So you're engaged...congratulations!

The most fun about getting married is planning a honeymoon.  This is a trip of a lifetime. Narrowing it down is easy. Don’t worry if you haven’t chosen which country, much less an island or a resort most honeymoon couples are in the same boat.  You probably have looked at the local newspaper travel section browsed through some travel magazines but now is the time to look at the very best fit for your desires and style.

There are several questions you should ask yourself.  It will be an easier task when you sit down with your travel professional.  The interview process is crucial.  It is the discovery of what you need to make your honeymoon truly magical.

When Are You Going?

There are high and low seasons for every destination.   A combination of weather and holidays determine the costs of some of the destinations.  For instance, Hawaii has  very little variance in weather year-round, except that January and February are pretty rainy.  There are others like the Caribbean that have a definite hurricane season. Yet it's important to know that the Caribbean is a very big place-and different parts have different hurricane seasons, and some parts of the western Caribbean really aren't hurricane prone at all.   You should also note that a Caribbean cruise is a great choice during hurricane season, because you can move a ship to calmer waters but it is really, really difficult to move an island!  There are several other destinations that have rainy or monsoon seasons. It is important to know the specific destination in order to have a feel for whether or not their "green" season is too "green" (rainy!) For you.

You might want to ask yourself if you're willing to delay the start of your honeymoon a couple of weeks or months. Summer months are very popular for weddings, as it tends to be easier for family and friends to get to the wedding; plus, if you're having an outdoor wedding, the odds of good weather are more in your favor. However, this also tends to be the expensive (and sometimes more crowded) season for many honeymoon destinations. Giving yourself a month off after the wedding before leaving on your honeymoon can give you time to relax and wind down from the wedding, write your thank-you notes, and take advantage of the lower prices of what's known as the "shoulder season" (between high and low season).   The Caribbean is not in high season during the summer months, but Europe definitely is.

Food

How adventurous of an eater are you? How about your fiancé? Do you like to try the local food, try many different restaurants? Although most “All Inclusive” resorts have very good American or European cuisine local cuisine that is authentic may have you venturing outside the resort.

If your chosen resort is in or near a reasonably large town or tourist area, you may have lots of choices for dinner.  Alternatively if you're secluded and isolated, it's possible that you have no choice but to dine at the resort (and pay their prices, if it's not included!).

Cruises take a lot of guess work out of dining.  Lots of restaurant choices with different cuisines.  While in port it is possible to take advantage of local cuisine if you choose to do so.  Alcohol is not included on a cruise ship.  This is a consideration.  If you drink very little, then you are not paying the high prices for everyone else’s liquor tab.
In areas like Fiji and Tahiti, you'll often find that while the resort isn't officially all-inclusive, they do have a "meal plan" which covers food and sometimes drinks. Sometimes these plans cover just breakfast (BP) and  or dinner (MAP), which leaves you the option of trying the local cuisine and eating relatively inexpensively for lunch.

Language

This is less of a problem than you might think. Unless you're backpacking around some exotic country, you're going to find people in restaurants, hotels, and the activity vendors all speak English. One bit of advice: try to learn a few words and phrases in the local language, as you'll find you're treated differently if you begin conversations with "hello" in their language, and show you're willing to make the effort to get along in their country.   One problem I encountered was to understand the words for “how much” in the local language.  The only problem with that is that then the people think you speak their language and reply in their language, making me completely lost! 

Cost

The BIG Question!

First, some statistics: the average U.S. couple spends about $3700 for their honeymoon package...and this doesn't include expenditures once they're at their destination.

When you consider a resort that's NOT all-inclusive, take some time to research the area and find out what meals cost, what a snorkel trip costs, what taxis cost, etc. Check out the local tourist bureau sites.  These usually are a good starting point.
Costs of excursions and meals can easily add up to much more than your airfare and hotel.  If you are realistic and prepared for this you will have a wonderful experience. You might consider staying at multiple hotels on your honeymoon-perhaps one or two nights at someplace really nice to start, then a more moderate property with perhaps less of a view for the remainder or the other way around so that the best memories are the last ones.

Time

How much time off work are you going to take? And how much of it are you willing to spend on an airplane?  Check where in the world you are going and how much travel time you will need.  Don’t consider Hawaii if you live on the east coast and have only 4 days of vacation to spend.   Travel time and stopovers consume a lot of the time you have.  Sometimes a good option, if it's available, is a red-eye flight, where you sleep on the plane and wake up at your destination, saving a day of vacation time. On the east coast, this works well for Europe.

Nightlife

Are you going to want to go out dancing/clubbing? Or maybe see some native dances or performances? If you're going to Hawaii, and you ARE looking for nightlife, you'll probably want to think about the main island of Oahu and Waikiki.   
Caribbean cruises offer a great variety of shows and different nightclubs with no cover charges.

