My fiance and I don't know where to take our honeymoon...?

Question

Any ideas on where we could go?
We would like to keep it around $5,000 and go for about a week.
I have never been anywhere outside the US, he has been to Cancun & Jamacia so those are out.
We want to go to the beach. I looked at Bahamas but it looks trashy to me...I want something nice where we can get massages out doors and is really romantic. (with a nice spa)
Any ideas? THanks!!

Answer 1

http://www.jumbybayresort.com/

This is a resort on a private island. It's located in Antigua and is absolutely beautiful and so romantic. There are no cars on the island. Tha main mode of transportation is bikes (which they provide for you) or golf cart. You can make arrangements for a romantic picinic on a private beach. It's a little pricey, but it's an all inclusive. Unfortunately, massages are extra.

Also, try http://www.luxurylink.com/
This site offers auctions and deals on 4 & 5 star resorts/hotels around the world.

Answer 2

i don't know what the prices are these days, but when I got married about 10 years ago, we made a complete trip to Hawaii (Maui) for about $5000. The killer was airfare, which ran half the bill at the time . . . but also at that time Hawaii was a hot place to visit. Nowadays, with Hawaiian Air, air travel seems to have really dropped.

anywhere you decide though is going to require some planning and decisions. If you can plan for the off-season, you're more likely to get deals. If you're willing to sacrifice a 5 star hotel, you could probably spend your money on other things. We went off-season, and decided on a complex not next to the beach, and in a smaller town. The result was great - it had a kitchen. We didn't cook, but did make sandwiches a few times, and mostly ate leftovers for breakfast - kind of a break from eating out ALL the time. The beach was across the street, so within 2 minutes walk, but then allowed the cost to be cheaper. Not only that, we were out so much, the room was really only used for sleeping. . . etc. . . :) The town was centrally located, so we could drive anywhere we wanted in a relatively short time.

Having saved a lot of money (and getting a free day with the package deal), we spent the money on other things. Went out to eat at expensive restaurants every night - splurging on the appetizers and desserts, etc, knowing that if we didn't finish everything, we could still bring it home. Visited all the ritzy hotels during the day - using their beaches, eating there for dinner, and spent a day at the Grand Wailea Spa/Resort - a 5 star spa. (with so much else to do and explore, we didn't really have much time to have massages every day)

Having the access to a refrigerator/microwave gave us the options to pack lunches for the long drive to Hana, or exploring the various botanical gardens, etc.

Answer 3

Easy...go to Costa Rica. For $5,000 you can have a week you'll not soon forget and there are dozens of cool retreats and surf/dive/secluded beaches from Jaco to the Bat Islands on the West; to the Atantic shores and Liberia in the East.
The second suggestion that comes to mind is Little Corn Island in Nicaragua...Shhh, don't tell anybody! This a little known secret that most Americans don't know about. They have a hotel there that costs about $25 a night and you can get a plate of 2 lobster tails, salad and rice for about $5 including two beers and great, friendly service. Getting there is just a matter of flying into Managua and getting a hop to the coast. Then they fly you to Corn Island, which is a dump; but the water taxi to the smaller, secluded place is about 45 mins and the weather is usually great and warm and the people are fantastic! Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 4

The Maldives or the Grenadine Islands, Canary Islands! Actually in my Conde Naste Traveler magazine Asia is the new hot spot. I suggest Southeast Asia, Thailand, the Philippines. LMAO the Bahamas look trashy! Never heard that one! Do something out of the norm besides going to Mexico or the Caribbean like most people do. Go on an adventure. I can give you a list of luxury hotels if you want but your gonna have to email me.

Answer 5

I suggest the British Virgin Islands.White sandy beaches, turquoise water and romantic walks on the beach at sunset In particular:

Peter Island Resort and Spa-on an island by itself
Little Dix Bay Resort-you can get your massage outdoors with a view of the ocean

Check out the website. Have fun and congratulations.

Answer 6

Go to Puerto rico. There is an all inclusive resort call the paradisus ( all food and drinks included) my husband and i went for our honeymoon for 10 days on just under 5,000 dollars. It is beatiful. The beach is not the greatest (it is a little rocky) but the they have two pools and and great bar service. There are activites to do during the day at the resort or you can pay to go on tours (san juan tour and the rainforest I recommend) there are there are 4 great dinner restaurants there and 2 open for lunch and breakfast (each has its own theme). we had a great time at night there are shows and music and there is a casino if you gamble. we had the most relaxing time. check out the website.

Answer 7

My wife and I went to the island of Kauai in Hawaii last year for our anniversary and LOVED it!!! My aunt and uncle have a time-share on Maui and go there at least once a year, and I have friends who have gone to "the big island" and raved about it. So my vote is Hawaii, but NOT Honolulu -- it's very much like Miami, and the people on the island of Oahu are not nearly as friendly as the people we met on Kauai, and we've heard similar remarks from everyone we know who has vacationed in Hawaii.

You mentioned outdoor massage -- you can get it on Kauai. We stayed in Princeville, which is on the north side of Kauai not far from Hanalei Bay, and we stayed at a resort called The Cliffs Club. The first day we were there we had an orientation where they told us about all the fun stuff you can do like helicopter tours, bus tours of all the spots where they shot famous movies/TV shows, catamaran cruises, etc., and of course they have massage therapists who will come to your room or will give you directions to a secluded beach where they do the massage for you. If that doesn't appeal, there are a bunch of big-named resorts and spas (Hilton, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Radisson, etc.) on the southeast portion of Kauai near Lihue Airport.

Answer 8

A while back, my mom and a boyfriend went to Puerto Vallarta for 5 days. They got one of those all-inclusive deals where they had unlimited free food and drinks at their hotel, and airfare was included, and the whole trip cost them only $500 each! They had an awesome time and said the hotel and everything was really a lot nicer than they'd expected for such a low price. Go to your travel agent and ask about Apple Vacations. Make sure you use a travel agent, though, because I still think they're able to get much nicer accomodations for lower prices than you'd get online.

Answer 9

We went to St. Lucia and it was amazing! I'd totally recommend it to anyone! We stayed at a Sandals and ours had a really nice spa (with outdoor massages in this amazing covered hut on a pier in the ocean). There are three different Sandals resorts there and if you stay at one you get to use all the other resorts features too! It was a little more than $5,000 but we stayed for 9 nights.

Here's a link to the resort we stayed at: http://www.sandals.com/main/grande/gl-home.cfm.

Answer 10

Well Spain of course! Orrr....Australia is also the best idea I have ever had. It is relatively expensive for the plane tickets, but once you're there...you will never want to leave. They also have the best beaches in the world. Hands down. I would recommend Byron Bay to the Sydney stretch of beach...It is absolutely stunning!