Honeymoon in Paradise

Paradise.  For some, the word conjures up images of white sand beaches, clear blue water and little fruity drinks.  Not me. 

For me, terms like ‘white sand beaches and clear blue water’ sounds a little like the beginning of a worn out slogan, the tropical vacation version of ‘order now, operators are standing by’.  It may be that I’m jaded by the over-the-top advertising or maybe I just imagine a white sand beach with 5000 overweight pasty Americans overrunning it.  Whatever the case, I don’t want the same old thing.

My paradise is different.  Since it’s a Honeymoon paradise, the most important element of course, is my significant other.  For me, that’s all the people I really need.  I want to spend time with my new bride, and share some experiences that are really different.  We have beaches and fruity drinks in California, and picking from the top 10 vacations menu seemed like a sure-fire route to sameness.  I recoil at sameness and thought I could do better for our honeymoon.

I thought about it.  I looked on the web.  I talked to people.  I had always liked the green feeling of the Pacific Northwest, but the idea of a Honeymoon to Seattle didn’t really captivate me.  I had loved learning to ski in Utah when I was young, and have always gravitated towards mountains, but my new bride loves the water (though not necessarily the beaches in the worn out brochure).  The elements I wanted to include in our vacation seemed to be accumulating and I didn’t have a plan yet. 

When I added something seemingly obscure to my wish list, the solution actually became easier.  We had been to Alaska in 2001 on a bicycle ride to raise money for AIDS research and had experienced, albeit at a distance, the Matanuska glacier.  We were intrigued by the idea of a glacier in person – climbing it, touching it, experiencing a frozen goliath that seemed ancient.  We had an agenda though, and we moved on.  The great Matanuska and the idea of a glacier experience was mostly forgotten.  Until now.

Glaciers actually brought it together.  The mountains, the water, fewer people, open, unspoiled nature and someplace we’d never been were the core pieces.  When I added glaciers, something new popped up – Iceland.  We wanted something different and exciting and we were going to get it.  Yes, it is more than slightly north of the equator, with not so much of the fruity drinks. 

There was to be one other benefit for me, too.  Among the elements of an Icelandic adventure, I could squeeze in the guilty pleasure of a tour in a Super Jeep, or in American terms, a monster truck.  If I offered my new bride a long weekend trip or short vacation stateside that centered around giant SUVs and off-road touring, there would have to be some reciprocal girly trip in recent context to pull that off, or maybe some jewelry.  In Iceland, I figured we could do several things and when I brought up the Super Jeeps, she’d probably dig it.  …I still stacked the deck by setting up a horseback riding day in advance.

How did it go?

The trip was a hit!  From the moment that the crisp, clean air greeted us in Keflavik, we were in another world.  We had trailside meals on a quiet mountainside, bathed in hot springs and heated lagoons (we had warmth and a beach, just not in the common way!) and rode Icelandic horses.  We spent a little time in Reykjavik too, enjoying the nightlife a bit, but the time we spent outside was the best part of the experience.  The trip was otherworldly and left us wanting to return.  Fortunately, anniversaries provide a great reason to go back!

If you are thinking about taking a vacation on the road less traveled, consider taking an Iceland tour. Glacier tours are the most accessible; there are lots of others as well.
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Making Honeymoon Vacation a Fun-filled One

A honeymoon is the traditional way of celebrating the ritual of marriage and it is natural for the newly wed couple to fly off to romantic honeymoon destinations to spend their time together. There are thousands of destinations to choose from but before nailing down on one vacation spot, the couple should find time to discuss what kind of activities they enjoy the most and choose the vacation spot accordingly. 

Depending upon the couple’s financial plan, necessary arrangements must be made and proper care has to be taken to organize the honeymoon vacation. If walking on the long beaches is to the liking of the couple, then, Tahiti is regarded as the ideal honeymoon vacation. Tahiti is so tranquil that it makes a person feel that it is tailor made for honeymooners. The calmness and serenity of the surroundings make the couple feel that they have made the right choice to spend their honeymoon there.

If the couple wishes to make the trip a lavish one, there are cruise ships that give a relaxed and leisure pastime. Fiji is also another popular honeymoon vacation that is favored by many since the very thought of walking along the white sand beach with the pristine waters forming a back drop, sets a romantic mood. There are many other popular honeymoon vacations like Hawaii islands and Bora Bora, which is the place for those who want to celebrate their honeymoon in style and is a gorgeous world’s largest lagoon.

