Showing posts with label hawaii honeymoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hawaii honeymoon. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Real Honeymoon: Kauai

I have a special Honeymoon to share with you today.  I planned Kathryn from Snippet and Ink's honeymoon to Kauai, and they had an incredible time.  Kathryn and Ryan got hitched in December and they knew that they wanted to go somewhere warm.  They decided to go to Kauai and stay at the gorgeous St. Regis Princeville!

 



Kathryn said, "The pool was my favorite part of our trip, second only to the helicopter ride. I could happily have stayed there, sipping chilled citrus water (or a mai tai) and reading my book, for the entire 5 days we were on the island. Right on the beach, with amazing views of Hanalei Bay, plus awesome poolside service, lounging with my new hubby. Really, does it get any better than that?"



"The overall feel of our room was a sort of refined contemporary Hawaiian – sophisticated, comfortable, elegant but not fussy. And yes, the view is pretty much unbeatable."



Although it did rain one of the days while Kathryn and Ryan were there, they decided to spend it at the resort’s Halele's Spa.  After they got their massages, they enjoyed tea and cookies in the spa’s lounge, followed by the sauna and steam room.  Kathryn points out that "the steam room is intense. I kind of loved it. Stepping out of it to an ice cold face towel felt amazing. (You can also book certain spa treatments in oceanside cabanas. )"




Below is  the view from their Ocean View room.
"Stunning is the only word for it, even with the shoddy photography. We were pretty lucky with the weather on our trip, and only had one day of rain the whole time. The next morning, we counted at least 15 waterfalls that had appeared on the cliffs outside our window."



Kathryn and Ryan also opted to upgrade to a convertible.  "Kauai’s not a big island, but I promise, if you plan on leaving your hotel at all, a convertible is totally worth it – it made all of our sightseeing infinitely more fun."

Kathryn's favorite part of her honeymoon was was a helicopter tour of the island. 
"There are several companies to choose from, and we opted for Jack Harter's doors-off tour, recommended to us by the St. Regis concierge who was super helpful with setting everything up. Doors-off literally means there are no doors on the helicopter, which makes an already indescribable experience even more breathtaking. We saw parts of the island you can’t see any other way, dipping into canyons, getting up close to waterfalls, flying along sea cliffs of the Na’Pali Coast. Kauai might not offer the nightlife or shopping scene of other Hawaiian islands, but its beauty is unparalleled and a helicopter tour is totally worth it."


Kathryn and Ryan spent their time watching the stunning sunsets at the St. Regis Bar. The view was undoubtedly spectacular for them and gave them the chance to relax and soak in all their surroundings.



Thank you, Kathryn and Ryan for sharing your honeymoon with us!  You can read more on Kathryn's blog in her honeymoon post.  She's also included many useful tips to help with your honeymoon.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Real Honeymoon: Maui, Big Island, and Oahu


Married in October, 2010, Naomi and Jamie, from Montreal, were smart in wanting to avoid the cold for their honeymoon.  So they up and left for much warmer waters in Hawai'i in December.  With the spirit of adventure in them, they wanted to make sure they were surrounded by nature and have plenty of access for hiking.  So for their honeymoon, they did an island hop and visited Maui, Big Island, and Oahu.


A-Bay
Some of their goals for their honeymoon were to have a good combination of sightseeing and relaxing so they were able to hike, see the North Shore villages, visit the rainforest, snorkel and more.

Akaka Falls

Hotel Hana Coastline
The three factors that were most important for them for their honeymoon were that it had to be fun, relaxing and breathtaking.


North Shore Oahu



Naomi and Jamie were kind enough to share some of their favorite memories from their honeymoon.
  • Favourite hotel: Hotel Hana Maui
  • Favourite hotel room view: JW Marriott Ihilani (Ko Olina, Oahu)
  • Favourite beach: Mokule'ia Beach (Oahu)...also best spot to realize you're standing on the crash site of Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and co.
  • Favourite turtle sightings: Black Sand Beach (Big Island) & A-Bay (Big Island)
  • Favourite place to get stuck in a flash flood: Tiny mountainside road to Kahakuloa Village
  • Favourite candy: Chocolate Donkey Balls (Big Island) and coconut M&Ms
  • Favourite ice cream: Dole Pineapple Plantation (Oahu)
  • Favourite spot to watch the sunset: Marina in Lahaina (Maui)
  • Favourite breakfast: French toast with coconut syrup
  • Favourite lava tube: Volcano National Park (Big Island)
  • Favourite free facial: Steam vents at Volcano National Park (Big Island)
  • Favourite interactive natural phenomenon: Sleeper (magic) grass
  • Favourite rainbow-coloured tree bark: Hana Highway (Maui)
  • Favourite restaurant: Mama's Fish House (Maui)
  • Favourite place to swim face to face with a turtle: Hanauma Bay (Oahu)
  • Favourite TV station: Maui Visitor Channel 7
  • Favourite place to watch surfers: Sunset Beach at Sunset (North Shore, Oahu)
  • Favourite dessert: Chocolate-haupia pie at Ted's Bakery (North Shore, Oahu)
  • Favourite place to watch a barefooted, sprinting torch-lighter: Buddha point at Hilton Waikoloa (Big Island)