As you all know, our one year anniversary is quickly approaching in early May! I can't believe it's almost been a year since we had our wonderful wedding!
{Image courtesy of Allison Rodgers Photography}
We really want to celebrate by going on a 1 year anniversary vacation. We've gone back and forth between several options.
First it was Europe. We've both been to Europe, but not together. It sounded great in thought, but once we started putting numbers on everything we decided it was going to be too expensive to go to every city we would want to visit. But, it would be amazing and memorable to go together.
{Yes, that's me circa 2005 in front of the Eiffel Tower}
Next we immediately thought of the Caribbean. We've both been to several islands in the Caribbean and wanted somewhere we had never been before. First we came up with Aruba. Then we changed our minds. Also thought about Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, Nevis, St. Barths, etc. Next, we thought of Montego Bay, Jamaica- this struck me because there is a simple non-stop flight from Memphis to Montego Bay. Also, there's a lovely Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay and I am all about being pampered on trips!
{Ritz Carlton Montego Bay, Jamaica}
We have several skymiles and points, so we'd be able to fly for free and we'd still have enough points left over to take a good chunk off of the room cost.
Then there's the option of not going anywhere and saving the money, but where's the fun in that?
So, what are your thoughts? Europe? Montego Bay? No where?
Are there any places in the Caribbean that you just LOVED and would recommend?
50 comments:
I'd say the Montego Bay. Of course, Europe would be amazing, but it would require much more time and money. When are you planning on going? Have you all considered anything in the States? I don't know where you have been but I think it would be fun to go to Nantucket, or to CA and visit the wine country. Also, depending on when you are going, I always highly recommend Charleston. There is good shopping, the beach, historical sites to visit and great food! (of course you have probably been there before, but I can't get enough!)
I have been to Jamaica.. Not Montego Bay though. I was less then pleased to be honest. It's beautiful and the majority of the people are nice but I hate being confined to the resort. My husband and I took one step off the resort... let's just say it wasn't pretty. I had been wearing my CHANEL handbag and I had disgusting men hounding all over me. The only thing I know about MB is that any resorts near the airport deal with the sound of planes every two seconds. Europe sounds wonderful, maybe the 2 of you could each pick a place you REALLY want to go to and only do those two. Either way... Happy Vaca shopping!
I'd vote for Europe, but maybe that is because that is my vaca this summer.
What about Thailand, Maldives or the South Pacific like Fiji or Bora Bora. I am kind of wishing we had planned that this summer instead of Europe.
Did y'all ever think about The Canary Islands? I hear they are simply divine!
I've heard good things about Turks and Caicos - also St. Maarten!
My vote is for Montego Bay. Good call on the Ritz Carlton too.
My hubs and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary in Aug, and we have thought about what we want to do this year. We have decided to stay in the states, maybe go away for a weekend somewhere like Seattle or something, and save the big trip for our 5 year.
I just think Europe is terribly romantic, and a great place to spend a first anni! I would pick one place, that I have been DYING to go to and just stay there! Save the other places for the years to come.
I have been to the USVI and BVI and love BOTH! If you do USVI you can fly into St. Thomas and stay at the Ritz and be able to take the ferry across to St. John or charter a boat to Jost van Dyke.
Montego Bay all the way. (hey that rhymed). I am a huge fan, I've never been there, but you better believe I have a trip set up, just need to put it in stone. I would say go there. The things to do are amazing, and Ive never heard a bad thing about it.!
St. Lucia is really beautiful and Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain are amazing places to stay at. A more affordable resort in St. Lucia is Ti Kaye.
I say save Europe for like your 5 year anniversary and just start saving for it. I love Jamaica and you know you can never go wrong with the Ritz!! I also loved St. Barths!! They have all the great shopping!! I also love the Dominican Republic, we stayed at the excellence punta cana also if the secrets is open it would be a great resort too!! St. Maarten is nice too!! I also want to go to the Turks and Caicos!! Maybe when Brady gets a little older we will go to the Beaches there!! Sorry if I am going on and on but I use to be a travel agent and have a passion for traveling!
I've been to Negril, Jamaica and it was wonderful. I'm sure if it's a Ritz then it's fantastic - they don't make a habit of putting Ritz hotels in bad locations:). We went shopping at a local market in Negril and a couple of shopping areas there and felt safe - we didn't venture anywhere alone or not recommended by the resort so maybe that would feel unsafe. All the people we were around were nothing but nice.
And the direct flight from Memphis is wonderful - that's why we went there too!
We're going to Paris in May and I cannot wait. So my vote would be for Europe!!!
