Whilst planning our beautiful wedding, James and I wanted to cap it off with the honeymoon of a lifetime. Knowing how hectic our year had been with planning our wedding as well as building our house, we decided on Bora Bora, Tahiti for pure relaxation and indulgence. Little did I know that James had planned for us to go to Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York as well. I knew I married him for a reason!! The moment we landed in Tahiti and had traditional Tahitian gardenia lei’s placed around our necks, we knew we were in for a real treat!
We stayed in a premium over-water bungalow at the Intercontinental Le Moana Bora Bora resort, and there was only one word for it … AMAZING!! I loved how the entire resort had more of a traditional Polynesian feel to it with beautiful hibiscus and gardenia’s everywhere. Another feature of our room was the sliding glass coffee table so that we could feed the tropical fish!
Tahitian food is an exciting mix of French and Polynesian food, and the seafood is to die for. James and I became a little addicted to their national dish of Poisson Cru, which is fresh raw fish marinated in coconut milk, lime juice and coriander with a vegetable salad. Breakfast was a particular highlight every morning considering it was delivered to our room by Ringo! There was also the option of having an amazing buffet breakfast at the resort restaurant, but having breakfast delivered to you definitely won out!
Plenty of food and wine was consumed out here, whilst watching the gorgeous sunsets. Still so hard to believe we were there!
Considering we had pretty poor weather in the lead up to our wedding, we made sure to make the most of the gorgeous weather and come back with a tan. I found that a little easier than my other half!
As part of our gift registry with Not Another Toaster, our family and friends contributed in purchasing a few ‘touristy’ things to do on our honeymoon. One of them being spending a day snorkelling and swimming with sharks and sting rays. I have a major fear of sharks if it isn’t already obvious in the photo! James kept reminding me that they were only reef sharks, but they’re sharks nonetheless!
On our last night in Tahiti, we had dinner at the resort where they held a themed night, with plenty of good food, wine and dancing. I was only brave enough to get up there after copious amounts of alcohol! Also another thing to note, Tahitians know how to drink and boy are their drinks strong!
So after seven glorious days in Tahiti, relaxing in the sun, having romantic dinners on private motu’s (small islands) and enjoying the wonderful polynesian hospitality, we set off to the US-of-A!!
First stop … Vegas!
We lost complete track of time as there was so much to see and do. From admiring the fountain show at the Bellagio to shopping up a storm at the Venetian, it’s hard to believe that this is all in the desert! An absolute must do is to see the ‘O’ by Cirque du Soleil show at the Bellagio. It’s an amazing acrobatic show that’s set in a purpose built stage, where the performers go from diving into the water to walking on it.
Considering how close the Grand Canyon is to Las Vegas, we decided to do a day tour where we took a helicopter ride into the canyon to experience the breathtaking scenery.
I’m not really that brave … just a little trick photography!
After five full on days in Las Vegas, we set off to San Francisco, and it’s certainly a place that I could live in. Such a relaxed and great vibe about it. We made out like real tourists from taking happy snaps in front of the golden gate bridge, Alcatraz, Lombard Street and basically everything else and becoming a little obsessed with the yummy clam chowder and sourdough bread bowls from Boudin cafe located at the wharf.
James and I had such a great time in San Francisco but knew that New York was calling!!
It’s a city that never sleeps and a complete feast for the senses. We were in New York during their winter. The whole city looked magical and walking in the city while it was snowing was quite the novelty! Every day was exciting and we made sure to pack in as much as we could but seven days just didn’t feel like enough. We shopped till we dropped, overloaded on carbs (I could definately live off their bagels with lox and cream cheese!) and I even managed to get James to go on the Sex and the City tour with me!
At the end of our trip we flew to Boston to watch the Celtics play the Lakers. As James and I are massive Boston Celtics fans, this was an absolute dream for us and we decided to go in matching team colours!
After a fabulous honeymoon, we’re back to reality!
Photography from Monaliz and James’ collection
Ms Gingham says: Mmmmmm …. did you see that chowder in that chewy sourdough bread? Unfortunately I’m just not a no carbs kind of girl. No matter how hard I try.
Monaliz says: “Hi my name is Monaliz Abella! I got married to my wonderful husband James on January 15th 2011 and went on an amazing honeymoon that saw us take in beautiful Bora Bora to wintery New York! It was the honeymoon of a lifetime and we’d love to share it with others!”
Beautiful photos, really inspirational! We’re currently planning a honeymoon in Bora Bora, hopefully paid for through our registry http://ourhoneymoonregistry.com.au/destination/borabora
Hi Kim! You will love Bora Bora, such a beautiful place. No doubt you will love it! Make sure to go on a snorkelling day trip, where you’ll be able to swim with the reef sharks and sting rays, followed by a beautiful lunch on a motu!!