From Bora Bora to the Bahamas, How to Afford the Most Expensive Islands in the World
By Jamie Beckman
Yes, you CAN afford gorgeous beaches, secluded lodgings, and bragging rights to one of the top 10 hot-and-heavy, romantic island getaways on the planet.
St. Lucia
You and your main squeeze can (affordably) take the plunge in St. Lucai. (Photo: Jessica Sample)
To give you an idea of how verdant St. Lucia’s tropical vegetation is, in the film Superman II, Christopher Reeve flew all the way to the Caribbean island’s Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens to pick two bird of paradise flowers for Lois Lane. Frequent sun showers (the locals call them “liquid sunshine”) sparkle and descend over abundant waterfalls and crystal-clear bays, all under the watchful eyes of the island’s two iconic volcanic landforms, Petit Piton and Gros Piton.
The eco-friendly resort Fond Doux Resort & Plantation, in the town of Soufrière, is nestled among fruit and vegetable trees including breadfruit, pawpaws, and mangoes (from $230 per night). Another option: Staying at Stonefield Estate Resort is well worth the splurge, with its ultra-private villas, each equipped with its own swimming pool, outdoor garden shower, and porch hammock (from $225 per night). We’re not telling you to go skinny-dipping in your private pool, but if you’ve never tried it before, now would be the time. The property’s free made-to-order breakfast—which includes local juices like tamarind and passionfruit, and specialty dishes like scrambled eggs and bacon nestled in a fresh-baked baguette—are served at Stonefield’s Mango Tree restaurant, overlooking Soufrière Bay with an impeccable view of Petit Piton.
Handsy lovebirds can head to the dormant volcano Sulphur Springs (billed as a “drive-in volcano”) to rub handfuls of mud over each other’s bodies, then submerge themselves in the Black Pool’s legendary healing mineral waters ($5). The benefit: baby-soft skin.
Fiji
Bouma Falls in Fiji is one of the most romantic spots on earth. (Kelpfish/Dreamstime)
If getting away from it all—far, far away—with your main squeeze is your fantasy, flying to Fiji fits the bill. The collection of 333 islands boasts so much untouched natural beauty that the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed here. (Talk about secluded.) If that’s not tempting enough, the Fiji tourism board claims there were 600 proposals in Fiji last year…and 600 yeses.
The rain-forest-rich island of Taveuni, with its coconut plantations and waterfalls, has much to offer lovers seeking beauty in nature. Every room at Garden Island Resort has an ocean view and outdoor space—plus you can take diving courses right on site (from $189 per night). Scuba-diving the colorful coral-blanketed Rainbow Reef—including the famous perpendicular Great White Wall of luminescent coral—for an up-close-and-personal peek at sea life, including barracuda and parrotfish, is a tradition for couples (from $114). If you venture off property for dinner, the menu at Vunibokoi Restaurant, part of the Tovu Tovu Resort, is chock-full of local eats like taro leaf and coconut cream soup and shelled mangrove crabs (entrees from $15 to $20).
Bora Bora
The overwater bungalows of Bora Bora are legendary. (Photo: Thinkstock)
Bora Bora isn’t nicknamed “The Romantic Island” for nothing. The six-mile-long French Polynesian island’s overwater bungalows are the stuff postcard pictures are made of. Hotel Maitai Polynesia (from $233 per night) offers both quintessential overwater bungalows—complete with glass coffee tables to spy the tropical fish flitting about in the turquoise lagoon below—and wallet-friendly garden-view rooms situated among exotic mountainside plants. Every room includes a bed strewn with local flowers.
By day, an outfitter like Moana Adventure Tours or Bora Bora Romantic Tour can schedule private excursions ranging from a snorkel safari to a pricier private “motu” picnic, in which you dine à deux on Polynesian barbecue on a tiny islet, snorkel with manta rays, and feed sharks by hand. That’s only if you’re feeling flush, though. To offset the activities’ cost, go with a group instead (from $50 per person). On a special night, you can sample the prime rib at Restaurant Fare Manuia (689-67-68-08)—visitors rave about it—but the food trucks (called “roulottes”) by the pier in Vaitape have delicious options too.