In Mexico, you should be thinking about Cancun or Cabo San Lucas, rather than some of the more isolated resort areas. If you're considering the Caribbean, the answer to this question might affect the island or region you choose as well. Music: what do you want to hear on your honeymoon? Mariachi bands, steel drums, reggae, or the Hawaiian Hula...what appeals to you?

Adventure

Safari or Hiking in Kenya or the Andes? Maybe Macchu Pichu? How about a week on a sailboat  in the Caribbean? Would you like to tour Australia in a four by four/ small plane or on a Harley?  Maybe you would like to trek through the jungles of Costa Rica, observing monkeys and exotic birds? If these sound interesting the  first thing you need to do is make sure they also appeal to your spouse! These kinds of trips create memories of a lifetime, and can be very affordable as well. Often, couples will want to combine an "adventure" trip with a few days relaxing at a beach resort-these kinds of combination packages can be put together for you by a knowledgeable travel agent, and give you the best of both worlds.

History and culture

Are visiting ancient ruins...centuries-old cathedrals...seeing native villages your cup of tea?  The beauty of the art, architecture, and history of Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Italy or Mayan civilizations can make for a fabulous honeymoon experience.

The obvious destination is Europe, but think also about the Mayans and Aztecs in Latin America...Buddhist temples Southeast Area or...Angkor Wat incambodia...Buddhist and Hindu temples in India. How about the  Terracotta Warriors in Xian, a boat trip on the Li river or the Great Wall of China?

Watersports

Are you interested in going deep-sea fishing? It's important to know what the fishing is like where you're going. For instance, while you can take a guided fishing trip from any one of the Hawaiian or Caribbean Islands or Mexico, your chances of actually doing some CATCHING as well as fishing are substantially better on the Big Island, Baja, Acapulco or bone fishing in South Andros.

Do you and your fiancé scuba dive (or do you want to learn)? You'll find that pretty much every tropical destination has diving and snorkeling available. Some will have scuba courses offered by the resorts, while other resorts will have partnered with local dive companies. If you love to snorkel, make sure your travel agent knows, so they can recommend resorts where the wave conditions tend to be good and there are good snorkeling reefs nearby so that there's something besides just sand to look at. In general, a great surfing beach won't be a great snorkeling beach!

It is very important to talk to your travel agent about what kinds of watersports you want to enjoy. If you're interested in jet skiing and parasailing, you'll want to be in one place; if you want to kayak with the turtles or  snorkel around a reef, you'll want to be elsewhere. It's also useful to know how far it is from your hotel to the best spots for your activities-you won't want to spend two hours a day going from and to your hotel.

People, People, People (And Children)

There are many important considerations here. First , who else is going to be at your resort? Are most of the guests at the resort in your age group? Are they young and adventurous, or older and mostly interested in more sedated activities such as golf? Does the resort market to families-are you going to find a ton of kids splashing around in the pool when you're trying to have a romantic, relaxing time? Is the bar going to be lively, with your kind of music? Are you going to feel right at home, or a bit out of place?

Next, let's talk about density: do you prefer to be in the middle of the action, with lots of other happy honeymooners all around, or quieter and more secluded? Think about whether you want to be in a hotel with 400 rooms, or a resort with 40 private villas...the experience will be very different. And do you want to be waited on hand and foot, or left alone to explore by yourselves? Do you want to shop, maybe pick up souvenirs or local style clothes, or maybe some artwork?
Finally, how much do you want to learn about the locals, their language, food, and culture? Generally, at the all-inclusive resorts, you'll find yourselves with other tourists, separated from the local style. If you want to immerse yourselves in the local environment, perhaps consider a smaller hotel, farther from the main tourist areas.

Accommodations

How sensitive are you to humidity and temperature? How about heights.  Will a high rise hotel be upper most in your romantic register?  This can determine not only the destination, but also the choice of resort, as not all A/C systems are created equal. How close do you want to be to nature? I've stayed at fabulous safari lodges in Africa that didn't even have complete walls...just mosquito nets to protect you at night. For some, this is a dream come true-for others it might be a nightmare.

How important is your living space in your hotel room? Do you feel claustrophobic easily? Do you like to lounge around in the morning, have breakfast in bed, or do you like to get up and out there exploring the island? Is a spa on-property important to you? Is a view of the ocean from your room important to you...enough to justify the higher price?

Also think about how you typically spend your day on vacation. If you go back and forth from the room to the beach, the pool, the restaurant, you might want a place with ground-level villas rather than have to get on and off elevators all the time. If you're going to spend most of your days out exploring the island, this might not matter so much.

The Destinations

Here's a quick look at some of the more popular destinations, and what they're known for.

