Aruba, St. John's St. Lucia, St Kitt's, Bora Bora

[nickelnee1000]

Hi all. I recently got engaged, and am researching possible honeymoon locations at nice beaches/resorts outside the U.S. including Aruba, St. John's, St. Lucia, St. Kitt's, and Bora Bora I'd love to hear from people who have been to these places and get your recommendations on places to stay or visit. Also, if you have other recommendations of great beach places, please include them.

Fins up!

Mike

[creeky]

There is not a lot of resorts/beaches in New Zealand - it is a rather cold climate as well. I have been around all of New Zealand and it is not a resorty type place .....

If you were to come this far - I would recommend heading up to the Great Barrier Reef (Queensland, Australia) - I have been there a few times and some GREAT stuff up there!

[tryin' to reason]

St. Kitts is VERY under-developed.
The new Marriott is awesome, but the rest of the island has limited attractions to keep your interest (although you may not need other attractions on your honeymoon!!).
The Fort is a great half day, combined with the Batik factory.
Spent a wonderful afternoon at Turtle Beach, complete with pet pig and domesticated monkey that drinks margaritas!!
Scenic Railway around island is grossly over-priced at $85 for 3 hours.
Hiking would be a good activity here.
The main city, Baseterre, is very rustic, with few shops to keep you entertained.
The Marriott has so flooded the island with visitors that dinner reservations were extremely tough to get anywhere.
Plantations looked like the best place to honeymoon, so if you're not the kind that needs a lot of diversion on vacation, St. Kitts could work, but St. Lucia would be more romantic , and Aruba would have more diverse activities.

[MojosMama]

While I enjoyed St. Kitts, I was only there for a day trip from St. Martin. I loved it, but think I'd be very bored after a couple of days. You've got to get to the batik place though....I got a great one of a parrot.

[sailingagain]

I'm also scouting places for my honeymoon. I've heard the SANDALS resort in St. Lucia is incredible. Anyone been?

[SmartWomaninShortSkirt]

Not sure about your budget, but here are some of my thoughts.

I did Bora Bora / Moorea w/ my husband after taking the bar exam. We loved it and think these are the most beautiful islands in the world. The overwater bungalows are unique to the Tahitian islands and are a wonderful experience. However, I don't know that it's the best place for a honeymoon - the resorts are big and have sort of a busy feel to them. You feel like one of many tourists. Also, these are VERY expensive and probably not quite worth the money, especially when it comes to food.

We just got back from 2 weeks in the BVI - stayed at Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda. We LOVE the BVI. There is a great "Buffett" feel to these islands - lots of great beach bars, very laid back, beautiful islands, world's best water sports . . . You spend a lot of time on boats going around to the various islands. I also recommend Biras for a honeymoon - it's secluded and private - only caters to 30 guests at a time. You can take dinghys around to various secluded beaches with a picnic lunch. The dinners are out of this world. There are lots of other great resorts and smaller hotels in the BVI that suit all budgets. My wish for every Parrothead is to spend a week in the BVI because you really feel like you're living as Buffett intended.

For our honeymoon we spent 10 days at Turtle Island in Fiji. This was the BEST place for a honeymoon. It's a private island resort. Every day we had a different private beach and they would bring us a gourmet picnic. All alcohol is included. But it's gotten VERY pricy in the past 5 yrs. We loved it, but I'm not quite sure it's worth the ridiculous price tag.

I have a friend who is currently planning a honeymoon and she's staying at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Austrailia. You might want to check that out as well. It looks beautiful.

So I guess my final recommendation would be Biras Creek or some other resort/hotel in the BVI. It probably provides the best value and is a Parrothead's paradise.

Have fun - I am so jealous! The honeymoon is the best part about getting married.

[The Lost Manatee]

Depending on your budget and what you like to do there are a great many options just waiting for you to take advantage of them.

I loved St. Kitts and Nevis and I'm saddened to hear that the Marriott has flooded the island with tourist. That was one of the great appeals to me, not too many tourists.

Another couple of ideas that aren't really islands, Belize and Costa Rica. Both countries offer a wide range of activities, beaches, lodging, dining and entertainment. You can even stay at Jerry Jeff Walker's place in Belize if you are willing to spend the money. A good travel agent can help you with the details on either of these.

I love Bora Bora and Fiji but I feel like both are overdeveloped now. If you want off the beaten path yet has a wonderful island feel, go to Roratonga in the South Pacific. It has yet to be developed and discovered so it's never crowded, the beaches are beautiful and the pearls are cheap. The people still like seeing American tourists so you always feel welcome. I know that there are a couple of companies that offer packages so you can get decent deals.

The last idea is to charter a yacht and cruise the islands. If you don't know how to sail you can get a crewed yacht and have a captain and a cook to take care of those details while you enjoy the sailing.

I hope that you are talking to a travel agent who specializes in honeymoons and exotic getaways. A good agent will take such good care of you and save you lots of stress and strain. Most also are able to make suggestions for places you hadn't considered or that you wouldn't think of. A good agent is well worth the service fee, a bad one on the other hand is dangerous.

[NJPhinPhan]

I hope that you are talking to a travel agent who specializes in honeymoons and exotic getaways. A good agent will take such good care of you and save you lots of stress and strain. Most also are able to make suggestions for places you hadn't considered or that you wouldn't think of. A good agent is well worth the service fee, a bad one on the other hand is dangerous.

This is an extremely intelligent statement!

John...I don't hear my phone ringing! You know you can call and ask me about this stuff!

[sailingagain]

Oh I will....don't you worry!!!!!!



I still have time(thank God!!!)

[marijoy]

I am also planning a honeymoon. We are trying to decide where to go in January. I would appreciate any info as well because we are considering basically the same places. Happy honeymoon hunting!

[Captain Joe]

St John is a wonderful island. Most of the island is national park and is not overdevloped at all. It has some of the best beaches in the world. Clear waters and boat drinks!