I would pick Montego Bay. Europe is so wonderful, but go somewhere warm!
Have you ever been to Hawaii? Stay on Maui and you can "island hop" for like $40 and go to Waikiki (on Oahu) for a night or two
If you're looking into the Carribean, have you considered Bermuda? That's one of the only islands I'd consider visiting down here. It's meant to be beautiful, rich, English speaking and have FABULOUS pampering, though it's far out and pricey!
I think you should go to Europe! The Euro is down right now too I think (about US $1.25 to $1 Euro - I think) so it wouldn't be as expensive as it was like a year ago! We are going to Ireland in 2 months and maybe London too! Both great places to visit!
I LOVED Aruba it was so different from any Caribbean island I've ever been to. I would stay at the Hyatt or the Marriott those are the nicest. I also loved St. Maarten and it's a quick ferry ride away from St. Barth's so you can take day trips to St. Barth's and St. Maarten on the dutch side is much more affordable and the island is absolutely gorgeous!
I've never been to Jamaica but I've never heard anything bad about it either. Good Luck!
USVI--St. Thomas has amazing resorts and it's just gorgeous. You can take a ferry to nearby islands and basically beach hop all day. That's my vote!
Good luck planning a fantastic trip!
We went to Turks and Caicos last spring and it was amazing! Really beautiful with the prettiest beaches I've ever seen but the real reason we picked it is that it's close to the US (about an hour flight from Miami), it has low crime (as in you can actually leave the resort and feel safe), and it's not very developed so while there are not a ton of restaurants, etc it's wonderful without all of the touristy themed stuff everywhere and relaxed as not a lot of people know about it. It's so different from other Caribbean islands we have visited and worth visiting again!
Jamaica is great it you stay on your resort, once you leave it can be a bit sketchy. We're going on our honeymoon this May to St. Lucia which I've only heard good things about.
Saint Lucia was incredible and I can't recommend it enough if you haven't been. We stayed for two weeks at two different resorts and we're already planning another trip back. Or if you want a different sort of Caribbean vacation (not sure what kind you're looking for) the Atlantis at the Bahamas was a lot of fun too. The spa was wonderful, we had a gorgeous suite, massages on a private beach and a private evening cruise were all top of our list. Another place we're planning a trip back to!
So glad you posted this! We're looking for somewhere to go for our 1 year anniversary in March. I want to go somewhere beachy, so my husband thinks we should just stay in Florida. Silly man - that's not a vacation. Love all these recommendations.
I'm not an overall fan of the Caribbean but St. John certainly won my heart. It is beautiful and fun too. I have family that lives there, you can even rent their home!
Beautiful resorts: www.caneelbay.com and www.westinresortstjohn.com
Home for rent: www.loveshacklovangocay.com
My vote out of your list would definitely Montego Bay. You can be pampered all you like and not feel as bad b/c you're using so many points for the flights and room cost :)I recently went to St. Thomas and Grand Cayman and they were both amazing!! Anywhere with sun and a beach would work for me right now too!
My favorite islands are the Turks and Caicos- they are not as commercial, and very relaxing. I also love the BVI. They have some shopping & beautiful beaches. :) But, I think you can't go wrong anywhere in the Caribbean!
We did Antigua for our honeymoon- Curtain Bluff Resort, to be precise. It's tiny, quiet, and *gorgeous*. If you're looking for a very private getaway, this place is TDF. It's always rated very highly in the Conde Nast Travel Awards For Excellence, as well!
Can't wait to see where you end up!
xoxo,
Lulu
I loved St. Thomas and St. Maarten. They had the most beautiful beaches and tons of places to shop, pamper yourself, and the best coconut shrimp I've ever had in my entire life. Seriously, ever.
I would definitely go to Montego Bay! Sounds like y'all could go for a great price, and who doesn't love being pampered?
I just started reading your blog...blog hopping:) I love it! We honeymooned in Cancun...touristy I know:) but we stayed at The Ritz Carlton there and LOVED IT! We barely left the resort. Also Grand Cayman is pretty nice.
I'm going to be honest. Not.a.fan of Jamaica. I'm sure the Ritz is gorgeous but that is it. If you leave the resort you will be hounded by the locals....Grand Cayman, St. John and Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas are all beautiful islands and I highly recommend them. Big fan of your blog and love your guest post on Brit's blog too!
