Real Member Honeymoon Stories
We always love to hear how Traveler's Joy helped our members take the trip of their dreams. Do you have a story to tell us? Let us know →
Cait & Dave
Destination: ItalyWe each packed one bag, and created a two-week itinerary reminiscent of the film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." We thought carefully about the cities we wanted to visit, how long we'd spend in each city and how to allocate our budget for hotels, sights, transportation and food. We walked a lot around Italy, but in doing so, we immersed ourselves more in the country's incredible culture - and if you're adventurous, it's the way to go. Armed with an Italian-English dictionary, our passports, outlet converters, extra camera memory cards and excitement, we set off for Italy two days after our wedding. |
Alexa & Rob
Destination: Italy (Sicily)One week into our honeymoon, we ferried off on a midnight voyage to Sicily. We instantly fell in love with the entire city of Catania and wished we could have stayed longer. Days were spent wandering through narrow alleys and cobblestone streets amidst honking cars, bustling markets and barreling buses. We stayed at a quaint hotel where the charming concierge was more than willing to make a restaurant recommendation (his friend's restaurant), call a cab (his friend's cab) and arrange a tour (his friend's bus). |
Dina & Howie
Destination: Southern FranceTraveler's Joy had it all. It was easy to navigate, required no setup charge and had a comparatively low fee. Only indulgences were registered for, from breakfasts at our hotels to gastronomic dinners. We searched the web and found canoe rides past landmarks and a hot air balloon above castles. We thought we had it covered, but didn't realize how big of a hit it would be. The demand to add more gifts on our Traveler's Joy registry grew as we kept receiving everything listed on our registry. It forced us to seek more ways to make our trip better! We went through every website and book we could get our hands on to find festivals, concerts and terrific restaurants to register for. |
Bethel & Jason
Destination: Southern AfricaOverall, we did the trip the way we wanted to, and don't have many regrets at all! It was all that we were hoping for, wishing for, and looking forward to - and Traveler's Joy played a huge part in making that happen. All I can say is, thank goodness for digital cameras with lots and lots of available memory! |
Erin & Sam
Destination: IrelandHoneymoons can be tough to plan - there are so many wonderful places to visit! We are both seasoned world travelers, and neither of us are the beach bum type, so when we were trying to decide on a place for our honeymoon, we wanted a place that offered hiking, history and adventure. While we were exploring our options, we realized that we always mentioned Ireland and how much we loved it, though we'd never been there together. With rich mythology, a lively culture, beautiful land and family roots for both of us, Ireland turned out to be the perfect spot to celebrate our new life together. |
Emily & Nicholas
Destination: MoroccoI would recommend Morocco as a honeymoon destination to other people who are experienced travelers looking for a memorable adventure to start your married life. We knew that it would be a challenging and memorable trip and we were not disappointed. That said, Morocco is not always an easy place to travel—both my husband and I have traveled extensively in the past and we are used to the small hiccups that you sometimes encounter while traveling off the beaten path. In fact, those unexpected situations are usually part of the fun and excitement of traveling! |
Jessica & Russell
Destination: Canary Islands, SpainMy new husband and I stepped off the plane and were immediately slapped in the face by a cool breeze and then warmed by the sun. It had been along trip for the start of June 2007, across the country to Northern Virginia for our wedding for a week and then to Madrid where we caught a final flight to the exotic Canary Islands. I glanced at my husband to see his expression and was relieved to see him smiling back at me. We were here, finally, we had been looking forward to this for the past year and finally, we were here... Tenerife... the Canary Islands...Spain! |
Megan & Derek
Destination: U.S. National Parks RoadtripAs two young professionals who had recently entered the corporate world, we felt trapped by our jobs; we were not able to spend as much time pursuing the wanderlust that we had developed during our college days. Our promise to each other was that no matter where we were in our lives we would spend the two months following our wedding traveling across this great country and visiting many of the National Parks we had previously seen only on TV. |
Amy & David
Destination: VietnamI started with the travel books 9 months before the wedding. Every day on the New York City subway I'd be carried away to Vietnam, always prepared with post-it notes, pencils, a Rough Guide and a Lonely Planet. Narrowing down the cities we wanted to visit during our two weeks was going to be a huge challenge, because everything sounded amazing. After weeks of research, we finally nailed down a rough itinerary, and announced our trip on Traveler's Joy. |
Isabel & Luis
Destination: VietnamIt was over a hot bowl of pho (beef noodle soup) in the Little Saigon shopping center outside Washington, DC that the idea sparked: we need to take a trip to Vietnam! Based on the food alone our honeymoon destination practically chose itself. To many Americans, going to Vietnam is kind of shocking, as most people think of it as an underdeveloped country still recovering from the war. But hey, we're not your average stay-put couple that goes to traditional places. |
Debbie & Steve
