ESCAPE PLANS
The ultimate destination honeymoon means all kinds of things to all kinds of people. Before you nail your colours to the mast, read up on our selection of five fabulous—and fabulously varied—honeymoon options
Read all about the ultimate honeymoon destinations from all around the world
Ahoneymoon is a trip of a lifetime, but deciding where to go can be tricky. It’s important to choose a destination that sets the right tone: somewhere that offers an unforgettable setting along with experiences you’ll be talking about for years to come, while also providing enough serenity for relaxing in the blissful simplicity of each other’s company.
For the ultimate in understated luxury and privacy, North Island in the Seychelles (www.north-island.com) is where Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated their royal honeymoon. A sprinkling of more than 100 mainly uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is a tropical paradise of unspoiled coconutpalm-lined beaches, coral atolls and junglecovered granite hills teeming with wildlife, especially birds. Cousin Island, only 1km in diameter, is home to more than 300,000 birds, while many unique species can be found even on the main, more built-up island of Mahé, which houses one of the world’s smallest capital cities, Victoria.
North Island is the most luxurious and secluded resort in the Seychelles. Some 30km from Mahé, its white beaches line a tropical interior of coconut palms and takamaka trees cradled between three grey granite outcrops, 110m to 180m in height. The resort’s 11 beautifully light-filled guest villas have been built from local materials handcrafted by Seychellois and African craftsmen from wood, stone and glass.
The resort also runs what it calls the Noah’s Ark conservation programme. The island has been replanted with thousands of nursery-grown indigenous plants; alien rodents have been eradicated; and species such as Seychelles blue pigeons and wedgetailed shearwaters have returned, along with hawksbills and green turtles, which nest on the four beaches. The Seychelles white-eye, of which a mere 400 remain in the world, was introduced in 2007 and there are now more than 60 birds.
The island and its flora and fauna can be explored during hiking and mountain-biking expeditions, or on boat trips snorkelling, diving, sea kayaking and fishing. But whatever you choose to do, an evening cruise complete with an Indian Ocean sunset is a heavenly way to finish the day with your loved one.
Ravishing Riga
If you’re a couple who prefer a fine piece of architecture to a sandy bay, and a molecular cocktail to a sea-turtle sighting, Riga in the Baltic nation of Latvia is drawing an increasing amount of attention for its culture, history and sparkling nightlife. The city is experiencing a renaissance, with many large-scale restoration projects of old buildings making it one of the most attractive cities in Europe. Most famously, Riga is home to the largest concentration of Jugendstil (German art-nouveau) architecture in the world.
It’s an increasingly popular destination for Europeans drawn by its Unesco World Heritage-listed old town, the area of Vecriga, which amply displays the wealth accrued from Hanseatic trade between the 13th and 15th century. While it has something of a reputation as a 24/7 party capital, it will shine culturally, historically and architecturally in 2014 thanks to its hosting of the prestigious European Capitals of Culture 2014, along with Umea in Sweden.
For soaking up the experience of the old town, the Royal Palace Hotel (www. grandpalaceriga.com), a Leading Hotels of the World property, has old-world charm in spades. All the 56 rooms and suites are elegantly furnished in shades of beige and blue, with thick, lavishly patterned carpets and curtains, and elegant furniture. The hotel is known for its art deco restaurant, Suite, serving Asian-European fusion cuisine, and its summer terrace for light bites. The hotel also has a cosy, living room-styled lounge where DJs spin house tunes, plus a bar decorated with artworks and hunting trophies popular with the suited crowd.
Wild Wonderland
For many, leaving the suit and tie behind is what a holiday is all about, and for more adventurous couples, an African safari might just be the adventure of your new, wedded lifetime. While there are many beautiful, luxurious private game lodges across the continent, family-run Londolozi (www.londolozi.com) in South Africa offers outstanding game viewing, accommodation, dining and service—and, most impressively of all, none other than Nelson Mandela’s blessing: “During my long walk to freedom, I had the rare privilege to visit Londolozi. There I saw people of all races living in harmony amidst the beauty that Mother Nature offers. Londolozi represents a model of the dream I cherish for the future of nature preservation in our country.”
