Bride-to-Be Blogger Danielle: Honeymoon Booked! (More or Less)

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The Dreams Villamagna Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.

Last week I mentioned that Tim and I decided on a location for our honeymoon. We decided to go to Riviera Nayarit, which is in Mexico, north of Puerto Vallarta. And we decided to spend the first half of the trip relaxing at a full-service, all-inclusive resort, then heading to a more rustic hotel to hide out and take surf lessons, among other activities.

First, Tim’s passport arrived already. When they say “expedited” they really mean it! That was two weeks flat, for those who are counting.

This week, we booked the hotel for the first half of the trip at Dreams Villamanga in Nuevo Vallarta. We’re very much looking forward to the beach, the views, and the swim-up bar — but I’m actually really excited about the room, which not only has a gorgeous soaking tub, but a balcony with a Jacuzzi on it. After all the craziness leading up to the wedding — and the many hours at the extra jobs to pay for it — Tim and I will both be ready to relax in style. And, thanks to a good friend, we were able to get this amazing respite booked at a discount with a friends and family deal. (Same friend who introduced us to our DJ – I think she’s a keeper!)

We also booked our flight, which was something of a feat. There were no direct flights from Philadelphia, Newark or BWI. We opted to fly out of Newark, which saved us more than $500. If you don’t think the crises in the Middle East can and do impact everything in life, yes it is impacting honeymoons (and flights in general). We felt good to check this one off the list.

Finally, we chose the hotel for the second half of our trip. We’re going to stay at Playa Escondida, which is a small hotel in the town of Sayulita that is a self-proclaimed “Private Jungle-Beach Hideaway & Spa.” We had narrowed it down to this hotel and one other, but after reading a ton of reviews on TripAdvisor, we decided that this was the spot for us to reconnect, enjoy sunrise yoga on the beach, go horseback riding, and trek into Sayulita to explore the village and go to surf school (a dream of mine for a long time). We expect to reverse a lot of the sloth and gluttony from the first half of our trip here.

And again, I’m most excited about the room. Each room or suite is different, with unique features. Some have outdoor showers, some have double showers, some have completely open-air bathrooms. Some have decks, others balconies, yet others patios. But really, all of them look charming and quaint, and you can choose the accommodation you prefer, pending availability. Tomorrow we will call and reserve the room of our choice, which has gorgeous wooden shutters that when open provide expansive views of the beach and ocean — from the bed or the bathroom. Unless, of course, we change our mind between now and tomorrow morning and opt for one with a balcony bathroom…. Why is this such a hard decision?!

After that all we will have to do is choose a surf school … and maybe make some spa appointments. That doesn’t seem too bad to me. As if the wedding (and being married) was not enough, now I really feel as if we have something to look forward to, and I am really starting to get excited.

Do you plan to go on a relaxing or adventurous honeymoon? (Or a little of both?)  What was the toughest part of the honeymoon to plan?


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