eric

I am planning a honeymoon for 12 days in April and can't decide between St. Lucia or Maui. Any suggestions?

deanna

Hi. I'm sorry, I've never been to St. Lucia, but I have been to Hawaii twice. The first time I was in Oahu and Kauaii, and more recently we honeymooned in Maui and Oahu. Of the islands I've visited, Maui is by far the best, in my opinion. It is very natural and unspoiled by concrete high rises and billboards. We stayed at the Hyatt on Maui, a WONDERFUL resort on the beach. <BR> <BR>If you do decide to go to Maui, be sure to take a bike ride down the volcano there (Mt. Haleakala). While you have to get up early (2am) for them to bring you to the top in time for the sunrise, the view is beautiful and very romantic, watching the sun rise from below the clouds which cover the volcano and mountain tops. <BR> <BR>So, while I haven't been to St. Lucia, I definitly recommend Maui. <BR> <BR>If you have questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

Ross

Eric, I have been to both St. Lucia and to Maui. There is no comparison. Even though it costs more, Hawaii is the place to go. It has everything St. Lucia has and much much more. I also agree that Maui is the best island to go to. I would recommend staying on Kannapali beach. The hotels and beach are excellent. If you like to snorkel, Kannapali has a lot of fish and sea turtles to see. Most, if not all, of the hotels rent snorkel gear; but it is $7 a day. They have a shopping complex called Whaler's Village right by the beach where you can walk to and get any snacks or food that you need. The ABC store has everything the hotel stores have at half the price. If you do go there remember to bring some aqua socks along. There is a lot of coral out there. If you do the "drive to Hana" be prepared for a long, long day in the car. <BR> <BR>If you are expecting white sand beaches, neither place has them. They are both volcanic islands and have normal brown sand beaches.

Leah

I must say, while I havn't been to Hawaii, St. Lucia is very, very, hard to beat. My husband and I were married at Ladera Resort (www.ladera-stlucia.com) in early December and it was paradise and fantasy island rolled into one. The people are warm and friendly, the southern end of the island has very little tourism and is the most gorgeous part of the island. There are waterfalls, 16th century mineral baths, sulfer springs, deserted magical beaches, rain forests, locals who smile and seem happy, and three great resorts that I would recommend - Ladera (of course at the top of the list), Jalousie Hilton, and Anse Chastanet. If you want a totally different experience, try an open air resort such as Ladera, Jalousie is more americanized but has easy snorkeling for beginners, and Anse Chastanet has the best snorkeling and beach but a zillion steps to the rooms. I think that the fewer the tourists, the happier the traveller and if that is true in your case - visit St. Lucia. <BR> <BR>Good luck with your decision and feel free to e-mail with any questions.

Bess

Been to both. Pick Hawaii. much prettier.

Mike

Hawaii or St. Lucia? Believe me, that's a no-brainer!! Hawaii wins by miles hands down! Of course, if you prefer lots of poverty, crime, undrivable roads and undrinkable water, then by all means choose St. Lucia! (And by the way, there IS a beautiful, white sand beach off the coast of Waimanalo on Oahu which you should NOT necessarily scratch off your list! With 12 days to spare, believe me, you can spend at least 5 of those at the beautiful Ihilani Resort and Spa, which affords you PLENTY of privacy and isolation from the more hectic Waikiki, and then you have ALL of beautiful Oahu to explore! And believe me, it IS one spectacular island to explore!!)

Teri

Eric, <BR> <BR>Ive also been to both islands and actually I loved them both. I totally disagree with the previous message on St. Lucia. I vacationed in St. Lucia at Anse Chastanet in Aug and loved it. It is one of the most romantic spots Ive ever seen. I have been to Maui and although it is beautiful, the area that I was in in St. Lucia was more unspoiled. The drinking water was fine (I drank a lot of it) The food delicious and the views spectacular. The snorkeling is like nothing you have ever seen. As far as poverty, yes there is some..but the people are proud of there island they are not starving because they can pick fruit right off the trees that they grow. The poverty is not as bad as Jamaica (been there too!). The people are very warm and eager to please. Hawaii is part of the United States of course it has no poverty. Part of traveling is experiancing other cultures and if you really think about it there is poverty every where in the world. Anyway, the rooms at AC are way up on the hillside over looking the Pitons and the Ocean. Flowers are everywhere with hummingbirds like youve never seen. We had a huge tree in our shower which made you feel like you were showering outdoors, no windows, no radio, no tv but very private. I guess its a matter of preferance. If you want to feel like you've been removed from society and dont need bars and tons of shopping, St. Lucia is the way to go. Maui offers shopping, beutiful waterfalls, flowers, and beautiful hotels and I hope to return some day. But I can tell you this, there are no resorts like Anse Chastanet or Ladera in Maui and I WILL return to St. Lucia.... Good Luck and congratulations.

roman

Hey Eric, <BR> <BR>I've been to both and prefer Maui. If you have 12 days, I would recommend splitting between Maui and Kauai. In Maui I stayed at Napili Kai Beach Club. That whole side of the island has great resorts. In Kauai, I would stay at Gloria's B&B or at one of the private homes she looks after. <BR> <BR>Twelve days in one island is too much in Hawaii as the islands are so close. <BR> <BR>In St Lucia, I stayed at Anse Chastanet but it is only for romantics that do not need a nitelife. St Lucia doesn't really have much to see (for 12 days) so a larger resort with more activities is probably your best bet there. <BR> <BR>

Suzanne

My husband and I did our honeymoon for 9 days on St. Lucia at Sandals Halcyon Beach and loved it. Found it very relaxing! <BR>I've been to Hawaii and loved that too. <BR>I think for 12 days - you may enjoy Maui a bit more!

