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Started By
Message
2022 Honeymoon Adventure: Maldives, Amsterdam, Santorini, Athens
Posted on 12/15/21 at 12:15 pm
Posted on 12/15/21 at 12:15 pm
Gearing up for my honeymoon in May of 2022. My fiance is handling the wedding planning but leaving the trip up to me. Most of the flights are booked but I haven't booked any hotels yet. Any advice on what to see/do and where to stay is appreciated.
Booked so Far
Flights
IAH-DOH-CMB in Qatar QSuites
CMB-MLE in SriLankan Business Class
MLE-AUH-AMS in Etihad Business Class
ATH-AMS-AUS in KLM Business Class
Hotels
N/A
To be Booked
Flights
DFW/DAL-IAH Positioning Flight
AMS-JTR
JTR-ATH
Hotels
3 Nights in the Maldives (Overwater Villa)
2 Nights in Amsterdam
3 Nights in Santorini
1 Night in Athens
Diamond with Hilton and Titanium with Marriott so ideally I would like to stay at properties affiliated with that brand.
Booked so Far
Flights
IAH-DOH-CMB in Qatar QSuites
CMB-MLE in SriLankan Business Class
MLE-AUH-AMS in Etihad Business Class
ATH-AMS-AUS in KLM Business Class
Hotels
N/A
To be Booked
Flights
DFW/DAL-IAH Positioning Flight
AMS-JTR
JTR-ATH
Hotels
3 Nights in the Maldives (Overwater Villa)
2 Nights in Amsterdam
3 Nights in Santorini
1 Night in Athens
Diamond with Hilton and Titanium with Marriott so ideally I would like to stay at properties affiliated with that brand.
12
Posted on 12/15/21 at 12:30 pm to H2O Tiger
That sounds miserable 
Posted on 12/15/21 at 12:51 pm to Teddy Ruxpin
My fiancé is a saint and puts up with my ridiculous travel itineraries
Posted on 12/15/21 at 12:58 pm to H2O Tiger
quote:
Maldives, Amsterdam, Santorini, Athens
Dude what the frick
quote:
3 Nights in the Maldives (Overwater Villa)
2 Nights in Amsterdam
3 Nights in Santorini
1 Night in Athens
Do not do this dude. The flight alone to the Maldives is rough. You're insane in my opinion.
You should have stuck to just Greece, or just the Maldives.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:07 pm to Fun Bunch
The Maldives is a long flight but there is only so much to do on an atoll where the whole thing is a hotel. So 4 days there seemed like enough. Amsterdam was supposed to be followed by Brussels but after some consideration my fiance wanted to go to Santorini instead. The day in athens is just to position for our flight home, from what I've read you can see the main sights in Athens in an afternoon.
This schedule is also fairly normal for us as far as international trips go, when flying halfway across the world we try and see a few different places.
This schedule is also fairly normal for us as far as international trips go, when flying halfway across the world we try and see a few different places.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:07 pm to H2O Tiger
quote:
My fiancé is a saint and puts up with my ridiculous travel itineraries
Just my opinion, she should take charge of the honeymoon too. You're letting "great point redemptions" drive your planning. There is nothing enjoyable about 50 hours of air travel.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:08 pm to H2O Tiger
I'm probably more amenable to ambitious travel plans than most, but that is crazy. The Maldives is just about the literal other side of the planet. Plus, you likely have to fly from Male to another island once you get there. Then you'll likely have to catch a boat to a resort.
So your travel will be:
Dallas-Houston-Doha-Columbo-Male-Inter Island flight-Resort Boat Ride...for 3 nights.
I've been to the Maldives, and it was awesome. But no way in hell I'd do all that for that short of a stop - especially on a honeymoon. Add in the rest of the travel, and y'all will be miserable.
Pick Greece or the Maldives. Do all 9 nights in Greece or a week in the Maldives with a 2 night stop in Amsterdam (or all 9 in the Maldives).
So your travel will be:
Dallas-Houston-Doha-Columbo-Male-Inter Island flight-Resort Boat Ride...for 3 nights.
I've been to the Maldives, and it was awesome. But no way in hell I'd do all that for that short of a stop - especially on a honeymoon. Add in the rest of the travel, and y'all will be miserable.
Pick Greece or the Maldives. Do all 9 nights in Greece or a week in the Maldives with a 2 night stop in Amsterdam (or all 9 in the Maldives).
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:09 pm to H2O Tiger
quote:
This schedule is also fairly normal for us as far as international trips go, when flying halfway across the world we try and see a few different places.
I mean, yeah, but that usually means like seeing Barcelona, Seville and Madrid.
This is pretty nuts.
You do you, but any time I have done a trip even remotely this diverse (and I have NEVER done anything this extreme), its never enjoyable and always end up being the worst trips.
For me. You do you.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:12 pm to JustinTI
quote:
I'm probably more amenable to ambitious travel plans than most, but that is crazy. The Maldives is just about the literal other side of the planet. Plus, you likely have to fly from Male to another island once you get there. Then you'll likely have to catch a boat to a resort.
So your travel will be:
Dallas-Houston-Doha-Columbo-Male-Inter Island flight-Resort Boat Ride...for 3 nights.
I've been to the Maldives, and it was awesome. But no way in hell I'd do all that for that short of a stop - especially on a honeymoon. Add in the rest of the travel, and y'all will be miserable.
Pick Greece or the Maldives. Do all 9 nights in Greece or a week in the Maldives with a 2 night stop in Amsterdam (or all 9 in the Maldives).
Yeah, I do not think he is letting the logistics play themselves out. Whatever time you think you need from travel to locations, extend that by several hours.
