Honeymoon Blog

Couple Faces 6 Natural Disasters on their Honeymoon

Ideally, honeymooners want to experience sunny skies and perfect weather for the duration of the vacation, but most realize that experiencing inclement conditions is always a possibility.  However, nothing could have prepared Erika and Stefan Svanstrom for what was in store for them on their four month honeymoon.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_odd_sweden_disaster_honeymoon



While some of the disasters the Svantroms encountered can not be predicted (earthquakes), perhaps if they had looked at weather patterns, they would have known that Cyclones are common in Northern Australia and Monsoons are common in Bali during our winter months. But then again, maybe the risk of bad weather is still better than Sweden in the winter?

Lesson - you can't avoid everything and weather is never guaranteed, but with some careful planning and research you can try to ensure that your honeymoon destination has optimal weather conditions for your honeymoon dates.

What's on your travel "Bucket List?"

 
 

Are you familiar with the concept of a "Bucket List"?  If not, it's is a list of all those things you want to see and do before you depart this earth.

Naturally, many people have some type of travel on their Bucket List - there are so many great places in the world!  Some people want to see wild animals on an African Safari, for others it's to stroll the neighborhoods of Paris, dive the Great Barrier Reef or even visit the Great Wall of China.  Really, a Travel Bucket List could contain anything that's truly interesting to you, that you wouldn't want to miss at some point.

When planning your honeymoon, it's good to think about what would be on your list, if you haven't already developed one.  It's fun to dream big, and totally appropriate too - the honeymoon is a once in a lifetime experience, after all!  And how wonderful if time and funds permit you to visit one your list's must-see locations with your new spouse? 

Granted, what you envision for your honeymoon may not be what's on your Bucket List.  You may just need 7 days of chill time on a beach in a good resort after surviving the hectic wedding prcess, and the thought of a busy itinerary in Asia is not your idea of fun at this point in time.  Or maybe you don't have the time right after the wedding to go as far as your dream destinations require.  This is definitely ok - the first goal should certainly be to fulfill your honeymoon objectives.  

But, if your honeymoon objectives intesect with your Travel Bucket List, we encourage you to think about going for it!  The fact it's your honeymoon will make the experience that much more memorable.

 

 

The World's Best Hotels and Resorts - check out the article

So many great places, so little time!  We'd like to share an excellent article on the World's Best Hotels and Resorts that was published in this month's Cigar Aficionado.  The writer for this luxury lifestyle magazine convened a panel of travel industry experts, one of which was MoonRings' President, to determine which hotels and resorts represent the creme de la creme around the world.   You can see the entire article at the link below:

Link to The World's Best Hotels and Resorts

In the article, our president keys in on such amazing places as The Four Seasons George V in Paris, Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli in Italy, The Singita Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania, Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii, and a number of other beautiful places to stay. 

For a honeymoon, this list really does represent some of the finest places you could possibly experience.  Granted, there are many other hotels and locations in which you can have a terrific honeymoon, and we look forward to helping you determine exactly where is best for you! 

   

Above:  Four Seasons George V, Paris; Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania

Below:  Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Italy; Four Seasons Hualalai, Hawaii

   

 

Honeymoon Wardrobe Consulting

On your honeymoon you want to look your absolute best for your new spouse, but with all the wedding stress leading up to the big day, who really has time to weed through your closet and come up with some great honeymoon looks?  The bride might not have the time, but Meaghan Bruckner, owner of Reflections  in Chicago can help with this task.

In a 90-minute in-home session, Meaghan will perform a honeymoon specific wardrobe audit starting with a discussion about your personal style, lifestyle, honeymoon destination and traveling style.  Then it’s off to the closet to start scoping out the wardrobe. Meaghan will mix and match the existing pieces in your closet and put together 10 – 30 different ensembles that you can wear for the various experiences in store for you on your honeymoon.  She will take pictures of each outfit (including shoes, bags etc) and then go home and create a personalized electronic look book, which includes all the ensembles she put together for you along with captions suggesting when and where to wear them.  She can also make some recommendations on key items you may want to pick up before you say “Bon Voyage.”    When it comes time to pack for the big trip, all you need to do is open up your look book, grab the garments and go.

This unique service is a great way to make use the clothes you already have eliminating the need to run out to the stores and spend a fortune on new honeymoon attire.

The audit starts at $200, but if you mention that MoonRings sent you, Meaghan will offer a 25% discount.

Meagan’s services aren’t limited to honeymoon wardrobe planning – if you are feel as though you are in a style rut and need fashionista to revamp your existing wardrobe, Meaghan is available for general wardrobe audits where she can suggest work clothes, weekend clothes and night-on-the-town clothes too!

Snorkeling from French Polynesia's Overwater Bungalows: A Misconception?

When people think of French Polynesia they usually think of turquoise lagoons with charming bungalows perched directly above the water.  People from all over the world (honeymooners in particular) travel here to experience the unique feeling of sleeping directly above the water.  Since French Polynesia's lagoons are also well known for their excellent marine life some visitors expect to check in to their accommodations, strap on a snorkel mask and fins and dive directly from their overwater bungalow to greet schools of colorful fish.

  
  

In some of French Polynesia's resorts, these expectations will be met, but it’s important to note that not all resorts and overwater bungalows sit above great reefs for snorkeling. 

