A honeymoon to remember ought to be personal rather than hackneyed; a reflection of shared good taste. And if there’s one holiday people are going to ask you about, it’s this one. Here are some of the most exciting and adventurous honeymoon destinations we can think of – from Portugal to Japan.
1. The Maldives
If you have visions of yourselves lazing in hammocks in your over-water villa, while your butler brings you a Martini by boat, then the Maldives is the honeymoon destination for you.
Every year the resorts of the Maldives out-do each other with increasingly opulent and romantic experiences – candlelit dinners for two on your own private sandbank; rambling wooden suites on stilts out to sea, which can only be accessed by boat. The only difficult decision you'll have to make is choosing the right island to suit you. Almost all of them offer the kind of dreamy, laid-on-luxury holiday fit for a honeymoon, surrounded by the bluest of blue scenery that never, ever loses its sparkle.
2. Amalfi Coast, Italy
Closer to home but with the promise of ethereal charm, Italy’s Amalfi Coast is widely considered one of the world’s most breathtaking coastlines, beloved for its chocolate box towns, white-washed villages and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one spot here that isn’t a photo opportunity, but the Amalfi is much more than the sum of its biscuit-hued beaches and hidden coastal caves. This romantic area offers a slower pace of life, and easy charm that lulls even the most highly-strung newlyweds (table planning will do that to any couple) into a pervading calm. Dotted with forests, mountains, small fishing villages and ample opportunity for island-hopping, it’s not hard to see how this no-stress destination makes it onto the list of best honeymoon destinations. For maximum romance, rent a vintage, open-top car and drive yourselves around the 50km stretch of road between the port city of Salerno and clifftop Sorrento, winding past grand villas, terraced vineyards and cliffside lemon groves.
3. Krabi, Thailand
Beloved by party-goers and gap year students, Thailand can end up often being overlooked as a honeymoon destination, but Krabi, at the tail end of the west coast, tends to be less crowded, making it ideal for couples after a taste of The Land of Smiles’ calmer side. Blue waters lap at grass-covered limestone stacks just offshore, best viewed via private boat tour, or from the secluded beaches that pepper the area. Fill days here with tours through Krabi’s ethereal mangroves, scuba diving around the coral reef and lethargic afternoons around the pool or on the sands.
4. Greece
There's something so utterly captivating about Greece and the Greek islands. The simple beauty, the rich history and mythology, the scrubby wildernesses scented with wildflowers, the perfect clash of blue and white. All that light! Dazzling on little whitewashed church domes and fishermen's cottages built into the rock. And the unbelievable blue of the sea and the skies in long, hot summers that seem to last most of the year.
How remote do you want to be? Hundreds of islands, their names like gods and monsters – the Cyclades, the Ionians; Thassos and Zakinthos and Spetses - each with their own distinct character. One of the most photogenic of them is Santorini, a honeymooner's paradise. It is absurdly beautiful, but thanks to the natural amphitheatre of its caldera, anyone staying in the whitewashed villages that tumble down its steep hillsides gets an uninterrupted view of the volcano and the deepest blue sea. At sunset the setting sun paints the villages pink and honey-gold.
5. Bali, Indonesia
Land of pirates, and dragons, of a million islands, misty, mythical mountainous stacks. Land, too, of some of the most beautiful places to stay in the world – and most of them are on Bali. It seems almost unfair, just how many heavenly hotels Bali has; and still more keep opening. Those deep-green infinity pools, jungle-cloaked and inviting, so classy after all that ubiquitous turquoise.
Yet however many five-star hotels open up, Bali is no homogenized island resort. It's a magical, spiritual place, which manages to retain its authenticity and culture, as well as its unspoilt beaches and green tropical landscapes. And there are places to stay for all budgets from backpacker beach-huts (full-moon parties can be found) to super-sexy designer retreats.
6. Scotland
From June to August, when Santorini and St Lucia are swarming with brides hot in their frothy frocks, when every terrace in Venice and Ravello is clinking with newlyweds, Scotland might very well be the smart choice for honeymooners.
True, Edinburgh in August is full of festival mayhem. But beyond the capital: miles and mountainous miles of astoundingly beautiful landscapes, some of Britain's loveliest beaches – on sunny days compared to those of the Caribbean – and the sweet rivers and murmuring streams of Burns's love poems brought to life. And how many places in the world are just as spectacular in winter, even while stormclouds roll across gigantic skies?
7. Comporta, Portugal
Chic and discreet, Comporta is the back-to-nature, beach-shack type of exclusive: a pristine idyll that’s drawn everyone from Louboutin to Sarkozy. It is only an hour’s drive from Lisbon, on Portugal’s blustery west coast, and the strict preservation laws and stewardship by an elite banking group have been key to keeping it spotless and secluded. Singular scenery ranges across bright-green rice fields, scented cork forests and 12km of thrillingly elemental beaches, all icing-sugar sand and thundering surf. Endlessly compared to pre-fame Ibiza or St Tropez, it’s in fact far less glitzy – and better for it. Kick off your flip-flops for sunset dining at a handful of unshowy restaurants on sun-bleached boardwalks, icy jugs of white sangria aside fresh, garlic-steeped clams and coriander-spiked local arroz.
8. Bora Bora
Bora Bora in French Polynesia is well-known for its vast volcanic views, aquamarine lagoons and sieved-flour sand. Adding to the tropical bundle are the luxurious overwater villas that pepper the perimeter of the island, just offshore, and complete the textbook honeymoon image. In short, it’s a tried-and-tested formula that’s proved itself perfect for couples basking in the post-wedding glow (and fatigue).
Away from the crowds of other traditional honeymoon destinations such as Hawaii and the Caribbean, resorts here favour those on post-nuptial getaways and are known for pulling out all the stops. Expect private island picnics, intimate snorkelling excursions and elaborate spa packages.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, Bora Bora is surrounded by sand-fringed Motus (islets) and a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral reef, making it a prime spot for scuba diving. There are no direct flights to Bora Bora from the UK, but, with the most popular stopover en route being Los Angeles, see it as an opportunity to tack some green-juice-wielding Hollywood glamour onto your trip.
9. Tokyo, Japan
Call it the capital of good taste. Foodies, drinks snobs, design buffs and culture nuts: you’ve found Shangri-La. More Michelin stars than any other city. (Yep, Paris comes second – and by a stretch.) Architecture doubles for art, from those all-glass Prada and Dior stores to Tadao Ando’s minimalist-concrete shopping mall, Omotesando Hills. Mixologists blend craft cocktails with laser precision at intimate 10-seater bars; sumo wrestlers scuffle in stadiums and kabuki performers peacock around theatres. Narrow back streets bristle with slow-drip coffee bars, indie fashion boutiques, traditional tatami workshops and eighth-generation noodle counters. Everything artisanal, long before it was cool. And then, when that’s quite enough sophistication, neon-soaked thoroughfares thrum with restaurants staffed by robots and cafés filled with goats.
10. Grenada, Caribbean
Though misleading to still refer to Grenada as the Caribbean’s best-kept secret, it’s fair to say that the island still enjoys a more comfortable flow of tourists than some of its other, busier siblings. The tiny island – known as the Spice Isle of the Caribbean – boasts a landscape that seems to outweigh its size in terms of sheer diversity, mixing black and white sand beaches with jungle-clad waterfalls and a singular city, St. George’s, with an 18th-century fort that looks out across the waters of St. George’s Bay. Many honeymooners opt to sail around the island, stopping off at its various beaches and fishing villages.
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