searching for a honeymoon destination
 

I am getting married in Sept 2011, but we are going to be delaying our honeymoon to somewhere between October-December 2011. We love to travel and there are so many places we would love to visit we just can't narrow it down. It is our honeymoon so we are looking for some place that is romantic with great food and not extremely expensive. We love to relax on the beach and do nothing, but also like to be able to sight see and have activities to do. Europe is an option but we would like it to be a place we can relax as well and not sight see everyday. We are up for anywhere outside of the US. Thank you for any help/suggestions you can give!

Sorry, your inquiry is WAY TOO BROAD - there are literally 1,000's upon 1,000's of destinations "outside the US". You really have to do some basic research for yourself and narrow down your sights to a couple of destinations. Start by setting a budget for airfare, accommodations and meals. Once you do that you can start looking at destinations you can reach on your airfare budget. After that you can start looking for accommodations in your price range.

Without knowing your budget it's very difficult to make any concrete recommendations. You mentioned "relaxing on a beach" - well if that's what you are seeking consider places known for beaches such as:

1) The Caribbean (be warned September is smack in the middle of Hurricane Season and many resorts are closed limiting your choices.

2) Hawaii

3) Islands in the South Pacific

4) Mexican Coast (both Eastern and Western).

5) Central America (Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, etc.)

6) Indonesia

7) Seyschelles

8) Islands in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

And that's just for starters - as I said there are 1,000's upon 1,000's of places. YOU HAVE TO DO SOME BASIC READING to start narrowing your options to places YOU find interesting.

We spent our honeymoon split between Spain (mainly around Barcelona) and Morocco. We were lucky enough to be able to take 4 weeks off:

In Spain, we went to Cadaques first (quaint seaside town near French border) and then to Barcelona.

In Morocco, we spent a few days in Marrakesh, hiked in the Atlas Mountains for a week, and then relaxed in Essaouira on the coast.

More recently, we have had great holidays in Oman and Egypt. Oman is a very interesting country and a great way to experience Middle Eastern/Arab culture but in a less "crowded / in your face" way than, for example, Egypt. I wouldn't exactly say that Oman has great beaches but it has some lovely beach resorts. And you can ride a camel. Our trip to Egypt also was great and you will get a beach experience if you want, plus of course thousands of years of history.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico
the Hawaiian islands
Negril Jamaica

are all beautiful places i've been that fit generally what you are seeking.

dear roamsaround- first thank you for replying but your response was a litte harsh. I have done research and have lots of ideas, slightly overwhelmed. That is why I was hoping to get responses like frogoutofwater gave me, trips people have taken that they enjoyed. I'm sorry if it makes it difficult but I'm not going to announce my budget. thank you again for all the advice

Once you narrow it down to a couple finalists you are consider, if you post a question on the Destination Forums here on Fodor's, more people will give you input (see change forum in blue and go to "Europe", or "Mexico", or "US" then Hawaii.

Most people don't mind posting at least a general budget range for their lodging, because "not extremely expensive" means a $50/night room to some people, or anything under $300/night to others.

Oh, there are just too many beautiful destinations out there to narrow it down without more information. I know you stated you wanted to go out of the U.S., but going to Hawaii is one of the best honeymoons a couple could have. I would try to decide on a few areas you are both interested in going to and then re-post the question in the Destination Forums. I'm sure you will get a lot of feedback once you narrow down your choices. There are just too many choices to give right now.

Stacy

How much time do you have?

Some questions:

1) How much time do you have?
2) What is your budget?
3) From where are you leaving?
4) Do you have any loyalty points (FF miles or hotel points) that would come in handy?

My initial thoughts are these:

- The Caribbean. If you go in October, many of the resorts are re-opening, but there are plenty of bargains. Travel insurance might be a good option, though. I wouldn't however, say that there is that much in the way of sightseeing, save maybe some place like Puerto Rico or Jamaica. Even then.

We did our honeymoon split between Virgin Gorda and St John. Both are readily recommendable. We have also been to Aruba, which is hurricane-free, has good food (though no real local flavor), amazing beaches, amazing water, and a 99% chance of sunny days. I would avoid, however, the big resorts - we stayed at the Bucuti, which is an excellent smaller hotel, with a great beach (plenty of palapas and sand), and IIRC doesn't allow children.

- Mexico. On the Caribbean side, the beaches are spectacular, as is the diving. The area around Cancun is also very accessible from much of the US. Good food, with some local flavor. There are sites to see, such as Chichen Itza and Tulum. There are also some good deals. A lot of larger resorts, though, which have their positives and negatives. Heading south toward Tulum, though, there are some smaller resorts, as well as some near Playa. The west coast has lesser beaches/diving and sightseeing, but better surfing and natural scenery.

- Hawaii. I know you said international, but Hawaii is amazing. The natural beauty is out of this world. The beaches are fantastic. The people are friendly. And there is some good food. We did a pre-honeymoon (due to $300 flights from the East Coast) on the Big Island, with a couple of days in Honolulu. Again, though, a lot of big resorts, and a lot of them cater to families. Pricing for the more private resorts can be high.

- Egypt. You could easily combine some sightseeing and a great beach holiday. If you can sort out the airfare, the pricing can be incredible. Great diving.

- Europe. I can't recommend it. October-December is not beach weather. I also think, like you do, that the sightseeing threatens to overwhelm the downtime. Were it summer and lazing by a pool at a Tuscan villa a better option, then I would reconsider, but I think there is too much risk of lousy weather and that it, generally, isn't a great place for relaxation.

- Thailand. I'm not the biggest fan of the major Thai beaches (lesser sun, sand, and water quality vs the others mentioned above), but the cost on the ground can be favorable. The food is good and the people are friendly. Also a bit more 'foreign'. We preferred Koh Samui to Phuket, but I would choose based upon weather. There are also options to do some relaxing jungle getaways in Chiang Mai or the Golden Triangle region, doing some light hiking, lounging by the pool, or elephant trekking.

- Bali. I'm even less of a fan of the beaches here than Thailand, but again good value, good food, and good people (save the omnipresent touts). Ubud is an interesting getaway, if a bit overrun at this point.

I will try to think of others. In the meantime, have you checked out the destination finder at Concierge.com?

http://www.concierge.com/tools/destinationfinder