Honeymoon location help

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Jumpergirl

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Originally from North East Texas, currently live i
Hello,

I've done some searches and done ALOT of reading here but we still can't make a decision. We're getting married on October 7th and plan to leave DFW on the 9th for our honeymoon. We are newley certified and want to go diving on our honeymoon (which was our motivation for getting certified in the first place). I've looked at Bonair and it looks GREAT. I'd even say it's at the top of our list right now. :D We were originally planning on Oahu, but are very open to other options.

I guess what I'm asking is this: Can any of you suggest a place for new divers that is cost effective and also has other "non-diving" things to do?

Thanks so much for your help!! It is MUCH appreciated!! :14:

Jaime
 
This is a much asked question.

Bonaire, as atop of your list it may be, has little else to do besides dive and lay about topless. This is not alltogether a bad thing, but it calls into question your parameters in reference to "non dive" things.

On the opposite end of the spectrum might be Oahu. Lots of topside stuff, but in the total scheme of broad comparison, rather limited for diving.
 
I know it's asked alot... but I felt I had to ask it one more time. :D

Thanks for the info about both places. A good middle ground would be nice, huh? Any suggestions? What about Cozumel or Caymans or Bahamas? Maybe another island of Hawaii? We acutally live in Florida, so he's not all that interested in going to the Keys. We'd like to away from the mainland, but have no idea where to go or where to start looking. :confused:
 
I went through this same debate a few months ago. We decided on Fiji, since we've never been to the S. Pacific and were looking to splurge a bit.

Bonaire is one of my all time favorite dive destinations. The diving is incredible and relatively easy, the people are super nice, the food is outstanding and the whole vibe of the place is perfect for my tastes. I even think it has a reasonable amount of non-diving stuff to do. Just driving around the island is fun and can kill a day or two. And the national park takes at least 1 full day to explore and is top notch.

That said, Bonaire does not have a very developed tourist infrastructure (something that I find appealing) and even the top end places are not terribly fancy.

So, if you don't mind being just a bit off the beaten path and don't need super luxury, I'd say go for Bonaire. If you want something a little fancier, check out Curacao (more tourist infrastructure, similar diving). You guys are really lucky to be able to get to the Carribean so easily - I'm sure you can find a nice island somewhere down there to spend your honeymoon.
 
instead of oahu maybe check Maui. not as crowded, better diving, and some would say more scenic. Lots of GREAT shore dives and good boat dives. I've done bonair and aruba and they are beautiful dive spots also. I believe most would agree bonair is better than aruba.
CONGRATS, good luck with the wedding, and safe travels
 
Depends on how much of a hard-core dive trip you want vs. other stuff. What sort of "non-diving" stuff did you have in mind? Besides it being your honeymoon. :wink:

As far as Hawaii, I would consider Maui or the Big Island rather than Oahu for diving and other stuff.

Bonaire is good diving but Curacao has more things going on and a few places that might feel more honeymoon-like to you than places on Bonaire, like the Curacao Marriott or Kura Hulanda lodge.

I sometimes recommend Young Island Resort on St Vincent, this would be lovely for a honeymoon and there's some great diving especially if you're into the smaller critters, but neither the resort nor the diving is cheap and it's a little harder to get to than some other places.

Compass Point is nice and very convienient for diving. If I were diving most mornings and afternoons that would probably be my East End choice. If I were mostly just diving mornings and doing other things in the afternoons I would consider staying at the Reef Resort instead especially for a honeymoon, it's just down the road and Ocean Frontiers (the op at Compass point) will pick you up. It's more of a resorty place with a good beach and pool and stuff - nice place to relax. (Realize staying anyplace on the East End of Grand Cayman you will have a bit of a drive to get to many restaurants or much of anything else, which is not all bad.)
 
Oh you guys...once again...defending Bonaire's topside! Please, not self promo, but I have to tell you not only me, but other resorts will do person itineraries for honeymooners on Bonaire. Example, we just did 2 and have 7 scheduled. Horseback riding, cave snorkeling, resort course (to see if they liked diving), parasailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing (all "try it type lessons"), sunset dinner for 2 on beach, etc. Lots of romantic honeymoon things to do! www.infobonaire.com
 
Cozumel could be a very good choice. The diving is great, it's easy to get to, and it is a lot of fun. Some might question whether it is good for new divers, but lots of people get certified there. Much of the diving is moderately deep (50-80 feet) and there is current on most dives. If you don't fight the current, but just drift along with it (I say it's lazy-man's diving, just kick back and watch the reef go by), it is really pretty easy. I did all of my early diving in surge and current, so it seemed pretty easy to me. You won't find the same kind of diving in shallow, still water that you would find in Bonaire, or Little Cayman for that matter. But if you let the dive op know your level of experience, you shouldn't get into anything too challenging. The town is lots of fun, with plenty of good restaurants. You can also take the ferry over to Playa del Carmen, which has good restaurants and bars and some more nightlife. There are some Mayan ruins on the island, a good little museum in town, some shopping, tours of various sorts, and a park at the southern end of the island I have yet to visit.

Playa del Carmen and the rest of the Riviera Maya, the area south of Cancun, could also be good, although the diving is not nearly as good. There are some very nice hotels and resorts all through the area, everything from backpacker places on the beach to little inns to boutique hotels to all-inclusive to mega-buck luxury spa resorts. There is a lot going on in Playa, it's somewhat quieter in most other locations. You fly into Cancun and take ground transporation to your ultimate destination, so it's easy to get to.

Grand Cayman is very developed, I would say over-developed. We have only been there on layovers on the way to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Seven Mile Beach is non-stop hotels (you can't even see the water from the road) opposite a series of US-style strip malls. I hear the East End can be nice and the diving is good all over Grand Cayman. It depends on what you are looking for.

For a honeymoon you might consider St. Lucia, particularly Anse Chastenet resort. The island is a beautiful volcanic island, reminiscent of Hawaii. There are lots of things to see and do. There is a rain forest and a volcano. You can go hiking, fishing, sightseeing, etc. Anse Chastenet is a very beautiful and romantic resort. I think it would be a great place for a honeymoon. We might have gone there, except that my wife preferred a non-diving trip and we went to Paris. The diving is pretty good in St. Lucia, but not great. I think it is well-suited to new divers. Anse Chastenet has an excellent dive operation. It is not very easy to get to St. Lucia, but if you fly out of Miami, it wouldn't be as bad as it is for us coming from Detroit. It's not cheap, but if you are thinkging of Hawaii, I would guess that this is a possibility. I would enthusiastically recommend it as a honeymoon destination and I would give it a qualified recommendation as a diving destination. I guess it depends on your priorities. If diving is clearly your top priority, you may want to go someplace else.
 
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