Honey Moon Advice - January 2014

McGilla

Hi all,
We're totally undecided about our honeymoon!
We're getting married Jan 17th, and hoping to head off around the 20th for 10 days.
So fare our options are:

• Cuba
• South Africa
• Thailand

We want somewhere warm, comfortable with a sense of adventure.
(and good food!)


So I'm looking for advise, are there other possibilities that I'm missing, and has anybody got any recomentations

Thanks in advance

wrmwit

We went to Cuba on our honeymoon but it was in July. They get fine weather all year round. We loved it and would recommend it if you're looking for both adventure and relaxing. We spent the first week between Havana and Trinidad and spent the last week lounging on a beach in Varadero. The locals are lovely and the culture and music is amazing. The only downside is the food isn't the best but the quality and quantity of rum made up for that!

schemingbohemia

From people I know who've travelled to Cuba I wouldn't recommend it, this included experienced travellers who just got fed up with the hassle, the awful food and paying over the odds for rubbish accommodation.

How about Costa Rica instead? I haven't been yet but planning on going in March.

10 days is a bit limited for the long distances you're talking about, for that reason South Africa might be best, same(ish) time zones so no real jet lag which the other destinations could lead to.

What sort of travelling have you done before?
Are you looking to stay mostly in one place or travel around a good bit when you get there?
Are you a backpacker or looking for significant comfort?

McGilla

schemingbohemia wrote: »

From people I know who've travelled to Cuba I wouldn't recommend it, this included experienced travellers who just got fed up with the hassle, the awful food and paying over the odds for rubbish accommodation.

How about Costa Rica instead? I haven't been yet but planning on going in March.

10 days is a bit limited for the long distances you're talking about, for that reason South Africa might be best, same(ish) time zones so no real jet lag which the other destinations could lead to.

What sort of travelling have you done before?
Are you looking to stay mostly in one place or travel around a good bit when you get there?
Are you a backpacker or looking for significant comfort?

Thanks for your repleis>
I've traveled extensively - Asia, Europe, Australia.

Im an ex-backpacker approaching 30...so I'm looking for a mix of comfort and adventure. Im not interested in really slumming it at all.

South Africa really interests me... but I've no idea where to go, or what to do!

blue4ever

I've been to Cuba a couple of times - its a maga place and i'd recommend it. Yea some of the people can give you the bleeding heart crap - but if you're simply direct and polite they push off. The food in Havana is very good (I found) if not a bit basic.
Transport is a little difficult - hiring a car is fine - but getting anything that resembles a map is a nightmare!!!
If you're heading, try and get hotels with a pool as its dam hot there and you'll appreciate a dip.

Ive done Havana, Trinidad, Santa Clara and Cayo Santa Maria and Varadero All fine - S/C a little basic - but the drive there was great to see the country.

C

poteen

Good food, good wine, good weather, great culture and a great since of adventure = Argentina

Go do some trekking if you wish, whale watching, penguin watching, stay on a ranch. Best steak and wine in the world

sarkozy

There are lots of South Africa threads if you search. Another weird one to think about in the same region is Namibia. The Namib desert is spectacular and the country, being a former German colony, is remarkably well run, safe, etc. A very romantic place to propose or go on honeymoon - I did neither - and you can definitely drive around yourself, book a tour or get buses/private cars. And in the cities in South Africa, you tend to have to be safety conscious, which can spoil the mood of honeymoon.

The advantage of southern Africa is jetlag won't be a problem. I always big-up Mozambique in these discussions, too. More of a 'developing country', but a great vibe about it and lovely weather and food.

Otherwise, I think Thailand is a good bet if you want warmth, something exotic, good food and value for money. I think you don't want to be stressed on a honeymoon and being a tourist there is easy. We coped with jetlag in both directions by by doing an overnight in Abu Dhabi over and back.

Argentina is also a good suggestion, but it's a little far. However, you can travel distances quickly with internal flights. However, while many parts are spectacular and warm (like Iguazú falls and the wine/horsies thing in Mendoza), the most interesting bits are spectacular and cold, i.e. the higher altitude Andes foothills and mountains, particularly in the north-west. The thing for me was it's so Spanish that it only begins to get truly 'exotic'/adventurous when you get in the direction of Bolivia, and you guys are pressed for time.

This said, I have lots of experience flying the Dublin>Johannesburg route and it rarely took me less than 20 hours. Admittedly, that also includes a regional connecting flight, but I don't think it's do much of a stretch to go to SE Asia instead and I didn't find the jetlag going over so bad.

We honeymooned in Morocco. It was nice. Not our most amazing holiday, but memorable. However, we were in the north (Tangier, Fez, Chefchaouen), and while not warm, it did get cold.

Poteen: I disagree. The Argentinian steak was a big disappointment for me. Chimichurri was a nice discovery, but the beef in Argentina really made me realise how amazing Irish beef is, the only other countries to rival that are Scotland and France IMO.