where to go??

[AceP]

looking for some advice for my march honeymoon... i''m looking at the caribbean. criteria are: nice beaches, few kids, decent scuba, spa option, not overrun by cruise ship passengers, low on the hair-braiding-cheesy scale. i love the idea of anguilla but it seems astronomically expensive. was thinking about st lucia but then i saw that some of the high-end places aren''t even air conditioned - not sure how i feel about that. any other ideas? we''ve been all around the world but haven''t traveled much in the caribbean. thanks much!

 

[Kaleigh]

I'd look into Antigua. Have been going there for years, great honeymoon spot. My favorite resort on the island is www.curtainbluff.com The food is fabulous!!!!

Since it's right on the ocean, there are lots of cool breezes. No need for AC. They have ceiling fans instead. Lot's of snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, sailing, tennis, and they have a fitness center. Also look into Turkes and Caicos. Have friends that love it. But may be more than you want to spend... Have fun researching!!!

 

[Jaders731]

Hi Ace:

I would suggest Turks and Caicos (am I starting to sound like broken record yet?)...

Your criteria:

1. Nice beaches: the most beautiful around.. in my opinion.
2. Very few kids: most stay at Beaches (which if you are here for your honeymoon, I would assume you wouldnt stay there anyways)
3. Decent SCUBA: Decent? um... Turks and Caicos has the third largest reef system in the world. I think decent would be an understatement. I got certified here, have done approximate 25-30 dives here so far.. and it is amazing. Consistent 80-100+ft visability, zero drift, zero current , 75+ degree water temperature. 7000ft wall dives. Oh yeah.. and I forgot to mention.. March is mid-migration season for the Humpback whales... they cross right in these waters! It is NOT rare to be diving here and either see one.. or regulate your breathing so that you HEAR one... Might I suggest: www.provoturtledivers.com The best on island IMO.
4. Spa option: I visit the spa two times a month.. There are SEVERAL on island and every single one of them is divine.
5. Cruise ship: Providenciales is not visited by any cruise ships. Grand Turk is, but I wouldnt neccesarily go to GT. I would come to Provo. So.. definitely NOT overrun with cruise ship passengers.
6. Low on hair-braiding scene: There is def. hair braiding here, but it isnt neccesarily pushed on you... from what I see, you have to seek it out here.

Ok.. so there is my pitch. if you do a search on PS for Turks and Caicos, you will see some of the pictures I have posted from here...
Hope you choose to come here.. its beautiful!

 

[baby monster]

Not sure what your budget is but these are moderately priced in my book.

I love Jamaica. I''ve been to "Couples" in Ocho Rios and they also have a location in Negril. Lovely place, couples only, great food & beach, activities nearby.

Several couples I know went to Aruba for their honeymoon and stayed at the Radisson. The comments were uniformly very enthusiastic about the hotel and the island.

 

[NYCsparkle]

i second antigua. theres a lot to do and the island is very scenic. i have been to many islands in the carribean and absolutely loved antigua. most islands look alike, but antigua has a "hills of hawaii" feel to it.

 

[jcrow]

we went to st. lucia for our honeymoon last year. LOVED it. stayed at ladera. you can do a search for my tread w/ pics from it.
true, not air-conditioned. but no way did we need it. it''s up 1000 somthing feet above sea level and the breeze is wonderful! not a hot breeze either. some days i actually wore long sleeves. it was SUCH a great experience and the perfect honeymoon spot.
no kids, no itineray (unless you want to, then, sure, there''s things to do.) very private. beautiful beach. delish food. breathtaking views.
faboo all around.

 

[AceP]

thanks, everyone for your input. jaders, turks and caicos is currently at the top of the list - a couple things i''m wondering about... it seems like there''s no real town center in Provo, right? one of the things my fiance and i like to do, if possible, is wander around and discover - can you do that in T&C? Is there much of a restaurant scene outside of the resorts? thanks for your help...

 

[Fancy605]

Ace, my husband and I traveled to Provo for our honeymoon, and we ADORED it. We found that there was quite a bit to see and discover. We either walked or took a cab somewhere every afternoon (and walked back to our resort along the beach in the evening when it was cooler). We visited several non-resort restaurants/shops. And we took 2 excursions as well. There were tons of private and group excursion options it seemed. We actually ran out of time to do everything we would have liked to do!

 

[Jaders731]

Date: 8/5/2007 11:50:33 PM
Author: Fancy605
Ace, my husband and I traveled to Provo for our honeymoon, and we ADORED it. We found that there was quite a bit to see and discover. We either walked or took a cab somewhere every afternoon (and walked back to our resort along the beach in the evening when it was cooler). We visited several non-resort restaurants/shops. And we took 2 excursions as well. There were tons of private and group excursion options it seemed. We actually ran out of time to do everything we would have liked to do!

Duh Fancy... I totally forgot about this.. I'm sooo glad you guys had fun and that you loved it here.

Ace,

There are two "town centers" here... One is downtown.. and you dont really want to go there... I mean.. you can.. but there isnt much to see.. and this will be where you would see the everyday life of the local islanders... business as usual I say.. not much of the tropical island life in that area of town.

Grace Bay is the tourist "town center" Restaurants.. some shops... resorts and the most beautiful stretch of beach you will ever lay eyes on. This is where you can pretty much walk everywhere, or cab it.. or take the Gecko bus... Excursions are also plentiful here.. and if you like and choose to come to provo, I can give you a list of my fave excursion companies here...

