Honeymoon Plans

Rebis58

Hey Ladies,

FI and I have done most of our big checks, just little details left to figure out. The one thing we have not dealt with at all yet is the honeymoon. We just can't seem to decide/agree on what to do. We will probably have a week to a week and a half travel time. We definitely want warm weather, and all-inclusive would be best for simplicity sake, but not required. Near a beach is a must, but we would also like to experience some culture and excitement if possible. My dream honeymoon has always been Fiji, but financially it might not be in the cards. FI wants Mexico, but I've been there twice already and would rather go somewhere new - I also have heard Mexico weather is not great in August (crazy hot, apparantly).

So I am hoping you can all share what you are doing/where you're going so I might be able to get some ideas! I know people have posted this before but thought if it is all in one post it might be easier than me searching through old threads. Feel free to share even if your honeymoon doesn't meet my description above - would love to hear different ideas

ginadog

We plan to do a big trip to Norway in a few years to serve as the honeymoon.  But right after the wedding, I think we're going to road trip it up to Glacier NP and Canada, maybe Banff.  LOL that's like anti-tropical!

What about St. Kitts, St. Lucia or the Caribbean?

AllyG303

What about somewhere in South or Central America?  Belize?  Costa Rica? 

Also, someone on the HM board posted about how affordable their Fiji HM was...it was within the past couple of days...maybe PM her?

littlemoments324

What about the Keys in FL? 

We haven't decided yet either...FI only has 9 days of vacation time, and 2-3 of those days will be travel time driving to & from FL...so, we haven't made any final plans yet...FI has never been to the UP (upper peninsula) in MI, so we're thinking a day 2 day trip up there..come back to pick Clyde up from my parent's...then head back down to FL and probably come home...Still figuring that out...We would love to go to the Keys!!  but that is an additional 8-10 hour drive from where we are in FL.

Elinetrouwt

No tropics here either, we'll go to the pacific northwest.

penny12986

We are doing 3 days in Charleston, SC, 3 days in Savannah, GA and 3 days at Disneyworld in October. We wanted to have some time to relax after the wedding, avoid potential hurricanes and hopefully the heat will die down by then. There are many options like Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic or a cruise that are affordable and fun.

Madisonpenny

We are probably not going on a HM.  If we do, and it's a big IF it will be the following January since we both want the hot weather and there's no point in going somewhere when it's already hot at home.
We'll probably do a cruise, mainly because I can't stand sitting on a beach for more than 1hour, and they always have something going on.

elizabethmae315

We are doing a couple days in chicago following the wedding, and then heading to Jamaica in January when we'll have more vacation time, and going somewhere warm will be beneficial (since we live in MI). If you don't know where you want to go, taking a little trip first and a big one later might be a good idea!

BrightFirefly

We're undecided. FI will have enough time to take the week off - and I'm in school and currently unemployed - so we have the TIME to do something. It's the money.

We've tossed around Gatlinburg/Smokey Mountains - but we went there last year for vacation - so not really in the mood to repeat.

I'm dying to see San Fransisco or New Orleans - both are on my "see before I die" list - so those are both open..though we would definitely have to fly for San Fran.

The one place we could both agree on was Austrailia - but way out of our current budget.

We both agree no resorts type places though. If we go to say - Mexico - we want to stay in "real Mexico" and not spend our time on a resort. But that's just our style.

MandiNoel

Not sure how helpful I can be. We're not tropical people at all. We like the beach for like two days but then we're tired of it. We're much more of museum and history nerds. Therefore, we're going to Paris.

I do have a friend that went to P*nta Cana, though. She said it was beautiful and peaceful and very affordable.

MeaganR12

We're going to Kauai, HI. I really wanted Tahiti or Bora Bora but my FI is terrified of flying and Hawaii is a much shorter, not to mention cheaper flight. 

I don't know if you've tried cruising but I think it's a good compromise as far as destinations go since you get to go to more than one. And while drinks aren't included, all your food is which is nice. 

Firefly- weather is pretty foggy/cold here in July. September-November is the best time to visit SF IMO. Still a GREAT honeymoon destination choice!

