My fiance and I are going to Palm Beach for our honeymoon (he already booked it!); what should I pack in my luggage? Just wanting to make sure I don’t forget anything.
Forgot to mention it is also both our first time flying.
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Lounge on the beach or the beautiful resort patio set at the locations in these three great Caribbean honeymoon countries.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Like most poor nations, when traveling to the Domincan Republic for a 4 or 5 star resort vacation, you will be treated like a king. The locals that live and work in the resorts of the Domincan Republic know that the Europeans and Americans are keeping them in business and giving them a job (and sometimes good tips) so they will all but bow down to your feet. The major locations for tourism are in the coastal provinces of Punta Cana and Puerto Plata mostly. If you want a quiet vacation away from much of the hustle and bustle and touristy Spring Break type of resorts in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta than you should check out the Dominican Republic.
Nassau, Bahamas
The capital and largest city in the Bahamas, Nassau is an eclectic and energetic city with a lot to offer. You can find a lively night life scene and a relaxing beach atmosphere just minutes away from each other. The city is known for its beauty and important locations for many films, featuring in numerous James bond films as well as various other often water or beach themed movies that are looking for a picturesque setting and location. The Beatles also filmed scenes for their film “Help!” in Nassau. Tourism is one of the large attractions in the city and there are also many well known parades and holidays with the Junkanoo parade brining in tourists from all over the world.
Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico
The area of Puerto Rico is mostly mountainous with beautiful white sand beaches in the coastal areas to the north and south. Originally an agricultural country exporting much sugar, tourism is now one of its main economic components, brining in an approximate $1.8 billion dollars in revenue with 5 million tourists visiting the island in the year 1999, today it is assuredly much higher. Most of Puerto Rico is still very poor, with a median household income of around $17,000 which is still much less than the poorest state in the United States. Nevertheless, it is a great tourist location with many lovely resorts that are both relaxing and exciting. Puerto Ricans are very friendly to fellow Americans.
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There are many things that you need to make sure you have organized for your wedding. The first thing you need to make sure you do is make a wedding planning checklist. This is basically a list of all the things you need to get done in the lead up to your wedding. Generally most people plan their wedding 12-18 before the big event, which gives them plenty of time to organize everything and most importantly organized their budget. For most couples this will be the biggest party they have organized and they can find it a little bit stressful and overwhelming. With this in mind planning is key as this will help you make sure you have everything in place well in advance of the big day.
First on your list
1. You will need to make an appointment with the priest or minister this will be performing the ceremony.
2. Think about where you are going to hold the reception and make appointments to meet with them.
3. You can inform your bridesmaids, best man
4. Start to shop around for your wedding dress.
Six months before the wedding
1. You will need to organize your honeymoon
2. Make sure to organize your wedding transportation.
3. Make appointments to meet wedding photographers
4. Arrange time to fit your wedding dress and also your bridesmaid’s dresses.
Three months before the wedding
1. Shop for your wedding rings.
2. Organize your wedding cake
3. Meet with priest or minister to go over the wedding ceremony plans
4. Meet with the location of your wedding reception to go over details.
5. It’s time to start organizing your wedding flowers and what you need.
6. Purchase your wedding stationery and invitation cards.
Two months before the wedding
1. Send out all of your invitation cards to your guests
2. Confirm details which are wedding transportation
One month before the wedding
1. Confirm your final numbers that reception location
2. Confirm delivery of your wedding dress if any alterations needed to be done
3. Confirm appointments with hairdresser, makeup, etc.
The week before your wedding
1. You will need to arrange some rehearsals time for your wedding ceremony with priest or minister
2. Confirm with all suppliers Hotel, wedding transportation, photographer that there are no issues
This is just really a quick list to give you an idea of some of the things that you need to organize. The reality is your list will be much longer but you have to start somewhere and need a guideline. Being organized will also make things less stressful. It’s important over time that you are planning your wedding that you enjoy and embrace everything. This should be fun and enjoyable.
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Travel agent visits Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Sandals Cay in the Bahamas. Photos of all areas of the hotel and the island. Red Lane Spa on the island.
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An all inclusive honeymoon vacation includes everything you need to have a romantic and relaxing honeymoon. And after the stress and craziness of the wedding what couple doesn’t need this. The all inclusive package can save couples not only money but countless hours of work and planning.
Honeymoon vacation planning should be exciting and fun and the end result should be a carefree escape to paradise. When planning your all inclusive honeymoon package, often times the hardest part is getting started and searching for the perfect honeymoon vacation can still be overwhelming.
The best way to start is to come to a consensus of where you both would like to go and the type of activities that you both enjoy doing together. Once you have this squared away you can start looking for all inclusive offers in that area and start comparing prices, accommodations, levels of service, and activities.
All inclusive honeymoons provide a romantic intimate setting for a lifetime of honeymoon memories and the choices for a tropical honeymoon are endless and couples often turn to the convenient and economical option of an all-inclusive resort.
