Howdy howdy,

Fianc and I are looking to get married in Oct. this year and are wanting to go somewhere tropical but also could have some adventures. We are thinking Kauai, but I'm open to suggestions. We have a lot of credit card points (mostly AMEX)

Looking for:
All inclusive (maybe adults only)
Quiet, secluded
Maybe some excursions
Prefer stateside but can venture elsewhere
6 days total
Spend maybe $5000 - $7500 total

Open to suggestions and comments though

Hawaii doesn't have real all-inclusive resorts.

With that said, the Hilton in Kauai was offering a AI package for a brief bit but I think they have stopped.

For a true all-inclusive, you will need to visit Mexico/Caribbean. Le Blanc, Excellence Resorts, Sandals, some Secrets are the majority of what I sell for honeymoons.

If you like good food skip an AI. if you want lots of food and to get hammered at the pool all day then go with an AI

One Hotel formerly the St Regis in Kauai is awesome

Echo JMac. For that budget, and if you want something nice, Mexico are your best options.

October is still risking hurricanes for Caribbean so I'd look at Cabo. Unless you want to push back the honeymoon.

November/early December is a good time to go.

Eh, high end, adults only AIs have pretty good food.

Even high-ends in general do… hard rock Cabo had some pretty damn good dishes. And the high ends in Cancun/playa area are good too.

Not Michelin rated but definitely a "that was good"

My fianc eats like a drunk child; chicken, cereal, quesadillas, and wine. And will have one or two drinks and be good to go. Me on the other end, I am a human garbage disposal and love food and mixed drinks.

Excellence Playa Mujeres. We've been to Mexico probably 15 times and this is likely the place we'll be going back to exclusively when it's just adults.

Great entertainment. Rooms are nice (and they have some good upgraded rooms with rooftops and what not). Food was damn good with lots of options (asian, indian, mexican, seafood, steakhouse, tapas). Breakfast is great and has a little cafe in the morning for pastries and a latte.

swim up bar has great drinks.

Main pool isn't a disco rave like some places. Other pools in the property are very quiet. Spa is super nice and it's 30 mins from Cancun airport. Beaches are very nice.

Assuming you're Houston or DFW... 2.5 hour flight max. So you get on an 8am flight and you're on the beach by noon.

Plenty of excursions to do. You could also do something farther south in Tulum or Playa Del Carmen if you want to venture off property. We used to go off property all the time but now we just laze about at the higher end places.

Hawaii is gorgeous but does not offer truly all-inclusive resorts like you will see in Mexico or the Caribbean. Based on your list there are a lot of great properties within budget what would fit your needs. A lot of my Romance travel clients love Secrets, Hyatt and other all inclusive brands. If you would like assistant planning your honeymoon my contact info is in my signature.

Grand Hyatt Kauai

I'd be careful with Hawaii. The pro is you may not ever go if you have kids, the con is, it's work if you want to see things, renting car, different beaches, sites, etc.

Mexico is cheap and easy and you can relax on resort and never leave.

I can't imagine going to Hawaii again and just sitting there relaxing.

Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I could sit on Kee beach for hours and hours. And I'm not the type of person that likes to sit around so that's saying something.

You need to decide if you truly just want to sit by a pool, or do something's.

Kauai is tiny, so easy to get around. A sunset cruise around the Na pali coast is unreal. Lots of easy ways to see the island and still relax. Just plan an activity a day. Can be as simple as pool most of the day, helicopter tour that takes an hour around a meal.

Hopefully y'all have traveled together before and know if you can sit around or not on a trip. If you can't, it's not magically going to be fun on your honeymoon. If you can and that's what y'all want, do Mexico/Caribbean.

Mostly gonna sit on the beach and be bums. Drink, eat, and be merry.

There's a time and place for everything….

I generally dislike all inclusives. I enjoy getting out, enjoying the food and things outside the resort. But a honeymoon is a good exception. You've likely been busy planning a wedding, entertaining, etc. Nice to not have to worry about planning your vacation, just show up, and chill.

Le Blanc
Cabo

If this is your case, am all-inclusive Mexico or Caribbean is your best bet. Hawaii will get expensive quick.

What would you consider high end? I have had no luck at AIs but agreed for a honeymoon would be a stress free option especially with your eating style even a Sandals could be serviceable

Check the safety records on the copters in Kauai. We have an acquaintance who spent 3 months in a Hawaiian hospital after a crash and while we were there the last time one crashed in the water about 100 yards off short, everyone survived but their were some nasty injuries. The story's get buried by the local press and the company's change names somewhat regularly from what we were told by the locals

Anything that's >$600/night should do the trick.

