Romance, Relaxation and Rejuvenation - Perfect for HoneyLuna honeymooners!

Are you looking for the perfect honeymoon with lots of romance? Check out some of these spectacular options through Apple Vacations to help you have the honeymoon of your dreams! If you'd like to speak to a HoneyLuna honeymoon specialist at Apple, please call 877-322-1097

Honeymoon survey shows U.S. as top destination

Where are honeymooners going?

The continental U.S. was the most popular honeymoon destination for Americans in 2010, according to an annual honeymoon study by wedding-planning website The Knot.

A survey of more than 12,000 U.S. couples revealed that 30% of them honeymooned in the U.S. The top two domestic locales were Walt Disney World/Orlando and Las Vegas.

The U.S. edged out the Caribbean, where 28% spent their honeymoon.

Among destinations other than the continental U.S., Mexico was the most popular honeymoon locale, followed by Hawaii, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Italy, St. Lucia, France, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and Greece.

The average length of a domestic honeymoon was 6.7 days, compared with 8.7 days for honeymooners traveling outside the continental U.S.

Shortening the honeymoon was a popular way to save money, as 42% said they did so. But booking fewer extras such as spa treatments and excursions was the most popular money-saver at 63%.

Thirty-six percent booked cheaper hotels, 35% stayed closer to home and 22% visited a destination during the off-season.

Many honeymooners didn’t take a vacation from social media, as 48% of couples visited Facebook while on their honeymoon. Nineteen percent used an electronic mobile device.

By Jerry Limone Travel Weekly

HoneyLunahttp://www.honeyluna.com

Perfect for honeymooners! Jalousie Plantation, St Lucia Re-launches Romance Package

Use your HoneyLuna honeymoon registry to create a fabulous gift wish list for your honeymoon in St. Lucia and then enjoy these great perks at the Jalousie Plantation!

Set amid over 100 acres of pristine tropical rainforest in the embrace of St Lucia's World Heritage-listed Pitons, it is hard to imagine a more romantic location than the Jalousie Plantation Resort on the beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia.

Crystal clear waters lap the white sand beach while the cooling tropical breezes tug at waving palm trees. Tranquil and secluded, for nearly 20 years Jalousie has provided the ideal setting for postcard perfect sunsets, weddings, honeymoons and romantic rendezvous to remember.

With this in mind, the Jalousie Plantation has re-launched its popular Wings of Love romance package which includes activities that encompass some of the island's most famous attractions and is perfect for those with love in their hearts and adventure in their souls.

Inspired by the resort's inclusion in the US reality TV series, The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love, the Wings of Love package allows guests to relive The Bachelor experience with their own Bachelor or Bachelorette.

Rates for the 2011 Wings of Love package start at US$3506 from February 01 to April 30, 2011; from US$3058 May 1 to May 31, 2011; from US$2862 June 1 to October 13, 2011; and US$2856 October 14 to December 15, 2011. Rates are per room and based on double occupancy, and represent a savings of 30%. The Wings of Love package includes the following romantic features:

• Four nights in a Luxury Villa with Ocean View, private pool, four poster bed and butler service
• Return airport transfers from Hewanorra International Airport
• A perfectly chilled bottle of Champagne on arrival
• A single long stemmed red rose on arrival
• Introductory dive in the crystal waters or our national marine reserve
• Sunset cruise with sparkling wine
• Gros Piton Explorer Hike
• Sulphur Seduction spa treatment for two, including a trip to the Sulphur Springs and volcano and a volcanic mud bath (as seen in The Bachelor)
• Romantic candlelit dinner on the beach or hotel jetty with a bottle of sparkling wine (subject to weather conditions and venue availability)
• Breakfast in bed on one morning of your choice
• Complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability on arrival)

Additional nights available from US$413 per night room only. All rates are subject to 8% government tax and 10% service charge. Perfect for honeymoon travelers, The Wings of Love package cannot be combined with any other rate special. Package elements cannot be substituted or redeemed for cash credit. Valid for travel up to December 15, 2011.

For more information and bookings, contact The Jalousie Plantation on telephone +1 758 456 8000 or check out www.thejalousieplantation.com.

Beautiful St. Lucia has it all for your HoneyLuna!

