The Best Destinations For A Honeymoon

Best Destinations For A Honeymoon: A Guide to Planning the One Trip You’ll Never Forget

After your wedding day, the next most highly anticipated milestone is your honeymoon trip. For many couples, a honeymoon is the opportunity to leave behind all of the stress and planning of the wedding, to focus on each other again.

But what many couples may not realize is that honeymoons come in many shapes and sizes. If you’re planning your honeymoon but aren’t sure where to begin, this resource will help you plan an unforgettable trip with your new spouse. Here are three destinations for some honeymoon inspiration; your honeymoon should be everything that you ever wanted it to be!

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Hawaii

Hawaii is an obvious choice for many couples, and it’s easy to see why. The weather is warm year-round, the people are kind and welcoming, and the natural beauty of the islands is unsurpassed. In addition, Hawaii is an easy place to travel to for many people, meaning that it’s likely to be a honeymoon destination that you and your partner have both dreamed of visiting. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, you have a ton of options—from the islands themselves (think Maui, Oahu, Kauai, etc.) to the activities you can do while you’re there. If you’re looking for something a bit more remote, you can also choose to visit one of Hawaii’s many outer islands like Molokai, Lanai, or Niihau.

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Bora Bora

Bora Bora is often considered the honeymoon destination of choice for the rich and famous. It’s easy to see why when you look at the sheer beauty of the place. Bora Bora is a remote island nestled in the South Pacific, meaning that it’s removed from the chaos and hustle of everyday life. You’ll have a hard time finding many other honeymoon destinations that offer the level of tranquility that Bora Bora does. In addition, Bora Bora is home to several luxurious five-star resorts that make for a honeymoon that you and your partner won’t soon forget. Bora Bora is also a great honeymoon destination for the adventurous, as it’s possible to explore the island by boat and scuba dive through the world’s largest Coral Reef nearby. Bora Bora may be expensive, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you won’t soon forget!

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Riviera Maya, Mexico

When most people think of a honeymoon in Mexico, they think of Cancun or Cabo. While these are both excellent choices for honeymoons, I am going to focus on a lesser-known option: the Riviera Maya. This section of the Yucatan Peninsula is home to several beautiful beaches and the famous Mayan ruins at Coba. In addition, the Riviera Maya is home to a thriving tourist industry, meaning that you can find plenty of excellent hotels and restaurants to stay at and eat at during your visit. With its excellent weather, beautiful beaches, and ancient Mayan history, the Riviera Maya is a fantastic option for a honeymoon in Mexico.

Key Tips For Planning Your Dream Honeymoon

– Talk to each other. The best way to start planning your honeymoon is to talk to each other. You and your partner may have very different ideas about what the perfect honeymoon would look like, so it’s important to have an open and honest conversation about what each of you wants out of the trip.

– Set a budget. No matter how much you’re willing to spend on your honeymoon, it’s important to set a budget. Honeymoons are an expensive trip. Be willing to compromise; less number of nights, less costly room category, etc., to stay within your budget.

-Find a travel specialist to work with, who knows the destination. They will provide you with invaluable information, recommendations, and insight you will not get researching or booking online.

Your honeymoon is an opportunity to relax, unwind, and focus on each other. When you get married, the focus is on the wedding and the honeymoon is sometimes put on the back burner. However, it is important to plan for your honeymoon, so you both get the most out of it. There are many different options when it comes to planning a honeymoon. With these tips and some destination inspiration, you can plan the best honeymoon ever!

To start planning your honeymoon escape, reach out to me here

How A Travel Advisor Can Save You Money

Travel Advisors Cost More Money… And Other Lies – Debunked Below

Some people still sadly associate using a travel advisor with paying more money, when in actual fact – it’s quite the opposite. From getting you the best seats on the plane to working behind the scenes to ensure your vacation goes off without a hitch – after using a great travel advisor once I personally guarantee you’ll be hooked! Read on to see how a travel advisor can save you money.

how a travel advisor can save you money

Time & Money

Ask yourself, how much is your time worth? Expedia’s research indicates the average American spends 22.95 hours booking a trip in the 6 weeks before departure. That’s one hour a night for nearly three weeks or nearly three entire workdays. Is this time you can afford to lose?

Travel advisors often have access to wholesale rates and exclusive deals that the general public does not. As such, they can pass these savings on to you – their client. Travel advisors may charge a fee for the trip planning process – remember those 22.95 hours I referenced in the paragraph above? They’re working, researching, and customizing the perfect journey for you, and some charge fees for this type of work.

Planning travel has never been more complicated than in 2021 and beyond. From quarantine restrictions to PCR testing, an expert agent will save you countless hours in research and logistics alone – that’s worth its weight in gold.

