Real Honeymoon: Kauai & Tahiti

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

What do you do when you want a relaxing honeymoon in Tahiti but your significant other wants an exciting honeymoon in Hawaii? Compromise and do both! Yes, that’s right. Katie and Adam decided to honeymoon in Kauai AND Tahiti. Is that the ultimate multi-moon or what? Read all about this amazing honeymoon and check out their incredible photos below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to Kauai, Moorea, and Bora Bora in July [2013] (immediately after our wedding). There is only one flight a week from Hawaii to Tahiti, so you have to plan around that.

How long was your trip?

2 weeks

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

My husband loves activities! We wanted to do a mix of adventure (Kauai) and relaxation (Tahiti).

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Bora Bora! We literally wanted to move to the island! We stayed at the Four Seasons and took advantage of every second there. Favorite parts: the breakfast buffet, daily happy hour (which you can enjoy while watching the sunset), paddle boarding around the hotel, a 3 hour snorkel tour we did with Christof, and dinner at La Villa Mahana. Pretty much everything!

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

We would skip Moorea and head straight to Bora Bora. Not because we didn’t enjoy it, but because it was a pain traveling there for just one night.

How much planning did you do in advance?

A decent amount for Kauai. My husband bought a book on the island and sought out reccs from friends who had been there. We made restaurant reservations in advance, which was key, since the hotel (and island) were pretty full! For Bora Bora, the one reservation we made far in advance (6+ months out) was dinner at Villa Mahana. (There is only one seating each night, and 8 tables, so this is a must!)

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Real Honeymoon: French Polynesia

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

I am a total sucker for all things Tahitian, and Parisa and Andrew’s French Polynesian honeymoon certainly did not disappoint! Like many honeymooners, they split their time between two of the islands to keep things interesting. Check out their gorgeous pictures and read all about their relaxing honeymoon in paradise below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to French Polynesia at the end of July 2013. We stayed on Moorea and Bora Bora.

How long was your trip?

Our trip was ten days and we split our time evenly between Moorea and Bora Bora.

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

We knew we wanted to go to more of an island/tropical destination since most of our prior big trips together were to Europe. Plus, like most honeymooners, we knew we wouldn’t be as up for sight-seeing after all the wedding festivities. We had a hard time committing to a destination for months and really waffled between French Polynesia, Thailand, and Bali. In the end, French Polynesia seemed like the best choice because of the season and because it is just a short eight-hour flight from Los Angeles. Also, all of our friends who had been before would not stop raving about it.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Being in such an overwhelmingly beautiful environment. Both islands were visually stunning, but when we got to Bora Bora, we just felt like we were on another planet. My husband was a little apprehensive about going on a trip where you primarily lay out on a beach all day, but even he had a very hard time tearing himself away when we had to come home.

Also, we were warned ahead of time that we might not find the best food on the islands and that everything would be very overpriced. Generally, this is a pretty accurate statement. But, we were able to find some gems on both islands. On Moorea, we became obsessed with a lunch spot called Snack Mahana–they served some of the best seafood we had on the entire trip. On Bora Bora, we had some great food (and the friendliest, most hilarious server) at Restaurant Fare Manuia.

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

I struggled with finding an answer to this one, so I asked my husband. His response was: “Nothing at all.”

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Honeymoon Destination Recommendations for… Wine Lovers

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

It’s been quite awhile since I wrote my last Where To Go? post, so in honor of my good friend Stephanie who’s visiting San Francisco this week and in the midst of planning her own wedding, I thought it would be quite appropriate to cover a topic that’s dear to her heart: wine.

The following is a list of honeymoon destination recommendations for wine-loving couples created by myself, someone who knows little to nothing about wine.* Since I am faaaar from being a wine expert, let’s just say that everywhere on the list is known for great wine, and hopefully my non-wine related comments will help you decide whether a particular location suits your particular honeymoon interests. Pour yourself a glass, and let’s begin!

1) South Africa

The Cape Winelands, South Africa

I’m starting off the list with the place that I want to visit the most. South Africa really has it all: beautiful beaches, incredible wild life and safari opportunities, and the infamous wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Paarl. It’s not a budget-friendly destination (especially if you want to go on safari as well), but if you’re going to go big on your honeymoon, I think South Africa would be absolutely fantastic.

2) Argentina

I guess that’s what Malbec looks like?

On the other end of the budget spectrum, Argentina’s Mendoza region is another perfect honeymoon destination, especially if you love steak and a good Malbec. While Argentina may not be as cheap as it used to be, it should still be significantly less expensive than a honeymoon in either South Africa or Europe. Keep in mind though that Argentina is a huge country, so if you want to check out Buenos Aires as well as Mendoza, you’ll need to book some additional flights.

