Hello! I am a lurker, but decided to post in search of some help in planning my luxury hotel honeymoon in Asia. This will be my first trip to this part of the world.
Getting married at the end of September. Can either leave for honeymoon around Sept 19th right after wedding weekend, or perhaps 1 month later if weather will truly be better. I would like to share my tentative ideas and get some insight on the plan and hotels.
Budget - $20k. Not strict, but I I'm a girl who
loves to save!
A little bit about us - I am 30, fiance is 37. We both love the "finer things", trying new foods/wine/cocktails, cultural immersion and exploration, nature, spa. We equally like going to local mom-and-pop restaurants, discovering street food, etc. Like relaxation, but also stimulation. Fiance loves hiking. Note that we enjoy discovering authentic, local and luxury restaurants, not necessarily staying and eating hotel food, although we would like to hit up some fine dining and a Michelin in Japan.
Flights - If I leave straight from wedding I will be flying out of LAX, returning to YVR. If I leave a month later, it will be from YVR. I will have 150-200k UR points and am still deciding if I should use these toward flights or Hyatt stays.
1. First week - Japan. Cultural exploration part of trip.
- 2-3 nights in Tokyo, 1 night in a Ryokan in Hakone, 3 nights in Kyoto.
- I have 2 free nights from
Hyatt card and UR points as noted above. I was thinking of using some of this towards the Hyatt in Tokyo and Kyoto. Thoughts on this plan?
- Ryokan -
Gora-Kadan? Hakone Ginyu? Is it worth the spend? Any other options that are highly recommended?
- Kyoto - was thinking
Hyatt again based on points. Thoughts?
2. Second week - Relaxation
- We would like to book a pool-lounging, beach trip for the second week. We would fly from Tokyo, and are trying to decide between Bali and Philippines. I will outline our options:
A) El Nido or Boracay
- Our October plans would put us in the tail end of
rainy season
. Given that this is a beach destination, I am afraid that we are taking a big risk going at this time. We might consider pushing to November if it would make an appreciable difference.
- If El Nido, which we are told has better beaches, we would likely choose between
Amanpulo and
El Nido Pangulasian. Is Amanpulo really worth the extra spend? If so, why?
- Boracay -
Shangri-La. While I hear that El Nido is superior, I worry that we might get bored in El Nido, and hear that Boracay has more going on? I like to explore new restaurants and drink, my husband is a bit more on the antisocial side so I dont think he cares about "stimulation" as much as I. For what it's worth, there are some Philippinos at his job. They all individually said El Nido was nicer and less touristic.
2) Bali
- I understand that the weather will be better in Bali at this time of year. I am having a difficult time deciding between Bali v. Philippines because many say that the beaches do not compare. That being said, Bali may be a more "interesting" experience. If we did Bali, we would split the time between Ubud and either Nusa Dua or Seminyak.
- The pros are that there would be the cultural, spiritual, and "jungle" component versus just the beach like in El Nido. I wonder if I will "miss out" on the breathtaking beach experience, however.
A) Ubud - I am comparing hotel options in Ubud. A lot of you recommend Chedi but I feel like it is not as aesthetically impressive location-wise. Jaw-dropping aesthetics/surroundings are very important. Sounds like the
FS Sayan is outdated. What about
Ritz Carlton Reserve Mandapa? How might this compare to - say -
Kayon, Viceroy, Komeneka? I am looking for the picturesque pool villa in the jungle with fabulous vistas.
B) Nusa Dua vs Seminyak - Nusa Dua sounds like its the best beach in Bali. Considering
Amanusa, St Regis. OTHO,
The Legian Bali in Seminyak sounds amazing and might be closer to interesting restaurants. We don't really want to be stuck eating hotel food 24/7, and it sounds like some of the
Aman and Nusa Dua hotels, while gorgeous, may have mediocre food. How bad is beach at Seminyak? Will the pool villa and hotel experience makeup for it?
Sorry for such a long first post. I am excited, but overwhelmed with options and ideas. I look forward to hearing from anyone who is interested in helping.
P.S. If we were to push HM to November, would it make sense to consider Thai islands too based on better weather?