Hassles

Booking with a third-party site may feel like the obvious choice, but websites like Expedia can’t connect the dots. Sure, you could book a few nights at a hotel, but can you arrange the car service, the late-night check-in, and the adjoining rooms next door to each other? Travel advisors take the hassle out of the trip planning process and can make it fun again.

By now we’ve probably all heard horror stories of trips booked immediately before Covid, and cancellations or refunds that went awry. When you book with a travel advisor and (for whatever reason) you’re unable to go on your trip – you don’t have to lift a finger. It won’t be you waiting on hold with the airline, or trying to argue about a credit vs a refund. Your travel advisor has your back and is looking out for your best interests every step of the way. That includes when things go sideways.

Check into your hotel and your room is not to your liking? Your travel advisor often has special relationships with hotels. They can (hopefully) rectify the situation seamlessly, without you having to get on the phone and ask for the manager.

Upgrades & Connections

Everyone loves a good upgrade. From complimentary breakfast to room upgrades, most travel advisors can score their clients great perks when they book with them. In addition, travel advisors are well connected. A travel advisor’s job is to be the expert. This means traveling to countless destinations, and building relationships with hoteliers, tour operators, and even restauranteurs. Don’t discount their ability to score you that hard-to-book seat at a new restaurant. Surprise you with an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience while on a tour.

Want to learn more about what I do for my clients? How a travel advisor can save you money? Let’s talk!

Top Mistakes Travelers Make (and What to Do Instead!)

Even the most seasoned travelers (myself included) have fallen prey to travel blunders over the years. From dining at bland tourist traps to getting lost, to even tipping 50 dollars instead of 50 pesos (yes, that really happened) – mistakes are bound to happen.  Let’s count down a few of the most common (and easily fixed) top mistakes travelers make.

top mistakes travelers make

Saving Money at the Expense of Time

Don’t book a flight with three stopovers just to save $200, when it will eat into 36 hours of your journey. I always look for the most direct route for my travelers, with the least amount of stopovers, and the shortest amount of total travel time.

Think you want to take the local transit instead? Be certain you’re well versed with the directions, the stops, and the duration of your travel – it’s often far longer (and more complicated) navigating public transit in foreign countries, especially if you don’t speak the language. I make sure that you will have someone waiting for you at the airport, to whisk you off to your resort or hotel.

Having an Overly Ambitious Itinerary

I get it, if you’ve never been to Europe it may be tempting to want to hop on the Eurail and see 18 countries in 14 days, but I strongly discourage it. Not only is it exhausting, but you also don’t get the true sense of a destination without immersing yourself in it, and this takes time. Paris is so much more than the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysee, and New York much more than just the island of Manhattan. Spend some time really getting to know a particular country, city, or region, and you’ll come away richer for it. I will help you plan your custom itinerary, so you can make the most of your visit and the time that you have available.

top mistakes travelers make

Never Leaving the Tourist Areas

Of course, when you travel to Rome you want to see the Colosseum or take a walk through Times Square when visiting Manhattan. But that doesn’t mean you need to stick to the major attractions only. The areas closest to world-famous attractions often have overpriced restaurants catering to tourists and don’t showcase local culture the same way other neighborhoods do. By all means, take in all the attractions, but take some time to explore further afield and visit some neighborhoods that are filled with restaurants, shops, and markets that locals use regularly. Together we can add some special adventures to your trip. For example, an authentic cooking class.

Never Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Great things happen outside your comfort zone, and this applies to travel especially. Sit at an old bar alone in a small town, and chat with the locals. You’ll learn far more about local life and culture than you could ever read in a travel guide. Hop on that zipline above a canopy of trees, even if you’re scared of heights. Pushing yourself out of what you would do in your day-to-day life is part of what makes travel so memorable. It gives you the stories that you’ll share for years after you get back home.

Software Slipups

If you snap away on your iPhone everywhere you go, make sure you have the photos being backed up. The cloud or Google photos are a great place to store your favorite travel images. The last thing you want is to lose all of your travel memories if your phone gets lost or stolen.

Stay connected. Consider getting a decent travel plan that gives you some data. So you can check emails, text friends or family, or even go on social media while you are away. The last thing you want is to return home to a hefty phone bill.

top mistakes travelers make

Money Trouble

This is one of the biggest mistakes that travelers make. Be sure to inform your credit card company of any major impending travel you have. You don’t want your account flagged and frozen for possible fraud charges. While you’ve got them on the phone, find out what the foreign currency transaction fees are on purchases abroad. Some major credit cards offer no foreign transaction fees; I can provide you with a list of the cards that I recommend when traveling.

Want to avoid these top mistakes that travelers make? I can help, let’s talk!