3) Australia

The beautiful Hunter Valley

If you’re going down under for your honeymoon, you’re in for a treat because Australian wine is delicious, and you don’t have to travel far from Sydney if you want to experience the wineries first-hand. You can easily take a day trip to the Hunter Valley region in New South Wales, and then sleep off your hangover on Bondi Beach the next day.

4) France

A winery in Bordeaux

There are three things that the French sure know how to do properly: food, wine, and romance. What else do you need during your honeymoon? The correct answer (at least for me): Beaches. Fortunately, the French Riviera is just a short flight or train ride from Paris so you can have the best of both worlds, as well as Champagne, Burgundy, Loire Valley, and Bordeaux in between. Stay tuned for an amazing Real France Honeymoon post coming up in a few weeks from a very food and wine-savvy couple.

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Real Honeymoon: Tahiti

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

A couple of days after their beautiful wedding in San Francisco, my good friends Alix and Brandon left for their equally gorgeous honeymoon in Tahiti. And as if they truly planned it this way, they returned to San Francisco just in time to watch the Giants win the World Series! Sounds like the best month ever to me. Check out their incredible Tahitian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Tahiti, October 2012. One week in Moorea, one week in Bora Bora.

How long was your trip?

About 2 weeks.

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

We had a really hard time deciding. We were torn between a backpackery type trip and going somewhere cultural versus somewhere where we could just plop on a beach and do nothing. We debated Tahiti, Fiji, Madagascar, Philippines and all over Europe (especially Greece and Italy). But ultimately, the weather decided our location. Getting married in October didn’t leave us with very many warm weather options (unless we wanted to risk typhoons). I had been to Greece and had always pictured honeymooning there (beautiful beaches, culture, activities etc.). And Brandon had been to Italy and really wanted to go there (wine tasting, site seeing etc.). But the weather in both places was going to be cold. Madagascar was REALLY far and there were possible issues with weather, and in the Philippines we risked typhoons. When it finally came down to it, we realized that all we wanted was warm weather and to sit on the beach and drink rum. Tahiti was a sure-thing for the nice weather and the decision was made.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Sitting on the beach, massages, the blue water, drinking rum, and having nothing to do all day, for days on end. We did a few excursions (jet skiing, ATV tour, day trip on a boat). But mostly, all we did was read books and relax on the beach.

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

As perfect as it was, there were a few things that we could have done differently. We would have brought a few more liters of rum (because you really can’t have too much rum when you are living in paradise), and some more snacks to save money. As amazing as our hotels were–and they were truly amazing–we wish we saw a little more of the islands. Moorea is absolutely beautiful; it is lush, mountainous, and has a local feel that Bora Bora doesn’t have. It would have been fun to spend a little more time seeing the island. That said, Bora Bora is a wonderful place, and there is nothing you could do to improve it.

Finally, a recommendation to all you book lovers out there, go light. Brandon made the mistake of reading Atlas Shrugged during our honeymoon, and as much as he loved the book, it did not make for the best beach banter. Bring novels and magazines that will not lead you to contemplate the role of selfishness and individuality in a society that is on the verge of economic collapse.

How much planning did you do in advance?

We hired a travel agent, which I would 100% recommend (depending on where you are going). It was so nice not having to spend time figuring out where to go, and how to get to each place etc. Because we had a travel agent, we didn’t have to do much planning ourselves.

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My Top 10 Australian Beaches

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

When I composed my list of top 10 beaches for serious beach bums a few weeks ago, I realized that I was having a hard time narrowing down the best beaches in Australia alone. I decided to include only two beaches on that list because it would only be right to dedicate a separate blog post entirely to the best beaches Down Under. So without further ado, behold the 10 best beaches that I visited during my six months in Australia:

1) Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach via Damien Dempsey

Look familiar? Not only is Whitehaven Beach my favorite beach in Australia, it is also my favorite beach of all time. Sailing around the Whitsunday Islands was one of the best things I did during my time in Australia, so don’t miss out!

2) Lake Mckenzie

Lake Mckenzie Beach via Sensenmann

This is the other beach that made my all-time top 10 list. Lake Mckenzie is on Fraser Island, an all-sand island just off the coast of Hervey Bay. The whiteness of the sand combined with the incredible colors of the lake is absolutely unreal. If you want to rough it, rent a 4WD on the mainland and then camp out on the island for a few days.

