My fiance and I are gathering ideas for our honeymoon, most probably in Sept. in a few yrs..but flexible with that. Neither of us has ever gone to a tropical island before. He has never travelled outside the U.S. We don't have huge budget to work with, but want to spend some quality relaxing, romantic time together somewhere on a beach. I imagine beautiful beaches, getting spoiled, etc...but would love to go exploring and poking around the island, too.
Any suggestions? Is an all-inclusive package a good idea?

I'm researching Fiji right now for my honeymoon in November and boy it just looks Gorgeous.

DS..I'll have to check Figi out....I never even thought of it! Thanks...have you found anything out yet about cost?

Fiji is beautiful but can be primitive so don't expect a lot in terms of quality food, accomodations, etc.

If you've never been to any tropical island before and have qualms about going outside of the US then I would suggest that you go to Hawaii. I know this sounds like it might be expensive but honestly for 2 people it costs the same as a Disneyworld trip if you play your cards right.

If you want a more secluded island then stay away from Oahu. I recommend Kauai or The Big Island or even Lanai and Molokai if you REALLY want the seclusion, but Lanai and Molokai are more expensive because of the lack of competition for hotels/resorts.

I have been to Hawaii 8 times now and have seen every island so feel free to email me if you have questions.

We always buy an airfare/hotel/rental car package from www.pleasantholidays.com but you could piece your own trip together affordably as well.

And if you need a personalized itinerary I found a great site for this. www.truealoha.com

Good Luck!

Upirons...thank you for the info. I am not at all opposed to going outside the U.S. In fact, I'd prefer it. I would love a relaxing beach paradise honeymoon, but one thing I'm really interested in is being able to find a place where we can experience some of the culture of the island. I'm not interested in glitzy nightlife at all. Any more suggestions? I'd like to keep it to the Carribbean or thereabouts.

We had a wonderful and unforgettable honeymoon on the secluded island of Boayan ,Palawan, Philippines.
check http://chinaseaisland.com">chinaseaisland.com

How about Anguilla or St. Barths?

Maria...tell me more about your experience in the Philippines. I lived in Japan from 1996-98. It was toward the end of my prev. marriage, not great memories, and I don't have a big desire to visit any Asian countries. But...maybe I'm missing the boat by thinking this way. Thanks for the info and the web site...I'll check it out.

Hi
I'm sorry I just had to laugh at the comment made about Fiji and the standard of accommodation. They've obviously never been there.

Fiji has a huge range of accommodation - much of it far from primitive. If it was okay for Bill Gates to honeymoon in Fiji, I think the standard is going to suit you! There are lots of luxury islands and resorts, and such a range of other hotels. Prices range accordingly, from bulk standard tourist hotels to exclusive resorts which specifically market to honeymooners. I have just returned from a week in Fiji with my husband, and have been there before. We were one of the few couples at our resort who weren't on our honeymoon - most of the others were from the US. (It was Taveuni Island Resort and very nice).

Depending on your budget, you'd be able to find somewhere really special and romantic. It is more exotic and authentic than Hawaii in my experience.

There are good sites with info about Fiji.

Tahiti (Bora Bora) is also a favourite of ours in the South Pacific. They have a huge range of accommodation there too - we stayed in Club Med which was also full of honeymooners and is not expensive, but had good quality accommodation, and a stunning setting. The advantage with Club Med is that you know up front the cost of your overall trip, and just pay extras for drinks, side trips (if you want) and souvenirs.

Happy honeymoon!