Honeymoon Ideas...

[Murdoch]

So, my fiance has never travelled outside of BC/Alberta/Saskatchewan and one very drunken trip to Mexico... so deciding on a honeymoon is pretty tough! We have a few ideas... but, don't know what to do.

We would like to explore AND relax... so, the poll is the options we have been thinking about. Where would you go? WHY?? Any recommendations for any of these places??

TIA!

[orbitz]

I voted for other. In the past I travelled to places that I've always wanted to visit like Machu Picchu, the Great Walls, Venice, etc. If I can only pick from your first four choices list then I would choose Vienna/Budapest for the history and the architecture.

[danceronice]

Personally, I would go to Rome, for a combination of explore/relax, but of your choices I would pick Budapest/Vienna, and in the former, I'd definitely make sure to see the Spanish Riding School, a performance if the timing works. And Hotel Sacher, for coffee and cake. Budapest I'm not familiar with, but I'd ask my one dance pro who's Hungarian for his suggestions.

Personally, no interest in Portugal...Jamaica could be fun especially if it's winter and you want a warmer destination. PEI could be beautiful, too. Lots of good choices!

[rjblue]

Ooh...ooh! If you want a romantic beach vacation for two- I know the perfect place. My husband and I rented a chalet in the Red Point area of PEI. On the beach- fully- furnished and equiped- at least a half mile of beach with less than 10 people on it- white sand, clear water. It was heavenly, if you wanted privacy and quiet. It was about an hours drive to the touristy areas, but there were plenty of seafood outlets, and dining nearby. ( I can give you the cottage name if you want.)

My first choice on your list, however, would be Budapest/Vienna.

One suggestion I might make would be to consider how much of a time zone shift you are going to have, if this is coming directly after your wedding.

[MikiAndoFan#1]

My vote goes to Portugal!



It's the only country I've seen.



It's beautiful, though!

[my little pony]

I love Portugal, it's my favorite on the list.

Although IIRC in PEI you can have a faux wedding ceremony at "Diana Barry's House" or some other Anne of Green Gables charachter.

[Ozzisk8tr]

In my opinion, avoid Jamaica like the plague. Horrific place. Went there to get my seaman's visa when I was on cruise ships. Thought I'd stay a few days then ended up paying to leave early as it was such a shock to the system. Horrific food, accommodation and conditions. Mind you, I was in Kingston Town which is not really a tourist mecca.

[bobalina77]

I want to go to Italy and Greece for my honeymoon.. or Paris. I have an obsession with the Eiffel Tour. My boyfriend told me the other day he wished he had the money to take me to Paris.. he's so sweet I'm hoping that if and when we get married we'll save some money by having a smallish wedding and be able to go somewhere good for our honeymoon.

[Garden Kitty]

I'd probably pick Budapest/Vienna for a regular trip, but Portugal for ah honeymoon. It seems to have a nice mix of things to do, as well as pretty places to just relax and be with one another in a beautiful setting. But as long as you and your fiance are going somewhere that is interesting/fun to you, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip.

[BaileyCatts]

I would go to Vienna. No reason other than I've always wanted to go to Austria and was when they didn't get the Olympics. You can go and then come tell us about it and I can live vicariously through you!

[lmarie086]

Of your choices I say Vienna, but I voted other; Egypt or Italy are the two places I'd be choosing between personally!

[Japanfan]

Murdoch, it really depends on what your interests are. And whether you are mainstream type of tourists and like to something a bit different.

If you totally want to relax in a beautiful tropical setting and not be too much on-the-go, Jamaica would be a good choice. Although Ozziesk8tr didn't care for it, I've talked to many people who loved it there and they have commented that there are lots of nice walks/hikes on the island as well.

There are innumerable idyllic Caribbean destinations and packages that cover everything. You can laze on the beach or by the pool while sipping on Margueritas or other exotic drinks - swim, eat and drink to your heart's content, and enjoy plenty of beautiful sunsets.

If you don't want to spend too too much time on the beach Hawaii might be a good choice - there is plenty of hiking and sightseeing to do there, in addition to enjoying the spectacular beaches.

