I really can't decide on what we want to do. I've traveled a lot, he hasn't. I think we're more looking for an adventurous honeymoon than a wait in line for really crowded ancient things honeymoon. Surf would be a plus, but not essential. Also, insane crowds want to be avoided at all costs. The wedding is in April, so we'd like to go somewhere that will be pleasant then, not monsoon season or anything. Like to keep it at or under $5,000 (is this even realistic??). Please list suggestions.

6/13/2007 3:02:39 PM

just go to a motel 6......if it's a good honeymoon, you won't leave the hotel much anyway.

Save the good trip for when you're tired of each other.

6/13/2007 3:05:03 PM

I sure as hell wouldn't want to have sex on a Motel 6 bed...think of how many other skeevy people have done that?

6/13/2007 3:06:49 PM

Dry Tortugas: http://www.nps.gov/drto/

6/13/2007 3:10:16 PM

Lacey, this is one of the things at least two of your bridesmaids will happily help you with

6/13/2007 3:12:56 PM

it may seem cliche, but we did a cruise, and i thought it was perfect for a honeymoon. after all the wedding planning, we didnt want to deal with setting anything else up. everything we needed (entertainment, food, drinks, room, transportation) was all in one place and we could do as little or as much as we wanted.

you can easily stay under $5000, even with plane tickets to the boat.

we went to bermuda, and thought it was a great little island.

6/13/2007 3:22:31 PM

^You can just as easily find an all-inclusive resort somewhere in the Caribbean if you want to take it easy.

6/13/2007 3:26:18 PM

SANDALS!

6/13/2007 3:30:01 PM

Quote :

"You can just as easily find an all-inclusive resort somewhere in the Caribbean if you want to take it easy. "

agreed...there are other options, i was just saying what we did.

the boat left about a mile from our house, so we didnt have to deal with flying anywhere, which made things even easier.

6/13/2007 3:32:28 PM

http://travel.discovery.com/ideas/beaches/islands/islands.html
http://travel.discovery.com/ideas/romance/honeymoons/honeymoons.html
http://www.seychelles.travel/en/home/index.php
http://www.seychelles.travel/en/plan_your_visit/self-catering.php?isl=&pr=&lct=&ob=pra (pretty cheap places to stay)

expensive bit will be how to get there

6/13/2007 3:35:24 PM

If your budget is $5,000, it'll be tough for both of you to do whatever you want without worrying about money. It might sound cheesy, but you could go to the San Diego area and get an beachfront room for 7 days, eat like kings and queens, and be close to everything if you do want to get out.

2 plane tickets $600
7 days at nice hotel $2,100
Food for 7 days $1,000
Entertainment/misc $1,300

6/13/2007 4:22:04 PM

All-inclusive resorts are great. My husband and I stayed in one in Jamaica that was awesome, and our whole 7 day trip cost us about $2500 combined (for the plain tix and the resort, which included all food AND alcohol). With extra spending money, we probably spent a little over $3000. Whatever you do though, DO NOT stay at a Sandals or Beaches. They allow children to stay at their resort, they are HUGE and very crowded, and typically alcohol is not included in the all-inclusive package. If you want to do the all-inclusive thing, I would suggest finding a resort that has 100 rooms or less and does not allow children.

6/13/2007 4:28:52 PM

Quote :

"DO NOT stay at a Sandals or Beaches. They allow children to stay at their resort, they are HUGE and very crowded, and typically alcohol is not included in the all-inclusive package. I"

Sandals are couples only. But if you're at a decent enough resort/ area, there shouldn't be a ton of children anyway. There are lots of different Sandals resorts, BTW. All of them are different sizes.

6/13/2007 4:32:39 PM

^Well, that's good that some of them aren't huge. I was just going off of what a lot of people told us when we were on our honeymoon. They had stayed at places like that prior to the smaller, private resort that we stayed at, and none of them had good things to say about the Sandals/Beaches resorts.

6/13/2007 4:36:54 PM

Quote :

"Food for 7 days $1,000"

What the hell would we be eating for it to cost that much.

Remember people, we're pretty cheap. Used to hostels and local food shacks in Costa Rica. Jamaica is a possibility, thanks for bringing that up. I like the idea of clear seas.

6/13/2007 7:30:44 PM

^ that sounds about right, hell just one dinner at a nice place for 2 can be upwards of 200 bucks with none to little booze.

The original poster said eating like kings and queens (for 21 meals) when he quoted $1000

[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 7:36 PM. Reason : .]

6/13/2007 7:35:01 PM

I just got back from my honeymoon a few weeks ago. We rented a cabin in the mountains for a week. It was nice, relatively inexpensive, quiet, and no crowds. If you plan ahead, you can rent close to trails and maybe do an overnighter or two (or just day hiking).

I'd also really recommend St. John Island.

6/13/2007 7:44:32 PM

Did 7 days in Santorini, Greece and a day in Athens for a little more than your budget. Would recommend.

