Aruba or Hawaii in Sept??

julz030 · March 2012

Hey ladies, i have been hearing mixed reviews which is better for a honeymoon, Aruba or Hawaii. We are getting married in September?! Thanks!!

Jells2dot0 · March 2012

It depends on what you are looking for out of your trip, your budget, and how long you actually want to travel. You'll get more for your money in Aruba because of flight costs alone.

lopezalonso · March 2012

I agree with PP. If you want more bang for your buck and you want to relax more, go to Aruba. It is a teeny tiny island with beautiful beaches and all inclusive resorts. Hawaii is a bit more expensive (flight-wise and food-wise). I went to Hawaii some time ago and remember thinking, "Wow, THIS is paradise". I really liked it but that's my personal preference.

Beverly8 · March 2012

I am very pro Hawaii and its because that is where H and I honeymooned. We were married in January and we had the most amazing time in Hawaii. The entire place is beautiful. There is so much to do. We had an amazing time. If you have the money to go to Hawaii , I recommend it 100%

Lisa50 · March 2012

If you go to Aruba, I'd recommend the Bucuti Beach Resort & Tara Suites. It is a small, quiet resort (no kids!) with an amazingly attentive and gracious staff. It is in a section of Aruba with low-rise hotels and does not at all feel highly commercialized (we've stayed there 3 times).

I cannot give a personal recommendation for Hawaii, although it is on our wish list of places to go. If it's in the budget for you right now, go for it!

MrsKathyC · March 2012

Hawaii is beautiful but super expensive! The flights out there were astronomical as well. BUT, if you can afford it and want to spend all that time on a plane (or 2 or 3) it truly is a gorgeous place. We went to Maui this past January.

Summer2011Bride · March 2012

If you can afford it, do Hawaii. We HMed there and were in love with it! Paradise on earth in our opinion. It is gorgeous and there is never a shortage of anything to do. You could even island hop and see two islands while you are there. Like others have mentioned, it IS pricey. The flights are expensive, food there is expensive, etc. But there are ways to save on costs if you are on a budget.

You can rent a condo and cook your own meals some of the time. If you are a Costco member, they have some excellent vacation packages to Hawaii.You can take a non-direct flight (which is sometimes required anyway) which are generally always cheaper than direct ones. There are ways to save if you need to. I have never been to Aruba. but I would definitely do Hawaii. We are already so anxious to plan a return trip.

littlechilds · March 2012

I know for us here in Canada, its way more expensive to fly to Aruba then Hawaii. Our wedding is in Maui, and our flights were $700.

We love all the Hawaiian Islands, and would recommend there. Food and rooms are pricey though.

met16 · March 2012

My wedding was in early Sept. and just make sure you watch out for hurricane season. We worked witha travel agent-which I highly reccommend. She reccommended Aruba, Jamaica and Mexico. We ended up going with Jamaica- which was fabulous! I know you may not want to use a travel agent- but they will have more knowledge about certain locations during certain times of the year, in addition to first hand experiences about places you are interested in. AND they arrange everything for you- even down to your transportation to and from the airport.
Good luck!

Magdala9 · March 2012

We married on September 25, 2010 and flew to Hawaii two days later. We spent a week on the Big Island and a week on Maui. I can't begin to describe how fantastic it was. We adored the Big Island. We stayed at the Fairmont Orchid and drove all over the island, touring, hiking, going up to volcano park (even more gorgeous from the air). We had fantastic meals at the Hilo Bay Cafe, Thai Orchid, Sushi Rocks, and Tako Tako. We drove up to the observatory through the clouds. Watch out for invisible cows. We saw stars glitering like diamonds just out of reach and saw a metor streak across the sky. We lazed on white sand, green sand and black sand beaches. We lounged in the pool with little umbrella drinks refilled by the nicest people.

We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui. We snorkelled at Molokini, biked down from Haleakala, marvelled at the Old Lahaina Luau, and danced at fantastic shows at Stella Blues Cafe. We hiked through lush jungles and saw the most incredible flowers.

Of course, I recommend Hawaii.

jemmini6 · March 2012

I've never been to Aruba, so I can't speak from experience to that end, but I absolutely love Hawaii. H and I actually just got back from Kauai 2 weeks ago and his parents are on the Big Island right now.

As for weather, I understand Aruba is too far south to be part of the hurricane belt (though not impossible), so you will probably be safe for weather there. Hawaii doesn't really have a hurricane season (their last major hurricane was Inini back in '92) and the rainiest season is usually late winter/ early spring. I was on the Big Island in September '10 and we had amazing weather, so depending on what island (and which side of the island), you should have good weather too. In general though, I always recommend trip insurance just in case. It's usually not too pricey and is worth it for the peace of mind.

So really, it comes down to cost and activities. From the east coast, I'm sure Aruba will be substantially cheaper airfare, and obviously less time. However, if you have the time and money, Hawaii is truly amazing.

LADY324 · March 2012

I have never been to either but we are going to Aruba on our honeymoon in July and I can not wait. We are staying at the Tara Beach Suites and the Renaissance.

Aruba or Hawaii in Sept??

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