If the couple wants to add some activity and entertainment to the honeymoon, Las Vegas is the choice. Las Vegas has an abundant choice of casinos, great hotels, swimming pools, indoor roller coasters, slot machines, restaurants, dance clubs, celebrity singers and anything on earth. There are deserts and mountains surrounding Las Vegas that are breath taking. Walt Disney world has also become a popular honey moon vacation which offers a lot of fun and relaxation. If the couple wants to enjoy wine and scenery, then Napa valley is an ideal place.

Honeymoon vacations offer the couple the breathing space and renewal of commitments to each other in a private and relaxed setting. They resort to plan a joyous life together. Honeymoon vacations give them the time to talk about everything that needs to be discussed in a relaxed state of mind, without the daily distractions. This is vital for the newly weds.

There are many honeymoon vacations that are attractive from beaches, mountains, shopping centers and less frequently visited locations and choosing a honey moon vacation is not difficult as long as the couple enjoy each other’s presence. Thus, a honeymoon vacation helps to create a memory that the couple can build the marriage on.

Visit http://www.exotichoneymoonspots.com to find the best and exclusive honeymoon packages and details of various honeymoon locations around the world.
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Perfect Wedding and Honeymoon Destinations

If you’re recently engaged and starting to plan the perfect wedding and honeymoon, don’t overlook one of the most important wedding considerations – location! Having your wedding in an exotic romantic location can make it even more memorable.

If you want a tropical, wedding location with sandy beaches and swaying palm trees, then the Caribbean is the destination to consider. It’s close, there are lots of direct flights, the weather is warm year round and it lends itself to a relaxed, stress free wedding.

Popular Caribbean wedding destinations include Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and St. Thomas. Especially for Americans, the logical Caribbean choice is island of St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands. As a U.S. Territory, St. Thomas operates under the laws of the United States Government, so your wedding will be as hassle-free as a wedding anywhere in the mainland U.S.

Getting married in St. Thomas is easy, the documentation is just $100. ($50. application fee & $50. license fee). The paper work can be done in advance with a downloadable Marriage License application form, then mailed to the Superior Court in St. Thomas, together with a $100. Certified Check or money order.

An advantage of a Caribbean island wedding location is the option of renting a private vacation villa in St. Thomas to enjoy the ultimate, romantic and luxurious wedding and honeymoon setting. Private villa rentals offer many advantages over hotel accommodation: firstly, it’s a luxurious private residence, so you can have the space and privacy that no hotel can offer. Villa rentals are usually large with several bedrooms and private swimming pools, etc. so

For example, the Sand Dollar Estate villa, the ultimate luxury vacation villa rental in St. Thomas, has 8 bedrooms plus a romantic separate 2,000 sq. ft. guest cottage (the perfect honeymoon accommodation). It’s all set on an exceptional 2.5 acre estate with its own private white sand beach on Magen’s Bay. In total, the villa estate can accommodate 22 people, making it the perfect Caribbean wedding honeymoon location.

Combining a wedding and honeymoon in a tropical location is a combo that makes for unforgettable, romantic memories. Your honeymoon starts immediately after the ceremony, not after a tiring day of airport security, airport transfers, and connecting flights. What a relaxing and no-stress way to start a marriage!

Derek Grayson is a writer specializing in search engine optimization services for travel industry sites, including World Travel Guide, and luxury St Thomas villa rentals.
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Honeymoon of a lifetime? It certainly should be

It’s a once in a lifetime journey but honeymoons are costly things, especially if you like a bit of luxury! With so many companies offering luxury honeymoon holidays and honeymoon packages, it can be a bit bewildering. Aside from budget, a good starting point is making a selection from the numerous honeymoon destinations available and that obviously depends on what you want to do; whether it’s lying on a deserted beach in the Maldives or trekking in the Himalayas, there is so much to choose from. You’ve got beach honeymoons, adventure honeymoons, cultural honeymoons, safari honeymoons… Where do you start?

If it’s a luxury honeymoon you’re after and the idea of going to a far-flung destination where you can relax on the beach sipping on a cocktail is for you, then The Pimalai resort in Thailand might be right up your street. It’s a hidden gem surrounded by the lush tropical forest of Koh Lanta, leading to a beautiful white sand beach, offering a range of luxurious rooms and pool villas, perfect for luxury honeymoons. Not only has it got a stunning spa and a cooking school but for those who want to be more active there is an activity centre offering mountain bikes, trekking, tennis and activities such as elephant trekking. The surrounding waters are pristine for diving or snorkelling and the Pimalai has its own PADI dive centre and the resort offers a great squid fishing excursion.

