Honeymoon ideas.

[SeeBass]

Princeville, kauai, Hawaii

not in the winter months as the waves are too big then.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by NBC

I'm not sure how you can get to any of the Antilles in 8 hrs from Calgary. Don't the majority of flights leave in the am from Toronto or Miami, which would mean the red-eye to YYZ or otherwise.

He's in NYC.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Table, since I know you're a driver, you should seriously consider Italy. You're in NYC, right? So you're only like a 6 hour flight from FUM. Go to Rome and start taking in the wonders of the Eternal City. Then rent a car (trust me, it's about the most fun a driver can have) and boot around town, and then down to Amalfi Coast. You'll get your beach on down there, and you'll also be super close to culinary awesomeness, plus wicked stuff like Pompeii, Ercolano, and Vesuvio.

I like the way you think 4x4.....which is why we went there last year, ha.

Apart from the Rome portion, it's almost exactly what we did....Naples, Vesuvius, Amalfi, Capri....some pretty amazing places, and as you say, a blast to drive. The only thing that was more fun to drive was the Northern coast of Spain, which we did the year before.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by fotze

Better not be all-inclusive as you have made your thoughts on those known.

I didn't know I did, but you're right, not a big fan. But it is nice to know you're costs up front.

[bossy22]

Costa Rica. We stayed at www.ocotalresort.com
It was an awesome place. Quiet, We were right on the beach, had monkeys that visited daily. The pool staff would bring us beers to the beach. Father Rooster was a decent restaurant that is only a 5 min walk away. They had delicious marguiritas that were the size of a football.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by NBC

I'm not sure how you can get to any of the Antilles in 8 hrs from Calgary. Don't the majority of flights leave in the am from Toronto or Miami, which would mean the red-eye to YYZ or otherwise.

You're right. I didn't check - I thought there was a ton more flights than there was.

Shortest I can find is 12 hours... yikes.

At least the OP is in NYC where there's non-stops to Aruba and Curacao.

[enthused]

There have been tons of suggestions for Costa Rica, and if you're leaning towards that, I'd actually suggest Nicaragua. It's got everything that Costa Rica has to offer, only it's nicer (in my opinion), cheaper, and less touristy.

Spend a few days in Granada, a beautiful colonial town with lots to see and plenty to do, and then go to San Juan del Sur, a really cool little beach town.

Or go to the Corn Islands. I didn't make it to either of them, but I hear that they are amazing and very remote.

[lucky1]

surprised no one has mentioned turkey.......I always go to a place called Side (see day), its an old roman town complete with tons of ruins, amphitheatre, baths etc. Transit thru Istanbul, take in the sights of one of the coolest megacities around.....then a short hop to Antalya and then Side....Its surround by a beach, weather is great at that time of year, and the food is very reasonable. Lots of private condos so you dont have to stay at any large hotels if you dont want to.....I like it there :-)

[IliketoPuck]

Have you thought about Belize? They have some great diving on the island down there, and the people are very friendly, and the food is good. We are going to Jamaica for our honeymoon in January, managed to get a screaming good deal on a Sandals vacation.

[Buff]

I recommend Hawaii. I've been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Going to the big Island for a wedding next spring. Of the three I've been to, I would strongly recommend Kauai.

Best. Vacation. Ever.

Kauai is so peaceful and laid back. Such a beautiful place to be. The locals are awesome. Great snorkeling, good tours. We took a helicopter tour and the word phenomenal doesn't even begin to describe the views you see.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Have you thought about Belize? They have some great diving on the island down there, and the people are very friendly, and the food is good. We are going to Jamaica for our honeymoon in January, managed to get a screaming good deal on a Sandals vacation.

Yep, Belize seems like a nice mix of beach and jungle. I'd like to find a package or even self-driven tour of some sort that offers both, but it's on the list.

Belize, Curacao and Costa Rica seem to be the early frontrunners.

[gargamel]

I liked Curacao, but its one big drawback is that the nice beaches are at the opposite side of the island from all of the hotels. Its only a 45 minute drive, but its not ideal for splitting a day between beach activities, hotel activities, and dining/shopping.

I'd say go for 4 days of relaxation on Kauai, then spend 3 days hiking and sightseeing on the Big Island. Just save a few hundred dollars in you budget for a helicopter ride over the volcano.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Buff

I recommend Hawaii. I've been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Going to the big Island for a wedding next spring. Of the three I've been to, I would strongly recommend Kauai.

Best. Vacation. Ever.

Kauai is so peaceful and laid back. Such a beautiful place to be. The locals are awesome. Great snorkeling, good tours. We took a helicopter tour and the word phenomenal doesn't even begin to describe the views you see.

As much as I agree with you, I've been to Hawaii a few times, and am looking for something new to check off the list. Undoubtedly though, it's a great place.

