wrigley32

the first post i put on here said upscale - well, that was a misnomer - i only want something unusual and interesting, or really pampering, or something.

we want to spend 7-10 days, end of may, beginning of june 07 - blue water, white sands, less than $4000 including airfare from chicago

got some great suggestions but i think the word upscale put people off. i travel a lot and have a time share, so i've seen some nice resorts, but i'm looking for something somewhat out of the ordinary - i mean it's my honeymoon - it's probably the trip i'll spend the most on and the most time planning!

we're paying for the wedding & the honeymoon, so i'm limited budgetwise - all of the really cool places i originally was interested in (overwater bungalows in bora bora) were out of our price range.

thanks so much for your help!!!!

eileen

If you want something romantic and interesting, I suggest a plantation inn or historic hotel. Two that fit the bill are Nisbet Plantation Beach Club on Nevis and Hotel Kura Hulanda/Kura Hulanda Lodge on Curacao. Kura Hulanda is really interesting -it's a boutique type hotel in a restored historic complex. You could split your time there and then stay some days at the Kura Hulanda Lodge for the beach. I loved all the restaurants in that complex, they were so romantic! Both Curacao and Nevis have much more personality in my opinion, than places like Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Grand Cayman which are very Americanized.

ejcrowe

For romantic, interesting, and unusual, it would be hard to beat Ladera Resort in St. Lucia. It's a small hotel located high up on the hillside of the iconic Pitons, with beautiful vistas of the rainforest-covered mountains down to the sea below. The kicker is that one full wall is missing from each room, so that you're totally surrounded by the vista and not separated from it. The way the rooms are arranged still provide total privacy while opening up the room to the outdoors.

This resort is clearly not for everybody--with open air rooms you get visitors such as geckos. Mosquitos are not a big problem because of the breezes at that altitude, but you may get other small visitors. But for those with a sense of adventure and love of nature, it could be perfect.

Somewhere on the scale between Ladera and a normal full service resort is the Anse Chastenet Resort, also on St. Lucia. This resort is more traditional, with rooms stretching from the beach to the hillside. The most expensive rooms at Anse Chastenet are highest up the hill and also have one entire wall missing. This place might be a good bet for you if you want to have immediate beach access and some of the usual resort ameneties while still having the romantic vistas.

St. Lucia doesn't have the white sand beaches that many other islands have (many are dark golden to black in color), but it does offer the dramatic landscape and lush foliage to make up for it.

doug_stallings

Neither Ladera nor Anse Chastanet is possible for 7 to 10 days on a $4000 budget for two that includes airfare.

If you extend your budget a bit you could charter a small sailboat with captain and sail in the BVI. That's very romantic and unusual ... but it would probably cost more than $4000 with airfare.

Look at some of the resorts in Belize or one of the resorts in the Pearl Islands of Panama. I think you could do either of those for your price range. San Andres Island, which is owned by Colombia, is another lovely place (and not near the country of Colombia). You might be able to put together an interesting trip to Costa Rica for $4000, but you wouldn't have white sands. Or just look at Ku Resort on Anguilla. It would probably be within your price range,a nd you can splurge on some fine meals.

The overwater bungalows---at about $1000 per night---are out of your price range, but there are many cheap and wonderful places in Fiji on the smaller islands that might give you what you want. Thailand would certainly be within your budget, and you'd get more pampering for your dollar there than almost anywhere. Or for something more interesting, Langkawi Island in Malaysia.

Callaloo

In June, the Out Islands of the Bahamas are gorgeous. I would suggest one of my favorite spots -- Fernandez Bay Village on Cat Island. You can stay in a stone thatched roof cottage right on the beach for under $300/night. Airfare can probably be had within your price range as well. Check out their website at www.fernandezbayvillage.com, or my trip reports at www.homestead.com/islandtime/MainPage1.html.