Confessions of a Social Climber

The May-June period is a special time of the year. Not much rain, spring-time tomfoolery, and, well, it’s also wedding season! When creating that romantic getaway, do your research, as sometimes, couples expecting the perfect honeymoon trip might stay in a hotel that would ultimately turn out to be kid-friendly getaway runaway place; and the romance will be ultimately ruined. (And no, I’m not getting married … yet!)

Here are a couple of useful, always true tips:

Hawaii is just awesome. A summer vacation from January ‘til December.

July-August is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Peak is August, so better get married early in the year! As great as a Caribbean getaway might be all-year round, the CTO (that’s Caribbean Tourism Organization to you) says that August is just rainy season for most of the islands. If you simply MUST get that Caribbean getaway, islands to consider are the Turks, Caicos, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. (The last three being the ABC islands.)

Kids will be everywhere, so as romantic as your honey winning over some gigantic plush octopus via a feat of strength at the fair might be, it WILL be infested with children. Choose spots that are adult/couple-friendly to avoid this quandary.

According to About.com, the top 3 honeymoon spots are: Hawaii, Italy and Tahiti. Here are a couple of suggestions for places to stay.

Hawaii

Ritz-Carlton Capalua – For the golfer in your honey, it is surrounded by three championship golf courses and a real, operating pineapple plantation. Whether its the exclusive party you could throw in the private Club Suite floor, learning to play golf in the Kapalua Golf Academy, or learning to dive at the scuba clinic, the Ritz-Carlton has it covered. (It’s a bit pricey in Hawaii, but this is, the best of the best honeymoon spot of all)

Italy

Gallery Hotel Art – This special place has been ranked pretty high over at TripAdvisor — and who am I to argue? Fifty honeymooners who had a memorable experience can’t be wrong — this Ferragamo-owned hotel is just a house of style. I mean, if you aren’t happy enough to be in Italy, the location of the hotel’s just right for you — it’s just a couple of blocks away from the culture (food!) situated near Ponte Vecchio. Cozy rooms oozing with elegance and simplicity is the order of the day. The included breakfast will get you your procuitto, panchetta and focaccia on, just before going to the delightful concierge to tell you about spots to go to in the city. All in all, a big, gigantic “A”!

Tahiti

Te Tiare Beach Resort – For that “away-from-everyone” romantic getaway. Being accessible only by boat (gift or curse?) — 10 minutes of getting to see the waters doesn’t seem too bad, once you think about it. Having only 41 rooms, (you wouldn’t really mind spending your honeymoon with 40 different couples, right?) Te Tiare provides a unique personal touch to people who decide to stay. Everything that encapsulates life in Tahiti is just minutes away, while civilization is just a boat-ride away. Best of seclusion and modern life, I should say.