Luxury Holiday Ideas

Dickerty

Hello fellow travel lovers!

I am working on ideas for a super boutique holiday for my wife's 40th, for the two of us. Probably early next year, and needs to be something tropical. Her initial thought was Barbados, but I'd like a few options, going East or West. Budget of about 5k all in.

If you have any places you have stayed, resorts of destinations, and woulds recommend - please let me know!

BailMeOut

what time of the year are you travelling?

Paris done well would be my choice.

duffman13

Dickerty wrote: »

Hello fellow travel lovers!

I am working on ideas for a super boutique holiday for my wife's 40th, for the two of us. Probably early next year, and needs to be something tropical. Her initial thought was Barbados, but I'd like a few options, going East or West. Budget of about 5k all in.

If you have any places you have stayed, resorts of destinations, and woulds recommend - please let me know!

Maldives can be done for 5k all in, just back from there, tropical luxury but probanly doesn't tick your boutique criteria. I've heard Dominican Republic is great too

anewme

I’d thoroughly recommend The Bodyholiday in St. Lucia. It’s all inclusive, the quality is excellent of both food and drinks. There is a complete program from 7.00 am til late and you can do as much or as little as you want. It’s a small resort and there’s nearly as many staff as guests. It’s expensive but I left it feeling it was good Value. I’d love to return.

ted1

anewme wrote: »

I’d thoroughly recommend The Bodyholiday in St. Lucia. It’s all inclusive, the quality is excellent of both food and drinks. There is a complete program from 7.00 am til late and you can do as much or as little as you want. It’s a small resort and there’s nearly as many staff as guests. It’s expensive but I left it feeling it was good Value. I’d love to return.

Was also going to recommend it. I spent a few months working in St Lucia and loved it. The body holiday always got great reviews from people I meet staying there.

Muppet Man

You’d get a 2 week Caribbean cruise all inclusive out of port canaveral or Miami for that sort of budget - probably 7 or 8 ports of call. .

ted1

Muppet Man wrote: »

You’d get a 2 week Caribbean cruise all inclusive out of port canaveral or Miami for that sort of budget - probably 7 or 8 ports of call. .

Wouldn’t appeal to me.

Muppet Man

ted1 wrote: »

Wouldn’t appeal to me.

A new beach / location every day with something new to do and as much food and drink as you can consume... It aint a bad way to spend a few days!

Irishphotodesk

Dickerty wrote: »

Hello fellow travel lovers!

I am working on ideas for a super boutique holiday for my wife's 40th, for the two of us. Probably early next year, and needs to be something tropical. Her initial thought was Barbados, but I'd like a few options, going East or West. Budget of about 5k all in.

If you have any places you have stayed, resorts of destinations, and woulds recommend - please let me know!

It may not be massive luxury but I can definitely recommend Aruba, Bonaire and curaçao (ABC islands, also known as Dutch Caribbean islands) or possibly Hawaii/Maui.

On ABC islands there isn’t a whole lot to do except relax - very little tourist attractions, scenery is fantastic - on Aruba, we stayed in renaissance hotel, which has its own private island/lagoon that you can travel over to by boat - you can get collected in hotel lobby(indoors) you can hand feed flamingos and there are iguanas also on the island.
There was a slavery museum on curaçao which was interesting.

On Hawaii/Maui it can be expensive but it can also provide you with once in a lifetime experiences, swimming with turtles in the sea , seeing lava flow into the ocean, (or illegal trek across lava to physically stand on days or weeks old molten lava), or a helicopter ride over volcano, or go diving in a shark tank on Maui.

As regards hotels/costs €5k should be manageable, for 2 people.

With flights, ABC islands you fly from Dublin to holland and from holland to Aruba, so pretty much straight forward.
To go to Hawaii, you fly Dublin to San Francisco or Los Angeles and from there to Hawaii.

If you want to go the other direction, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar etc can all provide luxury and you get more for your money by comparison .

jmayo

Muppet Man wrote: »

A new beach / location every day with something new to do and as much food and drink as you can consume... It aint a bad way to spend a few days!

Just to rain on your parade a little there.
A lot of these cruises offer the excursions to beautiful tropical beaches.
Of course they show images of the lovely golden sands with no one there, not what it is like with hundreds of their passengers.
And it is even worse if more than one cruise ship turns up at same time.

Also AFAIK these excursions are extras and not often included in the cruise price.

I have seen what multiple cruise ships in port at same time is like up in Skagway, Alaska.
It was like being outside Croke Park on All Ireland day for numbers milling about.

Muppet Man

jmayo wrote: »

Just to rain on your parade a little there.
A lot of these cruises offer the excursions to beautiful tropical beaches.
Of course they show images of the lovely golden sands with no one there, not what it is like with hundreds of their passengers.
And it is even worse if more than one cruise ship turns up at same time.