Are you looking for a beautiful, romantic, relaxing and yet adventurous spot for your honeymoon? Consider St. Lucia!!!

And did you know that your trip to St. Lucia (and many other destinations!), if booked through Gift of Travel (www.giftoftravel.com) and the Travel as a Fundraiser program, can generate a donation to a non-profit? Yes, it’s that easy to make a difference. HoneyLuna has partnered with Gift of Travel so that every time you book your honeymoon or hotel and book it through Gift of Travel Gift of Travel makes a donation to help support their non-profit partners. When you go to St. Lucia on your honeymoon, use the travel booking engine provided by Apple Vacations and Gift of Travel e will make a donation to one of our non-profit partners!

Use HoneyLuna's honeymoon registry for your honeymoon to St. Lucia and you can not only feel good because you're helping support a charity, you can also feel good knowing that your friends and family are purchasing experiential wedding gifts for you with memories that will last a life time!

Content about St. Lucia is generously provided by Beverly Burmeier Please visit her blog at http://www.goingonadventures.com/

I took one of the raw cocoa beans from the shell in our guide’s hand and sucked it as she said children do, for the sweetness. But the large white bean was slimy and tasted nothing like the chocolate I knew. It was a long way from being ready for consumption—a process that involves drying, stomping, crushing, and drying again, eventually resulting in a chocolate powder or log that can be grated and used in recipes.

We were touring Morne Cubaril Estate, the oldest plantation on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, which still raises cocoa beans, coconuts, and sugar cane. This was the noon stop on our all-day tour and the place we would be served a sumptuous Creole buffet lunch. But first we sampled fresh coconut meat and coconut candy and drank coconut water (sweet and thin). We sipped juice from sugar cane, squeezed out by a donkey working an old-fashioned sugar mill—all of which made us appreciate the pork and chicken meal even more.

Overlooking scenic Marigot Bay

This was our first visit to St. Lucia, and we hoped to discover why it’s considered one of the most beautiful and romantic Caribbean Islands. So we booked an all-day shore excursion from the Emerald Princess cruise ship to get a good look at this lush volcanic island. From a steaming crater to golden sand and green rainforests, the views were stunning at all points.

Some say Christopher Columbus discovered St. Lucia, but it hasn’t been proven. Regardless, it was fought over by the British and French--changing hands and rulers14 times before the island was ceded to Britain in 1814. But French influence remains strong—a broken French dialect is very prominent, and the staccato cadence is quite difficult to understand even though English is the official language.

Poinsettias bloom half the year

Our tour started in the capital city of Castries, the busiest and most efficient port in the Eastern Caribbean. From the north side of the island we traveled west, viewing abundant fields growing grapefruit, sour and sweet oranges, golden apples, limes, coconut, and bananas.

Open air market at Anse La Raye

A high point overlooked Marigot Bay, a beautiful location featured in several movies. We passed Rosa Valley, the largest banana plantation on the island, and drove through six small fishing villages. The first, Anse La Raye, has a large West Indian influence. While checking out the scenery, I ventured into the open air market and bought a set of lacquered bamboo baskets. Homes in Canaries, another fishing village, are colorfully painted red, yellow, blue, green, and pink—matching the bountiful blooms on the island.

Magnificent Pitons on the water's edge

We passed damage on roads and bridges wrought by Hurricane Thomas in October 2010 as we headed east toward the rain forest, a tangled mass of thick green vegetation. Bougainvilla in pink, purple, and orange grew wild. Giant ferns up to 25 feet high hung over the road like umbrellas. Many hairpin curves, steep inclines and declines kept us swaying from side to side in the mini-bus as we motored toward the historic coastal town of Soufriere (Sou-fray).

Suddenly, the dramatic Pitons or Twin Peaks, appeared to rise up from the water’s edge. Although they aren’t the highest points on the island, they are the most photographed sight in the Caribbean.

Mineral water is said to
have healing properties

Three centuries ago the volcano imploded and left a caldera around the area. Three pools of simmering muddy water have been bubbling from the barren earth ever since, spewing clouds of steam 50 feet into the air. At the volcano's edge we walked down slippery steps for a better view of the waterfall's sparkling cascade and mineral pool. Public therapeutic bathing is allowed in the 80 degree water. A strong sulphur smell hangs in the air from gases being released.

