Help Me Choose My Honeymoon Destination!

Old Apr 13th, 2022, 04:40 PM
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Help Me Choose My Honeymoon Destination!

Hi! My fiancé and I are researching destinations for our honeymoon next April. We've narrowed down the search to the locations listed below. Neither of us has traveled to any of the locations and we only know what we've read on online forums, websites, and videos. We're trying to get an idea of which location can get us the biggest bang for our buck and what destination fits our interests the most. We want to enjoy ourselves, but we'd like to be able to do excursions, shop, etc., and not blow all of our money on expensive accommodations.

We are interested in lounging on the beach (obviously), kayaking, snorkeling, visiting nature reserves, animal encounters (preferably a sanctuary that actually takes good care of the animals), and a little bit of shopping for local goods/art. We’re not huge on hiking and we aren’t certified scuba divers. We’re probably not going to do an all-inclusive resort. We like the idea of going out on our own to explore the island and eat some great local food. We would really love to go somewhere that isn’t super crowded or a major port destination for cruises, but I know that may be tough to find. We’d just like to be able to enjoy our honeymoon and do the excursions that interest us without battling crowds of people.

For those of you that have visited any of the locations below, can you rank them based on affordability and what fits our interests the best?
  • Antigua
  • Grenada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Bermuda
  • US Virgin Islands
I've already done so much research (I have a spreadsheet...) but I thought it would be helpful to hear from people that have actually visited these destinations.
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Old Apr 13th, 2022, 07:00 PM
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I’ve been to all the islands on your list and can give you the following comments:

First, it would help if you gave us some idea of what type of budget (in terms of actual dollars) you have for accommodations. Terms like “affordable” or “affordability” are meaningless without a dollar point of reference. That said, of the islands on your list Bermuda, Grand Cayman and St. John (in the USVI’s) are among the most expensive island destinations. Also, Bermuda can be cool in April as it’s actually in the Atlantic (off the coast of South Carolina) not in the Caribbean. I’d strike that island off your list. Antigua and Grenada will probably be the most budget friendly of the islands you mentioned,

Second, the islands on your list are not known for having a lot of “animal encounters”. You’ll see local sheep, goats and pigs (raised for food), lots of birds and perhaps a few wild monkeys but that’s about it.

Third, you’ll find good snorkeling on Grand Cayman and on St.John (in the USVI’s) and some decent snorkeling on St. Croix and a lesser amount around St. Thomas. The other islands on your list are not noted for snorkeling.

Fourth, all will have kayaking, some shopping and plenty of local restaurants.

Of the islands you’ve mentions Grenada and Antigua come closest to matching your wish list but neither has everything you want. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of any island that has everything you want.

Hope this helps.
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Old Apr 13th, 2022, 08:09 PM
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The Caribbean is quite poor outside your hotel, animal welfare is not great, sad to say. Animal encounters are not always very pleasant.

Bermuda is not even in the Caribbean and is too cold in April for being on the beach. Alot of cruise ships stop in Grand Cayman. April is also peak season for the Caribbean.

Grenada & Antigua are great islands, they’ll fulfill most of your wishes as would Barbados which might suit you better. St Lucia as well, for natural beauty. A lot of islands are not noted for snorkelling but that doesn’t mean there are no fish to see underwater. St Lucia has great snorkelling spots around the Pitons, Barbados has places where you can see turtles. I would not dismiss AI or at least have BB at your hotel, it’s not always easy to go out & find 2/3 meals a day esp at night unless you find somewhere with restaurants in walking distance or short drive of where you plan to stay. To that end, the French islands are pretty good eg St Martin, Martinique etc. & Barbados is also good for eating out.


Last edited by balthy; Apr 13th, 2022 at 08:15 PM.
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Old Apr 14th, 2022, 04:21 AM
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Not to add more confusion for you, but Puerto Rico offers a lot of what you say you want. Great beaches, rain forest, phosphorescent bays, shopping, etc.
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Old Apr 14th, 2022, 06:58 AM
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I agree that Puerto Rico has a lot of what you are looking for. Out of the places you listed, I've only been to St. Thomas. We liked it a lot but we didn't do to many activities - just kayaking and a catamaran trip to St. John. Also, I know that you've said you narrowed it down to the islands you mentioned but you may also want to just take a look at Isla Mujeres in Mexico. It has a lot of what you are looking for. We went a few years ago for a four night trip and loved it. It's a small island and is easy to get around by renting a golf cart or even bicycles. You fly into Cancun and take a ferry over to the island. Here is a link to its visitors guide:

https://www.islandlifemexico.com/isla-mujeres-guide/



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Old Apr 14th, 2022, 01:18 PM
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There used to be a date in April when prices in hotels and resorts went down. Something to check out. I have only been to US Virgin Is and Antigua on your list. There was terrible poverty as soon as we left our hotel in the Virgin Is but less in Antigua where even if residents were poor they kept their humble homes tidy and planted flowers. It was the same in Barbados.
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Old Apr 14th, 2022, 02:09 PM
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There’s no set date when room rates in the Caribbean begin to drop. Some hotels/resorts lower rates after Easter Week, others do it in May while still others do it in June. Low room rates usually stay in effect until the end of Hurricane Season. They begin rising in November and reach their peak between December and Easter.
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Old May 12th, 2022, 01:22 PM
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Belize would be a nice option. There are great beaches on Ambergis Caye, and a variety of hotel options. There is a snorkel with sting rays option there, and in Belize City, there is a great zoo that is filled with typical jungle animals. It is unlike any zoo you will see in the states. If you venture inland, there is a Francis Ford Coppola 'resort' called Blancaneaux that is fantastic. Close by, there is a small 'butterfly farm' where they breed butterflies for aviaries in other countries. Very unique experience.

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Old May 13th, 2022, 12:53 AM
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I love Antigua, I have been there with my wife on a few occassions and its great for both relaxing, romance and also excursions. We have stayed at Sandals on Dickenson Bay which is amazing and we would love to go back, just need to save as its very expensive. But slightly cheaper but still lovely is St James Club where we usually have a beachside room and its amazing and the food is excellent. We have stayed also at The Verandah which is another step down, still nice but the food wasnt as good. Thats another thing to think about though... for us food is important and we would rather pay the extra for better food choice.
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