24 June 2011

trouble in paradise

sweet readers, i need your help.  the beau and i booked our honeymoon lodging a few months ago and have been so excited about it.  but this week as i began researching flights, it became clear that, logistically speaking, getting to said lodging is a nightmare and not a reality.  because our dates aren't flexible and our dates don't fall on the day of the week when there is a direct flight to the island, we end up with 13 hours of travel time each way.  that's the same amount of travel time to get to hawaii!

so it looks like we're going to have to cancel that trip {insert sad face} and start from scratch. and y'all?  i am OVERWHELMED.  our only requirements are that we go somewhere warm and somewhere neither one of us has been.  that eliminates mexico and the dominican republic.  everywhere else is fair game.  we're trying to decide between hawaii, jamaica, and the virgin islands, but we're not tied to any one of those.

so tell me, have you been to any of these places? all of them? where did you love {or where did you hate}? any great hotel recommendations? restaurants? things to do?  i need some guidance.  from reading your blogs, i know you all are quite the jet setters so put that life experience to good use and help a girl out!

16 comments:

The Ramblings of a Thirtysomething Wife said...

I took a Caribbean cruise a few years back and fell in love with St. Thomas and St. John! They are gorgeous, beautiful islands and I would give anything to go back. What about the Bahamas?

USCEmily said...

Oh no! That stinks :-( Where was your original destination?

We are going to St. Lucia on our honeymoon. I know several people who have been and have all said it's the best vacation they have ever taken, and they've taken quite a few- Dominican Republic, Aruba, St. Lucia, Jamaica, just to name a few of the places they have been.

RLMurphy said...

I have to say Nick and I went to St. Lucia is AMAZING. It is gorgeous, the people are nice and there is so much to do. We went to an active Volcano, took a sunset cruise and hiked through the rain forest. The food is amazing as well. It is simply magical.

Emily said...

The hubs and I went to Antigua for our honeymoon, and LOVED IT! It's warm year-round, and there's flights out of Miami daily.

Antigua was perfect; beautiful, quiet, relaxing, and everyone was super nice! We stayed at a resort called Galley Bay (all-inclusive).

Good luck with the honeymoon planning--I'm sure you've already got enough planning to do!!

Annabel Manners said...

I've heard wonderful things about Antiqua. And there's always Bermuda, with those fabulous pink sand beaches....

Good luck, sweetie. And don't stress! Wherever you land, it will be a marvelous and memorable honeymoon. :)

LPC said...

Sorry for your misfortune. I've been to Oahu, Hawaii, Barbados, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Cancun, and Virgin Gorda. If you find the right resort/hotel, all of those places can be just wonderful. Oahu is best if you want to be in a town with a lot of activities - I stayed at the Halekulani and it's nice, although a little frayed.

On the Big Island, I stayed at the Four Seasons. Ahhhhhh. Fantastic resort, quiet, great pools, little beaches.

In Barbados, my mother rented an estate that had been a sugar mill. Gorgeous for a family, but probably too isolated for a honeymooning couple.

Turks and Caicos had too much sky for me:). Kind of disorienting.

Virgin Gorda was nice, but not much to do.

Jamaica was fantastic. It was 25 years ago, but we stayed at the Jamaica Inn. Gorgeous.

Again, I think if you look for a beautiful hotel, then just decide how much nearby activity you want or not. It will be all work out.

aliesjec said...

My brother just got back from a wedding in Hawaii, and the pictures he showed me were UNREAL. There's amazing beaches, but there's also more stuff to do like helicopter rides over the beautiful mountains (he showed me the waterfalls and mountainsides where they filmed Jurassic Park, to give you an idea). The long plane ride is nothing; just get a glass of wine (or four) and it flies (ha!).

Unknown said...

I would highly recommend all-inclusive for the honeymoon. You can be as adventurous or lazy as you would like and don't have to think/plan or do anything extra, it's all at your finger tips. For our honeymoon we went to Sandals Grand Bahamian-it was awesome. We looked at all the inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, and it had the best amenities and was closest to the airport. Less travel=more relaxing and honeymooning! I've been to most of the Caribbean Islands, and you won't be disappointed with any, just pick what your priorities are and go for it! Ours were get us there ASAP and offer us lots of options!