6/13/2007 8:05:39 PM

I took my ex-wife to Tortolla. It's in the BVI and seems to be the LEAST commercial of them all. I spent a ton but you should be able to easily do it and enjoy it for $5k. There's only a few resorts there to choose from (I can't remember the name of the one I stayed at but it was definitely non family oriented). You can take the water taxis to the other islands, snorkel, fish, etc. It was amazing. We had 2 nurse sharks (young) that "lived" there and would make laps along the beach in front of our room (it can be slightly freaky when you're swimming and you spot them though) and it was one of the best places that I've ever been snorkeling. Weather was perfect (June and it wasn't too hot to leave the room open while we were there). I'm still wanting to go back.

*edit* found the place we stayed: http://www.longbay.com/index.htm we stayed in the beachfront deluxe since there were no cabanas open.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 12:51 AM. Reason : found it]

6/14/2007 12:49:12 AM

I plan to be in the islands somewhere on a secluded beach.

6/14/2007 1:02:00 AM

6/14/2007 1:04:08 AM

I love the turks and caicos. I recently read an article about how the island was the best kept secret for island destinations. Grace Bay is a very nice resort to look into, but they have resorts for all budgets. You could take a boat outing and dive for lobsters.

I think $5k can be very realistic.

6/14/2007 10:35:18 AM

I just got back from traveling Europe, and I have two recommendations.

Like Finish said, Santorini and the Greek Isles would be nice. I'd skip Athens... it's pretty much worthless in my opinion (the ancient stuff wasn't very well preserved). The nice thing about Santorini is that it's extremely cheap in April/May but they still cater to your every whim. There are plenty of beaches (black sand, red sand, white sand) and you can even hike a little bit. However, most of the greek isles survive solely on tourism... so you won't get a very authentic greek experience, if that's what you're looking for.

I enjoyed Cinque Terre, Italy much more. It's very, very beautiful, and was just "discovered" by tourists a couple years ago. Cinque Terre means "Five Lands". It's a collection of five fishing towns on the west coast of Italy just north of Tuscany. It's far more beautiful than the Greek Isles (in my opinion) and has more potential for adventure. There is an amazing hiking trail going between the cities. There is a constant view of the coast, the mountains, and the cities. It takes 5-10hrs to travel the whole thing. Some people do it in 2, but I took my time and did it in 10.

If you go to Cinque Terre, you'd also have the opportunity to visit Rome, which is probably my favorite major city in Europe. The ancient stuff is incredibly well preserved.

Here are some pictures of Cinque Terre and Santorini. I have more pictures of Cinque Terre that I haven't uploaded yet.

http://justinmitchell.net/gallery2/v/europe/italy/cinqueterre/?g2_page=2
http://justinmitchell.net/gallery2/v/europe/greece/santorini/?g2_page=6

6/14/2007 10:48:24 AM

Quote :

"What the hell would we be eating for it to cost that much."

It's your honeymoon and it only happens once. You could go out 21 times or order room service every night. The food will be the what you talk about years later, at least we do. I think we spent about $1500 in 6 days, but we ate stuff every day that we will never eat again.

6/14/2007 10:58:40 AM

^We'll probably live off nutri grain bars like normals. We're chicken nugget and fish stick people, the food we wouldn't properly appreciate I'm sure, so I'd rather save our money for zip lines and snorkeling.

^^Those pictures are gorgeous! I have this budding desire to be in clear water though...definitely an option.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 11:11 AM. Reason : merf]

6/14/2007 11:10:32 AM

http://fletchscove.com/

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 3:13 PM. Reason : f]

6/14/2007 3:12:44 PM

Quote :

"It's your honeymoon and it only happens once. "

lol

odds are good that youll have another one

whats the divorce rate now, something like >50%

6/14/2007 3:14:29 PM

Divorce Rate: It's Not as High as You Think
By DAN HURLEY
The New York Times
April 19, 2005
excerpt

Quote :

"Researchers say that the small drop in the overall divorce rate is caused by a steep decline in the rate among college graduates. As a result, a "divorce divide" has opened up between those with and without college degrees, said Dr. Steven P. Martin, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Maryland. "Families with highly educated mothers and families with less educated mothers are clearly moving in opposite directions." "Women without undergraduate degrees have remained at about the same rate, their risk of divorce or separation within the first 10 years of marriage hovering at around 35 percent. But for college graduates, the divorce rate in the first 10 years of marriage has plummeted to just over 16 percent of those married between 1990 and 1994 from 27 percent of those married between 1975 and 1979.""

6/14/2007 3:28:50 PM

This is a good thread.

6/14/2007 3:34:43 PM

it's interesting to consider, because one might think that less educated women would want to stay married because they didn't have much else to fall back on, and that educated women could turn to careers...but i see what they're saying w/ the data

6/14/2007 3:39:32 PM

maybe it has something to do with college folks getting married later.

6/14/2007 4:07:25 PM

Quote :

"I love the turks and caicos. I recently read an article about how the island was the best kept secret for island destinations. Grace Bay is a very nice resort to look into, but they have resorts for all budgets. You could take a boat outing and dive for lobsters. I think $5k can be very realistic."

I agree with JennMc....

