Real Honeymoon: Argentina

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

I’m a huge fan of South America, so I was very excited when my friends Christine and Tommy decided to go to Argentina for their honeymoon. Since they were planning on traveling in December, they made the right choice to go to the southern hemisphere where it was sure to be nice and sunny. The details of their trip throughout Argentina and a couple of their beautiful photos are below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Tommy and I left for our honeymoon in Argentina in December of 2012. We went to Buenos Aires, Patagonia/Bariloche, and Iguazu Falls.

Bariloche, Patagonia

How long was your trip?

Our honeymoon was 12 days. We felt like we could have had a couple more days, but you can easily spend time in two places versus three, and have plenty of time to see everything.

Hi Christine!

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

We got married in December and wanted to go somewhere warm for our honeymoon, so we were looking in the southern hemisphere. Since we got married in Hawaii, we didn’t want to do a beach honeymoon. We’d heard great things about Argentina, so we decided to give it a shot!

Buenos Aires

The best part of our honeymoon was….

The boat ride at Iguazu Falls. The falls were unlike anything I’d ever seen. You only need to go for a day and you can see all of the falls and do the boat ride. We stayed at the Sheraton on the Argentinian side, its definitely not a luxury hotel but its super convenient.

I’d also recommend going to a tango show in Buenos Aires, we loved the one that we went to!

We also used a travel agency called Jacada. They were amazing in terms of recommending hotels, restaurants, and taking care of all of our transportation to and from airports. All of their employees spoke English (which was great for my husband and I who don’t know much more Spanish than, “Gracias.”) In addition, included in their package is a one day personal tour of the Buenos Aires which we loved. We really felt like we got to see the city and since our tour guide grew up in Buenos Aires, she was able to fill us in on the history and politics of the city.

Iguazu Falls

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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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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

That’s right – it’s back-to-back Italian Honeymoon weeks! This week’s Real Honeymoon comes from Erin, who has an awesome blog of her own called Imperfect Polish that you should check out. Erin didn’t skimp on the details of her trip, so make sure to check out all of her great tips for honeymooning in Italy below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

My husband and I took off the day after our wedding September 13, 2008 for Italy [Rome, Positano, and Capri].

In front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome

How long was your trip?

We were gone for two weeks and enjoyed every second of it.

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

We were engaged for over a year and had a large wedding, which was so much fun, but we were ready to escape everything and explore Italy. When we were planning our honeymoon, we knew we wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere with a direct flight, and a place we could relax. We are both very interested and enjoy (too much) food and wine, so Italy was the perfect choice.

We knew that staying in one city would get boring for us since we are not huge on tourist attractions, so we chose Rome (5 days), the postcard city of Positano on the Amalfi Coast (4 days), and the island of Capri (5 days). Being by the ocean was a huge part of why we chose the second two cities, since we love a great view and boating.

This was the view from their hotel room in Positano. Not too shabby, huh?

The best part about our honeymoon was…

It is hard to put my finger on the best part of our honeymoon, as every day was incredible, even if we hardly left the balcony of our suite. Funny enough, Matt and I always look back fondly on the afternoon we got to Positano and the rain. It rained our entire wedding day, so it was only fitting we saw a bit of it on our trip. We checked into our cliffside hotel and went out on the balcony to soak in the ridiculous view of a city we had only seen in photographs. It started to rain and we laid down on the lounge chairs outside and fell asleep to the gentle rain that began to fall. When we woke up, we walked down during the sunset to The Brasserie at Hotel Covo dei Saraceni for the best pizza we had on our entire trip (we sampled it everywhere, seriously). It was the the perfect (unplanned) day, which we enjoyed many of instead of being too touristy.

Delicious pizza in Positano

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

If I could change one thing it would have been to do more research on restaurants. We relied heavily on the concierge of each hotel and it would have been more fun to go to places recommended by friends or travel writers I love. Luckily, we did not have a bad meal anywhere. How could you in Italy?

How much planning did you do in advance?

Once we picked the destination, Matt took the reigns and booked everything. It was such a fun surprise seeing what he chose when we arrived in each city. It also let me focus on the wedding and look forward to a wonderful getaway.

Outside of Antica Pesa in Rome

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

This week we have yet another incredible Italian honeymoon to share! Read all about Emily and Cullen’s romantic trip below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

May 2006, Italy (Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, & Rome)

How long was your trip?

2 weeks.

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

My sister had gone there for her honeymoon and it looked awesome, I’d never been out of the country and my husband had only been to Mexico so it was exciting to go and explore part of Europe together. Plus I am Italian, so always had an urge to go and explore the Italian culture.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

We woke up at 4am the morning after our wedding to catch our honeymoon flight to Italy, which was really exciting. Despite being tired, we were so excited, we had just gotten married and now were off on an exciting vacation together to a place we’ve never been. So I loved just going right away. Besides that I would have to say exploring the food.

