Hello,

Can someone recommend a great place to honeymoon in early May or early April? We are looking at Fiji, Tahiti, Cook Islands...

We would like some more luxury than we're used to, but don't have a huge budget.

Thanks,
Susan

Not sure how long you will have but Fiji would be a good idea. The Blue Lagoon cruise is absolutely beautiful( although of course you would not be alone). Some time on one of the islands and a few days on that cruise would be something you will always remember ( take it from one who has done it!). I'm sure Tahiti would be beautiful but very expensive.Enjoy whatever you decide on!

Where are you flying from, how long do you want to stay, and what is your budget? The answer to thse 3 questions will help you decide where is right for you.

As Peteralan says, Tahiti (ie French Polynesia in general) is beautiful but expensive - partly because there are few mid-range places to stay. With their incredible overwater bungalows, the islands of FP are gorgeous (Tahiti itself though should NOT be your final destination). Pretty much the ultimate in romance and beauty however.

Cooks are nearly as beautiful but not nearly as expensive - partly because there are lots of mid-range places to stay (the high-end places are getting to be pretty pricey). I actually prefer the Cooks over FP.

Haven't been be Fiji, but from what I've heard, it can be either pretty reasonable or very expensive (there are lots of places with different price ranges).

Ken

Hi there!

Congratulations, by the way!

In addition to considering how far you're flying, your budget, etc, you need to think about what you're looking for for your honeymoon.

We honeymooned in Fiji last year, and just LOVED it!!!!

If you're into natural beauty, learning about other cultures, an unbelievably warm and generous people, if you like to hike, scuba dive, snorkel, kayak, this is the place for you!!

However, if you're looking to lounge by the pool and people watch and then swim up to the bar, and then watch tv, or go to the nightclubs.... then do NOT go to Fiji. You can do that closer to home for a lot less money.

I'm only giving you the heads up b/c we met other Americans who were expecting the Hilton or Sheraton or whatever, and were pretty disappointed.

We were at Nukubati, which seems to get a bum rap on the boards, but we would give our right arms to get on a plane tomorrow to go back.

If you're looking for more of a beachy type place, head to the western part of the country, from what I understand.

Good luck,
Kim

Hi there!

Congratulations, by the way!

In addition to considering how far you're flying, your budget, etc, you need to think about what you're looking for for your honeymoon.

We honeymooned in Fiji last year, and just LOVED it!!!!

If you're into natural beauty, learning about other cultures, an unbelievably warm and generous people, if you like to hike, scuba dive, snorkel, kayak, this is the place for you!!

However, if you're looking to lounge by the pool and people watch and then swim up to the bar, and then watch tv, or go to the nightclubs.... then do NOT go to Fiji. You can do that closer to home for a lot less money.

I'm only giving you the heads up b/c we met other Americans who were expecting the Hilton or Sheraton or whatever, and were pretty disappointed.

We were at Nukubati, which seems to get a bum rap on the boards, but we would give our right arms to get on a plane tomorrow to go back.

I would also recommend doing the day room routine at First Landing Resort; it was the PERFECT way to end our trip!! Private torchlit dinner on the beach, the works.

If you're looking for more of a beachy type place, head to the western part of the country, from what I understand.

Good luck,
Kim

Thank you all so much...and as you pointed out, I guess I did leave some important details out. We would be flying from Montreal, Canada, which is where it can get tricky - we're far! We'd like to stay 2 weeks, but 10 days is ok, too. As for budget, we haven't exactly established one yet, but we just want something "reasonable" - I guess that's vague, but we're just getting started on research.

As for our interests, we want the excuse to sit and veg since we NEVER do that, but we need activities available because though we'll try and realx, we won't be able to do that for so long! And the less "Americanized", the better!

It sounds to me like the Cook Islands are the way to go, am I right?

Thanks again!

Well, I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion that the Cooks are the best choice. I really do believe that any of these 3 places would be great, so try not to agonize too much over your choice of which country to see.

Anyway, I've written a lot about FP and the Cooks, far more than I could post here, so if you've not yet seen them, you might take a look at my set of trip reports (http://www.epinions.com/user-lordbal..._~1/pa_~1#list).

Note that if you do choose to do that, be sure and check out some other Epinions writers as well as the review posts on TripAdvisor.com (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g...Vacations.html). This will ensure that you are well informed and that you get a variety of viewpoints.

Now, as for specifics, if you choose the Cooks and go for 10 days or more, you should definitely hit both Rarotonga and Aitutaki as they are very different from each other (though both are beautiful). Nicest resort on Raro is usually considered to be the Pacific Resort (http://www.pacificresort.com/) at Muri Beach. A bit pricey though. My personal favorite on the island though is the Palm Grove (http://www.palmgrove.net/). It's only about 100 yards up the beach from the rental house we stayed in so I know the waters well and they are perfect.

On Aitutaki the nicest place (I think) is probably again, the Pacific Resort (same web site as above) - probably the nicest resort anywhere in the Cooks, followed by the Aiutaki Lagoon Resort (http://www.aitutakilagoonresort.com/) - though I would avoid the very cheapest units there. Both are expensive however. We stayed at the high/mid-ranged Are Tamanu (http://www.aretamanu.com/) and loved it. Aitutaki is a bit scarce of mid-range places, most being lower-end or higher-end.

Airfare to the Cooks tends to be high, though that has eased a bit now that Aloha is flying there from Honolulu (you should be able to fly them from Vancouver or Seattle, with a stop in Hawaii). The only other airline that goes to the Cooks is Air New Zealand (from LAX, with (I think) a brief stop in Tahiti). We booked with them (Aloha was not going to the Cooks at the time) though Jetsave (http://www.jetsave.co.ck/) on Raro and it cost us just under $1000 USD/PP. I think it may be cheaper now and seem to remember a deal for $700 or so.

Hope this helps you get started on your trip planning. Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Ken

PS: I think that April/May would be a great time to head to that part of the world.

My husband and I went to Yasawa Island Resort in Fiji in late April/early May of 2002 for our anniversay and it was incredible. It might fall in the upper end of your budget bracket though, but worth the splurge I think. Everything about the place was wonderful - incredible people, beautiful beaches, amazing bures, great food...and on and on. The weather was really good as well. Had a couple rainy days the last few of April, but once May 1st hit it was sunny the remainder of our stay. We stayed for 10 days since we came from the eastern US and it took a couple days to get used to the time/date change. Would go back in a heartbeat....and definitely hope to someday!

That being said, the Fijians in general are a wonderfully friendly people and I don't think you could go wrong anywhere in the country.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks to everyone for their great info! Looks like we may have to save this trip - seems to be out of our budget no matter how you slice it. I won't give up just yet, though!

Thanks again,
Susan