Where should we go on a relaxing, interesting, honeymoon without getting sunburned?
August 14, 2010 8:58 PM Subscribe
Where should we go on a relaxing, interesting, honeymoon without getting sunburned?
We're looking for a honeymoon location. Please help us out. We have a lot of ideas to help us narrow down our options, but they are just seeming to contradict each other and confuse us.
These are some of the things we are looking for:
- $5000-6000 or less traveling from the Boston, Massachusetts area
- Will be good weather-wise in late July/early August
- Relaxing! We don't really want to be climbing mountains or doing hardcore, let's-fit-in-as-much-as-possible sightseeing. We're up for some light activities, but want to be able to relax
- Something unique/educational/historical/etc. I am a history nerd and while the fiance would be fine chilling on a beach for a week, I'd rather get to see some museums or historic sites or do something I won't likely be able to do anywhere else.
- Somewhere I won't get a sunburn. I'm super pale and redheaded, so anything tropical without some serious shade is a recipe for disaster even with SPF 70+. We don't mind it being hot, but I don't want to have to get up at 5am to stake out some hut on the beach.
- A special experience we probably won't ever get to do again. I would love to travel more, but we tend to spend more money on buying a house, buying things to update the house, etc. so I don't foresee us becoming major world travelers anytime soon.
- Not super-close to home (New Hampshire). We'll have the chance to explore New England in the future, so we'd rather do something more out-of-the-ordinary for this trip.
Sorry for having a million requirements. If you can meet at least a couple of these I would love to hear your ideas! Thanks in advance! :)
Bonus question: As two twenty-five-year-olds, do you think it would be weird/unromantic/not as fun/whatever to go somewhere that is frequented by older folks and retirees (e.g., an Alaskan cruise)?
We're looking for a honeymoon location. Please help us out. We have a lot of ideas to help us narrow down our options, but they are just seeming to contradict each other and confuse us.
These are some of the things we are looking for:
- $5000-6000 or less traveling from the Boston, Massachusetts area
- Will be good weather-wise in late July/early August
- Relaxing! We don't really want to be climbing mountains or doing hardcore, let's-fit-in-as-much-as-possible sightseeing. We're up for some light activities, but want to be able to relax
- Something unique/educational/historical/etc. I am a history nerd and while the fiance would be fine chilling on a beach for a week, I'd rather get to see some museums or historic sites or do something I won't likely be able to do anywhere else.
- Somewhere I won't get a sunburn. I'm super pale and redheaded, so anything tropical without some serious shade is a recipe for disaster even with SPF 70+. We don't mind it being hot, but I don't want to have to get up at 5am to stake out some hut on the beach.
- A special experience we probably won't ever get to do again. I would love to travel more, but we tend to spend more money on buying a house, buying things to update the house, etc. so I don't foresee us becoming major world travelers anytime soon.
- Not super-close to home (New Hampshire). We'll have the chance to explore New England in the future, so we'd rather do something more out-of-the-ordinary for this trip.
Sorry for having a million requirements. If you can meet at least a couple of these I would love to hear your ideas! Thanks in advance! :)
Bonus question: As two twenty-five-year-olds, do you think it would be weird/unromantic/not as fun/whatever to go somewhere that is frequented by older folks and retirees (e.g., an Alaskan cruise)?
New Orleans.
posted by allthewhile at 9:10 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by allthewhile at 9:10 PM on August 14, 2010
Ireland
Santorini, Greece (or greece in general for that matter)
posted by pyro979 at 9:13 PM on August 14, 2010
Santorini, Greece (or greece in general for that matter)
posted by pyro979 at 9:13 PM on August 14, 2010
New Orleans is fantastic, but taking a trip there in August sounds really unappealing (think very hot and, eh, stinky). If you're not set on chilling on a beach, how about visiting Copenhagen? It's really not clear from your question whether you've traveled extensively, and what you consider "out-of-the-ordinary".
