Honeymoon in Maldives or French Riviera? Please help!

Hi all! My fiance and I are starting to talk about honeymoon ideas for the last week of September into the first week of October (~2 weeks). We are looking to do a "once in a lifetime trip", so we are torn between two very different places, the Maldives/French Polynesia and French Riviera/Monaco. We love aspects of both which is why it is a tough choice.

Some info about what specifically we are looking for:

We want somewhere with beaches that we can do some swimming in
Good food and interesting sights to see

We are not that picky with things and we want to have a relaxing time with a good balance of exploration. Would love any opinions/insight!

in honeymoonplanningby jen_fluff

67%

2mo

D_-_G

2mo

Spent time to both.

FR/South of france by far.

The food is much better in France and there is plenty of great wine, also tons of cool/small towns to explore, and different kinds of experiences, restaurants, beach clubs, cliffs into oceans, beautiful turquoise water / white sand beaches, etc (Also Monaco is great for a day trip, I wouldnt spend much more than that there)

Maldives is much more singular - you're on a stunning island, and that is that. Good food, not great, super over priced wine and food btw. No countryside to explore, pretty much the same island vibe throughout.

jen_fluff

2mo

Thanks it helps getting an opinion from someone who's been to both! We are definitely looking for more experiences than just island life.

D_-_G

2mo

I noticed you posted in FatTravel too. Take a look at FS cap ferret. Cap du Eden rock in Antibes. And chateau de la messardiere in st Tropez. Happy to share more recommendations if you go the SoF direction. I’ve spent a ton of time here

DadHusbandCarGuy

2mo

Really depends on what you want. By far, my most favourite ever has been the Maldives - but that’s because it’s like paradise on earth. It’s genuinely a place to switch off, unwind and spend time with your partner.

Monaco, on the other hand, seems like a place where you’d do more out-of-resort activities, and be busier exploring things together (if that makes sense?).

luxfamtravel

2mo

Definitely something to consider is Maldives will be in the tail end of monsoon season. This means probably half your days will be rainy but other half will be sunny. Pro is pricing will be the lowest and it’s about half the normal price when you travel during this time. It would be cool to do both or if you want to be in Maldives, stay at cheval blanc and you get the French ambience with the tropical beaches. I can say the food at cheval blanc is 🧑‍🍳💋 and they will cater to your every whim. My husband mentioned he liked Indian food and they got their Indian chef to cook us a special dinner that was the best Indian food we’ve ever had! Their French restaurant was also fantastic for a fine dining tasting menu experience.

thehoneymoonguide

thehoneymoonguide.co

2mo

definitely french polynesia although the only thing is as touched on by others it would probably come in last for food rating unless you go with higher end. ts rainy season in the maldives too so french riviera might win over that one.

laruetravels

2mo

Congrats! I totally get it, honeymoon is the perfect time for a bucket list trip.

To help narrow down a little, the weather in French Polynesia will be better than Maldives so between the two I'd go there. There's also more variety than the Maldives because you can hop between islands and generally there are more opportunities to be active. I often recommend starting in Moorea for the best snorkeling and ending at a luxury overwater bungalow in Bora Bora.

The food in the south of France is just going to be better no question. It's France. But I also don't think you'll be disappointed by any means by say, Four Seasons Bora Bora. FS doesn't skimp. There will also be a way wider variety of activities in the south of France, day trips, city experiences, whereas in Bora Bora your activities will be snorkeling, ATV tours, jet skiing, boat cruises.

End of September early October may be getting a bit cool for swimming or beach days depending on your comfort levels so that's something to factor in.

Ok-Door-6731

2mo

Maldives and French Polynesia are two very different places….. Maldives is rainy season that time of year. It would be perfect honeymoon weather in French Polynesia though.