Bora Bora/Moorea OR Carribbean
Sep 17th, 2003, 11:25 AM
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Bora Bora/Moorea OR Carribbean
It's us again... still trying to decide....
I need help choosing between going to Moorea & Bora Bora or the Carribbean for my honeymoon in April 2004. Our budget is around $6,000 - so do we go to an all inclusive resort in the Carribbean OR go to FP and be more conservative with our spending -- I heard it was very expensive there? It's our honeymoon so we want to: relax, have fun together, see beautiful beaches.. you know the normal honeymoon stuff. Please let me know which you recommend...and if it's the Carribbean, let me know which resort is the best!
I need help choosing between going to Moorea & Bora Bora or the Carribbean for my honeymoon in April 2004. Our budget is around $6,000 - so do we go to an all inclusive resort in the Carribbean OR go to FP and be more conservative with our spending -- I heard it was very expensive there? It's our honeymoon so we want to: relax, have fun together, see beautiful beaches.. you know the normal honeymoon stuff. Please let me know which you recommend...and if it's the Carribbean, let me know which resort is the best!
Sep 17th, 2003, 02:23 PM
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Don't know if I mentioned this yet in this ongoing discussion of your plans, but you might want to consider the Cook Islands. They have a similar lagoon environment as French Polynesia (though no true overwater bungalows) - but are a whole lot cheaper. We rented a house for a week directly on Rarotongas' lagoon (rather similar to Moorea), spent a week at a beachside resort on Aitutaki (often compared to Bora Bora), then spend a third week at another beachside house back on Raro, all for about the same cost as a single week in a French Polynesia overwater bungalow.
Other than the Aitutaki Pacific Resort and the Aitutaki Pearl Beach, most places in the Cooks are very reasonably priced (though admittedly, not quite as fancy as those places in FP).
Not quite as beautiful as FP - but pretty darned close (and more friendly in my opinion).
Ken
Other than the Aitutaki Pacific Resort and the Aitutaki Pearl Beach, most places in the Cooks are very reasonably priced (though admittedly, not quite as fancy as those places in FP).
Not quite as beautiful as FP - but pretty darned close (and more friendly in my opinion).
Ken
Sep 18th, 2003, 04:35 PM
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Hi ChelJosh,
You don't say what part of the country you're from which has a bearing on both locations...(travel time and cost of airline tickets factoring into your budget). For example, I'm on the West Coast, and for many of the Caribbean islands, clients could go to Australia for the amount of time it would take them to get to Aruba, say, from San Francisco! The amount of plane changes and flight times in most cases don't make it worthwhile for a week long relaxing honeymoon! Now, if you're from the East Coast, the opposite is true.
That said, yes, Fr. Poly. IS expensive. Both food and booze (I tell clients, figure on $10 for a burger
I've stayed at nearly all the Sandals resorts in Jamaica, (for example) and the best thing about the all-inclusive factor there is that you know upfront exactly what you're paying before you go - I've stayed for a week and spent $20 on some rum and a t-shirt! You DO need to be careful with the all-inclusives as some resorts feature strictly buffet type meals (like Club Med) where Sandals resorts, for example, have at least 4 different restaurants to choose from at each resort.
Hope this helps!
Melodie
You don't say what part of the country you're from which has a bearing on both locations...(travel time and cost of airline tickets factoring into your budget). For example, I'm on the West Coast, and for many of the Caribbean islands, clients could go to Australia for the amount of time it would take them to get to Aruba, say, from San Francisco! The amount of plane changes and flight times in most cases don't make it worthwhile for a week long relaxing honeymoon! Now, if you're from the East Coast, the opposite is true.
That said, yes, Fr. Poly. IS expensive. Both food and booze (I tell clients, figure on $10 for a burger
I've stayed at nearly all the Sandals resorts in Jamaica, (for example) and the best thing about the all-inclusive factor there is that you know upfront exactly what you're paying before you go - I've stayed for a week and spent $20 on some rum and a t-shirt! You DO need to be careful with the all-inclusives as some resorts feature strictly buffet type meals (like Club Med) where Sandals resorts, for example, have at least 4 different restaurants to choose from at each resort.Hope this helps!
