So, you’ve booked the venue, picked the dreamiest dress and selected the perfect signature cocktail for your big day. Next? The honeymoon planning! Just because you want to have your *dream* honeymoon on a budget, there’s no reason why you and your partner-in-crime can’t go ahead and start gathering inspiration for your perfect warm-weather getaway. After all, this is your very first trip together as a married couple, and you’ll need a little R&R from wedding planning. If all you can think about is pretty beaches, major relaxation and some seriously delicious coconut cocktails, then you’ll want to take note. We talked with Meridith and Will Whitaker, a real-life couple who spilled all the deets with us on how to have the best tropical honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico.
Where to Stay
“We’re not sure that there was a particular reason for Mexico, but we heard about cheapcaribbean.com from a friend who used it for their honeymoon and we just browsed the website. We ended up choosing an all-inclusive Iberostar Resort in Cozumel, Mexico.”
What to Do
“During our honeymoon, we went on a boat ride and went snorkeling, swam with a dolphin, relaxed at the resort, rode a moped around the city and explored the local culture. I absolutely loved playing with the dolphin — it was my dream come true! She did all kinds of tricks with us, including pushing us across the water, high fives, etc. We had the last time slot of the day and ended up being the only two people in the water with the dolphin and the trainer. I still remember that the dolphin’s name was Rachel and that we paid $30 for one picture of me with her! We laughed about how outrageous that was at the time, but it really was worth it. Our other favorites were swimming in the crystal clear water at the beach and just exploring the city outside of the resort.”
Things to Eat and Drink
“We ate at the resort a lot, as all meals were included in the cost of our trip, but our most memorable meal was at a local festival we found while riding the moped around the city! We both really loved this Mexican corn on the cob slathered in lime mayonnaise and covered in some kind of cheese. We tried to recreate it when we got home and came pretty close, but we’ve never had anything exactly like it since!
We also drank some kind of mixed drink straight from a coconut. They chopped off the top of the coconut and mixed the drink inside with the coconut juice. So delicious, and we felt like we were getting the real Mexico experience.”
Travel Tips and Tricks
1. You don’t need much. “I don’t remember what essentials we took with us except for bathing suits and sunscreen, but what else do you really need?”
2. Explore the culture. “We happened to be there on Cinco de Mayo and stumbled upon a real Mexican festival on our explorations! We loved watching the dances and listening to the music.”
3. Just relax. “Go somewhere you can relax! Originally we wanted to do something unique and go to San Francisco on our honeymoon — I had never been to California at the time — and explore the city. I am so glad we decided to do the stereotypical tropical resort honeymoon, though. It was so nice having so much unscheduled time to explore, and it really does make for a relaxing vacation when all of your expenses are paid upfront. The honeymoon is your chance to RELAX after all of the wedding craziness, so my advice is to go somewhere where you can do that.”
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(Photos via Iberostar Cozumel)