[northcrunk]

I just got back from my wedding in the Dominican Republic and I would reccomend it, but if you go stay at the dreams palm beach. They take good care of you, the room service is free (and awsome), unlimited top shelf alcohol (many resorts there make you pay for an upgrade for premium) and the staff there were amazing. It was the second time i've been to the DR and this place was way better than the Grand Bahia Principe. Also if your looking for a couples only resort check out secrets punta cana. EDIT: The secrets there is called Secrets Sancturary Cap Cana

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by anyonebutedmonton

Went Thailand last August for a 3 week honeymoon. We stayed in the Islands in the Bay and got great weather, it is rainy season for Phuket and the West Coast.

Was an absolute blast, and other than the expensive plane ticket, it was dirt cheap to stay in absolute luxury.

Not to hijack Table 5 but I'm getting married in December and we're looking at Thailand for the honeymoon. Ideally somewhere with a great beach close to some of the historical stuff Thailand has in spaed. Any tips on hotels, beaches, or anything else would be appreciated.

The only thing is that I'm worried about rainy season. I get conflicting information online about whether or not December is rainy season. I guess it also depends on which part of the country.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Yep, Belize seems like a nice mix of beach and jungle. I'd like to find a package or even self-driven tour of some sort that offers both, but it's on the list.

Belize, Curacao and Costa Rica seem to be the early frontrunners.

When we were in Belize we stayed for about 10 days on the island, and had an amazing time. I still have my T-Shirt from Fido's (an awesome bar right on the beach). They have some pretty fun spots to unwind, and the locals are great and very friendly.

After the ~10 days on the island we went inland a little bit to see some of the Aztec/Mayan culture and it was spectacular. If you like the site seeing thing, it is only a few hours to Tikal from the main city in Belize. Tikal in my opinion is one of the most amazing archaeological areas I have ever been to, it was absolutely stunning. We also did a cave adventure, crawling up an underground river into a Mayan sacrificial chamber. Picture diving into a pitch black river, swimming upstream into tight corridors, and then having to vertically climb 15-20 feet to get into an underground cavern 3 times the size of McMahon stadium, all in absolute darkness. It was wild. At the apex of the chamber you can still see the remains of pottery and other artifacts. And at the very back is a collection of some of the human remains that were sacrificed, pretty wild I know, but it was absolutely fascinating.

If you are planning a trip and haven't done Belize yet, I highly highly recommend it. The island was great for the relaxation part, but what really got me in the end was seeing all of the incredible culture hidden around the country.

PM me if you have any questions!

[Keselke]

Bend her over in a holiday in


you're welcome

[Jayems]

Cruised the caribbean for mine.. was a blast. Only regret was that we did a trip with stops every day.. it gets a bit much not having one day to just chill on the boat. I guess we could have just stayed on during one stop... but we didn't.

Although on some islands, the locals are super pushy with their trinkets and the bus drivers are all in on it, so they make you stop every 15 minutes for a scenic stop, but it;s really just an excuse to get you off the bus near their buddies who want to sell you crap.

[zukes]

On our honeymoon we went to Panama, it's like Costa Rica, but less expensive. We stayed at the Royal Decameron.

They treated my wife and I amazing there. Free upgrade of the room, a la carte dinner on arrival day (the rest of the people arriving do not get a la carte the first day).

At the Mr. & Mrs. Decameron contest my wife and I won and were recognizable by the resort all weekend (good ice breaker to meet people afterwards). We are average looking people and ended up in the final against this couple...the dude was jacked and the chick was stacked. (My wife and I called them Muscle-bound freak and Silicone woman quietly and to ourselves of course). They should have won, they were a great looking couple, but obvoiusly the place had stacked the odds and made sure we won because we were on our honeymoon.

The Decameron has many day trips, including zip lining, ATV rides, trips into Panama City etc.

I highly recommend it. I know it has probably gone up since we went 6 years ago (tomorrow is my anniversary, wow), but we paid $701 each all in.

[Table 5]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys....some really awesome insight here. A lot of you kept coming back to Costa Rica, which seemed like a nice mix of what we wanted. We've always had a great time with self-driven tours, as we don't like to be beholden to strict timelines, so I think we've settled on a self-drive trip to Costa Rica such as this:

http://www.gapadventures.com/trips/c...e/TCR2DN/2011/

Has anyone ever used Gap Adventures?

However, there was one other option.

As I'm sure more than a few guys, I've always had this vision of buying a really nice car and doing a road trip across the continent.....last night I pitched a modified version to the GF, and she was pretty receptive.

The idea: Buy something fun and otherwise impractical (ideally an older 911 or Cayman, or something a little cheaper like a Miata, s2000) and then either go on a road-trip as a honeymoon.....eg. up to Quebec/Martimes, or down to the Carolinas, Georgia, Texas etc. We're most likely going to be spending most of the summer in Long Island closer to the beach, so it would be a great car to have regardless. Then at the end of the fall most likely sell the car, and take whatever hit on the value, and (hopefully) bask in the memories!

It's probably not very rational or practical.....but we're at the stage where it's now or when I'm 50. I have to say I'm pretty tempted. Has anyone done something of this nature?