PamelaY

Hello,

My fiance and I are trying to plan our honeymoon and at first we were considering Hawaii but a bit to pricy for our budget of $3500.00. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We would like to be on a tropical beach, near some nightlife, fine dining, and a nice pool at the resort is a must. Thanks for any advise given!

Pam and Mike

chucklesbythebay

There is no tropical beach in California. If you are looking for that, you might want to consider Florida or Mexico for a cheaper alternative. Southern California has warm weather but the Pacific is still a chilly 60 degrees. If you want romance in California, you might want to consider a night or two at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur and then check into a cheaper Hotel off the Route 1 Coastal Highway in Carmel.

rjw_lgb_ca

I posted in your Florida request.... And recommended CA. Our climate is that of a coastal desert: Dry, warm but not too warm, cooling off in the evening. Think central Mediterranean coast.

Specific ideas:

-- San Diego area: Hotel Del Coronado; a bit cliché, but gorgeous. A bit north of there lies La Jolla (misspelling of Spanish "The Jewel", and it's appropriate), and they have some beautiful hotels there

-- Dana Point: The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is stunning, and it's not too far from night spots in Newport or Laguna

-- Laguna Beach and Newport Beach both have upscale digs from which to choose. Laguna is especially nice-- a walking town with good beaches, good nightlife and a unique collection of artists' galleries. During the summer, the Festival of the Arts (and the fascinating Pageant of the Masters) draws thousands to Laguna as well.

-- I'm jumping over the LA county beach communities, which are great but not particularly "honeymoon destinations", up to gorgeous Santa Barbara. I'm sure one of the more upscale hotels could be a great base for a memorable honymoon. There are also nearby wineries (Santa Ynez Valley) that I think offer tours.

A good travel agent could probably get you a great trip within your budget. And American flies non-stop DFW to LAX, DFW to SAN, DWF to SNA/LGB (two alternate airports for Orange County), etc. Santa Barbara's an easy drive from LA (and you will want to rent a car for sightseeing).

PamelaY

Thanks for the great information! We are a little stressed about planning because everything is getting booked up quick so we just have to make a decsion. Thanks again!
Pam

Ally

California is not 'tropical' and the beach water is cold. Not even that warm in August IMO.
I'd head straight to Isla Mujeres and either stay at Villa Rolandi (for a more 'resort' experience, or my favorite, Hotel Secreto.
Small 9 room hotel, beautiful beachfront location and walking distance to 'town' for many, many good eats, bars, etc.
Or, how about one of the big All-Inclusive hotels in Playacar, (if you like the AI thing) just south of Playa Del Carmen. If not AI, then look at El Faro in the town of Playa Del Carmen. Very pretty hotel and right on the beach.
Yes, Mexico will be HOT at that time of year, and you should spend a little for 'travel insurance' in case of a hurricane, but the odds are low you'll not be there when/IF a hurricane hits. You can do a LOT with $3,500 in Mexico! Check Apple Vacations or FunJet Vacations (depending on where you're coming from) for some excellent deals that include airfare.

rjw_lgb_ca

Ooh-- forgot about Mexico! That is a good idea, Ally. There are great resorts up and down the Gulf/Caribbean side, as well as up and down the Pacific coast. Puerto Vallarta is still really sweet, even though everyone knows about it. It's as close to a "real" Mexican coastal town as you will get and still have upscale resort accommodations and good nightlife.

TiminLA

Puerto Vallarto in August is definitely tropical, but pretty miserable. Thunderstorms and flash floods every afternoon. Off season prices, yes - honeymoon atmosphere, no.

True, you won't find tropical conditions in California. Santa Barbara gets my vote. Fly into LAX. Spend a night or two in Santa Monica. Then drive up to Santa Barbara for a few days of sunbathing and wine tasting. Then make the famous drive up Hwy 1 with a stop at Hearst Castle. Finally wind out your honeymoon with some time in San Francisco. Fly back out of San Francisco.

PamSF

The closest thing to tropical might be in San Diego..and some good suggestions have already been made. Santa Barbara is also a good suggestion. I might also throw the idea of the wine country (Napa/Sonoma) at you. There are many places that have pools and it will certainly be hot enough. Check out Auberge de Soleil,the Meadowood or Indian Springs(all in Napa county). There is also

PamSF

sorry..Healdsburg and Sonoma to explore.
There are a multitude of spas in the area as well.

SR

Playa Del Carmen in Riviera Maya (Mexico) is a great vacation, very tropical, very romantic and very inexpensive. Check it out ! We were there last year and will be going back ! Stayed at Iberostar Paraiso last year for $2,500 (two people) all inclusive. The pool is amazing ! Check out their website ! Punta Cana is another place that is suppose to have even better beaches than Mexico and very reasonable also. I'm sure you could do a cruise for $3,500 too. Good luck !

Miranda

Santa Barbara is a charming town with lots to do. It is one of my very favorite places in California. There are at least three luxury hotels there worth considering, the Santa Barbara Biltmore, the San Ysidro Ranch (where John Kennedy honeymooned with Jackie), and the new Bacara resort. There are lots of excellent restaurants and shops in Santa Barbara. I wouldn't call the beach tropical, but it is quite nice. The Biltmore has a small "private" beach right nearby. Okay, it's not really private, but you often have it mostly to yourself.

SloPugs

I really like the Hyatt in La Jolla. It is not on the beach, but only about a 5 minute drive. The hotel itself is very nice with great service and good restaurants and bars. The pool, gym (Club One) and day spa are top notch. You can check it out at http://www.aventine.com/ I also saw this boutique hotel right in downtown La Jolla that looked intriguing, though I have never stayed there: http://www.hotelparisi.com/ Laguna Beach is also a nice beach town, a little more people there with an artsy village atmosphere. I have heard good things about Casa Laguna. Lastly, I would recommend Bacara Resort north of Santa Barbara. You can check out their spa plans at http://bacararesort.com/ The have one of the best pools I have ever been to overlooking the ocean and a small beach for sunset walks. I would also recommend Big Sur (Post Ranch Inn), but that is definitely getting into a cooler climate.

ezwriter

Pam--

It's been said here already, but if you want tropical, that means Mexico or Hawaii. How much research did you do on Hawaii? It's been 15 years since I've been there so I was kind of curious. I checked Pleasant Holidays and inputted an August itinerary of SF to Honolulu (5 days at midrange Waikiki hotel) then Maui (5 days at midrange Kaanapali hotel with rental car) and back to SF and the price was $2,900. Seems like if you just went to one island and/or cut the trip to 7 days, the $3,500 would be more than enough. Of course, that's if you're already on the West Coast.

don512

The only place that I can think of in California that eminds me of the Carribean is Catalina Island, though I have never stayed there overnight and don't know a whole lot about hotels there. But I also agree with Miranda and think that Santa Barbara would be great. You might also want to consider Carmel/Monterey.

sandiegojoe

If you have 3500 go to discount-all-inclusive.com

we just got a week in an all inclusive couples resort in jamaica(airfare included)

Otherwise, if your set on CA, San Diego is the cheapest place.

If I were you though..

I'd go to the north shore of Oahu, incredible spot.. search the internet and you can rent a condo if you're on a tight budget. We stayed at turtle bay for 800 bucks a week.

Email me.. [email protected] if ya need tips.