Hope you enjoy, and no matter what you do, it will be perfect because you will be MARRIED!

Unknown said...

I wholeheartedly recommend an all inclusive resort. We researched a lot of them and decided on Sandals Grand Bahamian for our honeymoon (St Lucia was our second choice, but more than a 2 hour car ride from the airport). All inclusive's offer tons of amazing amenities (hello private island and tons of swim up bars)! There are so many all inclusive resorts and each offer something a little unique, check out what you want and other deciding factors and go for it. We've had lots of friends honeymoon at the inclusive resorts in Jamaica too (secrets, sandals, etc). I love Jamaica, but once you are off the resort property, you are OFF the resort property. Good luck and ENJOY!

living well said...

I'd definitely recommend Anguilla (in the Carribean). I've been there several times and always loved it. There are fantastic restaurants, a ton of beautiful beaches that are never crowded, and some great places to stay - I'd recommend either The Viceroy or Cap Juluca. The best part (in my opinion anyway!) is that there are no cruise ships, no tour guides, or casinos. If you want to do any of that night life, St.Maarten is a short ferry ride away!

Karena said...

My thoughts are a cruise, you would love it there is so much to do (or not) especially for honeymooners. The all inclusive, like Sandals is another alternative!!

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

I have a New, very fashionable Giveaway on my site! Come and enter!

Melissa @ I Pick Pretty said...

Sorry about the honeymoon planning woes! I'm sure it will all work out, but that's frustrating in the meantime.

I've been to Antigua & went the private rental route. We had a terrific time, and it's a beautiful island, though when I return to the Caribbean I hope to check out Turks & Caicos (both of which I hear nothing but raves about).

For Hawaii, I'd go big island (I second LPC's vote for the Four Seasons there) or Kauai (Westin is lovely); Maui's a bit more populated & less naturally gorgeous to my eye, but there are plenty who would disagree.

Katie & Ryan said...

I second Anguilla!We went there on our honeymoon and stayed at Cap Juluca :) So very wonderful, and the island is just beautiful! Like Living Well said, it is so nice because it isn't super touristy, and there are no cruise ships. The restaurants on the island are AMAZING. 3 years later, and we still talk about the food. Best of luck finding a new location!

Unknown said...

OK....boo hoo. Well, the good news is there are LOTS of amazing places to go.

I adore St Barts and for a romantic, chic get away....can't be beat. Eden Rock or Ile de France for hotels.

I have it on good authority that the Aman resort in Turks and Caicos is beyond! 2 sets of couples I know went, raved...I'd definitely look into that.

Parrot Cay in Turks also gets great reviews by my friends.

You'll be in heaven no matter where you are. Good luck with chossing!
xoxo Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

I recommend Hawaii! Everyone is very welcoming and the customer service is excellent!!! If you can I would island hop. Check out Oahu - it has a big city feel so there is a lot to do. If you go there I would recommend staying at the Halekulani. It is pricey but SO worth it! My husband and I stayed there for our honeymoon and we were upgraded to an oceanfront suite. They go above and beyond with their customer service and it was worth every penny! You can hike Diamondhead, visit the famous surfing beaches of the North Shore, and try some of the local fare. My favorite non-alcoholic drink there is the Hawaiian Sun Orange Passion! There are also awesome shrimp trucks (yes, I was worried about getting food from a truck but it was delish!) on the North Shore that are a must! There is a restaurant near Halekulani that serves Truffle fries - SO good!! Maui is a great island to just relax and offers a quieter setting than Oahu (waikiki area). It is definitely set up for honeymooners and they have a fun zip-line system set up in the Mountains. They also have several great hikes to waterfalls all over the island.

Whatever you and your fiance decide on I hope you have a fabulous time!

bestie said...

st. martins for 4-5 days then take a ferry over to anguilla...exquisite!!! best of luck with the plans!!!