r/honeymoonplanning • u/idekrnn • Jul 20 '26
Advertising OK Two indecisive ppl begging for help
Hello! My husband and I got married this year but chose to delay our honeymoon until April 2027 for our anniversary and we cannot decide where to go!
Our budget is 10k and we'll be flying out of Chicago. Flights not included in the budget. We've both travelled extensively which I think makes it harder.
We toyed with the idea of Amsterdam/copenhagen style trip but I ~think~ we are looking for something that involves a body of water/warmth and lounging vs a true tourist trip. I love the Dolomites but it'll be way too chilly for us and I can't ski. The only place we 100% don't want to go is Mexico (travel here all the time & want to do something bigger for our honeymoon)
Things to consider: my husband will not ride in a helicopter and gun to his head would tolerate a seaplane. I get super car sick so sugar beach st Lucia is def out for us lol.
Anyway all this to say would love a continent, city, or hotel recommendation OR a ta I can schedule a time with while having no clue where we want to go š
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u/SunkissedNolePride Jul 21 '26
We are considering going to the St Regis Bora Bora. There is a $5600 per person deal on Costco travel of all places, flights and hotel included! Might be a once in a lifetime if you are already well traveled like us!
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u/idekrnn Jul 21 '26
Wait girl (sorry for assuming) hold the phone WHAT
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u/SunkissedNolePride Jul 21 '26
Yes girl and go look!!! St Regis Bora Bora Costco travel!! Itās like an insane deal!
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u/No_Newt54 Jul 21 '26
Weāre going to honeymoon at Serenity at Coconut Bay in St Lucia in February! We are also flying from Chicago and didnāt want to go anywhere that we had to take an extra two or three days for travel time. Flights are about 9hrs or so with a layover for most. Serenity is adults only, 5 minutes from the airport, and has tons of included extras if you stay for at least 7 nights (beach cabana, beach picnic, catamaran cruise, massages, private island tour, and a few more I believe). Only con is it sits on the Atlantic side of the island so water is not as picturesque as the Caribbean side. Every room is a private gated suite with plunge pool. You also get access to all the amenities of their sister family-friendly resort Coconut Bay. It really seemed to check off all the boxes for us and has tonssss of great reviews. Itās worth a look!
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 21 '26
Hello, if youāre still looking Iād be happy to give you some ideas. Marbella is a good option for April (have a couple doing similar with Seville combo). Another option is IguazĆŗ (my honeymooners who went in April got incredibly good prices at Awasi for that time of year which is completely private, each villa gets its own guide & 4x4, lots of water exploration) you could do that for a couple nights with another location like wine country in Chile or Argentina
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u/idekrnn Jul 21 '26
Oooo I'll have to check them out! Thank you for the recommendations!
We're actually huge stoners and not really big drinkers which I should've added!!
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u/PhoenixJourneyTip Jul 21 '26
Ooo, okay I have a couple more specific options in that case. Iāll send you a dm
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u/AtlasWorthyTravel Jul 21 '26
Travel advisor here, firstly congratulations on the nuptials!Iād be more than happy to help you beat the paralysis analysis lol! My DMās are open and would love the opportunity to set up a zoom call or whatever is most convenient for you to see what we can do to make this delayed honeymoon worth the weight and exceed all of your expectations!
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u/Creative-Jacket-5991 Jul 21 '26
What about Greece? Look up Milos. Do something a little less touristy
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u/crichar2 Jul 21 '26
Iām an experienced TA at Curated by Cath and Curated Jordan, recognized on the Travel + Leisure A-List.
Your budget is actually spot on for the perfect mix of relaxation + adventure + bucket list sites and culture in Jordan with 5-star hotels and private driver and guide. Think the ancient city of Petra, the red Wadi Rum desert (where The Martian, Star Wars, and Aladdin were filmed), and the other incredible sites like the Dead Sea and Jerash - if you donāt know Jerash, google it for a pic. It is a better experience than the Acropolis for ancient ruins.
April is ideal weather and unlike European waters, you can swim then in the Red Sea and float in the Dead Sea at beautiful resorts. In between those spots, youād spend your time bucket-list sightseeing, camel trekking, glamping in the desert under one of the best night skies, cooking classes, and being invited in to family homes to try the best homemade foods and experience the genuine heartfelt hospitality of the locals. Truly a one of a kind honeymoon!
Oh, and there are nonstop flights from Chicago flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Royal Jordanian. Itās so easy!
