Honeymoon recommendations anyone pls ?

[easterdaffsx]

Hi .
We're getting married next August amd can go away in the September (cheaper) for ten days or so
I'm a big travelling/ exploring fan whereas DF is a big fan of chilling on a beautiful beach all day amd reading .
We usually settle on a compromise of every 3rd day or so we go on a trip or excursion or experience and it seems to work quite well .
DF has suggested 10 days in the Maldives in a secluded villa on the water . Heaven on earth . Except as much as I'd love something romantic like this it would be good to have the option of some experiences or sightseeing too .... a safari or trip etc
So I'm looking for something with a bit of each really. If we are to gaze into each other's eyes somewhere beautiful and expensive (which I'm am very much looking forward to) it would be great to also be able mix it up with something else if possible .
We do both love snorkelling so was also considering Mexico

Would love to hear any recommendations you may have .
TIA

what about Egypt? A few days seeing the sights and then time by the Red Sea chilling and snorkelling?

What sort of budget do you have?

Thailand, Indonesia etc could fit the bill - plenty of beaches and you can swim/scuba dive etc but also lots of culture, day trips and so on.

Or a Caribbean island? St Lucia or Antigua?

I was going to suggest Mexico it's got some beautiful areas to explore, but also lovely and relaxing beaches and crystal clear water.

We did Mauritius in May. Was lovely. Got some beach/pool time, and did some day trips from the hotel - 1 day out, 1 day at the hotel. DH did some diving, so I chilled with a book when he did that! Stayed in lovely hotel that was all inclusive. Was a honeymoon package through trailfinders. When looking, am sure there were some honeymoon packages that were week in Mauritius, and week in west india. Make sure that you take into account time of year and avoid monsoon season if going somewhere that has a monsoon time.

www.zurizanzibar.com

This is where we are going! We are combining with short safari

I've no idea what flights/tourism is up to these days, but back in my Maldives days it wasn't so uncommon to combine a few Maldives days with Sri Lanka.

You probably don't want to be in the Caribbean in September, but I think Mauritius might suit (Google the right bit of the island to stay in in that month). We happily hire a car, but have also had drivers for the day/half day. You have giant tortoises and temples, tea plantations, rainforests and markets and sport (golf and diving).

If you haven’t already considered it I’d look at Santorini and stay somewhere like the ‘villa’ on this website - it’s stunning, romantic, private, you can walk in the morning to the other town (in the morning so before it gets hot) and there are restaurants, historical sites etc near by.
Whole villa to yourself with two pools to watch the sunset from…

aesthesisboutiquevillas.com/villas/villa/

DH and I were - pre DS - pretty adventurous holiday types and couldn't imagine anything worse than sitting at a beach all day. For our honeymoon we booked the USA Rockies, now granted we had rubbish weather and ended up heading south all the way to Las Vegas, but we'd underestimated how tired we'd be after the wedding. I regret to this day not going somewhere like the Caribbean to relax and enjoy ourselves.

We honeymooned in Santorini and stayed here: www.thevasilicos.com/

We had the best time, the view in absolutely breathtaking and the island is amazing. Mix or relaxation and things to do.

Would definitely recommend

We went to the Dominican Republic - amazing beaches and lovely excursions too. We did off road buggies, island tour, horse riding, boat trip and then several days on the beach / at the pool.

This was many years ago tho so I don't know what like safety and security is now over there.

We did Sri Lanka for a week (gorgeous) followed by the Maldives for a week . Best of both worlds

[quote Lostinmumming]If you haven’t already considered it I’d look at Santorini and stay somewhere like the ‘villa’ on this website - it’s stunning, romantic, private, you can walk in the morning to the other town (in the morning so before it gets hot) and there are restaurants, historical sites etc near by.
Whole villa to yourself with two pools to watch the sunset from…

aesthesisboutiquevillas.com/villas/villa/[/quote]
But the beaches are rubbish.

You could split your time between Santorini and Naxos (1-2 hour ferry ride) where the beaches are heavenly.

@StCharlotte agree Naxos is lovely. We went to Santorini (not for a honeymoon though) and to be honest so much of it is so incredibly touristy and often packed (especially on cruise ship days) I’m not sure I’d go back. We went to Naxos in the same trip and it was lovely, gorgeous beaches and peaceful in comparison. There are quieter bits of Santorini of course and it’s a gorgeous island but be prepared for the crowds if you do go.

Greek island hopping - a selection of islands with beautiful beaches and historical sites...plus good snorkeling if you want it.

I agree you'll be knackered after your wedding - we were. The first few days we just wanted to sleep and eat and do nothing much at all. So while lying on a beach could be deadly boring for the whole time, you might actually rather enjoy it for a few days at the beginning.

As to where you should go - September is perfect for southern Europe. If you go somewhere like Mexico, be aware that it's peak hurricane season at that time of year.

Mexico would suit you both. I stayed at the xcaret occidental which was fab. Snorkelling at the little hotel beach. Monkeys on your balcony. We hired a car for a week in the middle and did a few trips to Tulum and Coba and to a beach with turtles and also to go snorkelling in some cenotes. The hotel pools are fine for some lazing about and you're next door to Xcaret park. There's other stuff you can do which we didn't such as caving, quad bikes in the jungle.

Me and dp are looking at going to Thailand for our honeymoon. They have beautiful beaches but also lots of explorative experiences aswell. We are splitting it between 3 separate places so we get a but of everything.

We did a multi city honeymoon.

3 days New York
3 days Boston
8 days South Beach Miami

That way we got a mix of city break and beach holiday.

We went to Hawaii. Loved it so much we have been back twice with the children. It is surprisingly affordable. Trailfinders put our package together every time and I did research in advance and thus knew the price of everything. So much to see and do. Seas are lovely.

Also, Borneo is just gorgeous and has the best wildlife. www.rasariareserve.com

The Maldives is truly the most boring place I have ever been though undeniably looks like paradise.

Gosh thank you so much everyone .
Never thought about hurricane seasons and we are going in September so that's ruled out Mexico amd the Caribbean.
We be done all the Greek Islands as live them so much .
Really appreciate advice on being tired after wedding - we're no spring chickens anymore either !!
Loving the idea of Maldives combined with Sri Lanka . My father lived in Sri Lanka as a child and I've always wanted to go amd find his old house .
Thailand sounds a good idea too .... beautiful beaches but could possibly see the Elephants too amd do some snorkelling !
I'm so excited thank you .

Bali

Barbados. Beautiful beaches but also lots to see and do.

Sardinia....it has beautiful beaches, some of the best in Europe but history and culture and wonderful food . Hire a car . September will be a perfect month to visit

My personal preference would be not to celebrate my marriage by travelling to a country where LGBTQ relationships are not accepted, such as the Maldives or Mauritius. List here: www.humandignitytrust.org./lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/

Again, personal opinion but I am flabbergasted that anyone would set foot in any of these places.

Congratulations on your wedding, OP, and enjoy your honeymoon wherever you decide to go.