Planning my honeymoon...

[whathedeuce]

Well, I'm tying the know in May, and I wanted to go ahead and start planning my honeymoon. My finacee, soon to be wife and i both dive. I wanted to find somewhere to stay that had nice scenery, fun activities to do besides diving, and of course diving!!!

Where are some places you guys have been that you have really enjoyed? I'm going to be on a moderate budget so just keep that in mind... It doesn't have to be out of the country although we were looking for some good ocean diving.. I'm thinking more in the areas below florida or maybe down in mexico or belize...

So, basically somewhere relatively near the carribean, but it doesn't have to be in the carribean. I know i am being vague, so just name some places that you really enjoyed not only the diving but also your stay. I appreciate it!

 

[Hockeynut]

Cozumel. Not too spendy, and good diving.

 

[Mikey0929]

My Fiance and I ard getting married next October and are looking for the same. I think we have pretty much decided on Curacao. Everything I have heard it has great diving and there is still other stuff to do. I'll have to make sure I watch this thread though to see what other suggestions you get.

Mike

 

[Cecil]

Bonaire would also be a good choice. It a little more expensive than Cozumel but cheaper per dive (no boats). Also you can not get more romatic than a dinner at Richard's pier table.

 

[Nismo]

Cozumel is no doubt the bargain dive spot. Depending where you live, either get a direct flight into COZ or fly to Cancun and take the Ferry. Flights to Cancun are so much cheaper and more frequent. The Ferry is about an hour I think. We stayed at the Occidental Grand with an all inclusive. Get a travel agent that will get you into Club Go Go if you pick this hotel as its $25 per person and gets your stay upgraded for the whole trip in the Royal Club. The membership is good for 13 months and you get a list of hotels that participate. The hotel as activites each day. They also have a lot of water activites free. Kayaks and some small sail boat. They offer more than that some at cost though. I'd recommend an afternoon at the San Gervaiso, which is the Mayan Ruins. Takes a good 2 hours if you do not rush. We got a really nice taxi tour of the island. The driver would stop at places he thought were good for pictures. He even offered to wait for us while we did the ruins and if we wanted to stop at any bars along the way. Chaankanab State Park is nice. We did a dolphin swim there. Got the pictures and the DVD from it, so worth it. Don't go on Sunday as they hold a HUGE Catholic mass. The horseback tour was nice. I've heard good things about the ATV and Jeep tours. San Miguel has so many little shops to check out. The further you get away from the main road and cruise ship port, the better prices get. Don't forget an afternoon under the straw umbrella with a frozen drink in hand. The diving is nice.

Bonaire was nice too. The Washington State Park could easily be multiple days. I'd do the mangrove kayak and snorkle too. A lot of the hotels offer bicycles. There's not too much else. The diving is so nice and easy though. It's great loading tanks into your included vehicle then finding a yellow rock with no other cars. Our trip to Bonaire was not really that much more if you consider everything.

Cozumel food was included and some watersport activities. Bonaire A LOT of diving was included as well as a rental vehicle and breakfast. In Bonaire, our resort had a kitchenette and the grocery store was not far. If you add the cost of two people diving to the cost of our Cozumel trip, it was a few hundred less than Bonaire. Flights to Bonaire can be horrible with long lay overs. Airlines are working on this, but do not know what your situation may have.

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

the riviera maya is a nice option, lots to do and of course a few days of diving, close proximity to cozumel and caverns....
a real nice honeymoon, fiji!
i guess i ll be walking the plank next year..... fiji!
ben

 

[whathedeuce]

Thanks for the info guys! keep it comin!! So, Nismo, you really enjoyed Cozumel? Was it affordable for all of the stuff you did there?

Ben, what is the riviera maya?

It seems like there is more stuff to do besides diving in Cozumel as opposed to Bonaire, am i right?

 

[dvrliz1]

Deuce,

Bonaire would be a great decision! There is quite a bit to do, like horseback riding, sunset cruises, great dining, para sailing, mangrove kayaking, You can fly out of SC to Newark or Atlanta, or even aruba or curacao and take a hop over! There are a great many places on Bonaire that have honeymoon specials based on budget.

Liz

 

[whathedeuce]

i know this is random, but how is hawaii? i know that might sound like a dumb question because duh its beautiful, but how is it as a honeymoon spot? I mean, does it have too many tourists? is it too commercialized? how is the diving?

 

[Nismo]

I felt there was a good amount to do on the island. The most expensive being the diving. Expect around $60/day per diver. Gear rental was very cheap. Nitrox is expensive because only one place offers it so all the dive operators get it from the one location. What worked well for us was a morning activity and an afternoon. That way you don't rush anything. My wife and I almost went back again this year but picked to go with a family friend to Bonaire. If you plan to go on the cheap, make sure you stay in town so that you can walk to the restraunts. We only went into town once and it was $15 each way. However the resort was so nice, why leave it. The staff was so friendly, the drinks were strong and cold, and the view was amazing. In Cozumel, people can get pushy. time share and store fronts can be a bother, but they won't over do it. Tourism is the whole industry so they won't push you away, but they will strongly encourage you to come to their store. Don't stop for anyone that yells "Honeymooners over here!" Pick the stores you want to go in to.

Bonaire is a good value if you want to do nothing but diving. You have to cnsider all that is included to see the value. Not as much to do on the island. SHopping is much more limited than Cozumel. However, it's also much more laid back in the shopping district. I don't think there's a weeks worth of other activities on Bonaire. HOWEVER, the diving is absolutley incredible. I loved doing my safety stop among the large coral, barracuda, and a few sea turtles. You'll want to do nothing but dive here.