Honeymoon
 

My fiance and I will be getting married in July, and are wanting to get as much planned early on as possible. And since the honeymoon is really important to us... it's high on the list. We know we want to go to some place tropical, and yet not in the US. So I'm thinking... Caribbean, Bahamas, South Pacific. We will be staying somewhere for probably 6 or 7 days, and want to have activities at our disposal, such as snorkeling, diving, hiking, etc. Basically we want to be able to relax (not a bunch of kids running around), yet also have access to activities. We are open to All Inclusive resorts, but want to stay away from the party atmosphere.
Suggestions please :)

I would say one of the Secrets resorts would suit your needs. They have Secrets Excellence in Punta Cana. Then there are Secrets Capri and Secrets Excellence in Riviera Maya, Mexico. We stayed at Secrets Excellence in Punta Cana. It is an adults only AI. There is a two person jacuzzi right in each room. They have a great beach,wonderful pool, and great food. There are plenty of activities if you want to participate, or you can just relax in the sun. It is adults only, but not at all a wild party atmosphere. They have a lot of honeymooners there. In fact we saw quite a few weddings while we were there.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Marriage seems to be in the air today on the Fodor website.

Of course, to properly answer your question, you should let us know how much you're looking to spend and whether you care about nightlife, high quality restaurants, shopping, etc.

The fact that you mention the South Pacific as a possible destination leads me to think that you're not looking for low-end accommodations. Based on what you've written, I'd suggest Cap Juluca in Anguilla which sits on a fantastic beach and has access to snorkeling and diving (a short drive from the resort). Now, to be fair, other islands have better snorkeling, others have better diving and many others have much better hiking. But Anguilla does have each of these activities and its beaches and restaurants are some of the best in the Caribbean. And Cap Juluca is arguably the nicest of all of Anguilla's wonderful resorts. If you're interested, check out this information on the sort of honeymoon package they offer (including prices) - http://www.capjuluca.com/romanticrendevous.asp.

Congrats on getting married. In order for this thread to be productive for you, you really need to provide more relevant information so you can get suggestions.

For instance, you should provide an estimation of your general budget b/c you can spend $50/night to thousands of dollars a night on the same island. Similarly, the airfare to the Caribbean can differ dramatically from island to island. Generally, the cheapest Caribbean island is probably Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, while the more expensive ones are Anguilla (pricey restauarants) and St. Barts.

What is most important to you, an awesome, white sand beach or a lush vegetation that you can explore? This makes a difference in the type of island you'll want to go to.

Lastly, the South Pacific probably isn't an option if you're only going for 6 or 7 days (meaning 5 or 6 nights?), because it will take a long, long time to get there so you'll want to be there for a longer amount of time.

I went to Turks and Caicos for my honeymoon. The most popular Caribbean islands (& resorts) for honeymoons seem to be Anguilla (Cap Jaluca $$$$ & Cuisinart $$$), St. John, USVI (Caneel Bay $$$$), the BVI's generally (Little Dix Bay, Peter Island Resort, Biras Creek, all $$$$), and St. Lucia (Ladera $$$$, Jalouise $$$ & Ti Kaye Village $$-$$$).

Perhaps you should read the "destination" section on the orange banner above to get a better idea of the respective islands. Additonally, there are many, many past honeymoon threads on this board. By using the search feature and typing something like "honeymoon ideas" you will be able to retrieve these past threads.

Forgive me for those unexplainable emoticons in my post above. I have no idea how that happened, and probably couldn't make it happen again if I tried!

The most beautiful and romantic place in the world is French Polynesia in the South Pacific. (Don't just take my word for it; James Michner wrote that too.) It can be pretty expensive, but worth it. Moorea and Bora Bora are the top spots, with beautiful beaches, incredible snorkeling, magnificent scenery, great food, interesting activities, and truly lovely accomodations. For a really special experience, get an over-the-water bungalow on Bora Bora. They have glass-topped coffee tables to let you see right down onto the reef. Check out TahitiLegends.com for knowledgeable folks and excellent package prices. Trust me; if you go there, this will be the most special trip you will ever take. I know it was for us.