Real Honeymoon: Aruba… oh wait, just kidding – Hawaii!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

A few weeks back I received an email from Sarah (a friend of a friend) that said, “My actual honeymoon isn’t that original… but the story on how we ended up there is.” First of all, I honestly love hearing about all types of honeymoons: budget-conscious to wildly extravagant, close-to-home to far-far-away. But secondly, I was intrigued. I don’t want to give too much away in the introduction, so read all about Sarah and Patrick’s honeymoon switcheroo below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Big Island, Hawaii, September 2007

How long was your trip?

One week.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

I had always dreamed of going somewhere in the Caribbean – I’d been to Hawaii a few times already, so was looking to get to the “other” tropical getaway. My now-husband, Patrick, was in charge of all the planning and had a great surprise trip to Aruba all picked out. He had chosen Aruba because it was the “least hurricane prone” of the Caribbean islands – and we were heading out in hurricane season. Playing it safe. The day before our wedding, news broke of a potential hurricane headed towards Aruba. We were honestly so pre-occupied with wedding plans that we brushed it off. I distinctly remember during the father-daughter dance at my reception, my dad “breaking the news” that the hurricane had actually hit Aruba. Uh oh. We were scheduled to fly out that next afternoon!

We spent the morning after our wedding on the phone with the airline and hotel. The hotel said, “The hurricane has passed,there is no problem to come.” Luckily I had the good sense to ask how the conditions were post-hurricane. “Well, the beach and the pools are closed for about a week, but other than that all is fine.” Ha! Not my idea of tropical. We quickly re-booked a last-minute trip to Hawaii and left the next morning for the Big Island.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Finally getting a chance to breathe (and sleep!) after non-stop weddingness. Hawaii is perfect for re-charging and lazing around. Oh, and seeing my husband experiencing Hawaii for the first time! We fell in love in the mountains, so I had no idea what a little fish I had married! He was in heaven.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

Avoid the Caribbean during hurricane season! Also, we didn’t rent a car when we first arrived, but quickly realized we would want one. Oh, and book a manta-ray snorkel. Still bummed we missed that one.

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Honeymoon Destination Recommendations For… Serious Beach Bums

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

You know how the surfers in the Endless Summer movies spent their days searching for the perfect wave? Well, I wish I had more time to travel the globe in search of the perfect beach.

Fortunately, I’ve already visited some pretty spectacular beaches over the past 28 years, so I am going to share with you a list of some of my favorites*. Hopefully the list will help the beach bums out there decide where to go on your honeymoon:

1) Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Whitehaven Beach via Damien Dempsey

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Whitehaven Beach. Located in the Whitsunday Islands (which is FULL of incredible beaches), Whitehaven is quite aptly named because it has the softest, whitest sand that I’ve ever seen in the world. My friends and I were told that brushing our teeth with the sand acts as a whitener, but in retrospect that probably wasn’t the best idea for us to do. That aside, it is the most spectacular beach I’ve ever seen.

2) Cap Juluca, Anguilla

Cap Juluca via Tiarescott

Popular with celebrities like Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, the pristine beach at the Cap Juluca resort makes it a quintessential honeymoon destination. It’s also just a short boat ride away from nearby St. Maarten, so you can just check it out for a day if you don’t want to stay at the resort. Okay, okay, I know we all WANT to stay there, but it’s just really expensive, that’s all.

3) Playa Cristal, Colombia

I was blown away by Playa Cristal because of the clearness of the water and the beautiful backdrop of the lush jungle. You can hire a boat in Taganga to take you to the beach. Unfortunately I couldn’t bring a camera with me to the beach because our next stop was Playa Brava where we actually swam to shore, slept on the beach overnight, then hiked out of Parque Tayrona the next day and hitched a ride back to Santa Marta, so bringing electronics along was a no-no. You’ll just have to trust me that the beach was so wonderful that it made my list of top 3 beaches in the world.

4) Playa Blanca, Colombia

Playa Blanca, land of magical beagle puppies

Yes, yes, another Colombian beach. I don’t know if I’ve expressed how much my husband and I love Colombia yet on the blog, but we highly recommend going there if you love beaches, friendly people, and good food. You can reach Playa Blanca from Cartagena in one of two ways: hire a private boat down by the fish market (just hold your nose while you’re there – it really stinks), or sign up for an “organized” day tour. It seems like the organized day tour is less than ideal though because it only brings you to the crowded part of the beach, so go with the private boat for a more relaxing experience.

For honeymooners who want to rough it, you can spend the night in hammocks at Hugo’s. My husband and I thought it was the greatest place ever because 1) it was BEAUTIFUL, 2) it was the first time we slept in hammocks during that trip so the novelty made it fun and not back-breaking yet, and 3) we woke up in the morning to a litter of beagle puppies that were born overnight. Beagle. Puppies. In. Paradise. Probably one of the best days of my life.

