Late October Honeymoon in the Caribbean

Old Dec 10th, 2014, 05:27 PM
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Late October Honeymoon in the Caribbean

I know there's countless posts asking the same question but my head is spinning sorting through them all! My fiancé and I (mid-20's) are in the very beginning stages of planning our honeymoon (leaving Oct. 25, 2015). I've been to several islands briefly on cruises over the years and know that they're all unique and charming in their own special way, and there is no 'perfect' destination. However, some of the things we're looking for are a more mountainous and lush setting, with soft and not rocky/shell-y beaches. My fiancé enjoys snorkeling, I like floating on a raft while he snorkels. We're a quiet couple, and value privacy and relaxation over tons of nightlife, but a few amenities (maybe a little shopping for a half day, an excursion, or checking out a bar one night) might be nice over the long trip. Don't really care about having an all-inclusive, I could take it or leave it. As for dining, we're both pretty picky so extensive regional cuisine isn't a necessity either. Budget is not nailed down at all at this point, but if I had to throw a number out there I'd probably say around $5-6,000 not including airfare, for a week-ish long trip. I've been to St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. I loved most all of them in a different way but favorite was St. Lucia; St. Thomas was wonderful as well - definitely prefer these types of islands compared to the flatter terrain and drier atmosphere of Mexico (Cozumel, etc.) - but ultimately would like to try and find somewhere we haven't been before, for us to "discover" together.
For lodging, we'd LOVE a private bungalow type deal with our own little pool.
Sorry for the long post, but if anyone could help me narrow down our search a bit, taking into consideration the time of year, I would greatly appreciate it!
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 10:50 AM
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Based on your likes/dislikes destinations you might want to consider are St. John, Virgin Gorda and Nevis.

Now, the last week in October is "low season" in the Caribbean and that has it's pluses and minuses. On the plus side you'll find the lowest room rates of the year so your travel dollar will go a lot further and there won't be very many "crowds" so it almost like having the whole island to yourself. On the minus side, many resorts, restaurants and local tour operators are either closed or operating with reduced staff or under reduced hours so your choices may be limited.

You might consider renting a private villa rather than staying at a resort. You should have no difficulty find an upscale villa in your price range on any of the islands I mentioned. A villa will give you lots of privacy plus all the comforts at home as well as a housekeeper. many will have private pools.

If you want full resort amenities look at Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda - if it's open during the week you are planning to travel it just may be the "perfect" spot. In addition to the normal rooms and suites they also have small villas with private pools that might be in your price range. Also check out the Four Seasons Resort on Nevis - They too have both regular resort rooms & suites as well as private villas you can rent.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 05:57 PM
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Thanks for the reply, RoamsAround! We love the idea of a private villa. I checked out the two resorts you mentioned and the villas seem a bit larger (and more expensive) than we want or need. Little Dix Bay is open that week but only has 3/4 bedrooms available - way too much for us. I didn't see any with only one bedroom at Four Seasons either, besides the regular rooms...which were at or even below our budget. So maybe I'm looking for something in between?
When I visited St. Lucia we went on a snorkeling excursion at the Jalousie Plantation (now Sugar Beach) resort and I fell in love. Looking at it now it seems like the perfect place because it has a variety of secluded villas at different price points. We could certainly go here for our honeymoon but like I mentioned, I'd like to check out somewhere new. Do you know of any similar style resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean? I feel like the only reason I know of Sugar Beach is because I actually went there, & I doubt I would have found it just searching the internet...so I know there's got to be lots more out there I don't know of.
Other islands that caught my eye were Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. But I'm going to do more research for resorts on the islands you mentioned, and I also ordered the Fodor's travel guide for the Caribbean which comes in tomorrow, looking forward to getting that and diving into it.
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 03:51 AM
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A simple google search using such topics as "Villa Rentals, NAME OF ISLAND" or "Condo Rentals, Name OF ISLAND" will give you hundreds of links. FYI - a great many private rental villas throughout the Caribbean are listed by their owners on numerous "Villa Rental Companies" - think of it as a multiple listing service for villa owners and the prices will be pretty much the same no matter which agency does the booking. You'll then be put in touch with a "local" property manger who will handle all the details with you (again, this "manager" will be the same person no matter which booking agency you use).

Now, many "multi-bedroom" rental villas/condos often will rent out for lower prices if you are using just one bedroom so it doesn't hurt to inquire.

On Nevis, for instance there's several rental Condo complexes which will do just that. Check out Seaside at Cliffdwellers (available through Sugar Mill Realty - www.nevishouses.com) - they also handle many private villa rentals around the island, the Condos at Nelson's Springs (nelsonspringbeachresort.com) and the Hamilton Condos (www.thehamiltonnevis.com).

So, chose the island you wish to visit then look for accommodations that meet your needs and budget. Don't get too caught up in "are the palm trees nicer on the other island" syndrome - every island is different and has it's own special charm. You can't visit them all in one trip so do what most of us experienced travelers have done, visit one at a time.

Have fun planning your honeymoon.
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 05:59 AM
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That's good to know that they will rent out one bedroom for less, I didn't even think of that being an option.
As I mentioned, I'm very aware that each island is unique and charming in a different way. We're certainly not trying to visit more than one on this trip, nor do I really care which palm trees or island it is at all, just looking for a cozy and private little place to stay and get away from the rest of the world, which I'm sure we could find on any of them.
I definitely appreciate the sites you provided to start us in the right direction, the hundreds of links that show up on Google is exactly what's challenging about this (but it's a good challenge to have! )
Thanks again!
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 06:30 AM
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I'm on the same page as RoamsAround. Nevis and Virgin Gorda are great suggestions. On VG, look at the Mahoe Bay villas. You might be able to negotiate a good rate for just the two of you in low season.
http://www.villasofdistinction.com/v...a/blue-lagoon/
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 06:56 AM
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I think St John pretty much hits all of your wants, and there are a gazillion private villas all over the island in different price ranges.
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 06:50 PM
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I agree St John also sounds like it might fit. Still pretty quiet at the end of October, but plenty of restaurants beginning to re-open. Check out VRBO for listings.
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Old Dec 13th, 2014, 06:34 AM
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If you liked St. Lucia, you might want to look at Dominica. There are quite a few eco-resorts, hot springs, mountains, etc. Not that I don't want you to come back to the USVI! ;-)
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Old Dec 14th, 2014, 07:04 PM
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Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone! I've been Googling resorts and villas and reading up in my Fodor's guidebook (which is amazing by the way...has more information than you could ever need) all weekend. Starting to get pretty excited about this trip!
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Old Dec 17th, 2014, 02:40 AM
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Do you know about West coast in Barbados, it could have been a nice addition. This pristine beach island flaunts great natural beauty, from the wonder of underground caves to the beautiful vistas and the tropical colours of flora found across the island! Believe me you will love this place (and its people).
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