Honeymoon destination help!!!!!
 

We are in serious need of some help to find a destination. We are a young (early 30s) couple looking for some adventure and leisure. Our budget is around 6000-8000 (US dollars) for the both of us and that includes airfare (from Richmond, VA USA). It needs to be on a beach but the problem we are having is finding a location that has both quiet and adventurous/fun (volleyball, beach games, etc). We enjoy having people around to talk to. We have looked at cape town South Africa but have read that the weather may not be the best when we plan to go (May 22-29). We have looked into bora bora, Maldives, and any of the smaller islands but they looked more secluded, I may be missing something. We have also looked into Caribbean but that looks more "resorty" which maybe ok if the place is right. Any help from the forum would be so greatfull. This is supposed to be fun but has been a real pain, haha. Maybe what I'm looking for doesn't exist but I would like to think I'm wrong. Haha thanks again for any help.

Your desire for "quiet" yet having "adventurous/fun" activities like volleyball and beach games are somewhat mutually exclusive. If you think about it "quiet" generally means few people yet you need those same people to participate in games. Sorry, but no matter where you go, you will have to make some concessions smaller boutique resorts will be "quiet" and while you will always find other guests you can talk to there just won't be a lot of "games". On the other hand, if you go to a medium size or larger resort, especially ones that cater to the younger crowd, you'll have plenty of access to games. That's not to say you won't find an occasional volleyball game or similar "group" activity" at smaller resorts but rather it's just not the norm. The activities staff at smaller resorts tend to set up off resort excursions, snorkel trips, kayaking, etc. rather than organizing "games". It boils down to priorities do you want "quiet" or "games" - it will be very difficult to find both.

Now, I'll make another comment regarding your budget - $6,000 to $8,000 (presumably for a week's stay) is a good budget for visiting the Caribbean from Richmond, VA but you'd be really stretching going to places like Bora Bora, the Maldives and Cape Town - airfare alone could eat up half that budget. So, if you want a tropical beach vacation you really should concentrate on the Caribbean, Mexico and perhaps the coastal areas of Central America. One good thing is late May is "Off-Season" in the Caribbean so while resorts will be in full operation you won't find too many "crowds" - the influx winter tourists have come and gone and it's too early for the summer vacationers. another plus is room rates are lower than in "High season" iso your accommodation budget will go much further.

Check out some or all of the following Resorts to see if they appeal to you:

Cancel Bay, St. John, USVI's
Four Seasons or Cap Juluca on Anguilla
Peter Island Resort, Peter Island, BVI's
Galley Bay or Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Four Seasons, Nevis
Jade Mountain, Anse Chastenet or Ladera, St. Lucia

A friend's son went to Thailand for his honeymoon and had a fabulous time. You could combine a guided tour with some extra days at a beach town. All my friends who have travelled to Thailand have raved about it being a great vacation.

From my own experience, I think that Bermuda is one of the most relaxing places on earth. I wish I had chosen it for my honeymoon.

I would not go all the way to the Maldives or Bora Bora to play beach volleyball -lol!

How about Negril Jamaica? Here's a place on The Cliffs there:
https://tensingpen.com/

I agree with the first post that "resorty" is where you'll find organized games and stuff like that.

I will add that the bigger resorts may seem busy, but most have plenty of spots to escape the crowds and noise if you do your homework.

You really need to narrow down perhaps 5 things that are the most important to you, and the "must haves". The better this list is, the better recommendations you will get here.

Aruba and with that budget you could live like king/queen.

Message me if you have any questions

@SedaM, those are some awesome wedding shots. I'm heading to Punta Cana the last week of March, can't wait.