I vote Montego Bay :)
Cap Juluca in Anguilla! We just went there this past summer and LOVED it. We will admit we are huge "hotel snobs" and all expectations were met here. Just check out the websites and all its awards. We also love Little Dix Bay in Virgin Gorda, BVI. Personally we were not a fan of St Thomas, the Ritz was great and all but St Thomas is a huge cruise dock and the crowds were not enjoyable. When we stayed in Virgin Gorda we took a day trip over there to shop and that was perfect. This summer we are headed to Grand Caymans and staying at the Ritz...I feel like packing now b/c I am so ready to leave this cold! We all can't wait to see what you have decided.
montego bay sounds like a heck of a deal and BONUS! beautiful scenery and warm weather!!
My husband and I went to Ocho Rios, Jamaica on our honeymoon. We loved it so much we are planning a trip back with a group of friends. After much researching, I would say you will not like Montego Bay as much as anywhere else, due to the planes and the people outside your resort. I'm not sure if the Ritz is all-inclusive, but I recommend that b/c it is cheaper! There are really nice all inclusive places to stay all over the island. You CAN venture off your resort alone or with tours booked within your resort. I highly recommmend Luminous Lagoon if you go. It is a trip to a Lagoon that has organisms in it that glow at night. Beautiful!! Bob Marley's house is a must too!
oooh you know what? I think you will only celebrate your 1st anniversary once so I would definitely go somewhere! Montego Bay sounds an amazing treat for sure! The sun, the beach, pampering... imagine! JEALOUS!
I know it's not exactly the Caribbean, but my husband and I went to Belize for our honeymoon and loved it. We stayed at Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn, two resorts owned by Francis Ford Coppola. It was pretty reasonably priced, but also really luxurious with our own cabana. I definitely recommend it!
My very first choice would be GREECE!!!
I treated myself to a 10 day trip to Greece 2 years ago and it is the best money I have ever spent!!!
Of course, the Ritz at Montego Bay would be fabulous, short flight and FUN as well!!!!
I have been to Aruba and absolutely LOVED it!! I mean it was amazing!! Also, St. Maarten is also very beautiful! I agree that you should hold off on Europe until later when you can go and visit all the places you want to go!
I have been to Aruba and absolutely LOVED it!! I mean it was amazing!! Also, St. Maarten is also very beautiful! I agree that you should hold off on Europe until later when you can go and visit all the places you want to go!
my philosphy with any time change over 3 hours is that i need at least two weeks to recover so just for travel time, i would stay close to home.
my hubs and i are in the same boat with points & miles and we've decided on barbados. i traveled to bermuda for work a few years ago and while truly gorgeous and luxurious, it was outragouly expensive. costa rica is another short flight with a fab ritz carlton, too!
We loved Sandal Antigua. The beach is rated #4 in the WORLD. It was beautiful.
But we're thinking wine country for the big 1 year. I've been and talk about it almost every day, and he's never been - so that's our goal.
Wherever you go, I think the time together doing new things is the best part. :)
I think any vacation is amazing! We went to St. Lucia on our honeymoon and stayed at Jade Mountain! Amazing and worth every penny!
I'm totally itching to take a vacay, too! I'm so loving all of your vacation-related posts. It's only fueling the fire :)
I've been to Montego Bay and it is beautiful at the resort but definitely scary off. I would recommend Antigua, it is one of the most beautiful islands I've been to. The BVI are also a favorite. Can't wait to see where you end up going!
i vote europe. Ever since I watched Cocktail I wanted to go to Jamaica, so I went, stayed at Sandals....bleh....it was so disappointing. The resort was nice, but not like they advertise. I also thought it was dirty and slum-like.
There are so many places that I want to go to right here in the states that I've never visited. I really want to go to Blackberry Farm, which wouldn't be much of a getaway for you since it's in Tennessee. Have you been to San Francisco? It's amazing; one of my favorite places to ever visit. You'd love all the boutiques! I realize I just wrote a whoooole lot. Good luck choosing!
I met my husband while vacationing in Montego Bay. The Ritz is beautiful - BUT the water on that side of of the Montego is rough - Not placid like other locations in Montego Bay. Love Jamaica have been twice and enjoyed each second of each trip. :-)Did like Negril better than MB. I might suggest St Lucia - if you haven't been or Turks and Caicos.
I met my husband while vacationing in Montego Bay. The Ritz is beautiful - BUT the water on that side of of the Montego is rough - Not placid like other locations in Montego Bay. Love Jamaica have been twice and enjoyed each second of each trip. :-)Did like Negril better than MB. I might suggest St Lucia - if you haven't been or Turks and Caicos.
There's an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica called Half Moon Bay and it's amazing, I would suggest looking into that :)
I mean Half Moon, I always get confused and call it "Half Moon Bay" because its on Montego Bay...
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