Honeymoon in the Caribbeans -- advice?

[dowup00]

We're getting married in June 2007 near Atlanta.



Have looked at honeymooning in the South Pacific, but are apprehensive about the 18-20 hour travel time.



Our best bet at this time is the Caribbeans.



Looking for unique experiences that offer beach, sunshine, seclusion, great cuisine, five-star service and amenities with some recreational activities.



Did our research and came up with two possibilities: Biras Creek in the British Virgin Islands and Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia.



From what I know, Biras Creek is known for their great food and awesome service, but it take a 7-8 hour flight with connections and a 30 minute water taxi ride.



Anse Chastanet is perhaps more rustic, the sand not as pristine, but they make up for scenery with dramatic views of the Pitons, perhaps the 8th great natural wonders of the world, clear water and reef, and adventurous mountain biking through emerald jungles. Delta airlines recently has a 4 hour non-stop service to St. Lucia, which is a bonus.



Is anyone familiar with these two destinations? Have we overlooked anything?



Thank you.

[claassenam]

Hi dow,

Congratulations on the upcoming marriage and honeymoon! The two resorts you mentioned sound excellent and you have obviously done quite a bit of research. I don't have specific information myself but want to suggest you get on the "By Destination: Caribbean" link instead of worldwide as both resorts have been discussed there on both the message boards and the blog. Also, enewseven is a great person to ask as he has been doing months of research on the best honeymoon destinations in the Caribbean and has posted some excellent information.

From my own point of view, having had a fantastic, memorable honeymoon myself and as a frequent traveler, I would suggest you focus less on the travel time and more on the resort itself. In the scheme of things, the air travel time is quickly forgotten for a 1-3 week vacation (not sure what you were planning) and the destination is the most important. The difference of 3-6 hours in travel time is negligiable and probably not worth worrying over unless there is a large difference in cost and that is a factor. That's my two cents and maybe there are disabilities, schedule conflicts or some other factor that is important to you that I'm not considering. I just feel that for a (hopefully!) once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon the destination itself is by far the most important factor. Good luck choosing the best place, it sounds like both resorts you proposed would be excellent.

[mary-j]

Yes, Enewseven is your man for advice as he has had so many replies from people with suggestions for his honeymoon and in my opinion he went for the best, which was Jade Mountain at Anse Chastanet. Have you checked it out/ It looks absolutely AMAZING!!I'm already married so cannot make that as an excuse to go to it, but maybe we could renew our vows there??? It is expensive, but is definately one of those places where you get what you pay for. I cannot wait to hear Enewseven's report on his stay there. Keep us all posted on where you finally decide to go for your honeymoon. Congratulations and best wishes for your upcoming nuptials.

[dowup00]

Thanks for the feedback, mostly reassurance and confirmation that we'rehaving solid choices.



Thanks for the advice not to worry too much about travel time, plus or minus 2-3 hours. I was just considering how exhausting we would be after the wedding to endure a long trip.



I should note that transfer from the airport to Anse Chastanet is 45 minutes through a poorly maintained rough road, whereas Biras Creek is a nice 30 minute water taxi ride.



The new Jade Mountain at Anse Chastanet looks impressively glorious and would be an awesome honeymoon experience, but unfortunately out of our budget at this time. Perhaps Luxury Link will provide an auction package at significantly reduced rates.



In planning a honeymoon trip, I've found that Luxury Link was very attractive.



Do you know of any other similar travel sites offering comparable vacation packages?



Thanks for the input.

[bonniejoy03]

Congratulations! My vote goes to Biras Creek. I just love Virgin Gorda. Don't worry about the flights and connections. You have some creative options to get there. You can fly into St. Thomas or San Juan and take Air Sunshine to VG airport. They will then take you to Gunn Creek ( a very scenic drive) where you take the ferry to their property. You can also fly into Tortola and transfer from there. I really wouldn't worry about the connections. Sometimes, half of the fun is getting there! Biras is very secluded. They have tennis courts, spa, pool, and I believe two beach areas. It is an intimate spot. The cottages are unique and private. Staying here, you have a few ideas for day trips such as sailing over to the Baths to go snorkelling. If you go to Biras, you might want to consider the stay/sail package. The package is available to stay on shore a few days and then sail through some of the islands a few days.

