Matt

I'm trying to plan my July 2001 honeymoon, but I'm not sure where to go! I was originally planning on the Caribbean b/c it would be cheaper than Hawaii (coming from the East Coast), but it seems I'll be limited to Aruba since it's the beginning of the Hurricane season. But, the more I read about Aruba, it just doesn't seem to be what we're looking for - tropical paradise, romantic, beautiful beaches, scuba diving, etc. Is there somewhere I'm not looking? Is Hawaii really that much more expensive? FYI - We'll take about a week and a half and don't want to spend more than $5K.

Lisa

Definitely go to Hawaii !!!!!!!!! <BR>Beautiful & tropical. Lots of color. <BR>Ocean, Mountains, flowers etc... <BR>You can probably swing 5g's if you go to Oahu. It's Beautiful there.... <BR>Make sure you go to Hanuma bay to snorkel. Lots more places to see if you go to Hawaii verses Aruba. They also have great sunsets !!!!

Debi

Matt - I agree with the previous poster about picking Hawaii. I would, however, not go to Oahu - I would go to Maui or one of the other islands. Maui is fabulous. Very romantic - beautiful any time of the year. With good planning, I think you could definitely do it for 5K. It was awhile ago, but I stayed at the Condos at Kapalua Bay. They were fabulous - right on a golf course, overlooking Lanai. Wonderful - and alot more reasonable than a hotel. But, there are all kinds of packages for hotels there. The expense will be the flight - but you can probably get creative there, as well..... Congratulations, by the way!

steve

Been to Hawaii 10-15 times. Some advice:If you go to Oahu don't stay on Waikiki..junky tourist trap. Maui: too windy on Kaanapali side this time of year...try Wailea (not Kihei next door). Kauai: Hanalei and Princeville areas are unswimmable in the winter, thoUgh gorgeous in the summer. Poipu area is most popular, but too many kids.Big Island...after Wailea, my fave:Check out Kona Village AND The new Four Seasons nearby (very romantic and relaxing, probably worth a couple of extra bucks) Stay away from hotels in the town of K-Kona, and stay away from hILO.

Rick Gillar

Go to HAWAII!!! Try at Travel Agency for a good cheap package. I disagree about staying on Waikiki beach! We love it there. You are in a city, but laying on the beach looking at Diamond Head, etc. etc. - is great. If you can get a good deal at the OUTRIGGER On the Beach hotel accross from the International Hotel!! - it is GREAT!! <BR>Better beach and swimming area and great scenery and DUKE's is best lively place to EAT, DRINK, and entertainment. <BR>All open -inside-outside restaurant and bar. -- ALSO if you call SHERATON WAIKIKI - 1st toll free reservations and see if they have OCEAN FRONT with balcony facing Diamon Head, with $ 25.00 <BR>FOOD credit, and Transfers from airport, and 5th night free!! It is called Super Saver 5th night free. It comes out to just $ 225.00 per night and you don't pay for the 5th night. Great deal and I stayed there on my honeymoon. Any more information- e-mail me privately. Restaurants, etc.

wallace

Just a question, we've been thinking about going to Hawaii, but are in love with the BVI. Are there any small, private getaways in Hawaii like Peter Island or Biras Creek or Little Dix. I get the impression mostly large Hotels or Condo Complexes. Just curious.

Will

You should consider Fiji. You could have a fantastic honeymoon for $5k.

steve

Agree with Fiji. Great deal for the money. Especially good for diving. Nothin' to do at night. In Hawaii, the closest thing to it is the Kona village resort, but Fiji is like Hawaii probably was 100 years ago.

Jen

Matt, <BR>Definitely Hawaii - been there twice & would go again. You'll probably get a better deal going to Oahu. Oahu's best spots are outside of the city. Hike Diamond Head. We met a tourguide there who took us on a small, private & inexpensive tour where we hiked & went swimming under a waterfall. Pearl Harbor was quite an experience - very emotional. Drive up the coast to the North Shore to see the surfers. It's very laid back there. The airfare between the islands is reasonable & you can find cheap hotels by checking with the Fodor's guide. Kaui has incredible cliffs & rainbows galore! I highly recommend the helicopter tour. The Big Island - Kona side: Hapuna Beach is absolutely the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. Visit some of the pricey hotels where you can swim with the dolphins, etc. I saw the volcanoes during the day, but would see them at night next time. Maui has great beaches too. Congratulations & best wishes!

Cheri

I disagree with all previous posters. I guess a hurricane is possible in July but that isn't the height of the hurricane season. Hawaii doesn't have white sand beaches (brown sand) and I've heard the ocean is not nearly as pretty as the Caribbean.

cheri

go to hawaii. went last sept.excellent.did ten days on the norwegian wind,visited maui,kaui,both sides of big island and oahu,$1750.00 per person.then spent a week on oahu at the kahala mandarin for $245.00 including buffet breakfast.you could call this a resort on oahu. away from the crowds,just take the shuttle when you want some excitement.no one on the beach,swim with their dolphins ,food excellent,upscale service.rooms to die for.check out there website. i was terrible spoiled. spent the mornings shopping in waikiki and the afternoons hanging out at dukes(excellent!!!!).you might need to rent a car for late night excitement.last shutle 8:30.p.m. 1st come 1st on shuttle.we were always to tired after our long days.going back in august.spending time on my two favroite island.maui-3 nights at kea lani hotel (luxury all suites resort) in wailea,buffet breakfasts included ,car rental for four days. air fare from new jersey to maui(stopping in dallas) and air fare from maui to oahu.purchased package from liberty travel for $2,800. purchased seperate accomdations in oahu with hilton vacation club.staying in new time share tower for 5 nights for $699.00. excellent place,semi self contained on several (16?) acres. you can definitely go cheaper than either of the two i mentioned.but i wanted to go first class. i thought the first time would be the only time i would get there. found out it was cheaper to back versus spending ten days with sandals.even though meals are included we usually only ate the buffet breakfast,appetizers at dukes during the day.not that we were hungry.dinner at the hotel bar-appetizers twice.room service at kahala mandarin-excellent-late night about nine($60.00,service was the same as if i had eaten in the restaurant) after a wonderful bath,ate in robes and slippers they provided.had an excellent dinner at their restaurant hoku's(i think), fish dinner for two was about $100.00.enough food for four-a huge 14-16" fish whole but fileted so it look like the fish had wings. i better stop i could go on forever. please try hawaii if theses prices are to high try the outrigger where dukes is located. it looked very nice. just wanted to let you know that all of oahu is not skyscrapers.e-mail me if i can help. have fun wherever you decide.

