Honeymoons' sweet dreams

Newlyweds take off for romantic adventures

by BETH SHAPIRO

Before the wedding guest lists are finalized and the "I dos" are said, many couples think outside the chuppah, mapping out plans to extend their nuptial celebrations. While some choose to stay closer to home, others globe-trot across several time zones seeking exotic honeymoon experiences.

Tale of two 'moons

Former Valley resident Andrew Garlikov and his wife, Julie, who were married Dec. 29, 2005, did both. They decided to take a weekend "mini-moon" or short honeymoon near their Los Angeles-area home, waiting a month before taking a two-week trip to the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

"My No. 1 recommendation is to not go on your honeymoon right away," says Julie. "We spent a beautiful weekend locally in Santa Monica, in a suite overlooking the ocean. We stayed in town because we had so many guests from all over the world, and we wanted to visit with all of them."

Julie says she and Andy, whose parents still reside in the Valley, wanted an exotic honeymoon that offered adventure and allowed them to use their frequent-flier miles.

"We were originally looking at going to Fiji, but found out it was too expensive. We learned that New Zealand was more affordable. We chose to stop over first in the Cook Islands, rather than Tahiti or Hawaii. We decided to break up the trip to do a little bit tropical and then do a little bit more sightseeing - a little bit of both in one honeymoon."

The Garlikovs, who now live in San Francisco, were drawn to the tropical, pristine and secluded Cook Islands, a chain of 15 islands in the South Pacific. They stayed on Rarotonga, the largest of the islands, during the first five days and spent the remainder of the trip on New Zealand's South Island.

"We splurged on those first few days. We basically just sat and relaxed," says Andy. "We stayed in one of the 15 gorgeous Sea Change Villas on the beach with our own swimming pool, kitchen and hammock. We were just 100 steps away from the water. It's unbelievably beautiful there."

The couple enjoyed the remoteness of the island. "There is no major hotel chain there yet. There is one stop sign on the entire island and literally one road that runs in a circle around the island," says Andy.

After a six-hour flight, the couple landed in New Zealand, spending time in the colonial city of Christchurch and the wineries of Waipara Valley.

"We have a fascination with wines, so one of the attractions of New Zealand for us was the scenery and the wines. New Zealand is a very picturesque country," says Julie.

Other side trips included a tour and hike in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, which is home to New Zealand's highest peaks and largest glaciers. They also visited Queenstown, which they describe as being similar to Lake Tahoe.

"The highlight of the trip was when we went to Milford Sound. It's one of the natural wonders of the world. It's a fiord - a waterway formed by glaciers. We splurged and flew up there on a four-seater plane and had great luck. It was the best weather they had for months," says Julie.

Travel agents guide the way

The Garlikovs researched their trip and then contacted a travel agent.

"It's a good idea to use the services of a travel agent especially when you're trying to decide on a place like New Zealand," suggests Julie. "Our agent knew where to go, how many places to visit. We found her personal experience very helpful in trying to decide how to navigate the country."

Karen Benson has been a Valley travel specialist for the past 25 years.

"It's great to use the Internet for researching and figuring out what you're going to do, but the reality of it is, when you're ready to book, you need to find someone who does this every day," advises Benson, who is associated with Camelback Odyssey Travel in Phoenix and has been on Travel+Leisure magazine's "A-List" of travel agents for the past five years.

"A good travel agent will ask you the important questions," she says. "There is a lot of research that goes into planning a honeymoon. You've really got to take the clients' interests into consideration. Some people never hit a gym or never do a hike and want just a quiet, romantic, beautiful beach.

"There are other people who are very fit, especially if they're young, and are used to going out every weekend or even every day to go hiking and biking. They're going to want something more active."

Another reason to use the services of a travel agent is to deal with unexpected situations that might disrupt travel plans such as an airline bankruptcy.

