawling resort is having their biggest sale of the year, offering up to 50% off using the code CYBER2020. Spa treatments and wine tastings, anyone?

Speaking of vino, the first place on my escape list for 2021 is wine country. (Haven’t we all had enough Zoom wine dates?) One of the best Back Friday deals that I found in Napa Valley: 30% off 3-nights at beautiful The Setting Inn, a boutique property surrounded by vineyards and boasting amenities like breakfast delivered by decadent Bouchon Bakery. If you book a cottage, you’ll receive $100 credit at Italian darling Bottega Napa Valley and $100 transportation credit with Beau Wine Tours. Travel through March 31, 2021.

Further abroad. We’ve seen your Instagram snaps from Mexico retreats – and for something completely different from Tulum or Cancun – make a reservation at Acre Resort in Cabo, a 25-acre lush resort boasting 11 open-air treehouses and an outdoor farm-to-table restaurant. The resort is offering a “Pay 2 Stay 3” special that can be booked from Black Friday through Dec. 1 and is valid for travel through Oct. 2021. The deal includes 3 nights in a treehouse, roundtrip airport transports, a mezcal tasting and more. You must book directly via email at treehousereservations@acrebaja.com and reference “AcreBlackFriday2020.”

If dipping in the azure waters of the Caribbean is your future reward for surviving 2020, book three nights at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino to receive 30% off the best available rate, or book four nights or more to receive 35% off the best available rate. You can sip cocktails in a private cabana in the adults-only pool, swim in the turquoise ocean and have a toes-in-the-sand dinner. Valid for stays through Oct. 31, 2021. Use code L9Z from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.

The epic trips. Tanzania has been open to U.S. travelers since May (reporting around 500 cases of Covid-19 total), so if you’re looking to book that bucket-list safari, now is the time. Travelers can take advantage of up to 44% savings on Nomad’s World Heritage Safari which starts at $5,459 per person with the Black Friday deal. This 8-night trip includes a knowledgeable guide who’ll lead you on drives and walks to hopefully spot the Big Five as well as a rich diversity of wildlife. This deal must be booked by Dec. 4 for travel between Dec. 21, 2020 and March 15, 2021. Check out the deal here.

If you’re dreaming of a time when we can jet-set to Italy again, scoop up 40% off the best available rates at Il Salviatino in Fiesole, Italy for travel through May 13, 2021. Located near Florence, this luxe, 15th-century villa with an elegant history impresses with extensive grounds, a spa and beautiful boudoirs. The biggest perks are no blackout dates, and should plans change, dates can be moved at no cost through March 31, 2021. Book by November 30, either on their website or email reservations@salviatino.com.

Here’s to traveling more – for less – in 2021.

This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 9:44 AM.