posted by halogen at 9:16 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by halogen at 9:16 PM on August 14, 2010
Iceland!
posted by Threeway Handshake at 9:20 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Threeway Handshake at 9:20 PM on August 14, 2010
Nova Scotia is where I spent my honeymoon in 1984. Amazingly quaint and romantic with bed and breakfasts that are just awesome. Maybe too close to home for you, but worth consideration.
posted by Doohickie at 9:24 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Doohickie at 9:24 PM on August 14, 2010
Go sailing in the British Virgin Islands.
posted by metaseeker at 9:32 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by metaseeker at 9:32 PM on August 14, 2010
We had a fantastic time on the Big Island of Hawaii. We went in June and the weather was mostly perfect except for a bit of rain which was totally fine (we carried light weight rain jackets with us in the car). It was warm but easy to stay out of the sun.
My wife and I are very much "see everything" types - so we picked Hawaii because we figured if we went to Europe or somewhere we'd spend too much time sight seeing.
This ended up being perfect for us. We stayed at the Volcano Teapot (which we loved) in Volcano for a week and had a super chill time, and then split the rest of our time in other B&Bs around the island. I think Volcano was the highlight though. Explore a bit, see the national park a bit, hang out in the private hot tub a bit, drive into Hilo for dinner, watch a movie, etc. a week of that was perfect to decompress after a wedding.
The Big Island felt very laid back and not over touristy - all though there's some of that in Kona if you get the itch and it can be great for a few days. Its a bit of a flight from Boston; but we loved it.
posted by heh3d at 9:35 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
My wife and I are very much "see everything" types - so we picked Hawaii because we figured if we went to Europe or somewhere we'd spend too much time sight seeing.
This ended up being perfect for us. We stayed at the Volcano Teapot (which we loved) in Volcano for a week and had a super chill time, and then split the rest of our time in other B&Bs around the island. I think Volcano was the highlight though. Explore a bit, see the national park a bit, hang out in the private hot tub a bit, drive into Hilo for dinner, watch a movie, etc. a week of that was perfect to decompress after a wedding.
The Big Island felt very laid back and not over touristy - all though there's some of that in Kona if you get the itch and it can be great for a few days. Its a bit of a flight from Boston; but we loved it.
posted by heh3d at 9:35 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
What about Scandinavia/Denmark? Beautiful, historical, sunburn-free and they have great beaches.
posted by zoomorphic at 9:38 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by zoomorphic at 9:38 PM on August 14, 2010
Tropical + serious shade + interesting = Asa Wright Nature Center in Trinidad and Tobago. It's a former coffee plantation turned nature preserve, with small tidy guest cabins and dining/socializing space in the large historic house. Tropical birds are the main draw here and they set up feeders to attract tons of birds right up close to the veranda, plus you can go on birding/nature walks around the grounds. It's very shady since they've let a lot of the original forest grow back, and not too hot since it's up in the mountains.
posted by Quietgal at 9:40 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Quietgal at 9:40 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Have you ever been to Australia? It's winter there in August, but it's quite temperate.
posted by decathecting at 9:53 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by decathecting at 9:53 PM on August 14, 2010
Edinburgh. My wife and I were married there.
I suggest you do a week in the city, and then take a driving tour into the highlands for a second week. My wife and I can't wait to go back.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:34 PM on August 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
I suggest you do a week in the city, and then take a driving tour into the highlands for a second week. My wife and I can't wait to go back.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:34 PM on August 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Fiji.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 10:46 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by malibustacey9999 at 10:46 PM on August 14, 2010
Hawaii.
posted by watercarrier at 11:51 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by watercarrier at 11:51 PM on August 14, 2010
- The Aegean or Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Gorgeous beaches, tres romantic, and more history than a dozen Romes. Also, great food & nice people.