As an example let’s look at Sandals resorts, which is couples only. They have kept things simple at all their resort locations for the honeymooning couple by including everything in one price. With luxurious ocean view rooms and suites, a selection of gourmet restaurants (offering table service and not just buffets), unlimited premium brand beverages, a wide selection of land and water sports, including golf and scuba diving, and roundtrip airport transfers and tipping, Sandals represents the ultimate luxury all-inclusive honeymoon experience. The vacation can be as private as you wish or packed with activities, and since a significant portion of the clientele are couples on their honeymoon, rest assured that the resorts understand your desire for privacy.
It is important to be aware that the “all” part of the all-inclusive can vary widely from one resort to another, as can the quality. There is usually consistency within resort chains concerning what’s included so be sure to thoroughly research each resort you are interested in to be sure they offer what you are looking for.
Quality resorts will offer a variety of sit down gourmet restaurants offering wide menu selections and even formal white glove service. Some resorts feature smaller restaurants with varied hours for your convenience. Room service is often an option at upscale all-inclusive resorts, just as it would be in any luxury hotel. All beverages are free of charge at most all-inclusive resorts. The more luxurious resorts even include unlimited premium brand liquors. Bars of various sizes are positioned throughout the resorts, some staying open all night. There is usually one such bar per resort and dancing goes on all night.
More and more couples are choosing an inclusive honeymoon vacation because daily expenses like food, beverage and entertainment are included in the vacation package price. If you want ease and affordability then planning an all inclusive honeymoon may be just the ticket for you.
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A firm favourite with gap year travellers, there are some very good reasons behind Australiaâs enduring popularity; its location makes it a perfect stop off on a round the world ticket and a great place to wind down. An added bonus for English speakers is the lack of a language barrier, which makes earning money here much easier; the well developed infrastructure means that travelling around is no hassle; and as if that wasnât enough; the country has a natural beauty to rival any of its more exotic neighbours
Australia is that rarest of things; a tropical country which can afford to fit air conditioning in most of its public buildings! Gappers who will spend a lot of time both in and out of doors will certainly appreciate it! That in a nutshell is the appeal of Australia; breathtaking beauty in a user-friendly package. Keep reading the see how Australia ranks on the trusty Gapometer.
*****Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gaptastic
****Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Great for gappers
***Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Worth a look
**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Too much else to see
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Never mind the Gap
Volunteer work
The dangers of environmental damage are known only too well here. The landscape may look rugged but itâs no match for global warming; one of the driest countries in the world is getting drier and itâs having a huge effect on all life here, human and wild. Since European settlers landed, the continent has lost a huge number of its natural species; conservation work here gets less press than in many countries around the world but the Australian Conservation Foundation is becoming increasingly concerned about the situation. If youâre thinking of doing something useful on your gap year then volunteering in Australia may be just the thing fro you.
**** A less high-profile victim of global warming, the area still needs you
Exploring
One of Australiaâs greatest advantages for the gapper is its proximity to Asia. A short hop and youâre in the heart of Asia, enjoying temples and tuk-tuks. The handy âround the worldâ ticket pretty much guarantees that Australia features on most peopleâs itinerary but if youâre going to use your time to explore Australia then bring a good book! As the worldâs largest island, transfers can be lengthy; air travel is a popular way of getting around. Look for deals that give you multiple flights within a certain period of time.
Contrary to most countries, bus transport is excellent with air-conditioned, video-equipped buses that will put your hostel room to shame. Remember that public transport is better on the glitzy east coast than in other parts of the country; train travel here is for enthusiasts rather than people in a hurry. The Indian Pacific is a great way to see a huge amount of the country and unless you get travel sick itâs well worth fitting into your schedule. If youâre travelling in the wild, make sure you check out some outback safety tips, because you donât want to get stuck there.
**** Varies across the country but overall no hindrance to great travel
Money
Fun as it is to start planning diving in coral reefs and traversing the Outback, first of all you should give careful thought to your budget. The last thing you want is to leave for a year and have to cut your journey short because of a lack of cash. Avoid the famous one-armed bandits though and money shouldnât stand in the way of a great trip. Remember the lack of a language barrier always presents opportunities for work even if you do run short.
As in most countries, you can have a frugal or extravagant travel experience here. Smaller towns make almost no dent in your wallet while the eastern coast is a more expensive area in which to travel (they donât call it the Gold Coast for nothing)! You wonât live as cheaply as in Asia or Africa but living costs here are still extremely cheap in some areas. If you decide to explore after you finish doing some volunteering make sure you plan a round trip back to your arrival city as a return flight home will cost you less than two singles.
**** Not as cheap as Africa and Asia but just as cheerful!
The wow factor
There can be a tendency to think of Australia as a home away from home and as such, not as exotic as other countries in the area. However, as much as language, food and music will remind you of home here, the Outback, Great Barrier Reef, tropical North and stunning Blue Mountains provide more than enough of an exotic travel experience.
**** More different than you think
Useful links:
http://www.i-to-i.com/resources/students-and-gap-years/
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