help!! can't find the "perfect" place

Akkar003

hi ladies -

we are getting married in september and are now desperately scrambling to try to find somewhere for our honeymoon. i found a few places i was in love with but they are already booked, so i'm super nervous we are out of luck

we are looking for somewhere in the caribbean, and are hoping to stay for 5-7 nights (although not sure if this is realistic). Our budget is $6,000 including airfare.

I would LOVE to have a room (or villa) that had it's own pool that is private. I've found a couple that have seperate pools but are open to the rest of the resort, which seems like a waste to me. 

Am I dreaming with our budget to get something like this? Any suggestions??

Thanks so much for your help!

cfdittrich

We're going to Jamaica for 6 nights for way less than $6000! We used http://www.honeymoonsinc.com/Caribbean_Honeymoon.aspx and everything has been great so far! We have an oceanfront view with a jacuzzi tub facing the water... it's not a pool, but it'll work for us. Try that website and see if you can find anything. Good luck!

FSForever

I am not sure how you feel about Mexico but we have stayed in some very nice places near a place called Akumal. You fly into Cancun and then hire a driver, or you can drive yourself the two hours south to this small fishing village. We always rent a condo or small house and many have little pools that open into garden areas but are right on the beach. A lot of them have local staff that come and clean or will even cook for you but basically leave you alone. Here is the site we usually book through. You could definately work this into your budget. Plus there are things you can venuture out to like the ruins, or Xelha, and Tulum. I should also say a lot of them are within walking distance to the town and there is a few bars, rest.and I think two dive shops. 

http://www.locogringo.com/dynamic/lodging.cfm

LuckyHeather

Have you thought about a cruise to the Caribbean?  For that budget, you could get a suite and see more than one destination.

scrpio421

We are doing Sandels Royal Carribean in Jamaica for about 4K with airfaire and it's all inclusive. We talked online to a sales person (Sandy) and she even upgraded us to this room that would have been triple what we  spent. We booked ours on Cyber Monday so we did get a huge discount, not sure if the price has gone way up.

Good luck!

Kimberly010205

Have you considered Mexico?  I'm not sure what the private pool rooms go for, I guess it depends where you stay, but we went to Riviera Maya and LOVED it.  The beaches are beautiful, and the resort was fabulous.  We stayed at El Dorado Royale- I know they have rooms with private pools but I'm not sure what the cost was.  We stayed in the most basic room, and still had our own jacuzzi in the bedroom, as well as a balcony that overlooked the resort.  We only went for 5 nights, and the cost was 1150 per person (including airfare).  I'm pretty positive you could stay for 9 nights or so and still be under your budget!  You truly get the most bang for your buck in Mexico!  At first I was iffy about Mexico and thought staying in the Caribbean would be so much nicer, but Mexico seriously exceeded my expectations..I would go back in a heartbeat!

TravelingJen

Have you looked at vrbo.com or homeaway.com? I have seen listings for villas and homes all over the Riviera Maya (Mexico).

Lisa50

Work with a travel agent.  Pick your top three "must haves" and be flexible about the rest.  A good travel agent will be able to work with you to find the perfect honeymoon.  Good luck!

Akkar003

Thanks for all your suggestions everyone! We will definitely consider all the options above

butterflyjumper1

Akkar - I sent you a PM happy to help if you have questions!

Chrispie33

Try "cooper island" - it can be a pain in the ass to get to but sounds PERFECT for you.

Google it - there's only one resort on the island - worth checking thier review on trip advisor too.

Another option would be Little Cayman - i used to work on the island and it's PERFECT for honeymooners as most people are in the water all day. try Southern Cross club or Pirates Point resort if you want something a bit more quirky.

lopezalonso

We are going to Thailand for 2 weeks and staying in all top-rated 5 star hotels for 5,700! This is not including the cost of food (breakfast is included). I am sure that if you cut it down to 8-10 days you could make it happen including food. The places are beautiful and I booked everything myself with the help of Agoda.com, Expedia.com, Vayama.com, and Tripadvisor.com. It was a lot of work but I think it will all be worth it. We are very excited.

hcb0474

If you're open to Mexico, try Excellence Playa Mujeres.  All of their rooms have jaccuzis and they have rooftop terrace suites with outdoor lounge beds, a private plunge pool, and outdoor shower!  They look amazing!!!  We are planning on going at the end of June/early July for 7 nights and it would be $4700 for the RTT with a spa/pool view, but almost $6000 if we did the RTT with ocean view. It should be cheaper in September. 
Check out their website http://www.excellence-resorts.com/

Check out trip advisor for pics http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1229340-d649432-Reviews-Excellence_Playa_Mujeres-Playa_Mujeres_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Good luck!

lopezalonso

FI and I going to Thailand for 2 weeks for 5,700 with all flights and 5 star hotels included. Our food is not included though, except for breakfast. I am sure that this trip could be all done under 6,000 if you spent less nights or picked other hotels that are still good but less pricey. Thailand has a lot of really well priced hotels. I planned the HM through Agoda.com (hotels), Expedia.com (international flights), Vayama.com (domestic flights - Bangkok to Krabi), and Tripadvisor.com (reviews).