jfox

Any have advice on which place is most suitable for a quiet, relaxing honeymoon at the end of September? If Mexico, where would you suggest? Thanks.

eileen

I have been to Aruba, Barbados and Mexico and would be happy to give you some input but some more info would be helpful -- what do you like to do, what type of resort are you interested in, what things are high priority, what not. Also, do you have a budget?

jfox

hi. budget is $3000-$4000. prefer a low-key resort. have been interested in puerto vallarto and playa del carmen, as they seem like a good blend of beach and culture. interested in aruba mainly because it's outside the hurricane zone and bicuti beach resort sounds nice. barbados is probably more our taste than aruba but there seems to be a higher possibility of hurricane. we're planning on a 7-10 honeymoon. thanks.

Lisa`

The Bucuti in Aruba is a GREAT choice! Small with excellent service on a huge beach. Also, you won't find children as they do not have a children's program. Aruba also has some of the finest dining and yes it is out of the hurricane belt. We go every November and get the best deals thru Travel Center at http://www.travelunlimited.com

eileen

One great Mexican resort, very reasonable is the Pierre Marques about a half hour outside Acapulco. It is run by Fairmont now. It is pretty low-key, and if you want more activity you can take their shuttle to the sister property - Acapulco Princess. We were there in 98 and loved it and since then Fairmont has taken over and I hear it is even better. www.fairmont.com. I recommend Barbados over Aruba if you want lots of scenery, and more Caribbean culture -- Aruba is flat, dry and very Americanized but yes, it is less of a hurricane risk although I just read a book that said Barbados was low risk also. There are lots of small, low-key properties on Barbados -- The Coral Reef Club and The Sandpiper (operated by the same family) gets good marks - I haven't been there so don't know first hand. I have Grenada on my list of destinations and one hotel you might check out is La Luna, very small, just opened, www.laluna.com P.S. I was in Aruba last year and visited Bucuti because so many people rave about it but I was not impressed. It's basically a small hotel with a pool, that's it. I think folks should have something special for their honeymoon so I would never recommend it. I think if I had to pick I would choose Barbados, my husband and I went there when we were in our late 20's and had a great time exploring the island. Also a huge choice of properties, check them out on www.wheretostay.com (sorry to plug another website but it is great).

Kay

Eileen, <BR>We went on our honeymoon to Mexico last September. We went to Playa del Carmen and stayed at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort.(about 20 mins outside of the town) I think the resort is only two years old. We had an amazing time. The resort is beautiful...and huge,two large pools with swim up bars, the beach was beautiful and not over crowded at all. Sept is Mexico's rainy season, we learned our lesson early on in our trip...when it starts to rain, go to the pool bar for a cocktail, the rain will pass in 5-10 minutes. My only suggestion, if you want fast service, make sure you tip, even a dollar can make a whole lot of difference. e-mail direct if yu want info on tours and how to save some $$$ when you are down there. good luck!

Kris

I stayed at Aruba Sonesta Suites last summer and had a wonderful time. The resorts' private island of the coast was very relaxed and quiet. The dining around the hotel was also incredible. I would definately recommend it.