Honeymoon Discussions

Where would you suggest an ideal honeymoon?

My fiance and I are starting to brainstorm places we'd like to book for our honeymoon but neither of us have any overseas travel experience.  We're going to work with a travel agent, but is there anywhere/any resort you would highly recommend? Of course we're trying to keep the price down as much as possible and we'd love to go somewhere warm/tropical with new culture and less "touristy" (so not Hawaii, for example) and somewhere "close enough" that we can comfortably go to for 7 days (Australia, Thailand, etc. are too far). Thanks in advance for the help!
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Re: Where would you suggest an ideal honeymoon?

  • Any where in the Caribbean would fit the bill. There are so many resorts though that I would wait until you talk to an agent. But I reccomend Mexico for affordablity, but if you have more money to spend, my dream location would have been St. Lucia.
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  • Eden Rock and Hotel Isle de France on St. Bart's are probably my two favorite places in the world. Both are stunning.
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  • I think all places can be touristy - it's how you choose to see them that makes them less touristy. When I'm on the Hawaiian islands, I try to stay as far away as possible from the tourist hot spots. If I go out with tour groups, I try to make sure they're more eco minded. I've done several hikes on Maui where I haven't seen another person the entire time. I think it's about purposely seeking out adventure that'll help steer you away from the hoards.

    Does the south of France have too far a travel time?
  • I'm thinking a cruise to the Caribbean (east/west/south, west seems most economically priced) is an ideal honeymoon.  You have calmer (or as busy as desired) together time at sea and then still get adventurous when you land a new island/place.  You can wander off the beaten path when you land, every place is going to have both it's touristy and local spots. 
  • it really depends on the types of things you want to do on your HM.  BF and I always use tripadvisor to plan our vacations and the last time, we used the 'browse by destination' map on the right to pick a place.  we knew we wanted to go to the caribbean, but didn't know what island, etc.  so you can choose a destination and they narrow your search by activities you plan to do (ie. adventure, beaches, shopping, etc). 
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  • New Zealand is amazing, and fewer people go there.  On the other hand it is really far.  It would be my ideal choice.  hope that helps.
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  • Anywhere around the Mediterranean would probably be doable- Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Morocco, Portugal, Jordan, France.
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  • french riveria. you can probably do it for $5,000
    if you wany something a lot cheaper

    try Ochos Rios in Puerto Vallerta.
    Google it, youll be amazed- its built into the side of a cliff

    Stay away from cruises. its the least romantic vacation you can take.
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  • ST. Lucia was not that great.  The Sandals resort was Ok, but nothing amazing.  The food was fine, and the drinks were watered down...Our sliding glass door to the cottage wouldnt lock, which was not comforting since there was a pirate allert on the island.  ya, I didn't really feel safe. 

    Just my opinion though.  Im sure other people have different one!

    Good luck!
  • you could look into
    turks and caicos
    tortolla
    grand cayman islands
  • I think cruises have potential for being romantic, but it depends on your accomodations and what you choose to do with your time. We've had some where we were in the least expensive room and spent the night at shows and karaoke bars, and we've had some where we splurged for the balcony suite. Private dinners on the balcony at night, with the waves and often dolphins below.. In fact, that's how I got engaged. :) There are lots of things to do, but then you can always retreat to your own beautiful space for private time..
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  • Thanks for all of the suggestions! I checked out a few of the places so far and they're all gorgeous. It's going to be hard choosing just one place!
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  • I would suggest Grand Bahama Island - FI and I went there for a friend's wedding a few years ago, and it's beautiful. They got married in June and although there was some touristy element, it wasn't as bad as you would get in, say, Nassau/Paradise Island. It's a little more intimate, but still every bit as beautiful as the other islands.
    We stayed at Pelican Bay at Lucaya, which is this gorgeous little boutique hotel with impeccably manicured grounds and gardens, three pools, two restaurants, it's walking distance from the Lucaya Marketplace (culture!!!!), and a few steps away from a place where you can swim with dolphins (I forget the name though). If you book a suite, they deliver pastries to your room in the morning, too! I cannot say enough good things about this place! FI and I are actually considering going back for our honeymoon :-)
  • P. (the post wont let me write p u n t a) Cana... Dominican Republic.. my cake lady is from there and she was talking about it and it sounds wonderful!
  • I was also going to suggest the Dominican Republic.  What month are you traveling?  Cabarete has beautiful beaches, but some wind, and really fun bars & restaurants right on the water.  It is the kite sailing capital of the world.  The DR is very cultural and there are all sorts of things to do!  P (u n t a) Cana is the place to go if you want to lay on the beach all day---beautiful beaches!  We stayed at the Lifestyles Resort in Puerto Plata, which was amazing.  My FI and I are also trying to determine a honeymoon location, and if we hadn't already been to DR, we would go again in a heartbeat!
  • fi and i are doing a cruise in a few weeks as a vacation- we are going to the bahamas/eastern caribean. then we are thinking of going for our honeymoon- going to  Sandles in Jamaica- where his sister was married- and rick loved the scene there and said service is amazing he says.
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  • Grand Bahama Island and DR both sound amazing! We're definitely looking for the place where we can spend all day on the beach if we want to or do more adventurous things like snorkeling/swimming with dolphins and so on. So they sound perfect! Our wedding date's Oct. 1st so we'd probably be going sometime the first week of October which I think would be ideal in those areas too?
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  • I agree with everyone that said the Bahamas.  I'd choose a resort and fly into it, not a cruise.  I loved the Turks and Cacos.  If you want to do Mexico, I had an awesome week on Club Med Cozumel.
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  • edited July 2010

    Glad you gave us time frame of the honeymoon as that really narrows it down.  Europe is definitely out since you have your heart set on a beach.  Hawaii and the Caribbean/Mexico are your best options unless you wanted to try something a little more adventurous like Central or South America.  If money is no option then Tahiti or Fiji would be great that time of year.

    I do travel planning on the side and have booked honeymoons all over the Caribbean.  It really depends on your budget first and foremost.  More affordable places like Mexico and Dominican Republic have some great all-inclusives where you will be very happy.  If you are looking for something a little different, St Lucia with the Pitons is a gorgeous volcanic island.  Its on the higher end as well as Antigua and Barbados although all three would be my choices for a Caribbean honeymoon. (St. Barths would be the absolutel first, but is extremely pricey).   Research each island as they are all unique.  Also keep in mind which part of the country you are flying from.  Someone from New York can get to the eastern Caribbean much cheaper than someone from California.  But west coast folks have better deals to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and of course Hawaii.  As for resorts, if you want an all-inclusive, Sandals is one of my personal favorites becuae of the array of room choices.  Some of their suites are out of this world!   Zoetry (same company as Secrets and Dreams resorts) is another favorite as well especially if you like spa treatments.  For something a little more private/luxurious without being too pricey (and stuffy) check out Royal Plantation resorts.  There is one in Ocho Rios and another on a private island in the Exumas (Bahamas).

    Lots of luck and let us know where you choose!!!!

    "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
  • We are doing a few days in Venice and then a southern Italy wine tour. Obviously not what you are looking for though! As for the caribbean, we have been to St. Maarten, St. John and St. Lucia. They are all gorgeous but St. Lucia was the most romantic (that's where we got engaged!) We stayed at an all inclusive, Sandals Halcyon.  We also visited the other Sandals but I think this was the best choice for us since it was quieter and less crowded but you can still go to the others and they are included! Good Luck!
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