thinking honeymoon...

martiac225

and I don't know where to begin.

We will be going in April and want to go somewhere out of the country (not Mexico - somewhere new to us) We want to do all inclusive and are thinking maybe Jamiaca or St. Thomas or anywhere with a beach   Any ideas or suggestions, where do I start, do travel agents even exist anymore with Expedia and Travelocity, etc??

TIA!
Angie

KateJ10

I went to Aruba the end of March with a few friends and we stayed at the Tamarijn. It is an all inclusive, low-key resort, and every room faces the ocean, and is maybe 50 yards away from the ocean.  Anyways, Aruba is amazing, the Tam was great, and we did get a great deal. If you are wanting an actual travel agent I can't help, but we used www. cheapcarribean.com and it was super easy. Just a thought, especially if you wanted to save some money- some people want to splurge and others don't have much money left over after paying for the wedding!!:)

hkiesling

We just got back from Australia and New Zealand.  I can't recommend them enough.  However, for any trip-planning, I always use www.tripadvisor.com. You can read reviews from other travellors and get lists of popular activities and places to eat.

I Want Cake

Have you considered a cruise?  There would be lots of different beaches and everything on the ship is usually included in your package.  I'm considering it for ours, but it depends entirely how much we get in gifts at the wedding.

kristigiles

We went to Cabo, Mexico and used Travelocity.com.  For a suggestion in Jamaica, our good friends went to Couples Swept Away in Negril.  They loved it and said that it is exactly like Sandals but a little less expensive.  Good luck!

tpender13

I wouldn't necessarily recommend a cruise if you want a beach. I've been on two in the Carribbean, and you have to travel away from where the ships dock to get to a beach.

That being said, the one we went on this past Feb had a stop in Tortola. FI and I and another couple took a cab to a beach on the other side of the island. The cab driver tried to convince us to go somewhere else, as the sea was rough on that part of the island that part of the year. We didn't care about swimming, just playing in the water a little. That was the best part of the whole trip, because the beach was COMPLETELY empty, and so gorgeous! It was at a resort too, that had this outdoor bar, so we were able to get drinks.

If you're actually interested, I could track down the name of the resort for you.

dcprep

I spent hours upon hours on travelocity.com researching different honeymoon locations, and then looking at specific accommodations. We ended up settling on Turks & Caicos. (Leaving three months from today!!!) It's among the more expensive places in the Bahamas/Carribbean, but we wanted something nice for our honeymoon.

If you're on a budget, check out Dreams La Romana (Dominican Republic). The reviews seem pretty good, and it's much more affordable than some of the other islands. I think DH and I are going to do a couple's trip there with some other married friends next winter.

Bimbi284

Costa Rica is beautiful! As is my motherland, Puerto Rico!

martiac225

Thanks for all of the suggestions.  I just had an offer to use a co-worker's time share in Hawaii or Aruba and while it sounds wonderful (and way affordable) I kind of want the Sandals type of thing, all inclusive, meals, drinks, entertainment, room clean-up...is that dumb?  I don't think we want to do a cruise, that has never really applealed to me or FI.  I just want a beautiful beach and to not have to do any work

shan87

I've hard lots of goods things about Costa Rica. Beautiful Beaches and awesome Jungle.

The only reason I would/have used a travel agent in the past was for cruises. Its easier for them to figure out your flights and FI and I were meeting at the Port City.

I think if you do an all inclusive resort there shouldn't be a need for a travel agent. Once you pick the resort I think their Staff can help you set up activities.

HTH

olivehim

FI and I are looking into Aruba for May 2011.  I've also spent hours researching for beach-type HM's that are adults only (and preferrably couples only).  I have my eye on Bucuti Beach resort.  It's not all inclusive but it looks very quiet, secluded, and is on what was voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I've been to 2 Couples resorts in Jamaica and, if I hadn't already been there, would be going there for our HM in a heartbeat.  Couples Swept Away is one I haven't been to, but is rated the best (all Couples resorts are very well reviewed, you can't go wrong!).
I've been working with a travel agent recommened to my by someone here and the rates she quoted were quite good (but have now gone up since I haven't booked yet...grrr!).  Here's the link:
http://www.myislandgetaways.com/
Good luck, have fun, and whatever you do, get insurance!

veijes

We wanted to go to a Sandals as well. We are going to St. Lucia in a month (doing a late honeymoon). Half of our trip will be at Stonefield, we will have our own private villa, outdoor shower, private pool, hammock overlooking the ocean, etc. This resort is about 60% cheaper than a Sandals BASE room and there are only 17 villas in the whole resort so it's very secluded. Then we are going to Sandals for the other half of our honeymoon, we like the all inclusive aspect of it and all the activities that are included. I can let you know how it goes when we get back!

www.tripadvisor.com was a great resource for reviews. We booked both of our rooms through the actual resorts.

Here are the websites:
http://www.stonefieldvillas.com/
http://www.sandals.com/main/grande/gl-home.cfm