Caribbean - known for prevalence of all-inclusive resorts, especially in Jamaica. Huge range of cultures, styles, food, music. Great watersports and scenery, and not too long in the air from major U.S. cities. Cruises are a very popular way to explore multiple islands and countries in the Caribbean at a modest cost. Inexpensive to very expensive.  Cruising is a great alternative here.

Fiji - great scuba and snorkeling, very friendly people, mostly villa-style beach bungalow accommodations in widely-separated resorts. Moderately expensive to very expensive. About 9 hours flying time from Los Angeles.

Tahiti - great scuba and snorkeling, famous for over water bungalows and phenomenal views. Resorts tend to be fairly far apart; very secluded and private. Expensive to very expensive; food, drinks, and activities can be very expensive as well. About 8 hours flying time from Los Angeles.   Cruising here is a great way to see many of the islands.

Hawaii - beautiful weather all year round, close to mainland U.S., amazing array of water sports and adventure activities. Not as much of a cultural transition for mainland Americans as many other destinations. Most hotels have 200-400 rooms; hotel density along beaches can be high. Excellent choice for a destination wedding, as prices are very reasonable for high quality and service. Benefit a cruise for a closer view at all the islands

Mexico - Cancun/Cozumel nearly fully recovered from the past summer's hurricanes, and much rebuilding has resulted in many upgraded resorts. High density of resorts on beaches in places like Cancun and Cabo. Great diving, watersports; some areas close to Mayan ruins.   Recently, all-inclusive resorts have become common, and there are some terrific bargains to be had, especially at the moderate to more expensive resorts. A new trend we're seeing is combining the traditional beach vacation with a few days inland at one of Mexico's colonial cities, exploring the history and culture of old Mexico. Easy access from the U.S.   

Europe - history, architecture, and great food and wine are big draws here. Airfare is less than you might expect. Less of a beach resort destination, although areas of Italy, France, and Greece on the Mediterranean can provide the sun & surf element.  Europe is a great buy on a cruise ship.  Everyone speaks English and lots of countries in a short amount of time.  Castles in Ireland and self-drive B&B vacations throughout the UK are popular, as are villa stays in France and Italy. In Greece, the Cyclades islands  Santorini with its submerged volcano, black sandy beach, and breathtaking sunsets (the most romantic place in the world in my opinion)  Mykonos with its blue-domed churches, whitewashed houses and beaches...and Naxos, the largest island with golden sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters.  Honeymooners often combine stays on these islands with a visit to Athens. Many cruise options are available, allowing easy exploration of a number of Mediterranean ports in one vacation. Moderately expensive to very expensive.

Costa Rica & Belize - becoming very popular as eco-tourism destinations, these countries offer terrific beach resorts, water sports, diving and snorkeling, combined with jungle exploration and eco-adventures. Treetop resorts becoming popular here as well; and like Mexico, there are a number of Mayan ruins accessible in Belize. Belize also is famous for its barrier reef, and the scuba diving hotspot known as The Blue Hole. Relatively short flight from mainland U.S., combined with great value for the dollar at many resorts makes these two countries very hot for honeymooners.

Australia & New Zealand - enormous variety of things to do for the adventurous types, from Ayers Rock to the Great Barrier reef, Sydney and its renowned Opera House, Surfers Paradise. New Zealand has everything from geysers in Rotorua to jet-boating; hiking and skiing amongst tremendous scenery, and of course the famous Maori hospitality. We often suggest combining a trip to either of these countries with a stopover in Fiji or Tahiti as well. Long flight times (15 hours+ from Los Angeles) mean you'll probably want to stay 2 weeks at the very least. Moderately expensive to expensive.

Southeast Asia - combines terrific beach resorts with extraordinary culture and historical sites to explore. A relatively long flight from the U.S. (up to 20 hours depending on routing), but a tremendous value once you're there. Thailand, Bali, China, Vietnam and Cambodia are all becoming very popular. Very inexpensive without the airfare; inexpensive to moderate with airfare.

The Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius are all fabulous honeymoon destinations, although because of the flying time from the U.S. (around 30 hours), they're more commonly visited by Europeans. Truly spectacular diving and scenery, great food and culture, and very friendly people. Hotels are much more spread out than Hawaii or Mexico-more like Fiji or Tahiti. Private island resorts are common, as in Fiji and Tahiti. Seychelles and Mauritius trips are commonly combined with a week or so in Africa on safari. Expensive

Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile are becoming more popular, and offer a great opportunity to experience culture, wilderness and traditional beach resorts all in one vacation. The Amazon is a huge draw, of course, but also the culture and experiences to be had in Rio and Buenos Aires make for a very memorable and exotic honeymoon. The Inca city of Machu Picchu is certainly one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world, perched in the Andes at over 9,000 feet in elevation. Moderately expensive to very expensive.

China, unspoiled, great scenery and sights and economical. Relatively inexpensive.