cheri

forgot to tell you we had an entertainment book for hawaii. did at least eight, two for ones on activities saved at from $40.00 to eight on certain ones. total savings about $400.00. some require reservations. did all mine before i left the mainland( don't say" the states". they are! ).l didn't get to use it much for food. we were to lazy to leave dukes. dont! don't go to "top of waikiki".went for lunch-awful.remined me of a diner.i'm sure it was great in it's day.

lib

Consider Moorea, Tahiti. We were there last June. Our summer is their winter and best time to go because it is less rainy there. You probably will be hard pressed to find a more romantic place. With the thatched roof bungalows, no tv, no telephone and no radio, it was wonderful and plenty of great restaurants.

Mark

Are you guys kidding? Fiji? <BR>Fiji must be the worst island I have ever been to. Matt is flying from the east coast where I am from. I have been to Hawaii twice and just about every island in the Caribbean. Hawaii is nice because of the people and the scenery and it's one the states in the Union. So the standards are high. Fiji is a pure dump. Nothing to do. And the flight from the east coast will be farther than Hawaii. I have never been to such a backward country. If you want to spend your honeymoon in a ghetto/slum <BR>then go ahead and head for Fiji. July is too early for the hurricanes. I would go to either St. Barths or Bermuda if you decide on the Caribbean. <BR>The only drawback that I see with Hawaii is the long flight and the time difference. Either way, have fun on your honeymoon.

Carrie

I've never been to Aruba but have been hearing the same things you have about not being exactly what you want for your honeymoon. I've been to Maui and its fabulous. It is expensive but worth every penny. I loved it and it far exceeded all my expectations. <BR> <BR>I'm planning my honeymoon for October and have run into the exact same dilemma...hurricanes. I want to go someplace warm, beautiful, clean and romantic and I've heard that that place is not Aruba. <BR> <BR>Have you thought about going to Europe at all...the Greek Islands or the Amalfi Coast and Capri in Italy? I'm checking out those options now.

penny

July is very early hurricane season, so I would go with it. The season gets very active in August and September(peak around the 10), many caribbean hotels are closed in September and part or all of October. This thread sure confused me!

Michelle

Wow! Aruba definitely getting some bad marks. I visited Aruba in June of 99 and did not want to leave. In fact, I will be honeymooning there in Aug. For everyone I know that has visited there, not one neg. remark. I can say tropical you will not find on an island that receives only 12 inches of rainfall a year. Very dry and desert like. There is plenty to do there. Water sports galore, including snorkeling and scuba diving. The waters are riddled with wrecks to discover. The coastlines away from the tourist areas are breathtaking and small hidden beaches are everywhere. Great nightlife and casinos also. We will be doing plenty of things on this trip that we didn't have a chance to do the first time. The way it sounds though, your gut feeling is telling you Hawaii, which is definitely tropical and would be able to provide you with more seclusion and romance. My friends honeymooned in Hawaii and loved it. Get yourself a good travel agent and start crunching numbers. Save Aruba for another time, perhaps a one year anniversary celebration. See why Aruba's license plates bare the phrase "One Happy Island". Congrats and best wishes.

grace

I've never been to Aruba, nor do I care to go. I've never heard anything to draw me there - unless you're big windsurgers or gamblers. <BR>Hawaii, on the other hand, is so much more than I ever imagined! I was on Waikiki, then Maui (Ritz, Kapalua) and then the Big Island. I liked Maui best. The Ritz is a special property, but the weather was if-y (we went in May). We drove into town (was it Lahaina?) each day and used the public beaches or tried to swindle chairs at the Hyatt, I believe. <BR>Maui was magical. It's so much more lush and green than I imagined. The Big Island is the most diverse, I think. We stayed at a big hotel in Waikoloa (was it a Hilton - it had a tram and a dolphin pool), but found it WAY too inhabited by kids. (Should have known when I read about the dolphin pool and tram, don't you think?). Definitely go to a Roy's for dinner and definitely take the off-the-beaten-track hikes to waterfalls and private beaches. <BR>Hawaii is a very special place. After I visited, I raved about it so much (and I'm a harsh critic), that my two closest friends went on their respective honeymoons there. Princeville resort, although posch, was rainy. The four-star Sheraton got good marks in Kauai. <BR>Can you use American Express points or mileage plus/air miles for hotel accommodations to cut down on your cost? That's how we stayed at the Ritz -it's a Marriott property. <BR>

Kim

May I suggest St.Lucia--beaches, tropical, lush, rain forests, even mountains. As close to Hawaii you will find in the caribbean. July really is too early to worry too much about hurricanes. If you were honeymooning in Sept. I would say otherwise. Besides, St. Lucia is really almost out of the hurricane belt--far South.

Paul

Hawaii is a better bet. Avoid the overcrowded places like Maui and Waikiki (Oahu). Kona coast on the big island is beautful, so is Kauai - northern end, Princeville area.