Back at Souffiere we boarded a catamaran for sailing to a beach. Swimming in pleasantly warm water and drinking multiple cups of rum punch convinced us that St. Lucia is truly an island paradise.

Photos: Larry and Beverly Burmeier

Tips on How To Save on your Honeymoon!

The honeymoon is an important aspect in every wedding plan no matter how tight the budget is. Your wedding day is your dream day, but every couple also looks forward to their honeymoon. Often the honeymoon is the first big getaway of your life together.

Your honeymoon is a time to rest after your wedding; but it's also the time to really enjoy being together before you return to reality.

All couples want their honeymoon to be wonderful - whether it's a big budget 10 night stay in na over the water bungalow in Bora Bora or a romantic stay in a cozy cabin the mountains. Many couples forget to include their honeymoon in their overall wedding planning budget -- or, as the cost of the wedding escalates, there are fewer dollars to spend on the honeymoon.

However, you can still have a wonderful honeymoon, even if you do not have a large budget!

First of all, plan what you CAN afford so that you are not adding the "oh my God how to we pay for this" stress to your list. You also don't want to start your new life together in credit card debt so DON'T use a credit card to finance your honeymoon.

Here are a few tips to help you save money for your honeymoon:

1) Use http://www.honeyluna.com/ for your wedding honeymoon registry. Honeymoon registries have been popular since HoneyLuna launched in 1995 -- and are now an acceptable form of bridal registry according to the Emily Post Insitute of Etiquette.

HoneyLuna's honeymoon registry is a great way to ask for gifts toward your honeymoon rather than another towel or toaster or "stuff" you don't want. Use HoneyLuna to register the items and activities of your honeymoon as your wedding gifts -- your family and friends can view the fun and experiential things you'd like to enjoy on your honeymoon and buy you things like a night in your hotel, a romantic dinner for two on the beach, spa treatments, contribute toward air fare... whatever!!!

Many couples who use a honeymoon registry get their honeymoons fully paid for by their friends and family and don't have to worry about returning 5 of the same "things" when they get home!

2. Plan your honeymoon ahead of time to take advantage of the best air fares and early booking discounts and promotions offered by resorts. You can book a honeymoon package with your air up to one year in advance.

3. Do consider a vacation rental or condo rather than a ritzy resort. Many condo resorts or vacation rentals ARE beautiful and luxurious -- and some do offer amenities and services. You can save a lot of money on the room rate -- but you can also save by buying snacks, breakfast foods, wines, etc. and stock them in your kitchen. Many brides say "I don't want to cook on my honeymoon" Well, you don't have too -- but you can save a ton of money by making your own coffee, having cereal and fruit for breakfast and and packing sandwiches for lunch. You can still treat yourself to a nice dinner - but will save by not having to eat out every meal.

4. Go to a national park or go camping on your honeymoon! This could be the best and the most romantic idea for an affordable honeymoon. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for hotel accommodations save the money for other important matters. Check out our previous blog about Honeymooning in National Parks (and yes, you can still use HoneyLuna's honeymoon registry!)

5. If you can, choose a honeymoon spot that is "off season". This is another great way to save money -- Hawaii is the MOST expensive June - August. Can you go before June 1 or after Labor Day? Is so you'll save hundreds on air fare and hundreds on room rates. And yes, it's hurricane season in the Caribbean during our summer months, but if not hurricaning, the weather can still be wonderful and room rates low....

be flexible.....be creative and have fun!!!

Consider a Destination Wedding for your HoneyLuna!

HoneyLuna's travel partner, Apple Vacations, can help you with your Destination Wedding!!

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. That’s why Apple Vacations has selected the hotels and resorts that offer everything you’re looking for in a destination wedding- professional wedding coordinators that take the stress out of planning, an incredible setting for your ceremony-whether indoors or barefoot on the sand-and the most romantic honeymoon you could ever imagine!

Apple Vacations is your one-stop shop for destination weddings. Apple will take care of all the flights, transfers and hotel arrangements for just the two of you -- or for your whole group, and we will put you directly in touch with the hotel to plan and book the wedding package of your choice.

Use HoneyLuna for your honeymoon registry and Apple Vacations for Destination Wedding and you will have a wedding - moon of your dreams come true!!

CLICK HERE for more information or call 877-332-1097