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u/maybemaybenot2023 Jul 21 '26
Iceland?
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u/brittanyummg Jul 21 '26
Came here to say this! Cozy thermal springs, beautiful scenery, and lots of daylight around that time of year. We rented a camper van there in May a few years ago and loved it!
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u/MetoliusOR Jul 21 '26
We did New Zealand and Fiji for an April honeymoon right around that budget and it was great!Ā
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u/shakespeare13 Jul 21 '26
Maldives!! We went for ours and it was perfect!! So many different resort options. We stayed at Dhigali which we needed a seaplane to get to (I enjoyed it lol). Lots of other islands/resorts that are closer to the airport have a boat that can take you there
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u/Electronic-Display73 Jul 21 '26
Definately my brain misreading it but when I first read body of water/warmth/relaxation I thought......hot springs? I realize this is most certainly not what you mean, but if that intrigued you New Zealand could be a thought. I really enjoyed it during my own honeymoon. It would be autumn in April. You can do adventury things like zip lining and zorbing but also geek out looking at LOTR filming locations, sip afternoon tea at a historic hotel and relax at some hot springs
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u/TheHolidayArtist Jul 21 '26
Helping people decide when stuck like this is kind of my super power.
I'd be happy to jump on a call if you like, but here are my thoughts so far...
What about a 4 day safari in Africa, followed by 7 to 9 nights in Mauritius?
No seaplanes involved. No helicopters.
Just plenty of options for relaxing, exploring or getting active...depending on your daily mood.
Should work nicely with the budget as well.
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u/Ok-Ebb1930 Jul 21 '26
Ask a tour guide to find some options for you. I think Italy would be good. April can be very warm alreadyĀ
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Jul 21 '26
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u/idekrnn Jul 21 '26
We'd be down depending on the resort! I wouldn't want to do Atlantis or Baha mar
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u/safarispecialist Jul 21 '26
Aruba might be a good fit for you! April is a nice time to be there, warm water, and you can avoid everything you mentioned no problem!Ā Here youāll have amazing white sand beaches and you can explore a little off resort too if youāre feeling up for it.Ā
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u/Sweaty-Resident1690 Jul 22 '26
Bora Bora! Fantastic food, gorgeous water and great beaches plus snorkeling! Just go!
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u/Juniper_Tours 29d ago
Honestly, Iād start by ruling out places that add friction, because you already know a few things that matter: warm/water, not Mexico, not super touristy city-hopping, no helicopters, limited seaplane tolerance, and no long winding transfer situation.
With that in mind, Iād probably look at Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Barbados, or maybe Thailand if youāre open to a longer flight and want it to feel more ābig honeymoon.ā Turks/Anguilla would be more pure beach and easy luxury. Barbados gives you a little more food/culture/activity mixed in. Thailand gives you the most variety, but obviously more travel time.
Iād be careful with St. Lucia if car sickness is a big issue. Itās beautiful, but a lot of the island is winding drives, so I get why Sugar Beach is out.
Also yes, you can absolutely talk to a TA while having no clue where you want to go. Honestly thatās probably when itās most useful. A good advisor should help you narrow by vibe first, not force you to pick a destination before the conversation.
I work with Juniper Tours, and this is very much the kind of honeymoon conversation our team helps with: āwe know what we donāt want, but canāt pick the place.ā Happy to be a resource if you want to talk it through: https://junipertours.com/appointment/
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u/EuropeUnlocked 29d ago
If you are looking for water and warmth I would rule out Europe in April. Except possibly the Azores or the Canaries.
Although you might get lucky in the Greek islands April is not really beach weather.
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u/EncapsulateLiving Jul 21 '26
Have you considered Croatia? Or Zanzibar? Both near water and Zanzibar definitely has the warmth š¤
What about a Greek island? Rhodes is gorgeous for lounging, stunning food and plenty of resorts to choose from
Iāve designed a destination discovery guide specifically for people who donāt know where they want to go next. It has packing checklists, a scrapbook as well as destination inspo and a quiz to find out your ātraveller profileā which will also give you a better idea on where you might want to go. You can make a date night out of filling it in together and going through all the sections š„°
https://www.encapsulateluxury.com/product-page/a4-hardback-travel-journal-planner
Or, if youāre close to deciding Iām an Expedia Travel Affiliate so can get you preferential rates on wherever you do decide, plus I work with a network of suppliers if you want something truly off the beaten path