3) Coogee Beach

Coogee Beach via Mynameisben123

Alright, I’m definitely biased on this one. My house was just blocks away from Coogeee Beach, so how could it not make it to the top of my list? Prejudices aside, Coogee Beach is great because the sand is soft, shark nets allow swimmers to enter the bright blue water without fear, there are great little restaurants along the shore (I highly recommend A Fish Called Coogee, and when you’re done sunbathing and ready for a cold beer, the CBH Beer Garden is just across the street.

4) Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach via stealthtractor

Arguably one of the most famous beaches in Australia, Bondi Beach has it all. Although it can get quite crowded on summer weekends, it’s a wonderful place to surf or sunbathe on weekdays.

5) Byron Bay

Byron Bay via Bigbewo

Just a short plane flight from Sydney, Byron Bay is the perfect destination for a short getaway. The long beaches are great for surfers and kayakers, just watch out for the jellyfish (a.k.a. blue-bottles). Make sure to hike up to the Byron lighthouse, too.

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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: Tahiti

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

To me, Tahiti is one of the quintessential honeymoon destinations. Absolutely gorgeous scenery, impressive resorts, divine French cuisine, and plenty of daytime activities to choose from if you need a break from the beach. In fact, when I was faced with the decision to study Spanish or French back in 7th grade, I boldly told my parents, “I’m going to learn French so I can go to Tahiti one day.” Since we lived in California and 95% of my classmates were choosing the more “useful” language of Spanish, my parents just rolled their eyes at me. Seven years of French classes later, I finally got to go to Tahiti with my best friend and her family, and I was not disappointed. And through that best friend, I met Marissa and Pat, whose great honeymoon photos are below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

September 2011 in Tahiti (Moorea and Bora Bora)

How long was your trip?

8 days

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

While we debated the benefits of more of an “adventure” vacation, we speculated (correctly) that by the time the wedding was done, we’d want a honeymoon that allowed us to relax and unwind. We liked the fact that there were still plenty of options to be active (hiking, all types of water sports, etc.), but we would also have the ability to do nothing on a beach.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

There were so many it’s hard to pick! I loved our “shark and ray snorkel safari” – we saw incredible coral reefs, fed rays and swam with sharks! I also loved how somehow being on our honeymoon turned my husband into the uber tourist. Normally I’m the one clamoring to take a million pictures, but this time he was just as into recording every moment.

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

I would have stayed longer, and might have gone to a third island.

If you plan to visit both Moorea and Bora Bora, I’d say it isn’t necessary to stay in the over-water huts in Moorea (if you’re looking to save a little money). We spent much of our time on this island exploring and being on the beach, very little in our room.

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Real Honeymoon: Fiji

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Two of my friends from law school got married in Sonoma over the summer and decided to go to Fiji for their honeymoon. Not too shabby, eh? Take a peek at the photos from their beautiful trip below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Fiji (Tokiriki, Denarau, Natadola Bay)

How long was your trip?

10 days

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

Warm beach weather, but not too hot to be active, beautiful beaches, relaxing, different culture

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Relaxing on beautiful beaches, snorkeling, kayaking and golf

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

Avoid the big island and explore more small islands

How much planning did you do in advance?

Just the logistical stuff (flights, hotels, transport to/from)

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Honeymoon Destination Recommendations For… Adrenaline Junkies!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

It’s pretty obvious that just because a honeymoon destination is really popular, it doesn’t mean that it’s right for everyone. One of the reasons why I started this blog in the first place is because the internet is full of websites that can tell you where to stay and what to do once you choose your honeymoon destination, but there aren’t enough sites that will help you decide where to go based on your personalities, time allowance, and budget.

Hopefully this ongoing “Where To Go?” series of blog posts will help you and your fiancé make your own destination decision with plenty of confidence and excitement. So without further ado, where do I suggest that adrenaline junkies go on their honeymoons? See my top 3 recommendations (on 3 different continents) below for extremely extreme couples:

1) Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is the city to visit if you like all things extreme. Not only is the city itself absolutely beautiful, full of good restaurants, nice hotels, and some of the friendliest people in the world, the adrenaline-pumping activities that the city has to offer are endless. You can spend your days skydiving, bungy jumping (do the Nevis – it’s the highest in NZ!), mountain biking, white water rafting, and parasailing, or you can take it easy with scenic hikes, cruising on Lake Wakatipu, and wine tasting. During the winter, you can also ski and snowboard on the Remarkables mountain range.

I also highly recommend going on a Shotover Jet boat ride and then getting some cocktails at the Minus 5° Icebar. Is the icebar overpriced and crowded? Sure is. Do you get to wear borrowed jackets and gloves? Yep. Do the photos make it all worth it? Absolutely.

Other fun things to consider doing are the street luge course and the ledge swing, but just a heads up about that ledge swing harness: it hurrrrts.