Noah

Haven't been to either but based on what I've learned and seen-in-pictures of both places, if cost and time were not an issue, I'd pick Hawaii in a heartbeat. It's not that I don't think St. Lucia can have a lot to offer, I just think Hawaii is far superior for many reasons. But that's me, you really need to make the decision based on what your tastes and priorities are. <BR> <BR>When talking about 'Hawaii' you must remember that you are talking about 6-7 major islands (many more tiny ones) with much diversity. I see that you specified Mauai but becaues the islands are pretty close to each other and it is not terribly-expensive to fly between them, you do not have to limit yourself just to Mauai and based on what many other people have said in other threads, you can comfortably visit at least one other island. <BR> <BR>When asking a question such as you have, it is important to give an idea of what your priorities and tastes are. <BR> <BR>Specify your preferences in the following categories: <BR> <BR>-activites <BR> <BR>-type of lodging <BR> <BR>-budget <BR> <BR>-ambience of environment (quiet and peaceful or bustling with the party crowd?) <BR> <BR>-etc, etc.

Terri

Hi, <BR>I have visited Hawaii and loved it. <BR>I would definately go there again or St. Martin . That was a great vacation <BR>I would go there because it was very romantic. <BR>

Mike

A year ago I was in the same boat as yourself. First, where do you live? We came from New York so we decided that we could easily travel to the Caribbean/St. Lucia another time. That's when we decided Hawaii was the right choice. <BR> <BR>We visited all the Islands (except for the Big Island) last April for our honeymoon. Our trip costed under $4,500. We stayed at premium hotels throughout, especially the Hyatt Regency in Kauai, Maui and Waikiki. We definitely would return to Kauai. Truly a lover's paradise.

Denise

I have not been to Hawaii, but from what I have heard (friends and family), it is a beautiful place to visit and there is a ton of stuff to do there. I have been to Grand Cayman, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Bahamas and Cancun. Out of all the places, I found St. Martin to be the best over all. However, I heard the recent hurricane destroyed a lot of the beautiful vegetation. Grand Caymen was immaculate. It was so clean. However, it is more like a dessert island, such as Aruba. St. Lucia Sandals was great, but I did not venture away from the resort. It seemed to be a very poor island. I think 12 days would be too long. Anyway, hopefully I helped. Write me if you want more details.

lisa

St. Lucia is gorgeous, especially the area around the Pitons/Soufriere -- Ladera is wonderful. But I agree that 12 days on St. Lucia is probably a little too long. It was perfect for a week or maybe even up to 10 days, but with 12 days I'd go to Hawaii.

Tina

We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon (Sept. '99). It was abosolutely wonderful!! We went to Oahu, Kauai and Maui and I enjoyed Maui the best. Three islands in 9 days was too much - we didn't have much time to relax. But 12 days might be give you more time to enjoy 3 islands. <BR> <BR>But stay at KAANAPALI BEACH HOTEL - both the people and the hotel were great! They have free room upgrades for honeymooners. That was the best hotel of the whole trip.

sharon

HAWAII-MAUI FOR THE SLIGHTLY FASTER PACE-HYATT WAS GREAT -KAUAI WAS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!PEACEFUL QUIET IF THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR--SECLUDED BEACH DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE GOLF COURSE WHERE THEY FILMED 6 DAYS 7 NIGHTS-HYATT WAS WONDERFUL ALSO--BETTER THAN ON MAUI <BR>

donnab

We had a similar dilemma with our honeymoon last year. The way we solved it was this: We decided that our honeymoon was not our "once in a lifetime" trip. We knew that we had to fly from the east coast immediately following the most stressful (and of course happy) day of our lives. So, we went to the Bahamas (Sandals) for a week and then went on a cruise for a week. We then went to Hawaii to celebrate our first anniversary. It worked out perfectly for us. We were exhausted after our wedding. The Bahamas were a quick flight and we just relaxed for a week once we got there. Then we had the fun & excitement of the cruise. The honeymoon definitely wasn't cheap but it was easier to deal with since almost everything was paid up front. Since we had to pay for most of our wedding this helped a lot. A year later when we went to Hawaii, we had plenty of money saved to really enjoy it. It is very expensive once you get there. There is also a ton to do. Since we had not just been through a wedding, we had plenty of energy to see and do a lot. Many of our friends who have gone there on their honeymoon were just too exhausted to do much. It is an amazing place and if this is your "once in a lifetime" trip then I would go for it. We also did 12 days and spent 6 in Maui and 6 in Kauai. The 4 Saesons or Kea Lani in Maui and the Hyatt or Princeville in Kauai are all great hotel choices. Don't worry- you'll have an awesome time no matter what you decide- it's your honeymoon!!

don

Have been to both locations and it depends on what you are searching for. <BR> <BR>If you like the masses and spending lots of cash in shopping complexes, Maui is the place. It has all of what you'd expect from the USA and with a wonderful level of scenery to boot. <BR> <BR>If you are looking for scenery and scerenity and the potential for adventure, St Lucia is ideal. <BR> <BR>If I had 11 days, though, I'd head for Paris - it's a true bargain, offers all of the adventure or scenery you care to find and with foreign exposure - real cultural exchange with active and interesting people from all over the planet. <BR> <BR>And, my spouse of 34 years tells me it is romantic! Me too! Don

john

Maui for seven days and Kauai for five. You will be so enchanted it will be hard to return! (I'll bet you could melt into St. Lucia in twelve days also, no problem.)