Melanie

My fiance and I are planning a destination wedding and honeymoon for March 2000. We are looking for sandy beaches, clear water, few kids, watersports, not too crowded. We are torn between Hawaii and the Caribbean. Would like all opinions of good/bad on either. Any specific islands/resorts? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Bart

Aloha Melanie, Can you guess my answer? Hawaii is it. I would suggest the Big Island and The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. It is the only 5 star property in Hawaii. From the moment you arrive they take care of any wants or needs. If money is no object, check out the bungalows. They go for $3500/night and include car, 24 hr maid and butler and food and are about 5000 sq. ft. They even get your preference for music before arrival and restock the stereo system with your preferred selections.
Keven Costner stayed in one during the filming of Waterworld-now you know why it was so far over budget.
The regular rooms are beautiful and the grounds are spectacular. It's not a mega resort so the crowds aren't there and there are not many kids, it's not a kids hotel.
We alternate winter vacations between Hawaii and Caribbean and have found Hawaii far superior.
email me if you have more questions.

Best wishes
Bart

Pat

Melanie, My vote goes to Hawaii by far. You might want to add Kauai to your itinerary, though. My favorite. The Hyatt on the south shore is fabulous. In Hawaii you are treated like royalty and the atmosphere is so relaxing. In the Carribean, you are treated like meat: just another hated tourist that has money.

Chuck

I too vote for hawaii. We have been to the caribbean three times and Hawaii six times in the past seven years. (our seventh trip to Hawaii is this May). In my book there is no comparison. While I haven't been to every carribean island, my experiences on the USVI, Bahamas, Puerto rico and Jamaica lead me to believe that in general Hawaii was cleaner and generally had more to do. Of course, this is just my humble opinion and you will surely find others who disagree.

Kristin

I've been to the Caribbean several times, and really do love the warm turquoise blue waters and white white sand, BUT....
most of the islands are not as lush as they appear in the travel magazines, in fact many of them are quite dry and barren looking. The Caribbean is great, but Hawaii is much more green and lush--so it gets my vote for the perfect honeymoon.

Ruth

Want to know MY reasons for choosing HAWAII?

1. No bugs
2. No snakes
3. Lower humidity
4. Incredible sweet smells in the air..especially on lush, romantic, low key Kauai.
5. Wonderful food

I vote Hawaii , hands down. Just choose the low season when kids are not on vacation. There will be few crowds and weather is perfect no matter what.

Ruth

Want to know MY reasons for choosing HAWAII?

1. No bugs
2. No snakes
3. Lower humidity
4. Incredible sweet smells in the air..especially on lush, romantic, low key Kauai.
5. Wonderful food

I vote Hawaii , hands down. Just choose a time when kids are NOT on vacation. There will be few crowds and weather is perfect no matter what.

Jennifer

I vote for Hawaii. I have been to both the Carribean and to Oahu (the tourist island where Honolulu is). I heard that Maui is fabulous and not too "touristy". If you stay in a secluded part of Hawaii , you should visit Oahu. You can fly island to island relatively cheap. The hotels in Waikiki are beautiful.

Julie

Melanie: I guess I'll be odd-man-out with my opinion, but I vote for Caribbean, if only because it was such a different experience. We went to Paradise Island, Bahamas, for our honeymoon in 1994 and had a fabulous time. We stayed at the Pirate's Cove Holiday Inn, which has its own beach and a fabulous pool. However, if money is no object -- the Atlantis Resort looks spectacular (not built when we went). I have also been to Hawaii, but since we live on the west coast, I wanted something a little more special for my honeymoon, and it was really fun to experience a different culture (food, accents, driving on the opposite side of the road, etc). There was plenty to do, but we weren't overwhelmed. If we were going to go out in the evening, we relaxed by the pool all day. If we did something major during the day, we just sat in the lounge at night. Realistically, you won't go wrong no matter where you go. As a side thought, I have never been to Maui (just Oahu), but I have heard it is the island to go to for what you're looking for. Have a great time!

bruno (France)

Me too, I vote for Caribbean, but the French one. The two best island to go are MARTINIQUE and GUADELOUPE. I went 6 times in Martinique so if you need more informations about it and some URL let me know by email.
Bruno - www.pimico.fr/ab

fran

I've been to three Hawaiian Islands and 22 Caribbean Islands, the water in the Caribbean is so much prettier as any pictures will show, however I would say the land beauty is the same, of course, depending where you are. My advice would hinge on where you are coming from. That can really affect your cost, if that's a concern. If not, the Caribbean gets my vote.

TC

Just back from 8 days on Big Island. Here's how I would decide. How long is the travel time? For me, its 3 hrs non-stop to Caribbean and 10 hrs. (15 hrs travel time with 3 connections to Hawaii). I'd rather spend those two travel days on the beach. I also like to snorkel and the water is much clearer in the Caribbean. Congratulations.