Related: You Can’t Get More Romantic Than These 3 Couples Retreats
North Bimini, Bahamas
Catch fish, or simply swim with these ones in North Bimini. (Photo: Vilainecrevette/Dreamstime)
A two-hour boat ride from Miami, North Bimini, Bahamas, allows for an island experience—minus the price of a long-haul plane ticket. The island offers a particularly enchanting piece of American history: Author Ernest Hemingway considered it his favorite escape, namely for the island’s fishing. Marlin Cottage, where he stayed with his wife Pauline during his first summer on the island, is still available for rent at Bimini Blue Water Resort, a no-frills, tried-and-true fisherman’s complex with 32 slips, ideal if casting and reeling is your shared passion (800/688-4752, from $101 per night). To up the bling factor, couples can book their own private guest villa at Resorts World Bimini (from $180 per night)—or wait until winter 2015 when the property’s sleek Marina Hotel opens, offering high-end amenities like floor-to-ceiling windows, marble bathrooms, and an expansive rooftop pool and bar.
One sentimental must-do: Visit the otherworldly-looking, undulating Love Tree, atop a rocky outcropping right on the beach. Several couples have gotten engaged under it, and it’s a lovely photo op to boot—local Bahamian legend says it brings good luck and fortune to those who kiss beneath it. To win your lover over forever, tote along a slice of sweet cinnamon-raisin or coconut Bimini bread from A Taste of Heaven Bakery and Take-Away (Kings Highway).
Curaçao
Knip Beach, in Curaçao, offers gin-clear water, bright sand, and lush hillsides. (Photo: Evaulphoto/Dreamstime)
Part of the fun of this island is saying its name: CURE-uh-sow. Planners with tight schedules and trim budgets can hit Curaçao almost anytime: This Dutch Caribbean island is one of the three A-B-C islands—along with Aruba and Bonaire—that you can book without bad-weather concerns: They’re situated below the weather “belt,” making them essentially immune to hurricane season. Once you’re in Curaçao, strolling hand-in-hand seaside in the historic capital city of Willemstad among the brightly colored buildings, the Queen Emma pontoon bridge in the background, is like being on your own romantic movie set. Kayaking Spanish Bay is another film-perfect experience for couples. Outfitters like Adrenaline Tours Curaçao will take you out for an afternoon of kayaking and snorkeling among the coral and scorpion fish (from $45). Take bets on who can spot the most live lobsters under the sea.
For a private sanctuary feel, Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort sits on 27 acres of exotic natural preserve (from $189 per night)…and serves up blue curaçao cocktails in the lobby (of course). Check “eat fresh seafood” off your list at local favorite Sea Side Terrace, a restaurant housed in a shipping container that cooks up fresh lionfish and dishes out fish soup and other inexpensive dishes (599-461-8361, from $4.50)—all while you lounge under straw umbrellas with your feet in the Caribbean sea.
Boracay
The island of Boracay is off the radar of many travelers. It offers stunning ocean views and more. (Photo: Travnikovstudio/Dreamstime)
Loafing is encouraged on Boracay, a teensy four-mile island in the Philippines lauded for its beautiful pristine beaches. Expansive White Beach is the most popular (read: touristy), but peace and quiet can be had at Puka Beach for the price of a tricycle ride to reach it (about $3). Those in search of relationship zen can seek it at the Argonauta Boracay boutique hotel, surrounded by tropical gardens bursting with ferns and heliconias and an indoor garden with koi pond, where you can sip your morning coffee or an evening cocktail. Lounge on the roof deck to soak in panoramic ocean views (from $125 per night).
When you’ve had enough sunbathing, take the plunge with your lover at eco-adventure locale Ariel’s Point, where you can climb up a bamboo ladder and cliff-dive in tandem, as part of a daylong excursion ($46). The flat fee buys you a boat cruise to and from the destination, cliff-diving, snorkeling, kayaking, hammock lounging, an open bar serving local spirits and beers (San Miguel and Red Horse), snacks, and an ample lunch buffet of traditional Filipino dishes like longaniza sausages and pancit noodles.
Related: More Than a View, But What a View it Is! Spectacular Caribbean Hotels
Lanai, Hawaii
Waves crash on the beach in Shark’s Cove in Lanai, Hawaii. (Photo: Cephotography/Dreamstime)
Hawaii, that quintessential honeymoon destination, is indeed within a budget traveler’s grasp in Lanai—no plunking down a high-limit credit card for a pricey resort necessary. Hotel Lanai, an 11-room inn originally built as lodging for Dole Plantation execs in the 1920s, has cozy, plantation-themed decor and a free continental breakfast (from $149 per night). For lunch, settle in at Lanai Ohana Poke Market and try multiple types of the Hawaiian pupu seafood dish poke, including spicy ahi and mini octopus (808/559-6265, entrees $7 to $14). Go early, around 10:30 a.m., before the poke runs out.
