Hello fellow travelers!! I hope you can offer some advice!

My fiancé and I made a list of our top choices, and we are torn! We plan to keep traveling as much as we can—so if we don’t do it on our honeymoon, we will probably do it someday.

We would like either a peaceful, pristine, stunning beach location with excellent snorkeling, or a foodie/wine type trip with some opportunities for lovely natural scenery and a smidgen of sightseeing. We do not want to be cold or have too much rain! (Daily temps of 60+) We like going off the beaten trail. To give you an idea of our tastes, our favorite trips were to Florence and Cinque Terre and Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands.

What you need to know:
TIME: We have about a week, maybe a bit more, at the end of October 2009.
COST: We want to splurge without going overboard—we’re going for mid-level, quiet luxury (I don’t want to set a definite number, but perhaps $400-500/night for a boutique-type hotel or small resort?)
LOGISTICS: Our trip will begin in New York where the wedding takes place and will end in Seattle, where we will be living.
TEMPO: We want to spend most of our time relaxing and to ourselves, while also doing something each day that gets us out and about and active (a short hike, a swim, or going out for dinner).

In particular, we’d like insight on which place might be better suited for a honeymoon, versus just a vacation in the future. Among these locations, are there any you think would give us more bang for our buck? We are leaning toward the Caribbean or Italy. Feel free to add anything we haven’t listed!

-Caribbean: Grenada, Turks & Caicos, or St. Vincent and the Grenadines
-Northern Italy: Lake Region, Bologna, Venice
-Northern California: Napa Valley wine region, Monterey coastal area
-Greece (one of the quiet, secluded islands)
-Portugal

First of all, congrats on your engagement! It sounds like you have some flexibility as you’re starting on the east coast and ending on the west. Here’s my recs for what it’s worth. Honeymoon in St. Lucia (or definitely the Caribbean while you’re out east!). We loved the Stonefield Villas nestled at the base of the Pitet piton and it sounds up your alley. They have private villas with pools that are part of the resort, and in your price range-very romantic. Virgin Gorda was also my favorite in the caribbean, with st. lucia a close second (actually I love both, they’re just very different). Then once you’re in Seattle, check out Harvest Inn in Napa, CA-the most romantic place we’ve stayed, and definitely get to Princeville in Kauai, HI at some point-probably at the top end if not more than your price range, but we went there for our honeymoon and it’s the best place we’ve ever been in our opinion! Good luck!

ps-if you're interested in any of my recs let me know-I can send you links to my pics.

I highly recommend Thailand for either this trip or one in the future. We spent our honeymoon there and I couldn't imagine picking a better location for the best beaches, scenery, culture and food.

Are you having a 'ceremony' just the 2 of you? In my opinion, the ceremony part can make or brake it!? I'm from N. California, he's from WA state, we live 10 minutes from downtown Seattle. I'm 1/2 Greek, we married/ honeymooned in Oia, Santorini Greece this last late Sept. Our photos look like a fairytale book! (Seriously)!
Obviously, I'll suggest Greece, next N. CA. No matter, you have such great ideas for your wedding, etc., I can imagine it'll be great no matter where!

Good Luck!

Lesha-

Hard to beat Venice, or Paris, anytime...

Hi. My fiance and I are going to St. Lucia for our honeymoon in June this year. Probably around June 21-28 or so. We have looked at Stonefield Estates and think they look beautiful but were wondering if having to take a shuttle to the beach is an annoyance? We love the views but would also like to be on or atleast near a beach. I have read that you have to pay $20 to rent a beach chair at Jalouise and just don't know if that would be worth it. We are also looking at the AI resort Rendevous b/c it is for couples only and they have lots of entertainment. We have heard both good and bad reviews about Rendevous though. I want to find a villa with beautiful views, nice people, good food, and hopefully an affordable honeymoon package. If you have any advice, good or bad, I would really appreciate it!

Congrats! We didn’t find taking the resort’s van over to Jalousie a problem at all. The staff was very friendly and it’s a free shuttle over and back. We didn’t rent Jalousie’s beach chairs so I can’t comment on that, but they do have a nice beach bar that you can hang out at for food and drink. The villas aren’t on the beach, but set up in the mountainside (you can see them in my pictures from the top of the Pitet Piton and from the boat ride). It sounds like it’s quite an opposite place from Rendevous. There isn’t any entertainment at Stonefield-I’m pretty sure people stay there for peace, privacy, and relaxation, although they did have live music (aka someone playing the guitar and singing) at the restaurant onsite. The food was good, but like anywhere else in the islands, the service was slooowwww... (but you’re on island time, so go early to dinner and have some drinks while you wait-you really can’t beat the gorgeous views so you midas well enjoy them!) We LOVED it there. Definitely look it up on tripadvisor for more reviews and pictures. Here’s a link to my pics if it helps. Good luck!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...share&Ux=0

The Grenadines have some of the best beaches...
They filmed Pirates of the Caribbean down there and that has maybe increased tourism in the area a little, but it is still off the beaten path. I think this would be a great choice for you!

