Honeymoon - help please

[Newlywednearly50]

Hi
were planning our honeymoon and combining my 50th (yikes)! We got married on June 30th in Portugal and plan a long haul trip for Feb 2023. I’d really appreciate some help with destinations please.

background
I want luxury, a spa, beautiful beaches, good food/wine, yoga and the chance to see the country/city outside of the hotel. It needs to be safe.

OH likes above but needs hiking, preferably with some good hills, history & activities or else he will be bored out of his brain. He will want to go off ok his own rather than as part of a tour so safety again is important.

Thailand is a no, as is Bali. We’re considering Costa Rica but I feel there is far more for him than me.

Budget 5-7k max.

suggests for destinations and hotels appreciated. Would like 2 weeks so happy to do 2 centres. Was thinking 1 week all inclusive and then maybe a week in a villa/condo so we can eat out but also cook if we want to.

TIA

California. San Francisco. Monterey. Santa Barbara. San Diego and napa valley. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Laderia , St Lucia
it would be perfect
congratulations btw

South Cali

As in a few days in each? Tempting. I’ve been to LA, loved Santa Monica but haven’t busted any of the other places!

Have considered St Lucia, don’t know this area so I’ll have a look. Thank you 😊

visited, not busted! 😂

Borneo, with a stopover somewhere like Hong Kong.

Just looked- stunning but 6k for a week, not flights, no food. I feel like I need to lower my expectations 😭

There are some other beautiful hotels in the same area @Newlywednearly50 have a look

My God its gone up in price >gulp<
Another thought East winds in St Lucia its all inclusive and the food is stunning

I’m finding travel, like everything else has gone through the roof. Sadly my 3% payrise isn’t reflecting that 🙄

Why no to Thailand/Bali?
What you're looking for will be cheaper in Asia.

New Zealand 🇳🇿

My Husband has been married before to someone from Thailand, no drama but he’s spent a lot of time in that part of the world, so wants something different and I don’t really want to go somewhere he knows intimately, I’d rather discover together. That’s said we will go to Bali at some point in the future.

Too far but one day when we’re retired!

So we both love the idea of St Lucia. My parents are from the Caribbean so I have a lot of love for this part of the world. Just now need to find a hotel that’s not astronomical. East winds 13k for 2 weeks! ( do people really spend that much on a 2 week holiday, I’m doing something wrong)! might do a week somewhere lux & a week less so maybe!

I've not been but I planned a cancelled trip to Costa Rica for Summer 2020. I think there would be enough there for both of you - a poster here had recommended the Tulemar resort and we'd planned a good chunk of time there as part of the trip.

Hawaii - do a couple of islands. Stop over in San Francisco en route

Congratulations! I agree with California, it's truly amazing! We went there and several other worldwide trips using BA multi centre holidays, they are amazing value, you can fiddle around with all sorts of combinations on their website, like luxury or basic. I know BA are getting a bad press lately but we've always found them to be great.

These holidays are also classed as a package so you get all the financial protection

This was actually our first choice. It’s eye wateringly expensive. Google of you fancy a laugh!

sorry missed this, I’ll take a look. Thanks

Don’t go to California in February, the northern bits and San Francisco etc won’t be warm (I lived there).
what you’re describing sounds more like you’d enjoy the Caribbean (Grenada is stunning and has hiking etc or look at Cuba). The Bahamas are also stunning.
Costa Rica would be fantastic too though haven’t been so can’t recommend it personally

Hawaii also supposed to be great

Mexico maybe? You can stay at a nice AI with spa, etc, but close for day trips out.

The thing to watch with February is avoiding the school holidays going out and back! Also maybe book somewhere adult only if you want to avoid kids.

The February half term varies depending on where you live. I know people who have it 13th-17th of Feb and then also 21st-25th of Feb.

So from the 13th-25th Feb (at least) you will see raised prices and it might be busier