Honeymoon Advice
 

Like another "poster", I am also looking for a nice honeymoon destination for one week in the carribean in April 2003. I have looked at many of the resorts suggested (ie, Cap Juluca, Jumby Bay, Peter Island, etc...) and they do seem great- but the price tags are all over $5000 without airfare, which is more than I would like to spend. Does anyone know of any other more casual places that are really nice too? What about TiKaye Village in St. Lucia? They have some nice packages under $2500.

Jen - I just returned from my weddingmoon in Antigua a month ago. We stayed at Sandals and had a wonderful time. The resort is nice, very romantic and laid back. The landscaping is amazing and the beach is breathtaking with soft powder-like sand, aquamarine water and wonderful sunsets. We paid $5,000 with airfare and all and stayed in the grand luxe beachfront concierge level. <BR><BR>Now I know Sandals is not for everyone, but this was our first Sandals experience and we didn't have any complaints when we left. They are running 35% off right now and you can find pretty good deals on sites like:<BR><BR>http://www.all-inclusive.com/newsite/index.cfm <BR><BR>http://www.allinclusivedeals.com/ <BR><BR>http://www.vacmart.com/ct/bargains.cfm?i_id=0 <BR><BR>I can't say enough great things about this resort. I will say that I would not pay full price for Sandals but what we paid was worth every penny. So I am not one of those &quot;Sandals lovers&quot; where I won't stay anywhere else. But I truly couldn't have imagined a better vacation. This resort won't disappoint! I can answer any questions you have, feel free to email me. I also have lots of pictures I can forward to you. Congrats and good luck with where ever you choose to go!

Check out Frangipani and CuisinArt, prices, deals, packages are good!

Hey Jen,<BR><BR>just my two cents.....<BR><BR>we priced out all of the resorts you mentioned and felt the same thing - far too expensive for a week - especially when most of them are difficult to get to and you spend a day traveling each way. <BR><BR>We tried Swept Away in Jamaica and thought it was great. There are direct flights from most large centres to Montego Bay - and then a 1 hour bus ride to Negril. Swept Away is a laid back all inclusive with a great beach, all the water activities, best sports and fitness complex in the Caribbean, great food and service. We estimated it would cost us about $9000 - $10,000 Canadian dollars to stay at the places you mentioned - and it cost us half that at SA. The 17% service charge on everything at the high end resorts really adds up.<BR><BR>Do a search on the place on this forum and others and you'll find what others thought.<BR><BR>Good luck.

Jen - Ti Kaye is a very nice place, a good value, and great if you want to get away from it all. It's remoteness may be a bit of a drawback depending if you have a desire to go exploring or head off property for any meals. <BR><BR>A simlar type resort which I would highly recommend is Stonefield Estate. It is located just above the town of Soufriere, further South along the Western Coast. There are 12 villas situated on a 26 acre former Cocoa estate. The location of the Estate on the flank of Petit Piton provides some of the best views in St. Lucia (arguably as good as Ladera). The villas are quite large, very private, and furnished with locally built furniture and antiques. I also found the location ideally suited for exploring some of the more notable attractions in St. Lucia: the fishing village of Soufriere, Soufriere Sulphur SPrings, Diamond Botanical Gardens &amp; Falls, the Central Rainforest Reserve, and some nice beaches (Anse de Piton/Jalousie and Anse Chastinet). I definitely recommend Stonefield if you are looking for a casually elagant villa type resort...Sandals this is not.<BR><BR>You should also consider Ladera. Again, perfect place to chill out and soak in the amazing and unique beauty of St. Lucia, but definitely a bit more expensive.<BR><BR>If you want more &quot;amenities&quot; (telephones &amp; tv's) and want to be closer to the beach, I would suggest the Jalousie Hilton. Perfectly situated between the Pitons, it has about 100 individual villas, all with there own plunge pools. There is also a beautiful white sand beach with a dive/snorkelling center. I 'll also note that both Ladera and Stonefield have free shuttles to this beach. Again, Jalousie is a bit more expensive, although you may be able to find some steeply discounted rates. <BR><BR>St. Lucia is an island of incredibly natural beautiful, and a great place to explore and soak up some true caribbean life. If you are looking for lots of nightlife and/or complete beach lounging, then St. Lucia is probably not the best spot. Otherwise, I think you should definitely check out these resorts. Shoot me an email if you want some details or pix. I have also have a couple of suggestions for other islands, but i grow weary..<BR>