Looking for insight
 

Hello. My fiance and I have limited funds but wish to go on a short honeymoon (4-5 days) to the Caribbean. What suggestions can anyone offer as far as "bang for your buck" locales. We want romantic and beautiful scenery and moments to sit back and enjoy one another. However, being very active we want to able to go out and explore too. It will be the first time either of us has been to the islands and so want to get a true Caribbean experience. We are planning an early June wedding and honeymoon. Thank you.

Try St.Lucia it beautiful and romantic...

I agree St Lucia is beautiful, romantic, and a great honeymoon spot. It is also a very long day to get there unless you leave from a hub and have a direct flight. I think 4-5 days would not be enough. You will pretty much lose 2 days to travel. You are looking at 8-10 plus hours of travel with pre departure airport time and getting to your hotel. On the way home, we left our resort at 1:30pm and did not arrive home until 1:30am to Detroit area. That was not the result of a long layover either. Had 1 1/2 hours in Phili, barely enough time to deplane, clear customs and get to our gate.

Please tell us more, such as where you're flying from, what the maxiumum budget youhave is (including food, air, hotel), and the 2-3 things you'd most like to have available (i.e. watersports, seclusion, good food, nightlife, lush landscape, beaches that go on for miles, activities hourly, rest & relaxation...)

If you can travel before June 15, you can typically find good deals to the Caribbean as flight prices tend to go up after that when kids are out of school for the summer.

Depending on your departure city, you may be surprised how much a budget can actually get you in the off season.

I'd suggest starting with a local travel agent. They often have access to info on honeymoon packages that we don't hear about. Also they can tailor your trip to your budget and make suggestions on resorts and islands.

Also try www.libertytravel.com and some of the other web travel agents.

Have a great time.

I think you might enjoy the Peach and Quiet Hotel in Barbados. Go to www.peachandquiet.com. Read the tripadvisor reports and search for reviews on this board also. I spent time there in December and loved it. I think it meets many of your criteria including value for money, spectacular setting, and opportunities to explore.

We will be flying out of Minneapolis with a budget of $2000-$2500. We would like to have at one day at a nicer hotel and one night with a special dinner - (the Ladera in St. Lucia looks interesting). Otherwise, we're young and just out of college so we don't have a problem sacrificing food and excessive comfort for fun - like snorkeling and exploring a tropical landscape. As mentioned earlier, we've been considering St. Lucia as far as a tropical getaway. Are there any other more budget friendly suggestions closer to home (Minnesota) that anyone can offer? (Perhaps I should post this on a general forum.) Thanks, Everyone.

Puerto Rico is a little closer, plus you can spend time on either Culebra or Vieques. I vote for Culebra if scenery and moments to enjoy each other are on you list. There is also excellent diving or just snorkeling. We found we could do PR pretty cheaply and still have a blast.

Hi eli100, you might consider St. John for your honeymoon. My husband and I did, and stayed in an Eco-tourism resort there that was cost-effective and fun. We are very active, enjoyed hiking & snorkling there with lots of beautiful beaches.

Especially in June which is off season in STJ, you can have a great trip!

You can check out their website. www.maho.org we stayed at the Concordia Eco-tents which tend to be more adult oriented than the Maho Bay tents.

Alternately, on our second trip to STJ we opted to rent a small cottage. In off season it was very economical and allowed us to eat some meals "at home" too. http://stjohnhouserentals.com/Johns_Folly.htm

I'll be glad to answer questions. Trish

sounds to me like Jamaica fits the bill "perfectly"...

You are guaranteed great airfare out of Minneapolis (probably charter AND direct flight WITH an a.m. departure) if it won't get on your nerves to hold off on booking until 4-6 weeks prior to departure...

It's 4 hours (nonstop) from Chicago so Minneapolis flight times would be comparable.

You would definitely have many, many options for accommodations (from high-end to budget hotels).

I vote you try Jamaica for that "true Caribbean experience" you're looking for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!