I am writing today to seek information from the worldliest folks in the room :-) As I've traveled internationally very infrequently, I'm wondering if anyone here can help me. I need some help/advice on honeymoon destinations - with the following stipulations.
- It will be late June 2013
- There needs to be some beach time involved
- Prefer somewhere away from N/S Americas
- Must include stays in a Hilton (Have 500K HH points)
- And obviously, this needs to be a DL/ST - I should have btw 200-240K skypesos. I'd be willing to buy the fare instead and just earn miles/MQM on this trip
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,327
You can go to Bali (airport code DPS for Denpasar) on a China Air (SkyyTeam member and hence Dleta partner) operated, DL marketed (codeshare) flight through Taipei. IIRC there's also KLM service on an A330 between DPS and someplace in southeast Asia, but it didn't pop up on delta.dumb.
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Stay in Hilton Bora-Bora (need an inter-island flight from PPT to BOB)
or
Hilton Moorea (no inter-island non-ST flight needed)
Get there on:
AF flight from LAX to PPT (DL award redemption possible, MQM earning for revenue)
TN flight from LAX to PPT (DL award redemption possible, no MQM earning for revenue)
HA flight from HNL to PPT (limited days, DL award redemption possible, MQM earning - didn't check)
You didn't say how long, so trim as required (days). DL should work fine and Hilton for at least part of the trip.
Two come to mind - arr Barcelona (3) - Toledo (3) - Gibraltar/Beach/day trip to Tangiers (4), depart Malaga (1) (my buddy and new wife LOVED this suggestion but skipped beach)
arr Milan (0) Lake Como (3) Cinca Terra/Pisa/Beach (3) Depart Rome (3++). Venice a nice add on (2)
Trains work for all of the above but I usually just drive a one way rental. First thing to cut should be the beach...they are all the same.
Get the Rick Steves travel guide. You will love either of these trips, assuming you are not one of those "relax while on vacation" people Italy will be 25% more expensive, I bet, but the better of the two. (note I didn't check DL routing for next summer but I've done the above before)
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,327
DL has a seasonal daily nonstop JFK-NCE. June is shoulder season there and you're right in the middle of some famous beaches such as Saint Tropez.
You can fly to SYD on DL or SYD, BNE, or MEL on DL's (nonSkyTeam) Virgin partner. However, June is early winter down under, so you would need to go north toward Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) or Darwin to find warm beaches. Be sure to check whether your travel dates are around the times when the presence of certain jellyfish make it inadvisable to go in the ocean.
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Yup - that is pretty ultimate. That would definitely show her you love her!!
It's one of those romantic, remote, paradise-looking + once in a lifetime destinations. Pretty much the other ultimate option would be to head to Maldives and stay in Conrad Rangali Island.
OP can get to MLE flying to DXB on DL and switching to Emirates (granted not DL/ST, but not too shabby of an airline) flight to MLE.
ST-only route through Europe would involve routing through SVO and flying SU to MLE, while Asian ST-only route is pretty much through CAN with a final leg on CZ.
Congrats on the upcoming wedding! As someone who is also an infrequent international traveler, I was in a similar predicament when I went on my honeymoon last year. Ended up going to Nice in August and had an amazing time. Perfect combo of beach and activity...and a short train ride away to Cannes and Monaco. Also about a 3-4 hour car ride to some northern Italy destinations.
Best part of the flight? Hearing the FC FA take our order as Mr. & Mrs...though I'm sure that'll be a different story on our 20th anniversary
Pretty much the other ultimate option would be to head to Maldives and stay in Conrad Rangali Island.
OP can get to MLE flying to DXB on DL and switching to Emirates (granted not DL/ST, but not too shabby of an airline) flight to MLE.
ST-only route through Europe would involve routing through SVO and flying SU to MLE, while Asian ST-only route is pretty much through CAN with a final leg on CZ.
This was going to be my suggestion even though I've never been so +1. Does your soon to be spouse have any aversions to long haul? or is the entire world minus the west open?
Italy will be 25% more expensive, I bet, but the better of the two. (note I didn't check DL routing for next summer but I've done the above before)