I did the Turks and Caicos for my honeymoon and it was about 3k for a place called Royal West indies...All other expenses were another 750 to 1k. Great place to honeymoon. That time of year there are very few people and its a beautiful place to visit. Great place to go snorkeling.

PM me if you want info regarding mine...

6/14/2007 4:29:53 PM

We went to Vegas (honeymoon, not wedding.) I pretty much paid for the trip with my winnings, and we had a great time. You cannot be bored in Vegas, and if you don't get out of the hotel much, no big deal.

6/14/2007 5:12:36 PM

Me and the lady are hiking about 120 miles on the Appalachian Trail, then hanging out in Hot Springs NC. We spent 73 days in a canoe together on the Mississippi River, and god only knows how many total nights in a tent beforehand though. This kind of stuff just suits us, and of course, YMMV.

http://www.sourcetosea.net

6/14/2007 6:08:41 PM

We're doing a 7 day cruise to the eastern Caribbean on a Princess ship. Its about $2500 for the 2 of us for a balcony cabin, including airfare. Should leave enough money in our budget for some cool shore excursions. We looked at some more exotic destinations, but chose this one because neither of us have ever been on a cruise and it was more affordable.

6/14/2007 7:24:21 PM

I'm getting married in exactly a week!!! we are leaving next sunday for Playa del Carmen, Mexico

we're staying in an amazing 5 star resort, all-inclusive with 9 restaurants and 5 bars, no kids, unlimited alcohol

we are paying about 3300 total, including air (5 nights)

6/15/2007 1:33:59 PM

sex sex sex

6/15/2007 1:50:41 PM

We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon. We split our time between the San Jose area and the West coast. On the coast, we stayed in a really expensive resort (hillside villa, private pool) and in a cheap-ass (but clean and functional) beach hotel in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed both, and for different reasons.

6/15/2007 1:53:44 PM

Seychelles looks unbelievable. Flights over may be expensive, especially with the dollar so low.

6/15/2007 2:17:09 PM

^^^^

are you going to Secrets Capri? Thats were we went and it was very nice.

6/15/2007 2:24:26 PM

I brother went to Costa Rica and loved it. Also, he said it was really cheap compared to everything else. Don't know about the weather that time of year though, because he went in June.

6/15/2007 2:40:13 PM

grand lido braco in jamaica is where its at. all-inclusive, no one under 16 is allowed, and the alcohol is included in the price. best trip i've ever been on

6/15/2007 2:42:52 PM

^^^ no, we're going to The ROYAL Playa del Carmen

6/15/2007 2:53:56 PM

Quote :

"are you going to Secrets Capri? Thats were we went and it was very nice."

I went there last year....awesome place.

BUT, it pales in comparison to the best all inclusive I've ever been to and the place I recommend above all others.

Couples Negril

http://couples.com/13cn/index.html

6/15/2007 3:09:00 PM

for the people that have done the all inclusive deal - did you feel like you were locked into eating/drinking at the hotel and it made you stay near the hotel more? i've never done one and would possibly consider one in the future but when i'm on vacation (unless the intent is to just to the beach) i rarely like to stay near the hotel except after being out all day and going to the pool to relax - i'd rather go out and explore the area and do some tours/excursions - especially in some of the places listed

6/15/2007 3:34:05 PM

I would have never done the all inclusive thing just b/c I wouldn't want to feel locked in at the hotel/resort. I doesn't matter how many restaurants or bars they have-if you're not going to stay close all week it's not worth it. We actually stayed at 2 diff. hotels in different areas.

6/15/2007 4:03:05 PM

how about montreal and quebec city? Both are very nice cities with historic surrounding. There is no surf, but you can go for whale watching and cruising. Staying at Chateau Frontenac or Hotel Dominion 1912 is suggested

6/15/2007 4:36:04 PM

and with an average April temperature of 41 degrees you can't go wrong! If you waited a bit that is a great place though.

6/15/2007 5:07:59 PM

I don't think that it gets much better than this.

It's like summer camp for grown ups. I love this place.

It's not luxury by any stretch, but it is what I think of when I think of the Caribbean.

Although at times, it can kind of feel like you walked into that movie "The Beach" with Leonardo Dicaprio, so you must be able to deal with a liberal attitude.

http://www.maho.org/

6/15/2007 5:08:35 PM

My wife and I went to Aruba on our honeymoon three years ago. WE got married in May and this time of year is actually considered the off-season of Aruba so it wasn't too expensive. I'd say resort, airfare, spending money was around $4500. We aren't "wine-and-dine" type people either but we went out to 3 or 4 nice dinners and spent less than $100 at each of them.

We stayed at a place called Amsterdam Manor - beautiful honeymoon suite (small kitchenette, living room, and sep. bedroom). A place there called Bucuti just redid their rooms and apparently they have beautiful honeymoon suites now also.

Don't let the Natalie Holloway thing scare you from Aruba - there wasn't one single time that I felt threatened or concerned in any way. The locals there are incredibly friendly and helpful - their island survives off of tourism. There's plenty to do - we didn't do nearly all the stuff we wanted to and we were there for 8 days and 7 nights.

6/15/2007 8:53:20 PM