David

I think there are a few questions that you should ask yourself to decide which is better for you-

1. Are you located closer to Hawaii or the Caribbean? (The location can greatly affect your cost for airtravel, and jet lag is a killer coming from the east coast going to Hawaii).
2. How much time are you able to take for your honeymoon? (If your going to Hawaii you need at least 8 days, more if you're traveling from the midwest or east coast).
3. Are you the adventureous type, or do like to know what to expect? (Hawaii is just a tropical but typical U.S. destination with Wal Mart, and fast food joints, etc.).
4. Where would you go in the Caribbean? (Where you go has much to do with if its even comparable to Hawaii. There are alot of things to see and do in Hawaii, great restaurants, and fantastic scenery too . If you were to compare it to Grand Cayman you would find that Grand Cayman has many great restaurants as well, but there is nothing to do or see on land, but the ocean and beach are better than in Hawaii without a doubt.
Its all just a personal choice, dependant on what you like to do and what you expect during your honeymoon, so you just have to research and research and research and...

David

I almost forgot- I don't get the statement " The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. It is the only 5 star property in Hawaii."
from Bart...You're kidding right?

Spanky

Melanie:

I've been to Maui, Oahu, as well as Stes. Barts, Martin, Thomas, John, Lucia, & Kitts. If you are looking for something a little culturally different and not so American, I'd vote for the Caribbean. You'll find islands with English, Dutch, French, Spanish, & African flavors. Some islands (St. John, St. Barts, St. Martin have gorgeous beaches and clear water -- St. John is noted for its snorkeling); other islands have rainforests (St. Kitts and St. Lucia) but not so great beaches.
Kids are likely to be at islands that have more American visitors, i.e. Bahamas, St. Thomas. For an English flavor and not a lot of tourists, look into the British Virgin Islands--quieter and more out of the way. I'd suggest Little Dix Bay for a honeymoon.

Hawaii is gorgeous, but with its well maintained highways, shopping malls and fast food places, it's a bit like being at home in a familiar place.

p thompson

Melanie

I vote for Hawaii. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Kauai and Maui 2 years ago and loved it. If the Hyatt is in your price range, I would recommend it in both islands.

Have a great time

Vic

As mentioned by others you should consider where you live. If you live on the East Coast, you will probably face an overnight flight on your way home from Hawaii. If you live on the West Coast you will be better off taking an overnight flight to the Caribbean. If you take a day flight you will arrive late in the evening. The first night at your expensive resort hotel pays for just that, a night, you will have missed a whole day that you paid for. And the fact is overnight flights aren't a lot of fun.
The Caribbean is seasonal. It tends to be hot and humid in the summer and there is the hurricane season. An Andrew or Bertha can really spoil your trip. In the summer, hotel rooms are cheap. Of course, your savings are tempered by the fact that nothing else is cheaper. Conversely, hotels in the winter season are very expensive. Those on the West Coast are paying a great premium for an irrelevancy to them -- Snow Birds escaping the winter.
Another thing to consider is attitude.
The truth is there is resentment in the Caribean, perhaps quite justified. Many locals are very friendly, but there are some that take it out on the tourist. An example is the water bus between St. John and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. I rode it a number of times in the afternoon when people who worked in St. John rode home to St. Thomas. Invariably, the locals would sprawl on the benches to deny the tourist a seat. And there is poverty on many Caribbean islands. Poor locals rubbing shoulders with tourists is an explosive mixture.
The Aloha Spirit is real. You may be a maid but your children can become professionals, after all, it is America. Hawaiian's are happy, friendly people, why not, they live in fairly egalitarian paradise.

Roger

I have been to Maui, Oahu, Bermuda and 8 Caribbean Islands. If you live on the East Coast like I do, the trip to Hawaii is a killer. All things considered I like St Thomas, closer and cheaper with beaches ranked in the top 10 in the world. You might also want to consider Bermuda - expensive but beautiful and neat.

Jeff

St. Thomas, huh? YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR FRIGGING MIND!!!!!

Vic

I agree with Jeff. St. Thomas, what a choice! The island is a mecca for cruise ships. Sometimes there are so many of them that some must anchor off shore and use tenders. The main street of St. Thomas is a tiny NYC at its worst. The island is heavily populated so the beaches tend to be very crowded.
On the other hand, St. John which can be reached by a twenty minute boat ride from St. Thomas is great. One-third of the island is a National Park which includes a good deal off shore real estate. The Park has a snorkeling trail on Trunk Bay which is one of the loveliest beaches in the world.
There are two hotels of prominence. Caneel Bay and the Westin. Caneel Bay has seven private beaches which are some of the prettiest in the Carribean. You can take day trips to the British Virgin Islands.