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

Well I know a lot more about food now then I did then, so I would probably have eaten slightly different despite the fact that I loved a lot of what we had. I could have done more research about the best places to go or what foods to eat. But we were young and new to traveling, I’m much better now.

Also, I packed way too many clothes which made train travel slightly more difficult, so if you’re going to be traveling around, pack smart, multi-use clothing items.**

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Real Honeymoon: Argentina

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

This week is the first South American Real Honeymoon on Peonies to Palm Trees, and I’m so excited to share Ashley and Jason’s awesome trip to Argentina! I’d definitely recommend Argentina to anyone who likes cosmopolitan cities, good wine, and red meat. Don’t get me wrong, vegetarians will also have a great time in Argentina, but steak lovers will be in heaven. Enjoy!

When and where did you honeymoon?

Jason and I left for our honeymoon in Argentina a few days after our wedding in June 2012. While in Argentina we traveled to Buenos Aires, Salta, and Mendoza.

How long was your trip?

Our honeymoon was two weeks! I always recommend getting off as much time as possible—it seems like one of the few times where work will give you a lot of time off!**

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

In some ways, the decision to go to Argentina was made for us. We had never traveled to the southern hemisphere, so we searched where we could go on miles in the southern hemisphere—Argentina was the best option! While it felt like a random choice at the time, Argentina clicked with us! We fell in love with the country.

The best part of our honeymoon was….

If I had to pick just one, the best part of our honeymoon was visiting Mendoza, the Argentinian wine country. The wineries were all so beautiful and the wine was so different than what you find in Napa/Sonoma. One day we took an amazing horseback ride with “Finca Las Lechuzas” to various wineries—it was magical!

There were so many other amazing parts too! In Salta we drove north to Purmamarca to see the “Hill of Seven Colors” and salt flats—they were stunning!

In Buenos Aires, per the suggestion of a local, we took the “Hop On, Hop Off” bus. It turned out to be a fantastic way to see the entire city!

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

Two things! First, we were shocked at how expensive it was to fly between cities in Argentina. It’s a huge country so if you don’t have a lot of time, flying is generally the best option. Along the trip we heard of new overnight buses with full reclining seats—I may have checked those out in hindsight. Second, in Buenos Aires we rented a Jetsetter apartment. While very cute, we missed having suggestions of what to do in the city that a concierge or other guests can provide.

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Real Mini-moon: Carmel

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

I’m excited to share the second mini-moon on Peonies to Palm Trees! And this one is extra special because it features my best friend Alice and her husband Jason. Since their super fun Carmel wedding was the weekend before Thanksgiving, they didn’t want to go on a long honeymoon right away, and why rush to leave such a nice resort anyway? Check out their relaxing mini-moon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We’re doing a delayed honeymoon about a year after our wedding, but decided to do our mini-moon right at Carmel Valley Ranch**, where we got married [in November 2012].

Carmel Valley Ranch

How long was your trip?

Including the wedding weekend festivities, we were at CVR for a total of 6 days.

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

We decided that we didn’t want to go back to reality right after our wedding, and since we just wanted to relax and drink lots of wine, we decided staying put at CVR would be the best bet since it included a spa, pool, hot tub (!), vino, and access to great restaurants in Carmel.

Just chilling in the infinity hot tub

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Relaxing poolside all day! The weather was pretty rainy on our actual wedding day, but it was beautiful after, so we were able to take advantage of the entire CVR area and just lounge all day. And hanging all day with Roxy the bulldog.

Hanging out with Roxy, the CVR mascot

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

I would have made earlier reservations to check out the bee-keeping area of CVR, sounds like so much fun!

How much planning did you do in advance?

Minimal for the mini-moon. Jason made reservations at some awesome restaurants (absolutely loved Casanova) but otherwise we did some good lounging.

Out on the town for a nice dinner

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Real Honeymoon: Thailand

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

My friend Benu has been promising me to send her Real Honeymoon story and photos for MONTHS, so I’m incredibly excited that it’s finally getting published! FINALLY! Alright, Benu and Doug honeymooned in Thailand, and as I’ve previously mentioned, Thailand is totally one of my favorite destinations. So without further ado, please enjoy their amazing honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We traveled to Thailand where we visited Bangkok and an island off the coast, Samui.

The Royal Palace in Bangkok

How long was your trip?

2.5 glorious weeks.