Le Blanc, Excellence, Secrets (certain ones), etc.

Also, the beach isn't great but we really liked El Dorado Casitas Royale. Very good spot for a honeymoon as it's very private and it's only 4 rooms per building. Each pool has its own swim up bar and there's maybe 30-40 rooms for each pool and bar. There would be some points in the day where it was just us and the bar tender at the pool.

All rooms are ocean front.

Marquis Los Cabos is a great adults only all-inclusive near Cabo

I went there for Memorial Day a couple years ago with my now wife, and had a coworker just go there for his honeymoon.

JoeAggie5 said:

---

I'd be careful with Hawaii. The pro is you may not ever go if you have kids, the con is, it's work if you want to see things, renting car, different beaches, sites, etc.

Mexico is cheap and easy and you can relax on resort and never leave.

I can't imagine going to Hawaii again and just sitting there relaxing.

---

this.

I've been to Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.

We stayed at a hotel in Oahu (2-nights b/c I wanted to see Pearl Harbor) and a VRBO on Kauai. We drove all over Kauai (hiking, beaches, snorkeling), I did a open door Helo tour (awesome), and also had times where we just walked to Piopu beach and sat there leaving the phones in the condo.

We stayed in Lahaina on Maui and had a rental. Did beaches, hiking, road to Hana, lots of snorkeling and whale watching.

But my wife and I are not sit around and do nothing travelers. There is just to much to see and do on the Hawaiin islands. I can't imagine sitting by the pool at and all inclusive and not getting bored to death by lunchtime day 2.

I really love that someone mentioned Marquis Los Cabos! It's a hidden gem in my opinion and more quiet than the others in the area. They were going through some renovations and repairs after the hurricane but should be good.

Your best bet will be Mexico and all the ones that everyone has mentioned are great!

Hawaii/Kauai is beautiful but is definitely a different type of vacation compared to an all-inclusive resort.

I love Kauai so much, but its not a hang out at the resport all day type place. You'd be wasting a lot of extra time and money going to Hawaii just to relax at the pool or beach. Mexico would be the spot to go.

We want to do excursions, hiking, snorkeling, etc. too. Any tips on that? We aren't home bodies and want to get out but we will also be there a week so splitting it 50/50 is probably our best bet

We did Sandals La Toc in St. Lucia for 6 nights for about that price. Had a One bedroom villa with an infinity pool and sunset views on a cliff. Plenty to do in St. Lucia if you're a big outdoors person as well. Snorkeling and Hiking etc

TheVarian said:

---

We want to do excursions, hiking, snorkeling, etc. too. Any tips on that? We aren't home bodies and want to get out but we will also be there a week so splitting it 50/50 is probably our best bet

---

Caribbean side of Mexico is some of the best scuba and snorkeling in the world… especially if you get over to Cozumel.

There are lots of adventure things to do (not so much hiking) but ziplining, cenotes, sailing, jet skiing, etc.

We honeymooned in Hawaii and have returned. I think it is an amazing place for a honeymoon. Perfect mix of quiet beach time, activities to make it whatever you want. We did Maui, but think Kauai is probably a slightly better choice for a honeymoon.

As someone earlier said, though, I don't think of the resorts on Hawaii, I think of it more as a "choose your own adventure" kind of a place. That fits my travel style, even on the honeymoon, but might not be what you are looking for.

As for tropical all inclusive, check out the XCARET! resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We recently got to spend 4 nights there and it was pretty awesome. I struggled with how to describe it... part beach resort, part zoo/nature preserve, part adventure park... the hotel is beautiful and has lots of dining choices. I don't remember ever been out of eyesight of a bar. It's a very unique setting, unlike the rest of the Riveria Maya. You have access to 7 different parks all with a different style... one built mostly on the cave tubes, one is kind of like a zoo, a zipline park in one... we didn't have time to visit all of them but you could keep yourself busy for days, or just relax at the resort and be catered to. I think it would be high end of your budget but doable.

my fiance and i were looking at Cabo vs Puerto Vallarta for our HM. We're getting married in october also, so atlantic hurricane season scares me a bit

That's my fear as well…want to go somewhere warm but want to avoid drowning

Quit being cheap. Go to Thailand or something