Scott Dunn, a luxury tour operator that specialises in tailor-made luxury honeymoon holidays, is offering free nights and complimentary half board in their luxurious pool villas for all new bookings.

Some of the luxury tour operators that specialising in tailor-made luxury honeymoons, are Destinology, Kuoni and Scott Dunn.

BestAtTravel offer cheaper honeymoon holidays. Their platinum range are approximately £5,000 plus, their Gold range are approximately £3,000 to £5,000 and their Silver range are approximately all under £3,000. Honeymoon Getaways is another company that specialise in honeymoon packages for that all-important holiday of a lifetime.

But if you really want to push the boat out and opt for the kind of luxury honeymoon that you’ll dream about in years to come, a tailor-made approach is best – that way your honeymoon is unique, created specifically for you (you might want 4 days in the jungle followed by 8 days on the beach… or a mountain trek before heading to the desert for a camping experience like no ther). These are just some ideas – but you can have pretty much whatever you like.

One of the great honeymoon destinations is the luxury beach resort of Samaya in Bali, Indonesia. With its private villas and attentive butler service, ensuring that you will want for nothing during your stay.

Luxury honeymoons are made to measure, so whatever you choose it’s bound to measure up!

Kate Ransby, the author, lists down some of the most sought after honeymoon destinations worldwide. She also discusses that how your interests help you decide your honeymoon spot from the available exciting honeymoon packages.
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A Romantic Honeymoon Destination On Tortola BVI

Don’t book your honeymoon before you check out the Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

Your top romantic honeymoon destination hotel could well be a small romantic British Virgin Island hotel, slightly off the beaten path, but rated number one in Tortola in the BVI. This is the best description for Sugar Mill, and it probably isn’t the place for everyone. That isn’t because of any peculiarities but rather because Sugar Mill would make an ideal romantic honeymoon destination as a small beachfront boutique hotel, in fact an all suite hotel as it has only a total of 23 rooms. It is a place to relax and unwind which makes it ideal as a honeymoon destination, and it is built around the restored ruins of a three hundred year old sugar mill and rum distillery. In other words it is probably not the best place to go for a vibrant all action family BVI vacation!!

Conde Naste magazine has thought well enough of Sugar Mill to place it in the top ten hotels in the Caribbean two years in a row, and although this was four or five years ago you will easily see why.

The white sand beach sits right next to the beautiful tropical gardens where the cluster of individual buildings are situated, and Sugar Mill lies near the western tip of Tortola, so will get great romantic sunsets.

If Sugar Mill is to be your romantic honeymoon destination then take the honeymoon package, and stay in one of the Pool Suites. They are elevated overlooking the round swimming pool in the middle of the grounds, and you will have a sitting room, a large balcony, a kitchenette, and a great outdoor shower. The addition of ceiling fans as well as airconditioning gives you cooling options as well as a real old fashioned colonial feel. The suite also has cable TV and a great selection of books, and not only the sunsets from the balcony but the views of Jost Van Dyke Island across the channel are worth sitting out for.

The Restaurant at the Sugar Mill Hotel, which is part of the original sugar mill, has a great reputation not only on Tortola but all over the Caribbean for its award winning cuisine, and on the beach which has an offshore reef which is good for snorkelling, there is a beach bar called Islands which serves lunch and drinks.

You will find not only the food at The Sugar Mill Great, but also the atmosphere, and a menu that changes every night, with a good selection of dishes, and a good wine list. The breakfasts are also outstanding, sitting in the morning overlooking the beach, with a cooling breeze is just so relaxing.

Another outstanding feature of the Sugar Mill are the hotel staff who without exception are extremely helpful, friendly, and just seem to want to make your stay as fantastic as it can possibly be. The standard of housekeeping is excellent, as you might expect from a boutique hotel that has quality and professionalism written all over it. In fact a better description of Sugar Mill could well be a good old fashioned Caribbean Inn because the whole ambience is so far removed from the modern big resort, without being anything other than very comfortable and luxurious compared to many other properties around the BVI.

For more information about this perfect romantic honeymoon destination, and to see the Price Comparisons for the Sugar Mill Hotel go to http://www.bvi-vacationspots.com/articles/3/2/A-Romantic-Honeymoon-Destination-on-Tortola-BVI/Page2.html

Karl Roos owns and writes for British Virgin Islands Vacation Spots as well as authoring several articles about Worldwide Vacation Spots and he recommends Caribbean Vacation Spots but recommends the British Virgin Islands
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