We just planned our dream 18-night multi-country honeymoon that blends private luxury (Fiji), urban adventure (Sydney/Tokyo/Osaka), and a final recharge (Kuala Lumpur). We were strategic about what to splurge on vs where to save β leveraging credit card points, travel perks, and redemptions to build a $30K+ experience for way less out-of-pocket.
π§ Trip Overview
- Total Length: 3 weeks
- Countries: Fiji π«π―, Australia π¦πΊ, Japan π―π΅, Malaysia π²πΎ
- Total Trip Value: ~$30,000+
- What We Paid: Significantly less using points + perks
- Honeymoon Style: Luxury + nature + culture + food + Muslim-friendly
π Itinerary by Day
| Days | Location | Lodging | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1β3 | In Transit | β | Travel to Fiji |
| Days 3β8 | Taveuni, Fiji | ποΈ Raiwasa Private Resort | All-inclusive, ultra-private villa |
| Days 8β10 | Sydney, Australia | π¨ Four Seasons Sydney | Harbor views, walkable, sleek city stay |
| Days 10β12 | Tokyo, Japan | π¨ Hilton Tokyo | Central Shinjuku location |
| Days 12β14 | Osaka, Japan | π¨ Waldorf Astoria Osaka | Luxury, best hotel of the trip β¨ |
| Day 14β15 | Tokyo (Narita area) | π¨ ANA Crowne Plaza Narita Airport | Transit night near airport |
| Days 15β18 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | π¨ Villa Samadhi Kuala Lumpur | Tranquil, private boutique hotel |
| Days 18β20 | Tokyo, Japan | π¨ Conrad Tokyo | Final stop before flying home β used Hilton points |
π Hotel Costs + Redemptions
| Hotel | Nights | Value | What We Paid / Points Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raiwasa Private Resort (Fiji) | 5 | ~$21,500+ | 600,000 Hilton Pointsπ via Amex transfer bonus (transferred ~210β240K MR in Sept '24) |
| Four Seasons Sydney | 2 | $454 | Amex Platinum Hotel Creditπ³ Paid $254 after $200 |
| Hilton Tokyo | 2 | ~$1,000 | **Hilton Amex Surpass SUB (130K points)**π§Ύ Covered by + leftover Amex MR points |
| Waldorf Astoria Osaka | 2 | ~$1,000 | π§Ύ Same redemption as above (booked with points combo) |
| ANA Crowne Plaza Narita Airport | 1 | ~$120 | π³ Paid cash β airport transit night |
| Villa Samadhi Kuala Lumpur | 3 | ~$510 USD | 2400 MYRπ΅ Paid (~$510 USD) cash |
| Conrad Tokyo | 2 | ~$900+ | Hilton pointsπ Booked with from existing stash (~100K+) |
βοΈ Flight Costs
| Route | Value (Cash Paid) |
|---|---|
| DC β LA β Fiji | π΅ $2,700 |
| Fiji β Sydney | π΅ $775 |
| Sydney β Tokyo | π΅ $870 |
| Tokyo β Kuala Lumpur β Tokyo | π΅ $600 round-trip |
| Tokyo β DC | π΅ $1,200 |
π§ Strategy Notes
- Amex MR to Hilton Transfer Bonus: In Sept 2024, Amex ran a 3:1 promo to Hilton. I transferred ~210Kβ240K MR points to get 600K Hilton Points for Raiwasa (worth over $21K). I only had the Amex Platinum, not Gold.
- Hilton Amex Surpass: Opened the card just before the trip, used the 130K SUB + leftover points to cover Hilton Tokyo + Waldorf Osaka (4 nights).
- Amex Platinum Hotel Credit: Used $200 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit on Four Seasons Sydney, bringing the cost down to just $254 for 2 nights.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Used 100K SUB + 100K existing UR points to book Conrad Tokyo and potentially Narita / KL hotels.
π‘ Budget Advice
- Pick your splurges wisely: Go all out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences (Raiwasa, Osaka), save on transit nights or flights
- Time your card applications: Sign-up bonuses (SUBs) are game-changers β plan them months ahead of bookings
- Stack promotions: The Amex-Hilton transfer bonus was the single best hack we used
- Mix and match countries: We used open-jaw tickets, backtracked intentionally, and saved by being flexible
- Use transit nights to your advantage: Donβt pay out-of-pocket for short stays β points are perfect for these
The biggest starting point I can give is to find a remarkable hotel that you want to center your destination around. For me, I knew this was a tropical place that I was looking for that gave me the privacy I needed. We looked at Bora Bora, Maldives, etc. but the transfer flights proved to be too expensive to on top of the hotel stays there, so I looked at Fiji, and I discovered the Standard Night Award for 150,000 points per night plus the 5th night free when booking with Hilton points.
From there, once I knew that Raiwasa was the perfect destination, I planned around it. I looked at nearby countries that weren't expensive to travel to, and it just became a matter of narrowing it down to be within my budget. All in all, I have spent no more than $7000 on this trip, including flights, hotels, everything. I will definitely recommend following some content creators that specialize in point redemptions and let you know when a great deal for a credit card is up. My favorite is u/german.samvel on Instagram.
Side note, Raiwasa is probably the finest hotel I have ever looked into. It's a single occupant villa with all of the amenities, privacy, and luxuries that you would want, and they also provide activities for you to do. I highly urge anyone who is interested in something like this to keep an eye on point redemptions. The trip to Australia came about because the flights leaving Fiji on that specific day to other countries all had layovers in Australia for 24 hours+, so I just decided to spend 2 nights there and make that another trip.
If you have any questions about the planning process, itinerary, etc. I'd be more than happy to answer it. Now that I have everything booked, I can begin to plan the actual day-to-day activities for us to do. BONUS: My fiancee does not know about any of this. I told her that we're going on our honeymoon, but it's all a surprise as to where it is, and I want to make sure that this is a trip of a lifetime. if anyone has any recommendations for the cities we're staying in, I'd love to hear it! Thanks everyone and best of luck with your planning!
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