Destination: Ireland & ScotlandIt is said that if it rains on your wedding day, it's good luck. But nobody told us that good luck also was to be had when a wayward seagull torpedoes its dung from high all of you on your honeymoon. Or at least that's what everyone in Galway, Ireland told us on our final evening of a memorable trip capping our first three weeks as a married couple. We were to learn the hard way that apparently both are true. |
Chandra & Matt
Destination: ThailandMuch like our relationship, however, things are never as simple as they seem. In the excitement of planning our trip, we overlooked some obvious complications... none more critical than cost. Our trip required hotel reservations for 12 nights during the busy and expensive holiday season. We didn't want to stay in hostels and sleeping bags (not that we're above that, but it's our honeymoon!) and decent hotels and resorts were not hesitant to gouge us. Furthermore, our trip required 11 airplane rides, ranging from short flights aboard propeller planes to a 16-hour trans-Pacific flight on an internationally recognized holiday. |
Frances & Greg
Destination: Turkey & GeorgiaMy husband and I are quite certain our honeymoon was the best ever! We really enjoy traveling, especially to places that are off-the-beaten path. Since we've been together we've ventured to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, England, Iceland (where we got engaged!) and Norway. In choosing a honeymoon destination we were stumped. On the recommendation of a friend, we bought the "Lonely Planet Best of 2009 Travel" book, hoping for inspiration. One of the "Best Countries to Visit" was Georgia—the book specifically mentioned the annual food and wine festival (Tbilisoba). We didn't even know where Georgia was exactly, let alone what would be interesting about it, so we did more research. |
Taryn & Antoine
Destination: Dubai, Mauritius, & South AfricaAs we made plans for our wedding and honeymoon, we picked the theme of renaissance. Our wedding was held at the school where we first met and was inspired by renaissance and neoclassical architecture and motifs; our honeymoon was inspired by places undergoing their own renaissances: Dubai, an economic renaissance; Mauritius, a cultural renaissance; and South Africa, a social renaissance. It didn't hurt that each of these places was incredibly beautiful. |
Karissa & Jon
Destination: New ZealandIf you love adventure then New Zealand is the place to be! We had a dream of taking our honeymoon in New Zealand and while we had no idea how we were going to pay for it we knew we had to make it happen. We wanted to pick a place that neither of us have been to and could have some exciting adventures as well and New Zealand is the perfect choice! Luckily we found out about Traveler's Joy and they helped our dream come true! We spent 12 adventure packed days in New Zealand seeing both the North and South Islands. |
Heather & Christopher
Destination: FijiPlanning our honeymoon wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. We both wanted to go somewhere that neither of us had been... someplace warm... someplace quiet... with a beach where we could just relax and unwind from the stress of the wedding. Bora Bora was at the top of our list and we wanted to stay in an over water bungalow. But the reality of the expense hit us. Strike one! There was no way we could afford to spend a week there. After talking to my travel agent friend, she suggested Fiji. She said it was similar in beauty, a bit off the beaten path, and less expensive. |
Alison & Bracken
Destination: Park City, UtahWe spent the first full day of our trip exploring Park City. The town has much to offer by way of shopping and restaurants, most of which are centered around Main Street. Everything is easily accessible via the free bus system that picked us up in front of our hotel. We explored the numerous natural jewelry and furniture stores, and ate pizza that could rival New York City's. It was a great way to start our trip and get used to our surroundings. That evening, we rode a horse-drawn slay up the ski mountain. They dropped us off at a Western-themed lodge on the side of the mountain, where they served dinner and played country music. The fish had been caught that day and was fantastic! |
Cathy & Damon
Destination: TahitiWe couldn't believe our eyes on how blue the water was on our drive to the hotel. The island was very green and the water was the most beautiful shade of turquoise. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. Those magazine pictures really don't do it justice. After a very scenic 45 minute drive, we finally arrived at our hotel and checked in to a spacious garden bungalow which had champagne chilled and a decoration of flowers waiting for us. |
Loren & Kevin
Destination: JamaicaAs soon as you step off of the airplane in Jamaica you can feel that nice, hot weather hitting you. After going through customs the local resorts offer separate lounges within the airport where the guests can relax while waiting for the provided transportation. There are couches, tables, drinks, and they hold your luggage for you to the side. |
Annina & Emre
Destination: Florida (Alden Beach Resort)We're sure you've read a ton of stories about people who took exotic, extravagant, and dream-fulfilling honeymoon trips with the help of Traveler's Joy. This honeymoon story is for everyone who imagines the ideal honeymoon - basking on a secluded beach, hiking in the mountains, backpacking through Europe - but knows they can't afford it, even with the help of family and friends. We're here to tell you that no matter where you go, you're going to have a great time, because you'll be together, making memories that will last a lifetime. |
Elvira & Brian
Destination: Hawaii (Kauai & Maui)With all the stressful planning of the wedding, a honeymoon retreat was more than necessary. We really wanted the chance to romantically bond together, relax, and have some fun in a beautiful place. For our honeymoon we chose to go to the beautiful Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Maui. |
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