Congratulations! Here are my thoughts:

Caribbean: There are many great places to go... but I feel like it would probably be easy to go back when you are already married. That being said, my favorite spot in the Caribbean is Anguilla. It's completely relaxing... and the beaches are amazing. It also has world-class restaurants. I don't think the snorkeling is good though. Weather might be iffy in October. There is always the threat of a hurricane.

Napa/Monterrey Coast: My husband and I have gone here 2x and it was one of our favorite trips. Since you are ending in Seattle, this might be a good choice logistically. I would recommend 3-4 nights in Napa-- stay somewhere really upscale-- maybe Auberge du Soleil. There are lots of nice places and I'm sure our fellow Fodorites could help. Then drive down to Big Sur and stay at the Post Ranch Inn for 3-4 nights-- this place is incredible. I've only stayed in the cheapest rooms-- butterfly rooms.. and they were still great. Since it's kind of pricey, perhaps you could stay at a nice but cheaper place in Napa.

Greece: I've always wanted to go to the Greek Islands... I'm sure one of them would be great-- beautiful beaches and food.

Italy: I've heard the lake region is amazing.. but I would also recommend Tuscany. Stay at a really nice place for a week and rent a car.. you can drive around.. see the sights.. stop in little towns.. and eat fabulous food and drink great wine!

Portugal: I don't know anything about it.. can't help.

I can't wait to hear what you decide.

Everyone, thank you so much for your lovely suggestions!! They are very much appreciated.

Kellybeaches – Stonefield Villas and St. Lucia sound like a good fit! We would love the link to your photos!

Jennymary – we’ll look into Anguilla, too. The Napa/Monterrey places you recommended look AMAZING, but I think they are going to be a little too pricey for us. We’ve heard that that area of California is pretty expensive in general—is that true?

Genio67 – Thailand, I’m sure would be a good fit as well, but we’re not sure we want to do a really long flight after going through all the energy of the wedding!

On the one hand, it’s our honeymoon, so for a beach trip I’m tempted to consider an exotic far-flung place like Thailand, Tahiti, or Zanzibar, because it’s our honeymoon, and we’re more likely to do a crazy trip like that for such a special occasion, rather than later. On the other hand, we might be better rested for a 20-25 hour flight at some other time in our lives!! Any thoughts? I’m sure this is a dilemma many people trying to plan their honeymoon face…

kas,
the link is posted in my note above Let us know what you decide on!

kellybeaches, thank you for sharing your photos! They gave me a good feel for St. Lucia. The sunsets are stunning! What are the beaches like? Is it possible to snorkel there?

We actually thought about doing Kauai--since you did your honeymoon there, would you mind telling me about your experience? You said it was the best place you've ever been--were you referring to Princeville, or the island itself? How would you compare Hawaii to the Caribbean?

Does anyone know anything about the Grenadines? It sounds grueling to get there (as with many of the more secluded islands...) Is it worth it?

Kas, if you are getting married on the east coast and only have a week for the honeymoon, Go to Bermuda. It is the most beautiful island and is easy to get to. You can relax on a beautiful beach and dine well.
Elbow beach has a gorgeous beach. I have only stayed at The Reefs (smaller hotel, but very elegant), and the Fairmont Southhampton that sits high on the hill.
I would love to try Elbow Beach because it does have such a nice beach.
For a relaxing honeymoon, easy to get to for one week, good dining on a nice beach on a beautiful island, Bermuda would be my first choice.

You can travel to the more far reaching places when you have more time. I would hate spend a day each way traveling for my honeymoon after having a wedding.

If you would even consider Tahiti, then let me make another recommendation. You can fly to Moorea from Tahiti and I liked it way better than Tahiti. It's very unique and has lots of natural beauty. I also enjoyed the size of the island. Be sure to take a car ride or hire a driver to take you around. Accommodations in Moorea include a number of overwater bungalows and resort areas.

We actually got married as well as honeymooned in Hawaii. We love Kauai! Picture the most wonderful breezes, palm trees, and the grrenest place you can imagine...Kauai is like a different world, yet it's still part of the United States. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort. The greatest pool in the world!

And, finally, yes, the Grenadines are difficult to get to but they are SO worth it. They are my favorite of the Carribbean islands. If you are looking for a quiet break on a secluded Caribbean island this is it. The Grenadines have the most natural, unspoiled beauty I've yet found in the Caribbean. Sailing, snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing are the main activities down there. It has the leisurely pace it sounds like you are after.

