Not well traveled!

[Deleted User] · November 2012

We are getting married next September and want to honeymoon between then and mid October (we don't care if we go right after our wedding, as long as we have a plan) All we know is we want someplace that's hot, near water, that we can afford to eat/play after hotel and air are paid for. With September being hurricane season in so many places, obviously we want to avoid that. We both have passports but also haven't seen a whole lot of the U.S. so any place that we can lie around in the sun and then jump in the ocean, lake or even pool would be great. It doesn't need to be all inclusive or a typical honeymoon place but of course, it can be.
This seems like something that I should be able to google but there are so many choices and all of them say they're the best. Thanks for ideas!

thurmanpowell · November 2012

I second mexico.

MoonlightSilver · November 2012

Have you checked out TripAdvisor.com? Seeing actual reviews might help you pick.

We went to the Valentin Imperial Maya outside of Cancun, Mexico and had a blast. There is a wonderful family of parks nearby- Xcaret, a cultural park, Xel-Ha, an inlet with swimming, snorkling, animals and more, and Xplor, an adventure park with ziplining, cave swimming and kayaking and ATV driving.

alithebride · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_not-well-traveled?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:7668cb2c-88c0-405e-8109-7a4538e208e0Post:3e5a8eb0-7277-431c-9fc1-6944fb1686c3">Not well traveled!</a>:
[QUOTE]We are getting married next September and want to honeymoon between then and mid October (we don't care if we go right after our wedding, as long as we have a plan) All we know is we want someplace that's hot, near water, that we can afford to eat/play after hotel and air are paid for. With September being hurricane season in so many places, obviously we want to avoid that. We both have passports but also haven't seen a whole lot of the U.S. so any place that we can lie around in the sun and then jump in the ocean, lake or even pool would be great. It doesn't need to be all inclusive or a typical honeymoon place but of course, it can be. This seems like something that I should be able to google but there are so many choices and all of them say they're the best. Thanks for ideas!
Posted by mauraacro[/QUOTE]

well if you want to avoid hurricanes then central america, bermuda, hawaii, the caribbean and south us is out as all of those place have hurricane season then. or you can purchase trip insurance just in case you have to cancel.
someplace 'hot' in sept and oct (assuming you dont want to go to north africa, asia or southern europe) wil be the areas that have hurricane season then. there are places that are hit less often-aruba, bonaire and curacao for example. not guaranteed of course, but it's much less likely.
what's your budget?

jemmini6 · November 2012

Mexico is a good option, but depending on your budget and since you are on the West coast, you should also look into Hawaii. September/October is one of the cheapest times of year to go, so you may end up getting cheaper flights to Hawaii than you could get to Mexico (coming from Phoenix, we've gotten flights cheaper to Hawaii a few times than we did to Cabo for our HM).

t12ubeauty · November 2012

You are correct in that with it being PEAK hurricane season, it is always a risk. Mexico is always nice and probably one of the most affordable as far as beach destinations go. They have wonderful all-inclusive packages.

You could try the Pacific side of Mexico, which is less affected by hurricanes. I went to Puerto Vallarta a few years ago and loved it. I got an all-inclusive pacakge and stayed at the Villa Premiere. It's a 4 star resort, and you have to be 16 and up to stay there... so no kids!! The food was so good! Service was excellent, and location was good. The beach was a little rocky, but still nice. I think I paid $475 for 4 nights including flight! (granted that was a few years ago) One of the best vacations ever. There's also Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan on that side which I have not been to but have heard good things about.

B2Z728 · November 2012

If you'd like to go the caribbean and be below the hurricane belt, I recommend Aruba. The weather is perfect in Aruba year round. We went there on our honeymoon in August and stayed at Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort. It's one of the more pricier resorts on the island, but there are many resorts to chose from in a different range of prices. We chose that resort in particular because it's the only adult-only resort. It's in the low rise section of hotels and is more of a boutique style hotel. You will never feel like the resort is too crowded.

If you chose Aruba, I advise you to not stay at all inclusive hotel. There are so many great places to eat on the island. Traveling around is safe and easy. There are taxi available everywhere or you can rent a car for a day or for the week. You can easily relax all week and do nothing if you desire, or there are many different attractions and touristy things to do. I recommend going on off road jeep tour. It was a lot of fun!