You can find some pictures I have posted on this thread here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/turks-caicos-vacation-trauma-help.56104/
Scroll down towards the end of the first page, it continues to the second page.

Also... Moremoremore came here in April.. and here is her thread (MMM I hope you dont mind me posting this) : https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/turks-caicos-pix.61816/

Hope that helps.. any more questions.. just let me know.. I have tons of answers.

ETA: Moremoremore's thread also discusses some restaurants that she tried... and I mentioned some of my faves!

 

[AceP]

Jaders - thank you so much for all of the help! i was just looking into hotels... unfortunately, the end of march is not going to be cheap! do you know anything about the royal west indies resort? also, somerset seems to have small rooms that are significantly cheaper, but the tripadvisor reviews make it seem like they''re barely large enough for a bed... any other ideas?

 

[Jaders731]

Hey Ace,

Yes.. unfortunately, March is not the cheapest time to come.. that being said though, there are a few options..

Royal West Indies is a great little place... and they have a pretty good restaurant there... "Mango Reef".. I dont know much about their rooms.. but have always been impressed there...

The Sommerset is our (my hubby and I) fave resort here.. its just beautiful. Its soooo beautifully done... and with my hubby being an Architect.. to say that says somethin I think...
You are right, they do offer smaller studio type rooms... but in my opinion... the room is just a place to sleep and do "honeymoon" type things (LOL) soooo you will want to be at the beach, and the pool (which is GORGEOUS), and the beach.. and restaurants, did I mention the beach??? LOL...
And the restaurant.. while expensive is the BEST on the island in my opinion.
Trust me.. the rooms may be small there, but they are beautifully done.. and I dont think you would be disappointed. I also fully support this resort as they have set up a "wishing well" to benefit the local Potcake population (the local stray feral dogs).. a wonderful charity!

If you are in for a bargain... I think the cutest little quaint resort is Sibonne.. it is older, and fairly small... definitely doesnt have the amenities that the newer bigger resorts offer here.. but again.. you may totally be into stretchin out on the beach with a book.. or relaxing in a hammock.. this might be the place for you. http://www.sibonne.com/ Like I said.. it is a FAR cry from the other resorts, but there is just something sooooo very charming about this little place... and the staff is very friendly.

Also, Coral Gardens is somewhat comparable to Royal West Indies I think.. they should be a little more affordable on the resort scale. They have a beautiful stretch of Beach.. and some of the most amazing snorkeling on this island. http://www.coralgardens.com/

You might want to check into Miramar resort as well... They have a STUNNING view... and their restaurant Magnolia is fabulous. Also, the Yacht Club at the Turtle Cove Marina, is also no frills as far as service goes.. but their units are beautiful, and the pool is to die for.. Also, it is a 5/10 min walk to the other fabulous snorkeling spot. I lived at the Yacht club for 18 months and it was very nice. Both of these resorts are in Turtle Cover Marina which is right near Provo Turtle Divers (which I linked you to in my first post)

Just some quick other resources for you:
http://www.wherewhenhow.com/
http://www.turksandcaicostourism.com/
http://www.provo.net/

OK.. let me know if you have more questions! Hope that helps.

 

[ammayernyc]

Aruba! Aruba! Aruba!

 

[AceP]

jaders, this is so helpful - thanks! any thoughts on alexandra or the sands?

 

[Jaders731]

Ace:

I personally do not like the Alexandra... could be that I think 1. its ugly (from an architecture standpoint) 2. its cheapy looking... 3. The restaurant is icky... 4. They are building a new phase, and the construction manager is a JERK, with a capitol J (I''m the office manager for the construction project next door to the Alexandra). 5. I went to a New Years eve party there.. and it was NOT fun. That being said.. to each his own.. but.. I would not recommend it...

The Sands... I have heard good things about the resort. I eat at Hemingways (their restaurant) all the time, and I love it. Great beach, great pools and good food and drink. I would recommend them yes... but I''m not sure about their prices.

 

[Fancy605]

You didn''t specifically mention this one, but my husband and I stayed at the Palms and loved it. We were a little worried due to some reviews we read, but we ended up being very pleased with the resort and all of the staff that helped us. The "cheapest" room is about the same price as the "cheapest" room at the Somerset, but it is a good deal bigger with a king bed and a balcony rather than the queen bed and no balcony you''ll see at the Somerset. We were right next to the Somerset, so we got to stop by there and check things out, and it was beautiful! But the smallest rooms are a good bit smaller. I think the Somerset had the prettiest grounds of any of the resorts we visited. The Palms was very pretty too though. And right now they may still be running the one week Romance package that we had. It includes something like all your room taxes, 2 dinners at the restaurant, a couples massage, and some other things all for not much more than the price of the room. Plus breakfast is free, and it''s a pretty HUGE selection. The package isn''t on the website (or wasn''t when I looked), you have to ask by phone. I believe that the Somerset has a similar package as well though that you can ask about by phone. I only think this because several people from the Somerset were at the Palms Spa getting the massages that were part of their Somerset packages (Somerset uses the Palms Spa too).

We went by the Sands to eat at the restaurant (which is tastey and less expensive than other restaurants it seems) and hang out and enjoy the bar scene a few times (It was one of our favorite places to go at night for drinks, etc.). It was fun to visit, but I don''t know if I''d stay there for a honeymoon there because it is more of a family scene than a romantic get away scene.

We didn''t check out the Alexandra other than to walk past it along the beach. It didn''t stand out to us really.