"When ATA and Aloha airlines went out of business, we knew right away and were able to protect our clients," says Benson. "I immediately contacted my wholesaler about clients going on honeymoons on both airlines. Within 20 minutes, we were able to change their flight to Hawaiian Airlines, which is fine right now. Three or four hours later, others couldn't get on the flights, and they ended up paying more to make the changes."

Sue Peterson, a travel consultant with Carefree Travel in Scottsdale, says that a region's seasonal climate should be taken into consideration when booking a trip.

"I am working with some people who would like to go to the Maldives in the summer, but it's not the best time to go because it's monsoon season," says Peterson. "Of course, they could experience decent weather.

"It's like if you go to the Caribbean in September, you could possibly be troubled by a hurricane. ... If I could guarantee the weather, I probably wouldn't be in this industry."

For those seeking a low-stress experience, a cruise may be a great choice.

"A lot of people have a beach-type honeymoon in mind, whether they stay in a romantic bungalow overlooking the water in the South Pacific or in a Hawaiian resort on the beach," says Peterson.

"Others want to cruise for a honeymoon, especially if they have had experience with cruises. It's so easy because there aren't (many) decisions they have to make."

Cruising the Mediterranean

Kim Subrin, program and camp director of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, and her husband, Brian, a systems analyst for American Express, chose a 12-night Royal Caribbean cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate their May 6, 2006, wedding.

"We wanted something that was relaxing and had a little bit of adventure," says Kim Subrin.

The ship left from Barcelona, Spain, and along the way the Subrins explored numerous European cities, including Villefranche on the French Riviera; Rome and Florence, Italy; Kusadasi, Turkey; Athens, Greece; the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini; and Italy's Amalfi coast.

Their most memorable stop was Santorini, a volcanic island known for its stunning beauty. "It is the most fantastic place I've ever been," says Subrin. "It is absolutely gorgeous. We rode mules up to the top to Fira, the capital.

"Then we rented ATVs and spent the day going from winery to winery. It's like something out of the movies, with the homes built into the side of the mountains. It's just breathtaking."

While it was a perfect honeymoon for the Subrins, they hope to one day return to Greece. "This was our way of seeing what we liked and what we didn't like. The cruise was kind of like a taste test," says Subrin.

The magic of Southeast Asia

Keith Mishkin, president of Cambridge Properties in Phoenix, and his wife, Shannon, chose to honeymoon in Southeast Asia after their Dec. 5, 2004, wedding. They enjoyed both resort and city experiences during their four-week trip.

Their honeymoon combined land tours with sea travel through Seabourn Cruise Lines.

The trip, which began in Hong Kong, was enhanced with the help of Abercrombie & Kent personal tour guides, giving them intimate, unique perspectives in the cities they visited.

"We could have stayed in Hong Kong for a couple of weeks," says Mishkin. "What makes it so incredibly special is everywhere you look you see either water, mountains or beautiful (modern) architecture, which is juxtaposed to old Chinese architecture. I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

"Shopping was unbelievable. We had ... custom clothes made at pennies on the dollar."

After flying to Singapore, the Mishkins boarded a Seabourn cruise ship, which Keith describes as a "five-star experience on a smaller ship with world-class service."

Along the way, they visited the Thai islands of Phuket and Ko Kood, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay in Vietnam.

"We loved Vietnam," says Mishkin. "The people were incredibly friendly and loved having tourists, especially Americans. Going through Ho Chi Minh City was interesting because they were pro-(Sen. John) McCain, one of the famous war prisoners" during the Vietnam War.

"Halong Bay was a magical place. You could only see it from a ship or boat. It reminded me of Homer's Odyssey, with all these mountainous outcroppings rising out of the water. I've never seen anything like it."

Mishkin recalls only one time that they experienced rough seas and a bit of seasickness. It was the night of Dec. 26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit.

"Fortunately, we were on the other side of Thailand by that time. The gym on the Phuket beach where Shannon worked out the day before was leveled. We didn't know the aftermath for a few days. It just gives you gratitude for life."

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