2) Interlaken, Switzerland

Hey Derek!

If Queenstown is the #1 adventure destination in the world, then I’d say that Interlaken comes in a close second. Just replace the Remarkables with the Swiss Alps, and Lake Wakatipu with Lakes Brienzsee and Thun, and you’ll find that the two cities are very similar.

Again, the backdrop of the city alone would be enough to make Interlaken a popular tourist destination. However, it also offers world-class skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and tons of fun summer activities like skydiving, hang gliding, bungy jumping, white water rafting, and rock climbing.

Since I had already done most of those extreme activities in Queenstown before I visited Interlaken, I decided I should do something a bit more unique when I was in Switzerland. I chose to go canyoning.

So, what is canyoning anyway? Well, first you start out wearing a sweet wetsuit, jacket, lifevest, and helmet. Then you basically just end up following your guide down a series of waterfalls with a combination of hiking, jumping, swimming, and rappelling skills. It’s all a bit blurry to me now, but I remember that everyone had a great time.

Although I was just a backpacker when I visited Interlaken, my husband was lucky enough that his firm flew him out there a few years ago for a weekend hike. Yes, we live in San Francisco, and his law firm flew everyone out to Switzerland to go for a weekend hike. I was just a little jealous, to say the least. Anyway, they stayed at a very beautiful hotel called The Victoria-Jungfrau, and it sounds like it would be perfect for honeymooners. He said that the cleaning staff were like ninjas because he’d leave the room for a few minutes, and by the time he came back it would be spotless.

One drawback to both of our Switzerland experiences, neither my husband nor I remember anything remarkably positive about the food. However, he did mention that there was a Hooters next to his hotel. Just where you always imagined eating during your honeymoon, right? The legend told is that the people who purchased the land adjacent to the hotel wanted to build a gift shop, but the hotel shut them down because there was already a shop in the resort. To get their revenge, the neighbors built the most spiteful (yet profitable) thing they could think of… a Hooters restaurant.

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Planning a Trip to the Land Down Under?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Friends probably ask me for Australia travel advice more than they do for any other country. I lived in Sydney for 5 glorious months during college and I absolutely loved it.

So, where to start? Watch this on repeat, obviously.

Are you excited yet? Of course you are. Alright, the next thing to do is figure out how to spend as much time in Australia as possible. I wince when people tell me that they’re planning a week-long or 10 day trip. You’ll need more time! Remember, it takes a REALLY long time to get there (nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Sydney are about 15 hours) and they are pretty darn expensive, especially during the southern hemisphere’s summer months. More importantly, there’s way too much to see and do!

When planning your itinerary, consider my top 5 Australian cities and the best things to do there:

1. Sydney: You’ll need at least 5 or 6 days in this city alone. (Yes, it’s that awesome.) It’s the perfect combination of a cosmopolitan city surrounded by world class beaches.

Sydney Opera House

You must:
– Surf in Bondi Beach
– Hike from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach (or vice versa)
– Take a ferry from Circular Quay (pronounced “KEY”) to Manly Beach
– Get drinks at the Coogee Bay Hotel beer garden
– Go out at night in King’s Cross
– Go on a pub crawl in The Rocks
– See any of Sydney’s rugby teams (there are 3 different types of rugby and 3 different teams: the Roosters – Rugby League, the Waratahs – Rugby Union, and the Swans – Aussie Rules Football. Don’t know anything about rugby? No worries, the fans around you will be happy to explain what’s going on.)

Day trips:
– visit the Blue Mountains for good hiking
– do a tour of the Hunter Valley wine region

Overrated:
– Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb (although you can renew your vows up there!)
– Opera House Tour. My parents insisted that I did it because they didn’t get a chance to do it themselves. It was bor-ing.

2. Melbourne: There’s tons of great culture here, and you’ll probably want to hang around for at least 4 days.

The Twelve Apostles via Ashup

You must:
– Rent a car and drive along the Great Ocean Road for at least one full day. Try to plan on arriving at the “12 Apostles” at sunset.
– See an Aussie Rules football game (a.k.a. footy)
– Stay at a cute hotel in the St. Kilda district
– Plan a trip to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade at night. (I never did this because I unfortunately wasn’t there during the right season, but my parents really loved it!)
– Check out Federation Square
– Shop at the Queen Victoria market

3. Cairns: Popular access point for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Depending on how much beach time you want, and whether you are going to other cities along the GBR, you’ll probably want around 3 days here.

Cairns Lagoon via Photnart

You must:
– Take day cruise(s) out on the Great Barrier Reef to snorkel/scuba
– Check out the nearby town of Port Douglas for wildlife/rain forest tours

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