[dowup00]

bonniejoy, thanks for the input. Besides the commute there, my other concern is that Biras Creek seems barren, i.e. not too many trees. Also, if we're staying for 7 days, will there be enough activities to occupy us?



About the commute, are you saying that it's pretty easy to schedule flights from Peurto Rico or St. Thomas once we get to these places? Or should we book flights directly to Beef Island on Tortola?



Also, does anyone know of any other travel sites offering similar auction packages as Luxury Link?



Thank you.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi Dowup00. As to trees, that is interesting. Yes, there are trees but it is not "lush" like St. Lucia. I would consider St. Lucia more tropical with Biras more desert (sort of). There are beautiful flowers on the property. The grounds are very well maintained. You also don't have people coming and going; its is only for the guests use. I think there would be enough to do such as watersports (sunfish, kayak), snorkelling, tennis, spa, alittle hiking. You can easily take the free ferry to Virgin Gorda. There, you can try a few restaurants, go to the Baths, go to other beaches, and have fun driviing the roads! (there are alittle scary!). Biras arranges day trips. You might want to email them now as to their offerings (such as sailing to Peter Island, Cooper Island, etc.) I did check their web site and they do list their day trips.



We fly from the East Coast and, for example, from Phila., there are direct flights to St. Thomas and San Juan. They have a good amount of flights leaving each day. Look at Air Sunshine's schedule...www.airsunshine.com; (just verify that.) Their connections and cost are listed. I like these small planes. They will meet you at Beef Island or VG airport. We have gone through Tortola a few times and that is fine also. I guess the bottom line is the price to get to each.



If you don't seem to find an LL auction, you might want to try checking Biras' web site for their packages. Good luck. (PS- St. Lucia is wonderful also. I would say the difference (in my opinion) is that St. Lucia is more populated that VG. VG is also a very big sailing community with the opportunity to visit a few other islands during your stay.

[dowup00]

bonniejoy, thanks again for your input. Your link was dead, but I found this on google http://www.airsunshine.com/main.htm, which is helpful.



I didn't know this small communter airline exhisted, and they didn't come up on Expedia or Kayak.com searches. The rountrip flights from San Juan, P.R.or St. Thomas to Tortola or Virgin Gorda was about $200 round-trip. This is particularly interesting, since I found a round-trip from Atlanta to San Juan for $288. This gives me more options and flexibility, thank you.



Your comment about seclusion being the deciding factor was resonant.



I found this interesting endorsement for Biras Creek recently:



http://www.biras.com/CoastalView.pdf



"Doesn't get much better than this does it?"-- Morgan Freeman

[bonniejoy03]

Glad I could help with the flight information. Another valuable source of information is the BVI tourism link. I found out about Air Sunshine from the owner of the villa we rent. I like working with the company. Also, if you take US Air into San Juan, you will be in the same terminal as AS. If you fly AA, you will have to switch terminals. Not a big deal but something to consider. With St. Thomas, it is all in the same area. We are pricing our Sept. trip now so have really been watching fares. What was the cost flying into Tortola for you?

So, how is your decision coming?

[enewseven]

We had our honeymoon at Jade Mountain which is part of Anse Chastenet. Anse, is a very unique, beautiful and romantic resort. I think you would be very impressed with the surroundings, just be advised that the rooms are not air conditioned, mosquito's can be a problem, and no technology (TV,PHONES,ETC). We loved Jade Mountain which is a very special place and would recommend it highly if it's in the budget, Anse is a great alternative as well. St. Lucia overall is a wonderful destination !!!



E