- Bali is IMHO the most beautiful island in the world. It is tropical, but there are enough cultural activities that you won't be burning on the beach the whole time. The best parts are actually up country in the mountains.
posted by kanewai at 1:59 AM on August 15, 2010
- Bali is IMHO the most beautiful island in the world. It is tropical, but there are enough cultural activities that you won't be burning on the beach the whole time. The best parts are actually up country in the mountains.
posted by kanewai at 1:59 AM on August 15, 2010
But also, yeah, if Hawaii is an option, then what heh3d wrote.
posted by kanewai at 2:01 AM on August 15, 2010
posted by kanewai at 2:01 AM on August 15, 2010
To address your bonus question, I don't think it would be too weird to go on an Alaska cruise, as long as you like the cruise lifestyle, so to speak...but a different take on it might be to try a smaller boat, with a few fewer crazy luxuries. When I worked in Glacier Bay National Park, we would get passengers from a small line (Glacier Bay Cruises? The boats were named things like the Wilderness Explorer, Wilderness Discoverer and so forth) that did minor to moderate league adventures inclusive in the trip prices (light kayaking etc.).
Those boats seemed to attract a much younger, more interesting crowd than we saw off the huge Princess behemoths, and the passengers got to be a lot closer to what they came to see than the giant cruise ship people did.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:20 AM on August 15, 2010
Those boats seemed to attract a much younger, more interesting crowd than we saw off the huge Princess behemoths, and the passengers got to be a lot closer to what they came to see than the giant cruise ship people did.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:20 AM on August 15, 2010
Fly to Oslo and drive to Nordkapp, Europe's northernmost point, then fly home.
posted by mdonley at 4:00 AM on August 15, 2010
posted by mdonley at 4:00 AM on August 15, 2010
Alaska and/or the PacNW. San Juan islands (whale watching), Juneau, Anchorage, Kodiak, Skagway.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 7:27 AM on August 15, 2010
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 7:27 AM on August 15, 2010
Best answer: My favorite way to figure this stuff out:
Make a list of every country/city/region you're interested in traveling to, in general, like, ever, in your wildest dreams, regardless of anything.
Take your list of criteria from above. Run it through Kayak's Explore feature. Compare your results to the Dream Travel list you made. This should narrow it down considerably.
Take your slightly shorter list of potential destinations to a big bookstore with a good travel section. Here in New York there is Idlewild, which is a travel bookstore. Maybe Boston has something similar? A hulking Barnes & Noble will also do. Pull guidebooks to every destination on your list. Skim for big dealbreakers like danger, ridiculous red tape or shots, your travel dates being a horrible time to go there, and the like. Also take a look at the sights, food, and accommodation sections to see what your on the ground costs are going to be like. This should narrow your Dream Travel List down even further, probably to a manageable number of places to decide amongst.
From here, it's all you. Would you rather spend a week in Ireland or a month in Argentina? Would you rather see famous sites like the Pyramids or Angkor Wat, or chill out on a beach with a silly umbrella cocktail? Or both? There are a lot of great places on the web that can inform these sorts of decisions. I love the Lonely Planet website (soon to be syndicated to the BBC's travel section), as well as the Matador and BootsnAll networks. Travel Independent is a great site for comparing different places at a glance. Full disclosure, I sometimes write for Matador and BootsnAll.
posted by Sara C. at 7:30 AM on August 15, 2010 [5 favorites]
Make a list of every country/city/region you're interested in traveling to, in general, like, ever, in your wildest dreams, regardless of anything.
Take your list of criteria from above. Run it through Kayak's Explore feature. Compare your results to the Dream Travel list you made. This should narrow it down considerably.
Take your slightly shorter list of potential destinations to a big bookstore with a good travel section. Here in New York there is Idlewild, which is a travel bookstore. Maybe Boston has something similar? A hulking Barnes & Noble will also do. Pull guidebooks to every destination on your list. Skim for big dealbreakers like danger, ridiculous red tape or shots, your travel dates being a horrible time to go there, and the like. Also take a look at the sights, food, and accommodation sections to see what your on the ground costs are going to be like. This should narrow your Dream Travel List down even further, probably to a manageable number of places to decide amongst.
