Honeymoon ideas? Anyone been to Aruba?

[badass88gt]

Looking for ideas, not interested in Jamaica, a cruise, Europe, Mexico, or Hawaii. We're thinking of somewhere tropical, not ridiculously crowded. I want Tahiti/Bora Bora but it is very expensive, she mentioned Aruba. I had also been interested in Sandals Resort in St. Lucia. Anyone ever been to either? Lets hear some stories....Thanks much-Dan

[jbiscuit]

Palm Springs....Awesome weather, nothing but lounging around the pool. Perfect. Or Santa Monica, CA. The pier is awesome, lots of good restaurants, cool hotels, drive up the coast to Malibu, rent a boat etc...again perfect weather.

[johnny--2k]

St Martin, anywhere in the Carribean, Brazil, Galapagos Islands....

[Exitspeed]

Not all of Jamaica is crowded. If you get to the southern part of the island it's mostly fishing villages.

Sandals Whitehouse is their newest resort in Jamaica but I guess it's closed for remodeling right now. The wife and I went there and we are really picky about they type of places we stay and it exceeded all of our expectations and then some.

[badass88gt]

We dont want Jamaica, a friend got robbed at gunpoint when he was there and wandered off the resort into town. I know it could happen anywhere, but it did happen there to someone I personally know, so, ya know.....

[lordairgtar]

Might I suggest Belize.
http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/lodge/lodgingprice.html

[animal]

Hawaii... no passport, no customs, no leaving the greatest country on earth. If i had it to do over again, I'd stay the whole 10 days on maui or kauai and take a day trip to oahu for pearl harbor, etc. 4 days on oahu was just a little too many japanese people for me. And no matter what you do or where you go they are ALWAYS in your way. Period. Pearl harbor is patriotic, and probably something every american SHOULD see, but I'm not going to tell you it was an awesome time.

We just did oahu and maui, but I've heard kauai is on an equal level... plus those two islands there aren't ghettos all around the tourist areas like there are in honolulu it would seem. Contrary to popular belief, you can still eat cheap there for lunches and quick stops. Fast food places are only about 10-15% more expensive iirc. Our hotel had a subway across the street with $5 footlongs even. Not that you want to eat that crap all the time either, but going out for $80 dinners 10 days in a row can add up hehe. Milk was 9.48/gal on Maui tho :eek:


This is prolly too long already so i'll leave it at that. If you choose hawaii and want any advice let me know.

[Want_Notch]

Strip Club?

[lordairgtar]

As Animal sez...Hawaii! I would pic Kauai over any of the other islands. Small towns and the people are way friendlier. Honolulu has too many "Me Born Here, You Not" types. They dislike Haolies (mainlanders) to the point that I wouldn't recommend walking around outside of the Tourist areas.

[shoooo32]

Key west. Hands down the most fun I've had on a vacation. Hop a cheap flight to Miami, rent a $99 a week shitbox and drive down. We rented mopeds for the week and barhopped all over the island.

[Exitspeed]

We dont want Jamaica, a friend got robbed at gunpoint when he was there and wandered off the resort into town. I know it could happen anywhere, but it did happen there to someone I personally know, so, ya know.....

I've been there twice. The first time we went on a shopping excursion. It was fun, but you did feel a little unsafe sometimes.

The second year we went we stayed on the resorts and just relaxed. It was very nice.

Especially like I said on the southern part of the island. If you are in Negril, or Montego Bay there is so much going on and people everywhere and I could see getting robbed in that environment. On the southern part of the island though it's just these people that bath in the waterfalls, and fish all day. Montego bay is like going to Chicago, and the southern part of the island is like being is Door County. It's really that big of a difference.

St Lucia should be really nice. I recommend a Sandals resort. The all inclusiveness of their resorts is really nice. It's not not having to carry cash on you, ordering Courvoisier just cause, and eating whatever you want off the menu without thinking twice.

We might go to one of the St Lucia resorts over winter. Still deciding.

[STANMAN]

Forget Jamaica, it makes you want to shoot yourself seeing how poor those people have it. Literally an outhouse in back of your hunting shack up north would be a deluxe condo that most native Jamaican's live it. And yeah, don't wander off the "compound" as I came to call it, because it gets real rough, real fast. BUT, the snorkeling was AWESOME compared to Aruba.