5) Lake Mckenzie, Fraser Island, Australia

Lake Mckenzie Beach via Sensenmann

The colors of Lake Mckenzie look totally fake, but I assure you, this is really, really what the lake looks like.

6) Lanikai, Oahu, Hawaii

Lanikai Beach via Cristo Vlahos

A friend of mine who was living in Honolulu at the time took my husband and me to Lanikai, a beautiful beach that isn’t terribly overcrowded with tourists. Do yourself a favor and pick up some Leonard’s malasadas to eat when you get to the beach. A perfect combination.

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Real Honeymoon: Kauai

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Liz and Pat are one of the busiest couples that I know, so they really wanted their honeymoon to be a chill vacation. Read about their relaxing Hawaiian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Kauai [August 2012]

How long was your trip?

10 nights

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

Pat had never been to Kauai and I hadn’t been since I was in 1st grade. I always vacationed there when I was young so it was really special to me. We wanted the most relaxed atmosphere so Kauai was a clear choice of all the islands. We had gotten engaged in Italy last year so we wanted to change it up and go somewhere tropical and relaxing and just spend time together.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Waking up and drinking mimosas on our patio and playing cards every morning. To spend time like that is almost impossible when we are both working so much and it was just a time I will never forget.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

Nothing :)

How much planning did you do in advance?

[The trip] was very easy to plan. Booked hotel early and everything else was very easy to book while we were there. Great location choice for busy people who don’t have time to do a bunch of planning in advance.

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Real Honeymoon: Kauai & Maui

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

College sweethearts and fellow Michigan Wolverines Megan and Mike didn’t want to choose between Hawaiian islands, so they decided to go to two! Read all about their fun and adventurous Hawaiian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Hawaii in the beginning of September (2011) – Kauai (Grand Hyatt in Poipu) and Maui (Hyatt Regency in Lahaina).

How long was your trip?

5 days on Kauai and 5 days on Maui.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

We wanted somewhere warm and tropical, where we could relax AND be adventurous. We knew we would be exhausted and need lots of pool and cocktails, but we also knew we would get restless if we couldn’t get out and explore. We also didn’t want to sacrifice too much time and budget of the vacation traveling, since we were already flying from Northern Michigan back to LA. We decided on two islands because we don’t get to travel very often, and we wanted to make the most of the time off. We chose Kauai based on recommendations from friends. It sounded more quiet, so we started our trip there to unwind after the wedding. We chose Maui as the second island b/c there were so many “adventures” we read about (volcano and watefalls!).

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Watching Michigan beat ND under the lights…jokes (but it was an added bonus)! This is actually really hard to answer because we got to do so many amazing things. I loved the day we spent in Waimea Canyon in Kauai because we were both totally in our element together. We found ourselves alone on most of the trails, we went off roading in our jeep wrangler (a must on both islands!), and just enjoyed some spectacular views. I also loved our day on the Road to Hana. Nothing is more Hawaii then swimming in a waterfall.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

The day we spent on the Road to Hana in Maui. It was an epic adventure, but there are two things I would have changed. 1) I would have charged our camera before we went or even brought a waterproof disposable for all the waterfall photos and 2) I would have bought water shoes for all the slippery rock climbing in the water fall lagoons. In Kauai, I also wish I would have known to get into Waimea Canyon Park early and up to the Napali Coast viewpoint at the top before the clouds roll in. We were lucky and got a quick sneak peak, but the longer you wait the less likely the view gets.

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Real Honeymoon: Kauai

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

West Coasters are so lucky that Hawaii is only a five and a half hour plane ride away. Read all about Sam and Amy’s fun honeymoon on Kauai below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to Kauai (stayed on the South Shore in Poipu) and left the day after our wedding (my birthday) on May 20, 2012.

How long was your trip?

11 days

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

We didn’t want to have to deal with passports and/or visas or foreign languages – which can be kind of limiting! We just wanted good weather and beaches. My brother in law went to Kauai for his honeymoon as did some close friends of ours and we heard there was plenty to do.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Eating whatever I wanted to because I didn’t have a dress to fit into. No, seriously, my favorite part was driving around the island listening to one of three radio stations (all reggae) after spending the day on the beach. Also, coming from living in the fog of San Francisco, it was amazing not wearing a sweater for 11 days.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

I’d absolutely, never go on the 17 1/2 mile Napali coast kayaking trip. I’d also wear more sunscreen and spend more time on the North Coast.

How much planning did you do in advance?

We booked our flights and booked our accommodations. That was it!

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