First, many overwater bungalows reside in shallow water, simply too shallow for snorkeling!  Snorkeling from the beach is often a better alternative, considering many resorts have a reef or “Lagoonarium” within their grounds.  Granted, it’s often located in a more enclosed area in order to guarantee great snorkeling as opposed to in the open water near the bungalows.  

Some overwater bungalows do reside right at a reef.  In theory, great, but coral is quite sharp, and you may have to wear reef shoes whenever swimming or wading.  If this is less than appealing to you, do look for a resort with a Lagoonarium to ensure good and comfortable snorkeling.  Alternatively, you can choose bungalows within the resort that are classified as “deep overwater” or “end of pontoon”.  These categories, although pricier, are deep enough such that most guests' feet won't touch bottom.

If your dream is to be able to snorkel directly from your overwater bungalow for at least part of your honeymoon in French Polynesia, you may want to consider a few nights at The Sofitel Ia Ora Resort on  Moorea, which has an excellent reef situated right below the overwater bungalows.  During a recent stay here, I had the opportunity to snorkel right from my overwater bungalow and it was truly fabulous. 

A glimpse of some of the fish I saw:

No matter what, a honeymoon in the idyllic French Polynesian Islands will offer beautiful scenery, fantasic resorts with overwater bungalows and excellent snorkeling either directly from an overwater bungalow or within a nearby Lagoonarium.

money, money, money...

 

Dealing with unexpected financial surprises on a honeymoon (or any trip for that matter) can quickly turn a positive experience into a stressful one.  Fortunately, many common monetary problems can be avoided by simply planning in advance and paying attention to the details while you’re traveling.

 

 

• If on a rigid budget, try to estimate your trip costs as accurately as possible, and don’t underestimate the cost of food & beverage, especially in historically expensive destinations like French Polynesia and much of Europe.  For additional guidance, try out our budget calculator.
• Similarly, do not ignore the local “tax & service” that is often excluded from local rates as it can be substantial.  In parts of Mexico, for example, tax and service can total an additional 20 to 30%!
• Keep track of cancellation policies for your hotels, tour operators, spas, etc.  If you decide to make changes, you’ll know by when you need to do so without being penalized.
• If changing and/or cancelling your trip will result in a substantial financial loss, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance.
• If traveling outside of the US, check with your credit card issuers to determine which has the lowest “foreign currency transaction fee” (a surcharge added to every purchase).  These typically range from 2 - 5%, although many cards issued by Capital One do not have a fee.  Banrate.com has a nice list of fees by issuer.
• The easiest and least expensive way to obtain cash overseas is usually by using an ATM.  Even if the ATM charges a transaction fee, you’ll still get a better exchange rate than by using traveler’s checks.  Making fewer and larger withdrawals will reduce the cost of transaction fees. Check your card issuer’s website to understand if ATMs will be in available in your destination – not all ATM cards work in all locations.
• Some international ATMs only accept 4-digit numerical PINs so make sure you’re account is set up properly before you depart.
• To ensure that your credit and debit cards aren’t mistakenly flagged for fraud (and rejected), notify your banks and issuers of your destination and general travel dates before you depart.

Doing a bit of upfront legwork should pay dividends down the road!  Happy travels!

Luggage limits are key to your honeymoon packing strategy

Almost every couple for whom we've planned a honeymoon has asked us "how much luggage can we check?"  This is indeed important - clearly on your honeymoon you want to look good for your new spouse, which often means a new honeymoon wardrobe and a desire to take all of your favorite personal care products.  But the practicalities of travel require some hard choices and some compromises.

Fortunately, there is now a website that gives you the low-down on most major airlines and their policies so you can strategize in advance, making packing a little easier.  Luggage Limits allows you to search by airline and route (it's especially important to check those short hops when in other countries since they are often more restrictive), and gives you information on free luggage amounts, bag dimensions, and even overage charges, if you just can't make everything fit into a 44 lb bag! 

We think the site is super-useful and hope you will too.

Invitation to subscribe to "The Honeymoon Insider"

Brides and Grooms to be, we'd like to invite you to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, The Honeymoon Insider, that features great honeymoon destinations, useful tips, hot hotels, foodie ideas and more!

You can sign up at http://www.moonrings.com/thisignup.asp.  We'd love to have you!

 

Playa del Carmen Mexico has a new beach!

Ever since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, parts of Mexico's Mayan Riviera south of Cancun have struggled to hang on to their sand.  The storm washed much of it away, which led to further significant erosion.

In an effort to stem the tide, so to speak, the area's resorts installed large and often unsightly sandbags.  This protected the properties but was a suprise to many guests who came seeking the area's laid-back beach experience.

Fortuantely, the Mexican government recognized the threat to their tourism industry, and has recently finished an US$80 million beach restoration project.  The results look great!  And honeymooners and others alike can rest assured that their views across the sand towards the Caribbean water will be as blissful as they ever were! 

The results were particularly dramatic in the Playa del Carmen area.  Take a look at the transformation of what we consider to be one of the best all-inclusive in the area, Royal Hideaway:

   

Can you believe the difference?  Fabulous!  For those enroute or those who may go, enjoy!  
 

It's your honeymoon -- don't risk it!

While browsing on cnn.com, we recently came across Christopher Elliott’s insightful article "7 trips you should never book online."  Did honeymoons make the list?  You bet and we couldn’t agree more!  While we’re certainly a little biased, we wholeheartedly believe that working with a real person to plan this special trip can pay serious dividends.  Why risk it?