My best friend and I vacationed at a honeymoon-worthy resort. We came back closer than ever.

19.03.2024 - 20:09 / insider.com

As a boat picked my friend Katie and me up on the beaches of Dangriga, Belize, we had about 25 minutes to bond with the other guests traveling to Thatch Caye resort.

Once we arrived, the two of us would be plopped onto a private island with about 25 other guests. We'd share communal dinners, embark on ocean excursions, and wade into cool waters with the strangers-turned-friends who were also vacationing at the all-inclusive resort.

But there was one main difference between us and the other guests: We were the only friend pairing on the island. Everyone around us was vacationing with their significant other.

It made sense. Thatch Caye screams honeymoon.

The Belize island is home to overwater bungalows, where long wooden docks stretch out over crystal waters. Hammocks scatter the island, creating the ideal place to cuddle and stargaze, and large, king-sized beds make lazy mornings a must.

A glance at the resort's reviews on Google or Tripadvisor confirmed my initial thoughts that this place lures lovebirds.

"The overwater bungalows are what we stayed in for our honeymoon," one reviewer wrote on Google. "These have all the romance-inducing features you want for a honeymoon."

"We went to Thatch Caye for an anniversary celebration," one person on Tripadvisor wrote. "It was the most relaxing and peaceful time that my husband and I have ever had."

"I could not have imagined a more amazing place to take my honeymoon," someone else wrote.

On top of its romantic appeal, Thatch Caye is a luxury resort. The island has three types of accommodations. The nicest are premier overwater bungalows, which, after all-inclusive fees, taxes, and a resort fee, typically cost about $950 a night for two people. My friend and I spent two nights in a premier overwater bungalow. Business Insider received a media rate for the stay.

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As BI previously reported, the demand for travel remains high. And with that demand comes travelers who are willing to splurge.

"Our clients are spending more, and they're traveling for longer periods of time," Cheri Ozimac, a senior travel designer at Tully Luxury Travel, previously told BI.

In fact, The Knot reported that the average honeymoon cost couples $5,100 in 2022.

At $950 a night, Katie and I agreed our trip to Thatch Caye would be one of the most expensive places we've visited.

We spent the two nights on the island joking that we were on our friendship honeymoon. In many ways, that's exactly what it was.

And as outlets like Brides and Travel Weekly have reported, we're not the only ones. Industry experts told Travel Weekly that "buddymoons," where couples bring friends on post-marriage vacations, have become a trend in recent years for "couples in their 30s who are well