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

Ours wasn’t your typical honeymoon – we based the decision on my oldest sister who lives in Singapore and had just had her second baby. By traveling within SEA, we got to see our new baby nephew, family, AND have a great honeymoon on our own.

Flowers in Koh Samui

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Best part of the honeymoon was obviously spending time with Doug! We had a blast – from eating copious amounts of street food together, drinking frou-frou drinks cause you can, to falling asleep on a hammock on our private beach. Highlights from Bangkok definitely included the street food, the rooftop bars at night (for the city views) and just being a tourist in a city and observing the hustle and bustle that is Bangkok city life. It was also great to get away from the city and unwind in Samui where we had plenty of time to be alone and take in all the natural beauty Thailand has to offer.

Frou-frou drinks

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

The timing of our honeymoon was poor due to the fact that I (along with my business partner) had just launched our first online company. But, that’s life! I also would have taken the honeymoon right after our wedding – we waited about 7 months so we could gain more vacation days.. but if I could change anything, I would have “lived in the wedding bliss” for a couple of weeks longer and taken it right after the wedding.

Bangkok at night

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Real Honeymoon: Belize

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Central America is perfect for honeymooners who want an amazing tropical vacation, but don’t want to lose a day traveling to the opposite side of the world. Especially popular with scuba divers, Belize is only a two hour flight away from Houston! But the biggest thing to consider before booking your tickets to Belize is its hurricane season.** Luckily, Dana and Andrew didn’t have any hurricanes to deal with during their honeymoon in Belize last year. Read all about their hurricane-free honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Andrew and I went to Hopkins, Belize to a resort called Hamanasi Dec. 1-8, 2012.

How long was your trip?

8 days, 7 nights.

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

Several coworkers suggested Belize as a fun place to honeymoon, and I wanted a mix of activities/relaxation…also TripAdvisor rated our resort as #1 travelers choice for several years in a row.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

The best part of our honeymoon was spending time with each other! Also, learning how to scuba dive (for me, definitely not for Andrew…), and seeing the Mayan ruins.

Hamanasi, Belize

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

I would change the time frame when we went…the sand flies were HORRIBLE that time of year. Also, it was the beginning of the rainy season.

How much planning did you do in advance?

A couple weeks to research resorts, but the resort took care of everything for us including transportation, puddle jumpers, etc.

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

When I started this blog last year, I knew that Italy was a great honeymoon destination, but I didn’t realize how popular it was! This is now the fourth Real Honeymoon: Italy post on the blog, and I have two more great ones lined up to be published in the upcoming weeks. Each honeymoon is slightly different, but they are all equally fantastic. Check out Cyndi and Ben’s amazing Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to Italy in September 2012. We went to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Positano, and Capri.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome

How long was your trip?

2 weeks.

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

Neither of us had been to Europe, and I have always wanted to go to Italy, especially Rome and Cinque Terre.

Hiking Cinque Terre

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Our favorite place was Capri. Our friends got us an evening of wine tasting in Rome which was awesome. Another highlight was the cooking class we took in Florence.

Private boat trip in Capri

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

While we loved Cinque Terre, and the hike was beautiful, in hindsight I would probably have saved it for a different trip, and spent more time in the other places. Cinque Terre was pretty far out of the way – the day we went from Cinque Terre to Positano, we traveled from 9am to 9pm.**

Sunbathing in Positano

How much planning did you do in advance?

Everything I could possibly plan in advance, I did. In fact, my husband thought I was crazy because around March of last year I asked him if I should start making restaurant reservations. I booked our airfare and hotels in January. I booked our cooking class and boat tour in Capri probably around March. I made museum reservations for Rome and Florence in August. I had looked up the train schedules in advance but didn’t reserve anything – my husband insisted on a little flexibility!

Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence

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Real Honeymoon: Thailand

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Thailand is definitely one of my favorite destinations of all time, and this couple sure took their time and did it right for their honeymoon. If you love amazing food, gorgeous beaches, and friendly people, I really couldn’t recommend Thailand enough! Check out Alexis and Andrew’s honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

September-October 2011, Thailand

Chiang Mai – 3 days
Phuket – 3 days
Koh Phi Phi – 4 days
Khao Lek – 2 days
Krabi – 3 days
Koh Samui – 5 days

How long was your trip?

3 weeks.

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

We wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been that was warm, and mixed sightseeing with relaxing on the beach.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Everything! If I have to pick one thing, it would be the day we spent at Patara Elephant Farm taking care of elephants for the day.

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

Nothing! Well, maybe I would stay at a different hotel in Krabi, but otherwise, it was perfect.

How much planning did you do in advance?

A decent amount, we had all of our airfare and hotels booked, and pretty much knew how we wanted to spend our days.

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