First, I'm getting married....YEAH! My main job, as groom, has been to plan the honeymoon. So far, it has been somewhat frustrating, mainly due to time of year. We are getting married in late October. Anyway... My top choice right now is 7-10 days in Costa Rica. It is suppossed to have a lot of good hiking / rainforest stuff, etc. Other choices include: South America - Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Brazil Rainforest Europe - Greece or Italy America - Grand Canyon, Pacific Northwest (too cold) Australia or New Zealand (probably too far) So, I'd appreciate comments on (a) Costa Rica, (b) any of the other places and (c) anywhere else you think is a good idea that time of year. Please help. Thanks.
Las Vegas baby! That's where I got married, stayed at the Venetian. Awesome place. We went in October also, it wasn't too cold, just a little nippy at night.
I actually just came back from a trip to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is absolutely great. Nice rainforest, very good hikes, some rafting, horseback riding, awesome beaches on the carribean, food is exceptional. I reccommend that you go to Costa Rica, great place
Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Most beautiful place I have ever seen (in pictures ). But really I have read alot on it and I dont think you can go wrong with this place.
As Sonny mentioned: VEGAS BABY VEGAS!!! Seriously though, you could jet on down under and stay with Smeg - save some $$$. Im sure he and his wife wouldnt mind the company.
If you are more into nature than touristy type stuff, look into Kauai, the western most public island in the Hawaiian chain. It is so unbelievably beautiful, the people are wonderful (and speak English of course) and you are still in the U.S.! My wife and I went there on our honeymoon, to Princeville to be precise, and it was incredible. If you don't believe me, ask Matt LeBlanc from Friends, he just got married there and is building a house on beautiful Anini Beach. Pierce Brosnan and a ton of other celebrities live there too. Super laid back, exotic, beaches are all great, surfing and snorkeling are awesome... If you do go, look into a helicopter ride, that is the best way to see the island. Damn I wanna go back Here's some pics but they don't do it justice...
First of all...congrats!!! I'll second Mulder's pick and mention to spend half of your time on Kauai and the other half on Maui. While you're on Kauai, go to Duane's Ono Charburger...best burger in Kauai, Hawaii, and quite possibly better than most burgers here in Texas. If you go to Kauai, stay in Princeville or Poipu. Plan on relaxing...the entire island is ultra-laid back. It is truly the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Island chain.
My wife's father lives in Costa Rica. Lots of strange stuff if you were to live there (many stories), but since your just visiting - it's not so bad. The good - Nice Rainforests (The wild life is fantastic - howler monkeys, toucans flying around like robins, parakeets flying around like sparrows, iguanas moving around like chameleons - weird thing was we went to a zoo and they had a raccoon in it.); Volcanoes (they used to not have boundaries and you could walk right up to the top where the lava is bubbling - or until you couldn't take the heat anymore - now it's roped off to not let you get too close), Hot Springs (some dangerously hot, but there is nothing like sitting under a hot waterfall with the water hitting your back - the volcano is what is heating it), Lots of giant waterfalls, Good Cheap food (I remember 1 dinner where my wife had the filet with 2 sides and I had the shrimp with 2 sides w/drinks was less than $20 usd.) Good Fishing, Rafting (though I haven't done the rafting). They also have rigs that you can harness in and glide along the top of the rainforest trees (I forgot what that is called). The bad - Some beaches on the Atlantic side are almost black and not that pretty. The water is ok. Maybe we just went to the wrong place, but I wasn't impressed - if you want beaches, go to Destin, FL. The ugly - Bugs. Don't bring your Deep Woods Off - that stuff is for US bugs - They've got some serious bugs down there that only respond to the spray they sell down there - I'm not sure what it contains but it works and you'll be eaten alive without it. I got bitten by something that made 1 arm swell up to where I had a popeye arm. Also, the roads off the beaten paths have HUGE potholes. There are checkpoints along the roads off the beaten path too where the stop you and check for guns and drugs. Also, in the "backwoods" they have bullfighting - mostly where farmers who have had a few too many Imperials get into the ring to "fight" bulls. More comical than crual. Oh and Congrats!!!
I agree with the burger thing... It was kind of trippy how good they were. Oh and don't bother trying to save money by buying anything for the hotel like drinks or milk or whatever, the grocery store is more expensive than eating out. ( A 12 pack of Coke was $ 8.50! ) Also check out Hanalei just outside Princeville for Zelo's and the shaved ice. Bubba's burgers rocked. For surf gear go to Hanalei Surf Company and nowhere else up North, and tell the lady Bobo I said Aloha and Mahalo! Remember, all the beaches are public but it wasn't hard for us to find a private spot. In the winter Kauai's North Shore gets a bit more rain but it is a tropical mist so you won't mind much, this also cuts down ont he number of tourists that stay up there in the winter so the rates are lower. Make sure that you do at least one touristy thing and that is a Luau. I know I am pimping it hard but trust me, it is INCREDIBLE! You will not be disappointed. Check out a Virtual Tour of Kauai here.
Thanks for the responses. Costa Rica and Hawaii sound good. It'll probably come down to those two. Fatman - I tried to send you an email. Art - I think you're talking about ziplining. It does sound pretty neat.
Congratulations! Do you need a cake? (Just kidding) Seriously, I would consider Central Africa. From all the pictures friends have shown us from their trips, it's beautiful. And no one goes there so it would be far from cliche.
Depends on how you (and your wife) like to vacation... 1) Sit on a beach and do nothing. Relax. 2) Be pampered. Feed me. Take care of everything for me. 3) Casual schedule. Some brainless activity. Shopping. Clubs. 4) Visit friends or family. Enjoy the company of loved ones. 5) Culture, culture, culture. Give me a foreign, different place. 6) Heavy schedule: lots of activity. See lots of sites. 7) Rough it. Camp. Hike. Canoe. Etc. There's probably a few others I can't think of offhand. You should also know how your wife likes to vacation. Defining this helps to narrow down your vacation choices, and helps to ensure you enjoy your vacation more. -- droxford