Fly Me To The 'Moon... Part II

As I had previously mentioned, an October wedding had us connecting to TripAdvisor, Frommer's and The Travel Channel a heck of a lot more than normal to do digging about where we'd enjoy each other's company and frolic in the surf on our honeymoon... during hurricane season.

We crossed off options due to cost, travel time & the desire for something uber "tropical."

After Cabo was nixed, I plead my case to Mr. Sweet Cream for a location that I just knew he would love.  Thanks to some handy research, pictures of beautiful water (& fishing!) and some fellow bees on the message boards, we picked our 'moon locale.

For those bees out there who like a little bit of guessing, here are some clues for you: Dutch is the official language, the currency is the florin & the average temperature is 81 degrees...

Source / Quality Travel Services

After me and Mr. Sweets become Mr. & Mrs., we are heading off to the gorgeous island of Curacao!

 For those bees who aren't familiar with the island, like I previously had not been, it's near Aruba & Bonaire and is known for it's scuba diving & underwater paradise (It's also known for that blue liquor that is found in bars across the county -- and in this Blue Hawaiian.  YumO!)  

For whatever reason, Mr. Sweets was sure we could book everything ourselves without going through a travel agent.  I know that this can be risky, but we were willing to take the risk.  And hopefully it's worth it.

TripAdvisor led me to this adorable little B&B in the capital of the country, The Scuba Lodge, where reviews poured in saying all kinds of nice things about this yellow 14-bedroom historic building owned by a Dutch couple.  After even more research, we booked it!

I've emailed Caroline and Annelies, the crew at the Lodge, since the days booking our room that over looks the water and I immediately get a response... recommending a variety of sunset sails when I said my search didn't find much and letting me know that the cooking class we wanted to do no longer existed, but they would be happy to teach us how to make the best poffertjes.  I seriously cannot wait to go.  I know that it isn't an all-inclusive honeymoon kingdom... but I think we might have a more memorable experience that is more "us" here...

Besides the beaches, the restaurants, fishing, chillin' with dolphins, safaris, a Floating market, sipping drinks at sunset & scuba diving -- and obviously being a new Mr. & Mrs. and enjoying each other's company -- what else are we looking forward to?

Welzijn Fish Spa, where "Doctor fish" exfoliate your skin

(I honestly don't know if I will be able to do this! Have

any bees out there done it?!)

Source / Flickr

The Ostrich Farm allows you to take a guided tour and hang with the big birds...

My favorite: Zambezi Restaurant, where you can sip liqueur by a cozy campfire at night!

Source / Ants & Grasshoppers Blog

There are petroglyphs estimated to be 1500 years old 

left from the Amerindian Arawaks in the Hato Caves.

Source / Fun in Curacao

We are planning on mixing a little culture, pampering and history (& really big birds!) in with lounging on a powdery beach and sipping drinks.  We can do both.

I know that some family members are sad because they had their heart set on getting us a gift certificate to a travel agent this past holiday as a present.  And I know that we could wind up hating this fish doctor spa.  But me & Mr. Sweet Cream have always enjoyed a good adventure -- even if it doesn't turn out just right.  And we have Caroline and Annalise at the Scuba Lodge who seem like they know a thing or too.

Did you go through a travel agent or do the digging yourself?  Where are you going on your honeymoon? Is there one thing -- that might seem a little crazy -- that you absolutely cannot wait for (besides being on your honeymoon with your honey, that is)? 

Have any bees been to Curacao and have a great tip (or three?) for me.

Fly Me To The 'Moon... Part I

Of course it seems like a good idea for a little post-wedding vaca after all the work that is done preparing for the walk down the aisle... but I was dying to know who thought of this marvelous idea of a brand new hubby & his bride getting whisked away to a locale, whether local or exotic, near or far ...

For Bees who like were even a slight bit curious, let me share.  

It turns out that there are a couple different stories circulating about how the honeymoon came to be.


Some say that back in the day in Europe, for a month’s time, the newly married couple would drink a little vino, known as mead, which was made from fermented honey.  Some even say that this would help with fertility... I guess honey used to be thought of like that.  Who knew? 

Later, grooms used to capture -- yes you read that right -- their brides for a period of one month and take them into hiding. Even though the groom assured the family she'd be okay, sometimes her friends and fam would go out looking for her to bring home. It was the husband’s hope that within one month’s time his bride would be knocked up before the bride’s family found them.  

While some girls may not worry to much about being captured by this 

tall glass of water on this romance read...

The whole idea seems kinda scary to me!!

Source / Simon & Schuster

It didn't even start to be romantic in anyway -- so they say -- until the 1500s.

Go figure! You are welcome for the mini session and if that ever comes on Jeopardy, you are totally set.

Well, thanks to some honey wine & captured girls, we get to party it up with our new hubbies in some place tropical, or some place romantic, or just some place where you can be together.

Me & Mr. Sweet Cream started thinking about the honeymoon kind of early on.  With a wedding in October and a strong desire to get away right away, we were limited in our options.  For all you fall brides out there who don't wanna be rocked like a hurricane, here is a shortened, edited version of what we came up with:

• Hawaii
• One of the ABC Islands
• Mexico
• Spain 
• Italy
• Barbados
• Jamaica 
• St. Lucia

Me & Mr. Sweet Cream don't care where we go, as long as we are together! 

Source / Vintage Ad Browser

OK... so that last caption is kind of a little white lie.  We do care.  A little.

Mr. Sweets wants something "tropical."  "Cultural experience" wasn't high on the list.  Neither was cool or cold temperatures. Don't get me wrong - we are dying to go to Antarctica one day.  We also have Europe high on our bucket list.

But with a wedding being planned it would be impossible to plan that kid of trip.  But we did know we wanted to fly somewhere.

So we crossed off some choices... And due to cost, flight time & hurricanes -- we narrowed it down to 2.... We wound up picking our location... but just let me share with you where we aren't going.

Mexico!

Specifically, Cabo San Lucas.

Me & Mr. Sweets wanna walk hand in hand on the beach!

Source / TravelHouseUK

They had it all: sun, sand, dolphins, snorkeling, tequila tasting, race tracks, horse back riding on the beach, glass blowing, cactus ATV tours & a place called "Lover's Beach."

Mr. Sweet Cream! Tell me why we aren't going to Cabo again?

Oh yea, because he wanted something even more tropical.  As if Cabo wasn't tropical enough, silly man!  The honeymoon that could have been. Sigh.

Don't worry.  Mr. Sweets did promise me we'd go one day... just not for the 'moon.

Did your honeymoon get narrowed down because of the time of year?  Are you doing something tropical? cultural?  local? Did you cross off a destination on your honeymoon list that could have been amazing?