Knowing -- You have hit on our top three choices at the moment! (Moorea, Kauai, and the Grenadines) Since you have been to all three, how would you compare them? In other posts, some people have said that Hawaii and the Caribbean, lovely though they are, can't hold a candle to French Polynesia--do you think that's really true? Is it really worth it?

With Kauai, we are wondering what the snorkeling possibilities are--is it like the Caribbean, where you can do it right off-shore? We LOVE snorkeling, so it is important.

With the Grenadines, we were wondering how difficult it is to get around the islands--can you give us any info on that, or make any good recommendations for a villa-type lodging? We're looking to spend around $500/night or less.

Hi Kas,
The beaches in St. Lucia are similar to Kauai’s. They’re more of a golden sand, and Anse Chastenet’s beach nearby is black sand. There is snorkeling right off of Jalousie’s beach which is okay, however it doesn’t hold a match compared to Kauai’s. St. Lucia is like a “mini Kauai” in my opinion. It’s gorgeous, but everything is on a smaller scale than Kauai. It works for us now b/c it’s closer to Phila than Kauai.

If you can do Kauai, I would say do it. It’s amazing. Words can’t describe it. We stayed on the north shore at the Princeville Resort. The north shore is more lush and remote than the south shore (Poipu). Definitely look into it, although I think our rooms were $500 p/night and that was 7 years ago, so you’ll have to look into what they run now. Here’s the link to their site: http://www.stregisprinceville.com/. If you give me your email, I’ll send you the ofoto links from our trip (we took A LOT of pictures!!!). There is snorkeling (and surfing) right off the beach there. We took a boat ride along the napali coast and snorkeled along there. It was the best snorkeling I’ve ever done, with coral “tubes” to snorkel through so that it was all around you like a maze. I’m a diver and this snorkeling impressed me! The sushi there is incredible along with all the food. The service and luxury at that hotel is top notch. Our favorite thing to do each night was to sit in the lounge area on their couches in the lobby by the sushi bar and eat sushi, drink wine, enjoy the sunset through the giant floor to ceiling windows, and listen to the live piano and/or guitars each night. They also have a luau there as well. We’d love to go back, but don’t see that happening until our kids are older. A lot older I’d love to hike the Napali coast again-it was probably the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done!

I haven’t been but have looked into Palm Island, which is an island in the Grenadines. You may want to look into that, although it might be out of your budget.
http://www.palmislandresortgrenadines.com/. It looks really nice too!

Let us know what you end up deciding!

The French Polynesia is surreal. Palm trees, blue lagoons, crystal clear water, white beaches, the beautiful frangipani and gardenia flowers, thatched bungalows built over the water, mountains, and the most incredible snorkeling I've ever done. There are places where the stingrays and sharks will be right there with you - you're absolutely safe because they see people snorkeling all the time and they're hoping you brought food - but yet there are few people around, which is wonderful! I think that I would agree with the persons that say you can't compare anything else to the French Polynesia. I personally have never been to a more romantic setting where you totally escape.

Kauai- Excellent visibility when you are snorkeling although many people don't feel as comfortable snorkeling in Kauai in the winter which is when we were there. I think you would do okay in October. Some places have a longer swim out to a reef.

We stayed at Palm Island in the Grenadines. We were looking for a place where we could get a break away from the stresses in our life. The cottage we stayed in had no TV or telephone, but it did have a refrigerator stocked full of beverages of all kinds and there was coffee. We were 20 ft from the water and fell asleep to the sounds of the water every night. It was a tropical place that I never would have believed existed. We spent time being lazy on our big patio or on the white beaches. It's just an incredible private island. Sorry, but I can't help with any of the other Grenadine island accommodations or mode of travel. I can only tell you that this is the closest I've ever come to paradise in the Caribbean.

My husband and I honeymooned at that exact time in Aruba. The island is small, yet there is a lot to do, beautiful beaches, on side of the island is flat crystal clear water, the other side is rough, great hotels. The best resturants I have ever eaten at. The island is off the hurricane path (although anything is possible) there is a constant breeze, keeping the heat and humidity to a minimum. The Bucutti is probably the best hotel on the island for honeymooners.

kas 238, I would do the caribbean for a honeymoon. We travelled to Hawaii (Maui, Kaui, Big Island) for our honeymoon from NJ. Though Hawaii is beautiful I felt it was too hectic for me for my honeymoon. Too many things to do and see (and not miss). I wanted see all the waterfalls, volcanoes etc etc as we had travelled so far and didn't know if we would go back again. Definately not a laid back sort of trip. We love the caribbean and have visted 10 or so islands since we've been married. In hindsight I would have gone to a stunning resort on a stunning beach in the Caribbean for my honeymoon.