Not Your Typical All-Inclusive Resorts

Mention the words "all-inclusive resort" and generally one picture comes to mind: a large, overcrowded resort in the Caribbean with all-inclusive rates that cover your meals and drinks and some water activities like snorkel equipment and paddleboards.

The reality is that those types of all-inclusive resorts are not the only ones available in the world. We've put together some unique all-inclusive resorts that offer your basic all-inclusive amenities like food and drink but go a step further with unique and engaging activities included in the rate. Whether you want to go horseback riding through the snow or explore some of the most dynamic ecological systems in the world, we have you covered on the best not-so-typical all-inclusive resorts.

The Ranch at Rock Creek is a celebrity hideaway in Philipsburg, Montana, that offers guests a luxury Western vacation. As an all-inclusive resort, drinks are unlimited and three meals plus snacks are included, as is private round-trip transfers from the airport.

With entertainment in the Saloon and twice-daily guided activities that may include horseback riding, fishing, shooting sports, ski excursions, hiking and even photography classes (with all equipment included, too), it's easy to see why anyone would want to book a stay at here. If you can afford the $1,800 to $12,000 nightly rates, you may even rub elbows with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow or Vince Vaughan who have visited in the past.

Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa offers a stylish, eco-friendly boutique stay overlooking the Atacama Desert in Chile with all-inclusive rates. Travelers will receive a transfer to and from the airport as well as three meals a day and an open bar. Perhaps the best part about staying at Tierra Atacama is the two half-day excursions included in the rates, which allow visitors to explore the desert more fully through desert canyons on horseback, swimming in thermal hot springs, meeting Indigenous artists and hiking and biking through the otherworldly landscape.

Salmon Falls Fishing Resort is an all-inclusive paradise for fishing fanatics. Not only are airport transfers and meals and non-alcoholic drinks included, but the resort handles all of the fishing aspects of your trip, too. Your fishing equipment, bait, gear and fishing processing-the cleaning, freezing and packing-is wrapped up in the cost of a stay. For those in your family who don't love to fish, that's no problem, as Salmon Falls Fishing Resort offers kayaks, deck games like Jenga and hiking opportunities in the area, too.

How many all-inclusive resorts do you know are five-star properties and eco-friendly? Not many, but Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort can claim it was one of the firsts. Guests at this property will stay in one of the 25 luxurious bures, or Fijian huts, and enjoy all-inclusive Fijian and South Pacific meals. The all-inclusive activities offered often have an eco-friendly or ethical angle such as engaging with local Fiji elders through storytelling sessions or to take a medicine walk or exploring the mangroves via an eco-tour. The resort also has larger all-inclusive amenities like sailing and glass bottom boat trips.

Ski getaways can be pricey and often require that you make multiple bookings for your rooms, your lift tickets and even your boot check. That's not the case at Ski Portillo. Their all-inclusive rates cover your hotel room, three meals per day plus tea, free access to the pool, gym and movie theater, a nursery for children and, best of all, unlimited access to the ski lifts and free ski and boot check. All drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), ski lessons and rental equipment are not included in the rates, but Ski Portillo is still worth a stay when you think about the savings you'll have skiing unlimited during your four- to eight-day stay.

An African safari with all-inclusive rates can be yours at &Beyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp. In addition to accommodation in one of their nine glamping-style tents, the rate covers three meals daily as well as drinks and some alcoholic beverages. Everything from laundry to emergency medical evacuation insurance and transfer to and from the lodge airstrip is covered. More importantly, the daily safari activities, which may include game drives, bush walks and endless opportunities for wildlife viewing, are part of the all-inclusive rate.