Your own relationship will hopefully turn out better than the tragic one credited with the legend of Sweetheart Rock (Puu Pehe), a heart-shaped sea stack you can view from the 15-minute hiking trail leading up from Hulopoe Beach Park. According to local lore, a warrior from Lanai captured a beautiful princess from Maui, married her, and imprisoned her in a sea cave close to the rock in order to discourage potential suitors from laying eyes on her. Bad weather kicked up one day, drowning the princess. Anguished, the warrior plummeted from the top of the rock to his own death. On a more uplifting note, if you peer closely from the breathtaking hilltop vantage point, you might see spinner dolphins frolicking in the waves.
Lombok
Quinci Villas, in Lombok, Indonesia. (Courtesy: Quinci Villas)
Couples looking for an unconventional trip, take note: The tropical island of Lombok, Bali’s quieter next-door neighbor, is known for its unspoiled white-sand beaches, sea turtle-rife waters for scuba-diving, and righteous waves ideal for surfing. Scuba Froggy has three locations and will take you scuba-diving among a range of sea creatures, from clownfish to coral fans (from $25). Chic boutique hotel Qunci Villas in Senggigi offers a number of “romantic moments,” from vow renewal to a romantic dinner decorated with local flowers—or just grab a cocktail and tapas at the outdoor lounge bar for sunset happy hour and watch the sun dip down beneath a deep-orange horizon (from $189 per night).
For an authentic local food, Warung Hesty, in Pujut, doesn’t look like much, but travelers say dishes like Lombok curry and spicy chicken fried rice are excellent—and affordable (0818546441). If you desire a bit more atmosphere, dine in a private outdoor bamboo hut at Coco Beach restaurant, in Senggigi. Fresh fish and chicken, Indonesian eats like gado gado (mixed vegetables and eggs with peanut sauce), and herbal teas are all on the menu (628175780-055; entrees from $5 to $10).
Related: How I Turned a Romantic Honeymoon Cruise Into a “Familymoon”
Mallorca
A view of Cala Fornells in Paguera, Mallorca, Spain. (Photo: Victor Torres/Dreamstime)
This Spanish island located in the Mediterranean Sea offers a wallop of art and history along with its jet set-approved culture. The HM Balanguera, in the city center of Palma de Mallorca, offers contemporary design—bright-white interiors with rustic wood accents—and a chic rooftop pool with lounge chairs and private cabanas suitable for cuddling with a cocktail in hand (from $112 per night). For your daily dose of culture, take a tour of the Majorca Cathedral, right on the sea, built over more than 400 years and completed in 1601 ( $8). Or pay a visit to famed Mallorcan artist Joan Miró’s museum and his studio—left just as it was when he died ($8). For pure fun farther north, charter a 50-foot schooner for a three-hour sunset sail including platters of tapas and cold drinks and ample opportunity for a dip in the Bay of Pollensa (from about $65). If the beach is your preferred scene, Cala Major is the one closest to the city center. It’s equipped with public restrooms, showers, and chairs and umbrellas for rent.
When sightseeing has left you famished, duck into Celler Sa Premsa with your date and sample authentic Mallorcan cuisine, including tumbet (cooked potatoes, eggplant, and red peppers with tomato sauce), frito mallorquín (fried lamb liver with potatoes, peppers, and herbs), and local wines, amid warm rustic décor including vintage bullfighting posters and walls fashioned out of wine barrels (entrees from $11 to $17).
Maldives
Cocktails by the pool at Kurumba, Maldives. (Courtesy: Kurumba Maldives)
There’s something about these sinking islands that gives them a romantic it’s-now-or-never vibe, perfect for couples crazy in love. On the other hand, when travelers think “Maldives,” they also think “expensive,” but that doesn’t have to be the case. The recent government-sanctioned rise of informal guesthouses with local families as the hosts has presented an alternative to ultra-expensive resorts. The Amazing Noovilu guesthouse on Mahibadhoo, for example, starts at $125 per night for accommodations and all meals, and your host, Mazin, will take you on-shore fishing and give you Maldivian language lessons for free. Resort-wise, the luxe Kurumba Maldives, located on its own private island, offers a variety of last-minute and holiday deals, plus flexible meal plans if you want to dine on-property; breakfast is always free (from $260 per night).
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