shari morgan

We had our hearts set on St. Lucia for our honeymoon until we realized that late August is hurrican season. Now we're stuck on where to go. We want something very romantic and somewhat private and quiet...nothing touristy. We want beautiful beaches and water and lush grounds, good food, under $5,000 for everything. Where is the best place for a honeymoon...which hotel? Thanks!!

Lee

Shari, Unfortunately, nearly all of the Caribbean is in the same predicament: It can be great, it can be terrible. <BR> <BR>Although not lush, it's very arid, Aruba is not considered in the "hurricane belt" and temps are typically the same all year long. <BR> <BR>I'm not sure about prices, but the Marriott on Palm Beach is a great place and August is the "off" season (not as busy, less $$$). Don't go all-inclusive here as the choices of restaurants are almost endless. You could go snorkeling, stroll from hotel to hotel and have a drink and swim, rent scooters and explore the smallish island, take a sunset cruise... <BR> <BR>Check it out, it may be what you are looking for. Good luck. <BR>

jenni

My husband and I planned a trip to St. Lucia for our honeymoon in August of 1996 and ended up never getting on the plane because of the weather reports. We ended up leaving a day later and going to Aruba. I didn't dare ask any of the passengers back in Boston how the weather was in St. Lucia that week for fear it would've been fine. I had my heart set on St. Lucia. Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao are supposed to be out of the hurricaine belt and are safe that time of year. Good luck and have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon - wherever you land!

jen

Shari, Aruba is a very popular honeymoon destination and the Allegro resort is a great property with an all inclusive. Food and drinks can be pretty expensive any where in the Caribbean. email me if you have any questions, I probably can help.

angela

Shari, <BR> We went to Aruba in September of this year. It was excellent. I would not stay at an All-Inclusive if I were you. We found that the food was not terribly overpriced and the meals were more than we could eat. We stayed at the Marriott and really enjoyed the facility as well as the beach. My best friends stayed at the Allegro for their honeymoon and really didn't care for it very much. I have also been to Hawaii around the same time frame and that was also wonderful. No weather problems there. We went for 8 days to Maui and hotel and air cost about $3000.00. We had other friends who were married in September and it rained their whole honeymoon in St Lucia. Did you ever consider a cruise? I was told that they would re route you if there is weather conditions that are unsuitable. I hope that you figure something out and have a great time anyway.

janet

If you are set on the Caribbean, Aruba is probably your best bet; but, you should also consider Hawaii. I am sure you could get a package to fit your budget. Maui and Kauai should suit you nicely.

DJ

If your hearts are NOT set on the Caribbean, and you want to keep the costs down, try the Canary Islands! They are volcanic islands (think: Hawaii) off the coast of Morrocco, which are a territory of Spain. You get better quality accommodations/food/etc for 1/2 the price. Flights connect in Madrid. Many hotel prices include breakfast which is a full spread (more like brunch). Really nice resort hotels are in the $150/night range -- comparable to what you'd find in the Carribbean for $300/night. So few Americans go there, that anyone who heard us speaking English to each other assumed we were British. You can definitely do 2 weeks in the Canaries for under $5000 -- more likely it'll be around $4000. The beaches are gorgeous. We liked the Sir Anthony on Tenerife...but there are many nice resorts. And you definitely won't get stuck in a hurricane! The temp in July when we were there was about 88 degrees during the day, and about 70 degrees at night.

shari

Thank you everyone for all of your help. We are looking into Aruba...should be nice!

Jeff

<BR> <BR>I do not agree with DJ that the canary islands provide better accomodations, islands such as Aruba, Bermuda and Cayman islands beet the Canary islands in Quality, Cleanliness and safety. <BR> <BR>Yes the Canary Islands do provide cheap accomodations but the quality does not come near those of Aruba and Bermuda. <BR> <BR>Shari you will definately enjoy Aruba..for more tips of the island try <BR> <BR>www.aruba.com <BR>www.visitaruba.com <BR>www.arubatourism.com <BR> <BR>These sites will provide you will a wealth of information. <BR>