Aruba=the bomb. You can go anywhere and feel 100% safe, better food, better music, better night life, better everything, but the best thing........2 deck blackjack tables:thumbsup

This is coming from someone who had been to both BTW.

[animal]

Aruba=the bomb. You can go anywhere and feel 100% safe

Unless your name is Natalee Holloway, then you better be packing. :guns1

:goof

[JBs92Lude]

St. Thomas is really nice, relaxing, beautiful beaches, just an awesome place.

[JBs92Lude]

We dont want Jamaica, a friend got robbed at gunpoint when he was there and wandered off the resort into town. I know it could happen anywhere, but it did happen there to someone I personally know, so, ya know.....

Been there once, was going to walk from the shopping area to Jimmy Buffet's which was about 1/2 mile away. Walked away from the police guarded shopping area, and as my dad and I were walking uphill there were people starting to move near us. As much as we didn't want to take a taxi we learned to stay in the main areas and not go off on your own in Jamaica... not a place I would really like to go back to.

[Doc Brown]

Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is gorgeous, and a little over a year ago we hooked an online deal that included airfare and a weeks stay for two at a 5-star all-inclusive resort for around $3500.

Most of the country is like Jamaica, and you can't drink the water, but everything else about the experience was great!

edit: or was it $2500? Memory is a bit hazy...

[Car Guy]

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya; Bermuda, Bahamas, come one pretty mama......:rock:

[badass88gt]

I know it. Every time I say or hear the word Aruba I think of that phuckin song.

[Goat Roper]

My co-worker is heading to Bora Bora and a bunch of other islands in the area for his honeymoon in a week or so, not as badly priced as you would think. I could hook you up with the people who set his up.

[Rocket Power]

Milk was 9.48/gal on Maui tho :eek:



Lactose intolerance FTW:rolf

[URLOZIN]

The Florida Keys is a great place. Rent a condo on the ocean, and hit up key west a couple of nights and you'll have a great time. Relatively inexpensive.

[badass88gt]

Eh, the Keys arent really a "destination" for us, my brother lives in Ft. Lauderdale and my sister just recently moved out of Miami, so its not a real exotic location for us.

My brother spent almost 2 weeks in Bora Bora and Moorea, and the guy that did my cam in my car is an expert on Aruba, I think it will be one of those 2.

Scott, any info you could get me would be a big help. Thanks!

[brotherbenn83]

+1 on Aruba, a good friend of mine has been to several carribean locales and hawaii and said that Aruba was the BEST. Check out the Occidental Resort, he said all-inclusive is THE WAY to go. They even have special "honeymoon" packages. Check it out!

http://www.occidentalhotels.com/grand/Aruba.asp

[Jsho13]

We go almost every year with my family. I think I have been there 6 times or so now and is by far my favorite place to vacation. There are basically two different categories of the island, the High Rises and Low Rises. The high rises is where you will find your Marriott's, Hiltons, Holiday Inn's. The Low rises is where you will find not as fancy hotels but much better views of the ocean. We always stay in the low rises the place is called the tamarijn. The room is nothing fancy (standard hotel room) but the ocean is literally 100' from the front door. They only have two story buildings so you will never have to worry about hopping on a elevator to get down to the beach where you would have to if you stayed in the high rises. It all depends on what you want, the high rises are usually packed and very pricey. But they also are pretty fancy where as the lowrises are not. Also check out the Divi Resort.

[Yooformula]

Aruba was awesome when I went there. There is a ton to do there especially if you rent a car and just tour the island(all 30 minutes of it) but there was such a cool feel to the place and everyone seemed really nice. Friends of mine owned a summer home there and I got to go all over the place besides just the tourist areas, the natural landscape there is very cool and the water is AMAZING!

[Goat Roper]

Scott, any info you could get me would be a big help. Thanks!

I will speak with him tomorrow. I looked through the catalog of hotels and was floored by how inexpensive it was. Flights are not cheap but once you get there you can relax in a damn nice room for little ching.