If you want history and architecture as well as time on the beach in the sun, Portugal would be a good choice. The Algarve is breathtaking and you don't need to travel very far inland to find architecture and history.

If you enjoy historical cities, stunning architecture and European culture, Vienna/Budapest would be a good choice. It would be my choice among the options listed - I think it would be a very romantic and exciting honeymoon. To me the package tour to the Caribbean type of trip is just too generic and mainstream. I'm more of an off-the-beaten trip kind of traveler, so Vienna/Budapest or Portugal would appeal to me.

And PEI is supposed to very beautiful, but I can't see why you would choose it above the other locations unless you wanted to go somewhere closer to home where English was spoken. It's quiet, rural and has lovely beaches, and less expensive than Europe.

Money and time may also factor into your decision. Mr. Japanfan and I had little of both when we got married so our honeymoon was a short canoeing/camping trip in a place close to home. And it was wonderful!!

[Cyn]

Santorini (Greek Isles) - absolutely one of the most beautiful (and romantic) places on the planet.

My sister and BIL went there for their honeymoon, and they said it was absolutely magnificent - and the photos they took there more than backed that up (additionally, they said that it was actually far more beautiful than the pictures showed).

[MOIJTO]

Wherever you go it will be special. You are fortunate to be able to go somewhere many people cannot.

Get a map and some darts each of you throw 3 darts (different colors) and which ever darts are closest to each other go there!

[orbitz]

Get a map and some darts each of you throw 3 darts (different colors) and which ever darts are closest to each other go there!

What if the two closest darts landed in Irag and Iran ?

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I have to say that my favorite travel experiences thus far have been in Peru. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

[Cyn]

What if the two closest darts landed in Irag and Iran ?

It'd make for some rather interesting Kevlar lingerie .

[skatemommy]

Hawaii is so beautiful. It smells like plumaria. The flora and fauna are so unusual. It is paradise on earth!

[zippy]

In my opinion, avoid Jamaica like the plague. Horrific place. Went there to get my seaman's visa when I was on cruise ships. Thought I'd stay a few days then ended up paying to leave early as it was such a shock to the system. Horrific food, accommodation and conditions. Mind you, I was in Kingston Town which is not really a tourist mecca.

I would say this is a situation where your mileage may vary. I did a summer course in Kingston and had a great time. Of course Kingston has a reputation as a rough city and is pretty different from the rest of Jamaica and certainly not where a couple would choose to go for their honeymoon, but I still found it interesting and even pretty. Accommodations were fine, food maybe not the best ever (although I did enjoy Juici Patties and Red Stripe!), and the people were lovely. The Bob Marley museum was excellent as well. But the countryside and the north of the country are much better for tourism - I didn't have much free time but I did go to Ocho Rios, which was gorgeous with a big waterfall that you can climb up. Anyway, I wouldn't necessarily pick Jamaica (voted for Portugal myself), but I just wanted to point out that perhaps it's changed since you were there, or could be just an isolated bad experience.

[MLIS]

If you want to explore AND relax, can I suggest doing a cruise (either Caribbean or Mediterranean)? That's what we did -- my husband is of the "sit on the beach and vegetate" variety and I am of the "see every historical site within a hundred miles" variety when it comes to vacationing, and we found the cruise was great because we had some sit by the pool with a frosty drink days and some sightseeing days. And one day where he sat by the pool and I went sightseeing! It's nice, too, because you get to see a few different places, but your transportation/accomodation travels with you, so it's not stressful getting from place to place, and you don't have to repack your suitcase every two nights.

[bobalina77]

Hawaii is so beautiful. It smells like plumaria. The flora and fauna are so unusual. It is paradise on earth!

I second this. I just bought some massage oil that smells exactly like Hawaii.. it's amazing.

Santorini (Greek Isles) - absolutely one of the most beautiful (and romantic) places on the planet.

This is one of the many places I want to go. I think it's one of those places where you can't take a bad picture (which is important to me because I love taking scenery pictures). I love the look of the white buildings next to that beautiful blue sea. Hawaii was the same way.