From here, it's all you. Would you rather spend a week in Ireland or a month in Argentina? Would you rather see famous sites like the Pyramids or Angkor Wat, or chill out on a beach with a silly umbrella cocktail? Or both? There are a lot of great places on the web that can inform these sorts of decisions. I love the Lonely Planet website (soon to be syndicated to the BBC's travel section), as well as the Matador and BootsnAll networks. Travel Independent is a great site for comparing different places at a glance. Full disclosure, I sometimes write for Matador and BootsnAll.
posted by Sara C. at 7:30 AM on August 15, 2010 [5 favorites]
Oh, and don't go to New Orleans in August. I grew up there, trust me.
With your budget, honestly unless you guys are huge fans of domestic travel or feel that you haven't seen enough of the USA, I'd pick something exotic and international. You can go to the Pacific Northwest on the cheap whenever you want. For $5000, you guys could afford to travel somewhere you'd otherwise never be able to go.
posted by Sara C. at 7:36 AM on August 15, 2010
With your budget, honestly unless you guys are huge fans of domestic travel or feel that you haven't seen enough of the USA, I'd pick something exotic and international. You can go to the Pacific Northwest on the cheap whenever you want. For $5000, you guys could afford to travel somewhere you'd otherwise never be able to go.
posted by Sara C. at 7:36 AM on August 15, 2010
Adding another vote for Iceland or Scandinavia. Iceland Air actually has free layovers in Reykjavik on the way to Scandinavia, so you could do both on one trip. My husband and I just got married and we desperately wanted to do this for our honeymoon, but we couldn't swing the $$. I've been to Sweden before and I think it would be perfect for what you're looking for. It's laid back, is absolutely beautiful, and also has the cultural elements you are looking for. Oh and if you are going early enough in July (and depending on how far north you go) MIDNIGHT SUN.
posted by folara at 10:09 AM on August 15, 2010
posted by folara at 10:09 AM on August 15, 2010
Rent a houseboat somewhere in Europe--maybe northern France or Germany--and travel the waterways. That way you can lie out on the deck as much as you want, and still be able to go inside for shade. Also, you can take bicycles on board for inland excursions to farms, restaurants, cities, etc, and your housing costs are included. There's nothing like the slow pace of water and boats for relaxation (as long as you'd be comfortable piloting one).
posted by martianna at 3:52 PM on August 15, 2010
posted by martianna at 3:52 PM on August 15, 2010
I also vote for Iceland. I went in late September, and once I got outside Reykjavik, I felt like I had the entire country to myself.
Or, instead of taking a cruise to Alaska, take the Alaska Ferry from Washington state and pick a few towns to see. The ferry is very relaxing and you'll be with more of a younger non-touristy crowd. Go to Petersburg, Sitka, Haines, and Skagway. Go on some whale watching, flight seeing and glacier tours. End the trip in Juneau and fly home from there. Southeast Alaska is pretty sweet.
posted by Beardsley Klamm at 3:58 PM on August 15, 2010
Or, instead of taking a cruise to Alaska, take the Alaska Ferry from Washington state and pick a few towns to see. The ferry is very relaxing and you'll be with more of a younger non-touristy crowd. Go to Petersburg, Sitka, Haines, and Skagway. Go on some whale watching, flight seeing and glacier tours. End the trip in Juneau and fly home from there. Southeast Alaska is pretty sweet.
posted by Beardsley Klamm at 3:58 PM on August 15, 2010
Malta!
The airfare is a bit steep flying from the US, but Matla has nice weather, lots of history, culture, nature, wellness and good food.
posted by lioness at 5:15 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
The airfare is a bit steep flying from the US, but Matla has nice weather, lots of history, culture, nature, wellness and good food.
posted by lioness at 5:15 PM on August 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
We went there several years ago, and when I woke up one morning I found myself thinking, "So THIS is what a real vacation is like."
posted by Madamina at 9:08 PM on August 14, 2010