Does any place have it all????

[robbcayman]

I am going on my Honeymoon come May of 2006 & I am having a hard time.
I want to find a place that has good topside, great diving & has a number of activities. I seem to find only one of these requirements. Plus I would love an all inclusive where the diving is free as the meals since our family is paying for the trip. However, it's not a requirement.

I have narrowed it Down to: 1) Sandals Grande St Lucia
2) Possibly somewhere in Hawaii
3) The Cayman Islands
4) Aruba (I have heard so-so diving)

My ultimate choice would be Fiji or Bora-Bora but $10k for a honeymoon is a bit much. I am trying to stay around $5k if possible. -Thanks for any help!!!!!!!

 

[ch0ppersrule]

I prefer Cozumel- awesome diving. We stay down at the Occidental Grand. You can catch a cab into town if you want to do shopping or go for the night life. There is horseback riding, atv tours, dune buggy tours, swim or dive with the dolphins, plenty of shopping or catch a ferry over to the mainland and take a day trip to Chichen-Itza (or other ruins), Cancun, Playa del Carmen etc... Really depends on what you are looking to do above the water. Food is cheap downtown (San Miguel) Coz. Even though the resort is all-inclusive you still have to go to town and eat at a mom & pop place. If you pick Hawaii- Waikiki is a very crowded city-- lots of buildings and skyscrapers. I was in shock when we drove through. Thought we were in the wrong area.

 

[Mo2vation]

I am going on my Honeymoon come May of 2006 & I am having a hard time.
I want to find a place that has good topside, great diving & has a number of activities. I seem to find only one of these requirements. Plus I would love an all inclusive where the diving is free as the meals since our family is paying for the trip. However, it's not a requirement.

I have narrowed it Down to: 1) Sandals Grande St Lucia
2) Possibly somewhere in Hawaii
3) The Cayman Islands
4) Aruba (I have heard so-so diving)

My ultimate choice would be Fiji or Bora-Bora but $10k for a honeymoon is a bit much. I am trying to stay around $5k if possible. -Thanks for any help!!!!!!!

Plusses:

* On budget.
* Lots of topside activities - Kayaking, sailing, snorkling, hanging
* Private Cabanas available for you and sweetie
* All Inclusive


Negs
* Island - so if you're looking for shopping, walking about, citylife - forget about it. This is all about you and snuggles on a private island.

* Its all about diving and fishing and island stuff. If you want to go motocross riding, forget about it. This is all about you and snuggles on a private island.


Just a thought. My wife and I went on a Safari in Alaska for our 'moon. Just she, me and our guide. It was all about me and snuggles in the great outdoors.

Enjoy.

Turneffe. My Turneff Mini-Gallery

---
Ken

 

[ch0ppersrule]

turneffe sounds like a place I need to go. Is there lots of sea life?

 

[robbcayman]

I forgot to mention the Cozumel issue. We love Cozumel & have been there twice in the last year. My fiance wants something different and I can't seem to find any better. I asked her last night if we could go back to Coz and she said no way. Since our family is footing the bill she wants to go fairly nice and different.

Besides Cozumel or Mexico where else would you recommend???

 

[docmartin]

why so close to home? how about south africa or thailand? cheap, great (and different) diving, amazing topside.

 

[Mo2vation]

turneffe sounds like a place I need to go. Is there lots of sea life?

There's just a little.

The thing about Turneffe is, they're at the end of an Atoll. The 25 or 30 dive sites that are 6 - 10 minutes from the resort / isand get no pressure except from Turneffe. They are far and away the most pristine places I've ever dived. They just don't suffer from a huge volume of divers - so stuff isn't broken off, there's no trash, etc.

Lots o' fishies, turtles and rays every day, zillions of Dr Suess spongelife.

I was lovin' it.

---
Ken

 

[robbcayman]

Plusses:

* On budget.
* Lots of topside activities - Kayaking, sailing, snorkling, hanging
* Private Cabanas available for you and sweetie
* All Inclusive


Negs
* Island - so if you're looking for shopping, walking about, citylife - forget about it. This is all about you and snuggles on a private island.

* Its all about diving and fishing and island stuff. If you want to go motocross riding, forget about it. This is all about you and snuggles on a private island.


Just a thought. My wife and I went on a Safari in Alaska for our 'moon. Just she, me and our guide. It was all about me and snuggles in the great outdoors.

Enjoy.

Turneffe. My Turneff Mini-Gallery

---
Ken

Wow that place looks awesome. I am going to show it to my fiance tonight and if she likes it do you care if I ask you more questions about it? That place was beautiful and the diving looks to be good. I really really appreciate. Do you have any more suggestions you apparently know what to look for.

 

[robbcayman]

why so close to home? how about south africa or thailand? cheap, great (and different) diving, amazing topside.

South Africa is a for sure NO since Great Whites are there. I have already asked about that one.

Thailand is a possiblity I have heard they have great diving. I just think the 30 hour flight would wear down on her. She is not what you would call a patient person.

 

[Mo2vation]

Wow that place looks awesome. I am going to show it to my fiance tonight and if she likes it do you care if I ask you more questions about it? That place was beautiful and the diving looks to be good. I really really appreciate. Do you have any more suggestions you apparently know what to look for.

I'm a freak. For me, the honeymoon was about me and schnookums turning out the world and focusing on us. Because as soon as we get back, the world will come crashing in.

I wanted privacy. I'm not a sit in the hammock kinda guy. I wanted outdoors. I wanted adventure. I wanted grand gesture. I wanted something unforgetable. Jaye's Trousseau was Gortex (her mom wasn't the most thrilled about that...) 10 days in Alaska was all that and a pack of chips.

The thing with Belize, is its close. Its like a 2 hour flight from DFW. C'mon. Its an english speaking country. The exchange rate is mellow (2:1) and easy to understand. Belize City wasn't the nicest place, but it served as a base for our land excursions when we were done with Turneffe. Trip up river to see the ruins, a full-day jungle walk, lava tubing, etc.

However, if you think you and sweetie will get cabin (Cabana) fever on a private island for a week, book a half-week program (they do them) and spend the other half at a nice hotel in Belize City so you can get out doors in the jungle. Otherwise, stay in a gorgeous private Cabana, get waited on hand and foot, blow off the dive agenda some mornings and stay in each others arms and watch the sunrise (as you drink coffee and tea that they leave on your doorstep each morning) and roll in at lunchtime. THAT'S what I'm talking about.

BTW - there were 17 people in our group on Turneffe (15 others.) 2 couples were Honeymooners, 2 couples were anniversary. The rest of us were vacationing.

---
Ken