BrightFirefly

Meagan,

Cold..like...50's or cold like 30's?

michelle11988

We are going to Hawaii and doing Oahu, Kauai, and Maui for 11 days in total.  Not sure if that's at all in your budget but could be a possibility.

bridetobe71412

I've been to a bunch of places in the Caribbean and I loved Barbados the best. Have you ever been? It's gorgeous and there is a ton to do. Plus, it's a bit different than Mexico? Just a thought. I like Turks & Caicos second best. Aruba is nice too.

As for our HM, we're going to Mauritius for 6 days and then doing a South African safari for the other 5 days, with one day of travelling in the middle. It's going to suck travelling there but it'll be worth it when we get there. Although Mauritius is definitely a beach destination, South Africa isn't (at least in their "winter" which is when we'll be there - probably temps around 60-70s during the day.) It's definitely different, but the flights may be prohibitive, depending on how much you're looking to spend.

GL!

milanjayla

We are doing a week in Antigua and staying at Sandals. Its going to be Carnival while we are there which was really the deciding factor for us.

BeachLover2885

After a lot of debating, we finally decided on Turks and Caicos. We considered Tahiti (too expensive) St Lucia, Barbados, and Curacao but decided on TCI because of the beach. We went to Hawaii last summer and had a great time. Its more affordable than Fiji. We went to Maui, Big Island and Kauai.

chels31691

This has been helpful for me, as well!  My FI and I are still undecided about a honeymoon location.  Initially, he wanted to go on a cruise, but I've never even seen the ocean before, and I wanted to ease myself into it rather than jump onboard a boat and head out into open water.  We're currently looking at Florida, but I want something a little more low key than Miami, Orlando, or Ft. Lauterdale like he's suggesting.  The Keys or maybe Pensacola are my picks so far, but we'll see.

BmoreBride311

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_honeymoon-plans?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:5552a75e-c62c-419e-8ed1-14cab5e0617aPost:5d42e1f5-2aa4-4d85-915c-ed3863dccca6">Re: Honeymoon Plans</a>:
[QUOTE]Firefly- weather is pretty foggy/cold here in July. <strong>September-November is the best time to visit SF IMO. Still a GREAT honeymoon destination choice!
</strong>Posted by MeaganR12[/QUOTE]

We're going to San Fran. I know it's not the best time of year for it, but I think it can't be any worse weather than London. We're trying to find hotels or bed & breakfasts now and get things worked out. We know we are going to Napa at least one night, b/c FI's brother already gave us a gift certificate for a Michelin star restaurant out there. We're definitely going more for the food and wine than the weather!

LADY324

We are going to Aruba for 10 days.  I heard that it is more of an americanized island so I dont know how much culture you will find there but I all I know is it is safe, has great food and is on the beach  

bookworm78

We are going to Costa Rica for 2 weeks. The airfare is what is going to be the most expensive part. We plan on spending time both in the rainforest regions and the coast. You can get really good deals on places to stay as long as you stay off the beaten path and away from regular hotels. 

bells24412

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_honeymoon-plans?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:5552a75e-c62c-419e-8ed1-14cab5e0617aPost:0b44d7fa-0112-41d3-96fc-0e68bea978b6">Re: Honeymoon Plans</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Honeymoon Plans :<strong> I'm actually from South Africa (grew up in Canada), and all of my extended family still lives there.</strong> I've done quite a few safaris and LOVE visiting South Africa, always feels a bit like coming home, even though I spent so little of my life there. I definitely want to do this trip with FI but probably not for our honeymoon. If we go I would definitely want to spend more time than we have, because it's hard to fly all the way there and then not see my family while we're in the same country. I hope you have a blast though! Have you ever been on safari? There is nothing in the world like seeing an elephant walking by you, or a lion lazing in the sun, out in the open in their natural habitat. Amazing.
Posted by Rebis58[/QUOTE]

Oh cool is that! My mom is from Mocambique which is not far from there! She and my Dad always talk about how much they loved living there before they came to the US.

mekiakoo

Mexico is insane in the summer. We went there in June and I was DYING from the heat!!!!

We are going to Maine for 9 days and travelling around the state, staying at B&B, going on moose safaris. Excited!

Amanda1443994

We're going to St. Lucia for 8 days and then Hilton Head Island, SC for 5 days.

MeaganR12

Firefly- haha 50s-60s, definitely not 30s. Most people are just really surprised by that in July. But like I said, it's still a great honeymoon destination.