Also AFAIK these excursions are extras and not often included in the cruise price.

I have seen what multiple cruise ships in port at same time is like up in Skagway, Alaska.
It was like being outside Croke Park on All Ireland day for numbers milling about.

I've been on three, and to an extent you are right. If you want to get away from people (understandable), large cruises are not the answer. If you can tolerate them (people), then cruises gives good opportunities. Yes, excursions are extra, but optional. You can walk off the boat in any port and just walk to the nearest beach. I get what youre saying though re People.

Homer

For me super boutique holiday would be somewhere like the Maldives and not a cruise. We went to Kuramathi in the Maldives two years ago and it’s absolutely incredible and picture postcard perfect. It is very quiet though compared to some types of holidays so be aware of that. Yes you could do a “similar” boutique holiday in Barbados or St Lucia etc but they just don’t compare to the Maldives.

twignme

I lived in St Maarten in the Caribbean for a few years and there are some lovely luxury places on the french side, St Martin. Also, the island just next door, St Barts, is where the rich and famous spend their holidays, parking their super yachts in the harbour. It has lovely hotels, great restaurants and the pre-requisite beaches. Highly recommended.
Ive been to the Maldives a number of times, but I'm a diver so I had plenty to do. If your idea of a good holiday is lying on the beach or by the pool with maybe a good spa, and happy with the one hotel's restaurants, then it's a good choice.

Irishphotodesk

Not sure if you have an interest in traveling halfway around the world, but French Polynesia is another place I would recommend, apparently, bora bora is a bit snobby, we went to moorea and Tahiti, and loved it (we also went to the Cook Islands).
(This was our honeymoon)

ted1

Muppet Man wrote: »

A new beach / location every day with something new to do and as much food and drink as you can consume... It aint a bad way to spend a few days!

Stuck on a boat with a thousand+ other people , arriving at a port to meet by street hoarders, etc and others who have jacked up prices to meet the cruise.

Missing out on the local nightlife, restaurants, culture, etc

Drink is €1,50 for a beer, rum and coke, €3 a cocktail.

Local food isn’t to much and it’s local as oppose to what the phillopino chef on the boat will give you.

Then there’s the whole pollution from the boats

Muppet Man

ted1 wrote: »

Stuck on a boat with a thousand+ other people , arriving at a port to meet by street hoarders, etc and others who have jacked up prices to meet the cruise.

Missing out on the local nightlife, restaurants, culture, etc

Drink is €1,50 for a beer, rum and coke, €3 a cocktail.

Local food isn’t to much and it’s local as oppose to what the phillopino chef on the boat will give you.

Then there’s the whole pollution from the boats

Jaysis Ted, you make it sound like a refugee crises :-) I’m Just off a cruise with 4000 other holiday makers and the only person I can remember seeing twice on the boat was a big lad with tattoos who lost a grand in one hand at the black jack table.

Look it’s not for everyone, for sure. But it’s a great value holiday for what you get and have access to if want.

Edit: Fair point on pollution, although they are trying, for example you Can’t NOT get a straw on board. That makes a difference when your dealing with a population that size.

guestus

Dubai has plenty of luxurious accommodation and loads of things to do.

Marcusm

Dickerty wrote: »

Hello fellow travel lovers!

I am working on ideas for a super boutique holiday for my wife's 40th, for the two of us. Probably early next year, and needs to be something tropical. Her initial thought was Barbados, but I'd like a few options, going East or West. Budget of about 5k all in.

If you have any places you have stayed, resorts of destinations, and woulds recommend - please let me know!

Carlisle Bay on Antigua. Easily regarded as one of the best hotels in the Caribbean. All rooms are large but there are not that many of them - maybe 70. Facilities of a much larger hotel and great for adults looking for a classy, romantic break.

mx5ire

To echo what a couple of folks have said above, the Far East (and Maldives) will offer luxury and with a LOT more value for money. The Caribbean has become very pricey over the years, and having looked at it consistently for the last few years there is no comparison for what you will get in the East for similar money. Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful places in Barbados, Antigua etc but some are eye wateringly expensive.

I think Dubai is an over rated place, i have been there are lot and have friends living there for years, and it has become very expensive now. And contrary to what lots of folk seem to think, it is not party central like parts of southern Europe where anything goes. Local laws can be very hard on transgressions like public drunkenness or even very basic public displays of affection. My friends have told me horror stories about the place. Abu Dhabi - that is just Dubai 25 years ago with nothing to do.

I love the Caribbean, i travel for work to Puerto Rico regularly, but its just too dear unless you get a great deal. Go east, take a few days in a city like Bangkok, Hong Kong or the brilliant Saigon, and then hit a Thai or Vietnamese beach. UNESCO heritage towns like Hoi An have fabulous small luxury hotels and amazing food and facilities. Just my 2 cents worth.