I know there must be others out there researching exotic beach honeymoons!
About us - we are traveling from NYC, we have 9 days to spend total (2 for travel, 7 in country), and we would like nice beaches to relax on paired with some fun activities. We can eat where the locals do and we also enjoy fine dining. We would like a nice private villa that has an ocean view, and a Jacuzzi or private pool en suite, two sinks in the bathroom, and a four poster bed with an airy gauze canopy (one can dream here!). We want great service, but not at the Four Seasons' price.
Our budget is $5-6k all in. We would like to spend around or under $300 a night for our room in a nice villa. flights to all of these places are around $1000 (including transfers). that leaves food/drink/activities around $150 a day.
I've narrowed it down to the following locations that seen to fit the bill:
- Koh Samui Thailand - affordable once there, some culture, nice beach, activities, good food, easy flight to Bangkok
- Bali - culture, art, great rain forests, ok beaches, affordable once there, can be crowded/touristy
- Maldives - gorgeous secluded beaches, not much to do, resort food, lots of all inclusive options
- Philippines, El Nido or Boracay - beautiful beaches, culture, less crowded, affordable
I've excluded the following based on expensive flight pricing - Tahiti, Huahine, Seychelles, Fiji.
We are also considering Costa Rica, Mexico, and Caribbean, but we would prefer somewhere far away since we have the time. I've seen some great spots in Cambodia and Malaysia but I'm not too sure on these as they are not huge international tourist spots and we want to be comfortable.
Have any of you stayed in any of these locations? Any input for any of them pros/cons?
Any suggestions for specific resorts to stay at that fit the bill?
Am I missing any other amazing locations in the world??
Thanks!!