[Deleted User] · November 2012

It sounds like I'm going to look more into Aruba and Mexico! And trip advisor is a great idea now that I can narrow thins down. We don't really have a bugdet but we are inherently cheap and don't want to spend more than $2000. That hurt me to type, we really don't want to spend that much but that's how much we can save for.
Thanks for the hurricane info, I know it's dumb of me not to know which areas get hit most often and when.

anssett · November 2012

I am also a West Coaster & have been to Hawaii & Cabo. Both are pretty close, fabulous, and should offer what you want. There are other good options. I LOVE Trip Advisor & highly recommend it. I'm not sure 2K will get you the vision honeymoon you're imagining with flights, hotels, food, activities, etc. Try to get realistic estimates for those things (using sights like Trip Advisor, Orbitz, Kayak, etc) and put it all on paper. Don't forget incidentals (that crazy expensive taxi ride because we got stuck on the wrong side of the island, or that sunset dinner you didn't plan on but shouldn't miss). Also, are there clothes/items you'll need that you don't own? That gets budgeted in too. That'll help you narrow down where you can afford to fly to for the budget you're willing to spend.

Traveling to exotic places when you feel like you haven't had those opportunities is SO much fun. I know spending money is excruciating, but try to not limit your budget so much you skip all the fun stuff while you're there. If it means a shorter trip or staying closer to home I'd consider that.

dazyabbey · November 2012

$2k might be able to get you a nice resort in Mexico but you will probably have to have a bit of spending money. This far out it would be hard to price flights but you can always try.

When we booked our trip to Mexico we did all the pricing with AllInclusiveOutlet.com and then ended up going to a travel agent who beat the price on there. It was great because they price using your location and specific airports and dates. Not just a "Mexico $399" and you find out from your city on your dates it is really $999.

Sue-n-Kevin · November 2012

We took a driving vacation down the coast of California last September for our honeymoon. We ended up in the San Diego/Coronado Bay area the end of September and it was warm, nice, and no hurricanes.

Your budget would work well in that area, and if you can spring for it, the nicer hotels are the Loew's Coronado Bay or Hotel del Coronado. Silver Strand beach there was voted one of the best, plus San Diego (across the bridge) has history a lively downtown.

B2Z728 · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_not-well-traveled?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:7668cb2c-88c0-405e-8109-7a4538e208e0Post:9a0ab758-03f7-4529-9f64-dd75453813cd">Re: Not well traveled!</a>:
[QUOTE]It sounds like I'm going to look more into Aruba and Mexico! And trip advisor is a great idea now that I can narrow thins down. We don't really have a bugdet but we are inherently cheap and don't want to spend more than $2000. That hurt me to type, we really don't want to spend that much but that's how much we can save for. Thanks for the hurricane info, I know it's dumb of me not to know which areas get hit most often and when.
Posted by mauraacro[/QUOTE]

<div>I'm not 100% positive you'll be able to find something in Aruba within this budget. A lot will depend on when you travel there. The low season, when it will be most affordable, is mid-April to mid-December. Definitely do some research on the island because you may be able to find a deal. </div><div>
</div><div>See this article for more about low vs. high season:</div><div><a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/caribbean-and-bermuda/aruba/when-to-go.html" rel="nofollow">http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/caribbean-and-bermuda/aruba/when-to-go.html</a></div><div>
</div><div>One more thing to note, food is on the more expensive side in Aruba because almost everything on the island needs to be imported. Aruba is basically a dessert except for it's beautiful beaches and therefore has little agriculture other than cacti and aloe. So, if you find a hotel that is within your budget, make sure to give yourself a decent food allowance. I did plenty of research ahead of time and expected this. But I would imagine there is some sticker shock to many people who do not know this beforehand. </div><div>
</div><div>Good luck! PM me if you need anymore information about the island. </div>

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · December 2012

You can cruise to Baja California out of Los Angeles. They have 3, 4 and 7 day cruises.

Not well traveled!

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