PLUS: This is the Covid age: I guarantee you will have flights delayed, changed, cancelled, and logistical issues.
I would do anything you can to pair this down drastically.
You could spend two weeks in Greece/The Grecian Isles and not run out of things to see.
Maldives are amazing but extremely remote.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:12 pm to H2O Tiger
quote:
3 Nights in the Maldives (Overwater Villa)
2 Nights in Amsterdam
3 Nights in Santorini
1 Night in Athens
Huh?
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:14 pm to Fun Bunch
For the record, the initial plan was for the Maldives and then a stop in Amsterdam/Brussels for the return. She suggested bagging Brussels and going to Santorini instead.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:15 pm to DukeSilver
I'm not sure I have ever seen a more crazy, illogical, poorly thought out itinerary.
Not trying to pile on OP but it really is totally insane.
Not trying to pile on OP but it really is totally insane.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:18 pm to H2O Tiger
Another thing is packing.
You will need to pack an entirely different set of clothing for your Amsterdam days as opposed to your Maldives and Santorini days. Amsterdam can still be pretty cold in May. Even Athens might be slightly cool at night that time of year.
You will need to pack an entirely different set of clothing for your Amsterdam days as opposed to your Maldives and Santorini days. Amsterdam can still be pretty cold in May. Even Athens might be slightly cool at night that time of year.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:20 pm to Fun Bunch
The only possible adjustment would be if the EU goes back into/is still in lockdown and we shift our AUH-AMS flight to AUH-ATH and spend more time in Greece.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:27 pm to H2O Tiger
quote:
The only possible adjustment would be if the EU goes back into/is still in lockdown and we shift our AUH-AMS flight to AUH-ATH and spend more time in Greece.
No. He is referring to flight/schedule changes. I can speak first hand to this. My wife and I went to France in October and had our flights get changed 4 or 5 times. It was a pain, and we had a relatively simple itinerary. Plus you have delays to worry about. If one of your 5 flights to the Maldives gets delayed, you'll be in a major bind. Also, it looks like you'll be on different tickets, so the subsequent airline will be under no obligation to accommodate you in a complicated delay scenario.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:28 pm to JustinTI
The for the next several years, I am taking the fewest flights possible to any destination, and only booking fully refundable properties.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:30 pm to JustinTI
All of our booked iteniraries have days between flights. IAH-DOH-CMB-MLE is on one ticket (through American), hoping award availability opens up for 2 where I can cut out the connection through Colombo before departure.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 1:52 pm to H2O Tiger
If you can do anything to drastically pair this trip down by getting airline vouchers you can use towards a more streamlined trip, cancelling without penalty, or even just needing to eat a couple hundred bucks I would.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 2:01 pm to Fun Bunch
Everything that's currently booked are on fully refundable points.
Posted on 12/15/21 at 2:10 pm to H2O Tiger
Look...do the trip you want. Don't let us talk you out of doing what YOU want to do.
however I think this trip will be a logistical issue and you guys will be so exhausted that you will have a hard time actually...enjoying it and each other.
Plan on one day going back to one of the locations you didn't go to.
Pick one: Maldives and Amsterdam for a night or two, or Greece.
Spend your time seeing things at your leisure, having long lunches and dinners, and enjoying yourselves.
The trip you have planned will be at least 50% travel and you are setting yourself up for nightmare scenarios because of Covid and unpredictable airline travel.
Travel should be about enjoying yourself.
But if you decide to keep it:
Understand there are going to be travel delays and issues, and just know you have to roll with those punches. I wouldn't even book itineraries in the Maldives, I would just use that time to recover from your journey and chill in paradise.
Don't pack your itinerary to the brim in athens: have 2-3 things you absolutely have to see and keep it at that.
Santorini use much like you did the Maldives with a few more sites in. do the same sort of thing for Amsterdam you did for Athens.
MAKE RESERVATIONS for most meals so you don't have to think about restaurants and trying to find a place to eat once you are there.
Have itineraries so you are't wasting your time figuring out what to do next, but stay flexible.
Know what the Covid and vaccination rules are in Europe when you are there. Will your CDC card work? Do you have to get a QR code for the CovPass App when there?
Etc etc
I think you need to do a lot more planning (without packing too much in) when doing that breakneck of an trip.
however I think this trip will be a logistical issue and you guys will be so exhausted that you will have a hard time actually...enjoying it and each other.
Plan on one day going back to one of the locations you didn't go to.
Pick one: Maldives and Amsterdam for a night or two, or Greece.
Spend your time seeing things at your leisure, having long lunches and dinners, and enjoying yourselves.
The trip you have planned will be at least 50% travel and you are setting yourself up for nightmare scenarios because of Covid and unpredictable airline travel.
Travel should be about enjoying yourself.
But if you decide to keep it:
Understand there are going to be travel delays and issues, and just know you have to roll with those punches. I wouldn't even book itineraries in the Maldives, I would just use that time to recover from your journey and chill in paradise.
Don't pack your itinerary to the brim in athens: have 2-3 things you absolutely have to see and keep it at that.
Santorini use much like you did the Maldives with a few more sites in. do the same sort of thing for Amsterdam you did for Athens.
MAKE RESERVATIONS for most meals so you don't have to think about restaurants and trying to find a place to eat once you are there.
Have itineraries so you are't wasting your time figuring out what to do next, but stay flexible.
Know what the Covid and vaccination rules are in Europe when you are there. Will your CDC card work? Do you have to get a QR code for the CovPass App when there?
Etc etc
I think you need to do a lot more planning (without packing too much in) when doing that breakneck of an trip.
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