Meaning “to protect” in Zulu, Londolozi is in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which covers 2.5 million hectares and incorporates the famous Kruger National Park. This wild wonderland assures exceptional game
drives and a true wilderness experience. Elephant, buffalo, white rhino and lion concentrations are high, but it’s the remarkable relationship that has developed over three decades between wild, freeranging leopards and rangers that’s made Londolozi world famous.
Londolozi was created more than 80 years ago by two friends, whose greatgrandchildren now run the reserve. Pioneer Camp celebrates this history through faithfully restored memorabilia: photographs, old suitcases, silver, crystal glass and gramophones. These artefacts create a romantic, personal atmosphere in what is already the most secluded of Londolozi’s camps. The three private suites have superb river views and are perfect for honeymooners. Guests can eat under the stars in the boma or enclosure, in the bushveld or in the camp dining room. The lodge can tailor-make hiking and
Water World
Closer to home, for a safari experience of a much more watery kind, the Katharina Phinisi (www.seatrekbali.com) is an elegant two-masted schooner that offers 10-day cruises from Bali to Komodo between March and September. The route takes in the tropical islands of Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores, and includes snorkelling once or twice a day plus land visits to villages or national parks. Lucky guests will get to see the famed Komodo dragon in its natural habitat, the only place in the world where they can be found in the wild.
Katharina is hand-built by native craftsmen and fully laid out in tropical hardwood with traditional rigging. Six cabins are set below deck, but the more spacious cabin on the upper deck has portholes on both sides. The boat has an elegant dining room and a large deckspace with comfortable sun loungers from which to enjoy the magnificent view. On board there are also games, sea kayaks, body boards, deck mattresses, snorkelling equipment, fishing gear and two tenders with outboards. It’s entirely up to you how much, or how little, you do each day. Watching the islands drift by from a deck chair next to your better half can while away hours.
Brazilian Beauty
For a more active honeymoon vacation, the exotic Rio de Janeiro is a sultry dream. The world’s eyes will be on Brazil when the country hosts the 2014 Fifa World Cup, as well as the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2016. If you avoid visiting during the World Cup itself (mid-June to mid-July), you and your beloved can enjoy all the buzz without the bustle; visitors will benefit from the upgraded transport and infrastructure links while avoiding the crowds.
Brazil’s second-largest city, Rio has plenty to offer, from some of the world’s most famous beaches, including Copacabana and Ipanema, to iconic sites such as the Christ the Redeemer statue, which spreads its arms over the city. Along with jaw-dropping natural scenery, including the oft-photographed Sugarloaf Mountain, there are great wining, dining samba-dancing venues as well as the annual Carnival, which marks the beginning of the Lent season, the period before Easter.
When you have tired of the bright lights of the big city, there are idyllic resorts just a couple of hours away. A member of Design Hotels (www.designhotels. com), Insólito Boutique Hotel (www. insolitos.com.br) in Búzios, 160km north of Copacabana, sits on a rocky hillside overlooking the crescent-shaped Ferradura Bay. A hidden delight for style mavens and art lovers, its 20 rooms have Jacuzzis and verandas and are individually styled to themes of opera, film, photography and local culture. There are George Nelson chairs, wooden sofa-sculptures by Elma Chavez, and glass walls that look out across the pink-sand beach.
The massive beach lounge, with its bar carved out of the root of a 1,000-yearold tree, is ideal for sundowner cocktails, while the French-Brazilian restaurant serves elegant, excellent meals. There is a luxurious spa looking over the sea, and fabulous pools. To explore the beaches in the area, such as the gorgeous Geribá and João Fernandes, the hotel has a fleet of its own boats. Fishing, golf, horse riding and water sports are all available nearby.
Whether it’s soaking up rays on a private beach, or marvelling at architecture in an ancient city, or whether you’re looking for a dose of the exotic in Brazil, a safari adventure in South Africa or a sailing expedition in Indonesia, there’s a plethora of options to suit all honeymooners. But first, the wedding; only then is it time to escape and relax.