Melodie
Sep 18th, 2003, 06:17 PM
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Remember that April is still hi-season in the Caribbean and Easter holiday/spring breaks fall in there somewhere. And it's Easter holiday in the Pacific for travelers from New Zealand and Australia as well as Americans.
Whichever destination you choose, do it as a "package" with the air and land combined - don't unbundle it. With a package to Tahiti the air from LAX can be as low as $1000 each, so $4000 can buy you a good land portion.
In a previous post for Tahiti you indicated a price of $4800 total, plus your cost for meals. And don't knock yourself out on the Over-the-Water bungalows. Friends had booked an OTW and after 2nd day, moved to a beach (or garden, don't recall which) bungalow - there was too much "traffic" past the OTW, noise, and people looking or trying to look-in.
Also remember that this is your honeymoon, not mine or any poster - sometimes too many recommendatons gets very confusing. What do you want to do and see during this time? Maybe an island isn't even it!
We met lots of honeymooners in Thailand; Bali is a wonderful option and there are decents deals (they're hungry for business since the attack last October); and lots of honeymooners are going to Africa for safari.
I might have just added more confusion for you. Sorry.
Whichever destination you choose, do it as a "package" with the air and land combined - don't unbundle it. With a package to Tahiti the air from LAX can be as low as $1000 each, so $4000 can buy you a good land portion.
In a previous post for Tahiti you indicated a price of $4800 total, plus your cost for meals. And don't knock yourself out on the Over-the-Water bungalows. Friends had booked an OTW and after 2nd day, moved to a beach (or garden, don't recall which) bungalow - there was too much "traffic" past the OTW, noise, and people looking or trying to look-in.
Also remember that this is your honeymoon, not mine or any poster - sometimes too many recommendatons gets very confusing. What do you want to do and see during this time? Maybe an island isn't even it!
We met lots of honeymooners in Thailand; Bali is a wonderful option and there are decents deals (they're hungry for business since the attack last October); and lots of honeymooners are going to Africa for safari.
I might have just added more confusion for you. Sorry.
Sep 20th, 2003, 07:47 PM
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Can't decide for you!
But I do sympathize. Maybe FP is not for you. Some of the nicest beaches and best service at reasonable cost are in Asia. As per previous post maybe you should think about Thailand - Phuket or Koh Samui have fantastic beaches and very good packages usually. In Phuket anyways there are a lot of interesting diversions such as day trips,diving,kayaking etc in marvelous scenery. Bali has some of the best resorts in the world at bargain prices. Some of these offer semi all inclusive. Bali has decent beaches around Nusa Dua and remarkable cultural experiences, scenic and shopping excursions available.
Do you want something exotic or more westernized? Caribbean is OK but not as exotic as Pacific or Asia. I'm sure you can relax and have fun anywhere. As for beautiful beaches I choose Thailand. Lots of good beaches in the Caribbean and all inclusives- I can personally recommend Rio Palace in Riviera Maya Mexico.
Hey it's a big world out there with many great places to travel to. If you plan to travel a lot then you can pick one place for your honeymoon and do the other places later.
Bon Voyage! Chris.
But I do sympathize. Maybe FP is not for you. Some of the nicest beaches and best service at reasonable cost are in Asia. As per previous post maybe you should think about Thailand - Phuket or Koh Samui have fantastic beaches and very good packages usually. In Phuket anyways there are a lot of interesting diversions such as day trips,diving,kayaking etc in marvelous scenery. Bali has some of the best resorts in the world at bargain prices. Some of these offer semi all inclusive. Bali has decent beaches around Nusa Dua and remarkable cultural experiences, scenic and shopping excursions available.
Do you want something exotic or more westernized? Caribbean is OK but not as exotic as Pacific or Asia. I'm sure you can relax and have fun anywhere. As for beautiful beaches I choose Thailand. Lots of good beaches in the Caribbean and all inclusives- I can personally recommend Rio Palace in Riviera Maya Mexico.
Hey it's a big world out there with many great places to travel to. If you plan to travel a lot then you can pick one place for your honeymoon and do the other places later.
Bon Voyage! Chris.
