Ryan & Melanie contacted me in June to have me help them plan their October honeymoon. On top of planning their wedding, Ryan was in paramedic school and Melanie was already working as a talent manager. So, they were just too busy and could not afford the time to do all of the research and planning to put their honeymoon together.
They wanted their honeymoon to be someplace exotic, yet more affordable than Fiji or Tahiti. They wanted something like a bungalow on the beach over the ocean. They wanted to be able to wake up, go outside and jump in the water. A smaller, more intimate resort was more what they were looking for, rather than a big, all-inclusive resort. They wanted to snorkel, kayak and hike; pretty much any outdoor stuff.
Ryan & Melanie wanted to spend about 10 days on their honeymoon. For their budget, this was a tall order. I had my work cut out for me.
I had some great suggestions for them to start with, but just like Goldilocks, they were either more than they wanted to spend or if they were within budget, not a long enough stay and so on.
My husband and I had just returned from Grenada and I really loved Sandals La Source Grenada there, but it was too costly for their budget and not that small, intimate feel they wanted. But, I knew they would really love the island and the people. We had done some exploring around the island, so I hunted further for a resort that might be “just right”.
I thought I had a winner for them when I found the Mount Hartman Bay Estate, which is a very intimate resort with only 12 suites. But, in the meantime they had been talking to a friend who recommended the Maca Bana, which is a small boutique hotel, with one 7 suites.
It took some serious hunting to find a reputable supplier to put their package together. A reputable supplier is extremely important, because there is no control when booking through companies like Travelocity. The customer service at these companies is very lacking and, since it’s a third party, there can be changes made outside of your control. You don’t have the same rights as with a reputable supplier.
This worked out perfectly and I was able to put it all together, including flights from San Diego, ten nights at the resort and travel insurance for about $300 less than the amount they wanted to spend on their honeymoon.
Fast forward to four months later and I finally got to hear how they enjoyed their honeymoon. They returned recently and Ryan says their honeymoon was EPIC! The Maca Bana really blew their minds. He said their honeymoon was perfect; from start to finish. Working with me was so convenient and saved them so much time. That’s music to my ears!
I included a lot of special touches they weren’t even aware of, which made their honeymoon extra special. They had a driver waiting for them at the airport to whisk them away to the hotel, which was only a ten minute drive. The manager was waiting for them, as if anticipating their arrival. The owner of the resort introduced himself to them on their second day, which they thought was very nice and not often done. They were given a chilled bottle of champagne in their room to celebrate their honeymoon.
There was no phone in their room, but they were given a cell phone which was stocked with minutes and pre-programmed with all of the numbers they would need, including several restaurant recommendations.
I had gotten the Paw Paw Suite confirmed for them, which they said was way cooler that it looks online. It sat right on a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It was one major room with wall partitions. They could sit in their bed and see the ocean. They enjoyed that so much during their honeymoon. It was four feet from the bed to their balcony, where they had their own private hot tub. He said it was so private you could sunbathe in the nude, if you wanted. They walked around the resort and felt I had gotten them the very best suite available.
Their suite had a full kitchen, which came stocked with some basics, such as cheese, bacon, eggs and bottled water. They did some shopping the day after they arrived. They loved that they could cook, leave the dishes in the sink. The maids took care of it all.
They really enjoyed the restaurant at the resort; The Aquarium. The food and service was very good. They had a great wine and great cigars, too.
They loved the beach at the resort, which was right in front of the restaurant. They literally had to walk through the restaurant to get to it, so the restaurant was an open concept. The beach was about 500-700 yards long and for the most part, they had it to themselves. There were lots of shells and a reef. It was perfect for snorkeling.
During their honeymoon, about 200 locals celebrated Thanksgiving, tied in with America liberating them from the coup that took over in 1983. They took over their beach and partied from Friday to Monday with their families. Ryan said there was non-stop music until three in the morning, but he and Melanie didn’t mind, because they loved visiting with the people and soaking up the culture.
They had the masseur come to their room one day and got a wonderful couple’s massage. It was a bit windy that day, so they enjoyed it inside their suite. The masseur told them it would normally be done out on their balcony.
They explored a lot of the island; visiting three distilleries (two close by and one on the other side of the island) and eating at different restaurants. They ate at two restaurants, Brandon’s and Patrick’s, which were really homes turned into restaurants. The food was delicious and prices very affordable.
Laluna is another resort where they visited and dined. It had great cigars, as well. They thought this was newer and more Americanized than the Maca Bana, with higher end amenities, such as an infinity pool on the beach. This would be great for couples that want to be more catered to.
They got around by cab mostly, until near the end of their honeymoon when they got braver and decided to take the local bus to the distillery on the other side of the island. The locals were very friendly and everyone was really willing to help. They loved walking around and absorbing the culture.
A funny story was that they got their leaving date mixed up. They thought they were leaving on a Wednesday and got all packed up on Tuesday night. They called the front desk and made arrangements to get to the airport for their early flight. Once that was done, he went online to check-in for their flight and couldn’t get it to work. He double-checked the documents I had given them. He realized their flight wasn’t leaving until Thursday. He called the front desk to apologize and they said they thought they were leaving on Thursday, but figured they were just confused. So, they had an extra day that they didn’t plan for and were able to do lots more fun stuff, which was great.
If you’re a busy couple and don’t have the time to plan the perfect honeymoon or romantic vacation, click here to schedule a complimentary honeymoon or romantic vacation planning session with me over the phone. Here you’ll find my vacation questionnaire. You can let me know what you want to experience, hit submit and schedule a time that’s convenient for you. I’ll take care of everything, so you can come back saying your honeymoon was epic!
